Tag: Ron Simasek on Drums

The Fool’s Overture

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 4:12
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:TheFool’sOverture.mp3]
Lyrics
Was the joke on you this time?
Did it once feel as though you had finally got across that line?
Did you dress up well today? Get well prepared to play?
Just to be banned you from the stage?

Is she waiting in the wings?
Fawning and hanging onto every blessed lyric that you sing?
Did she dress you up to play? Boast your morale today?
Use her deep insight to gauge?

Has the air escaped the room?
Once all had realized that you are imminently doomed
Did this world just pass you by? Deny your one last try?
Was the joke on you this time?

Subtle on the surface, inferno in the soul
The search goes on forever but no one seems to know
The past reveals no sign for the burden that was wrought
Mystic heated whine, get some while it’s hot!

Composition © 2007 Ric Albano
Publication © 2007, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on May 7, 2007
Recorded starting on October 5, 2007
at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Bret Alexander & Paul Smith
Mixed and Mastered in 2009
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Original Release: December 27, 2007
on Imaginary Lines II
This Release: September 9, 2009
on Imaginary Lines 33

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Keyboards, Bass, Vocals
Bret Alexander
Guitars
Erik Trabert
Guitars
Ron Simasek
Drums

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: An exciting, hard rocking , tangential song that is not really an “overture” at all. It suffers slightly from some off-key guitar chords in the second movement.

Song Trivia
“The Fool’s Overture” is one of two Imaginary Lines songs that share a title with a Supertramp song, the other being “Long Way Home”.

Please offer your own analysis of The Fool’s Overture by leaving a comment in the box below.

One

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 5:47
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:One.mp3]
Lyrics
Take a totally rational, complex super-organism
Reduce its pure essence to a 2-dimensional box
You’re black man, you’re white man, you – we’ll need to get back to
Once we have determined
The appropriate lines around you which we must draw
Then you’ll know who you really are

We cheer “diversity” but actually champion disparity
Thin surface reveals us all, deeper inner core irrelevant
Do you know who you really are?
Once we’ve anointed you
Any further insight from you will be superfluous and ignored

Take an honest, emotional, simple, young human person kind
The kind the intelligentsia tend to love to scorn and mock
For being mad for being had or for simply being consistent
Unlike their own trend-o’-the-week,
Nuanced, metro-sexual, cultured daughters and sons
But aren’t we all the One?

If there are two then there must be 6 billion
Composed of fools, heroes, artists, dregs, and villains
Aren’t we all the One?
Once we acknowledge this
Any further false divisions will be gratuitous and absurd

We are all the One!
If there are two then it must be logical that there are infinite
Island universes, loosely coupled but self-determinate
Do we know who we really are?
Do you know who you really are?

You, who have seen years of hardship and days of easy living
Who have felt nights of warm love and spells of cold un-forgiveness
So how can I tell you who you are?
I do acknowledge the noble intent
But I must reject the method unreservedly

Composition © 2004 Ric Albano
Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on August 3, 2004
Recorded starting on May 9, 2005
at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Paul Smith
Mixed and Mastered in 2005
at Silver Spring Subterranean
Original Release: October 10, 2005
on Imaginary Lines I
This Release: September 9, 2009
on Imaginary Lines 33

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Bret Alexander
Electric Guitars
Ron Simasek
Drums and Percussion

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: The vocals flirt with the extreme upper range of Albano’s early work, but the calm, jazzy music and strategic drum, percussion, and synth accents ground this song as an interesting jam.

Song Trivia
The original title of this song was “Imaginary Lines” and it was the theme around a concept album (that never materialized) was planned. When the overall project was given that title, this songs name was changed – first to “Soliquoy” and then finally to “One”.

Please offer your own analysis of One by leaving a comment in the box below.

Peace

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 4:45
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:Peace.mp3]
Lyrics
It’s been a long, hard day in Burlington
The favorite son’s turned stale, the wicked one’s prevailed
So the town’s folk all rally to get their guns
And settle things with might while only one soul resists the fight

Says; “find your peace, find your peace…
Don’t hastily react with base release,
Find your peace – There’s more to life than that”

Within the bowels of the town dwells a tragic girl
Who has given up on hope, lost all desire to cope
So she unplugs her heart and now fills her world
With shallow, empty tasks, in clichéd terms she raps

“I wish you peace, wish you peace…
Although any chance for me has surely ceased,
I wish you peace – Is there any life like that?”

It’s been a long, hard week in Jericho
As the aboriginal men are all called to arms
Except those first-born, they are sheltered from this miracle
What’s the harm? What’s the harm?

Live in peace, live in peace,
Your better days will doubtlessly increase
Live in peace – conduct your life like that

Out the doors of Walter Reed walked a serviceman
With 14 colorful charms just to the left of his severed right arm
Then some appeasers holding signs break into mindless chants
To which this hero calmly replies;
“For those people I would have honorably died”

To bring them peace, bring them peace
Against their own internal nihilistic beasts
To bring them peace – Do they deserve a life like that?

But it’s been a long, hard month in Babylon
Patriarchs must adapt to veils falling to the ground
And it’s been a long, hard year in Avalon
As the mighty ABC alliance begins to crumble down
I’ve seen the spring flower bloom in the desert sand
A new world opens its arms, extends its hand

Composition © 2005 Ric Albano
Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on March 8, 2005
Recorded starting on May 9, 2005
at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Paul Smith
Mixed and Mastered in 2005
at Silver Spring Subterranean
Original Release: October 10, 2005
on Imaginary Lines I

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Bret Alexander
Electric Guitars
Ron Simasek
Drums

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: This is a really love/hate song that may sound brilliant or annoying depending on one’s mood. It was originallly intended to be the focal song from Imaginary Lines I, but is really in the bottom half of selections from that fine album.

Song Trivia
The song aims to portray the subjectiveness of certain words and terms by offering several distinct definitions of the word “Peace”.
During the song’s outtro, it twice jumps up a key, something influenced by the song “Seasons In the Sun” by Terry Jacks.

Please offer your own analysis of Peace by leaving a comment in the box below.

Anthem

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 4:39
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:Anthem.mp3]
Lyrics
And you will find what you seek in your heart
And your compassion will guide you to that door
And you’ve got destiny’s balance on your side
And you’ll discover more secret passages
And you will never relinquish the Truth
And your convictions will be bold, clear, and pure
And you’re consistent against the flux of time

And you are trying to reconstruct a holy universe
And you keep relying on the self that only you know
And you are humble, and you are brave
And you can crest the wave above the swift, strong, submerged undertow

And you dwell within a prison in paradise
And you’re perpetually wandering beyond the painted lines
And you appear to make wrong choices at every turn

And you burn in undervalued anonymity
And you continue to crawl along the side of that muddy hill
And you are scary, and you are scorned
And your favorite store no longer is affordable

And you endeavor towards that which is right
And you pray for every mortal soul every night
And you’re bitter, bored, and blue
And you’ve got so much to do

And you revisit those spirits of lost youth
And you can see daylight back up that one-way path
And you will search for the poison’s antidote

And you will hope that someday soon it’s discovered
And the spring of life unobstructedly resumes its flow
And you are faithful while you are lost
On the dark side of Mars in a neighborhood where no one goes

Composition © 2003, Ric Albano
Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on April 7, 2003
Recorded starting on April 8, 2005
at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Paul Smith
Mixed and Mastered in 2005
at Silver Spring Subterranean
Original Release: October 10, 2005
on Imaginary Lines I

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Bret Alexander
Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Ron Simasek
Drums
Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: Lifted from an extended poem, this song grew more in the studio than any of the early Imaginary Lines songs. The song builds with ever-richer arrangements through every verse and chorus, until finally reaching a crescendo through the guitar lead and last verse.

Song Trivia
This song was extremely difficult to name, going through several working titles in its first year, with Ric even holding a “name this song” contest with family in friends. Dissatisfied with any of the suggestions, Albano settled on the generic “Anthem” in tribute to Individualist Philosopher Ayn Rand, as this is a very self-reflective song.

To offer your own analysis of Anthem, please leave a comment in the box below.

33 Flames for Mary

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Written by Ric Albano and Ron Simasek Song Length: 5:57
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:33FlamesForMary.mp3]
Lyrics
Down in ‘Never-never-ever–been-that-ordinary’ land
Where the crossroads of forever stretch in infinite directions
Sound and light disseminate through tiny holes in the time-traversing van
Wait until the weather’s gettin’ better and we’ll revitalize the plan

Was it ever-ever-ever really alive and within your reach?
Or did it crumble in the face of a sweet success with a meek retreat?
Will the world still spin this night despite this man?
Who could have never-never-ever have designed this odd journey

Odd journey, with no fortunes of note sustained
Save the bane of under-quenched thirsts that sap the Day
Of any soft or sympathetic ears left to accost along the way
No time ever exists until it’s executed,
But by then you’re beyond the “Line of Absoluted”
How can you do it when you show up late for that?

Could there have ever been a better bet laid on a surer thing?
Then one who’s credible, devoted, optimistic, true, and trusting
To simply cite the results is to immensely overlook the strong significance
To one who thirsts for the ballad that this siren once agreed to sing

Significance, upsets the balance in the happy fool’s ear
Within their ducts it dams up his truthful tears
And then extinguishes the flames by quixotic thought and providential fear
I rearrange the pieces of the past
Until today makes sense someway, somehow
Although distress flairs light up tonight’s sky
I just cannot be bothered with that now

And I’m never gonna be here again, and I’m never gonna be there again
There is only so much tension,
You can cumber away until the mind no longer bends
(And I’m never gonna be there again)

And I really haven’t been anywhere since then
(And I’m never gonna be there again)
There is only so much passion one can drink while his soul is on the mend
And I’m never gonna be here again

What can you do when you show up late for…
And the day’s already been before…
And your key no longer unlocks that door?

Composition © 2003, 2005 Ric Albano and Ron Simasek
Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on May 11, 2003
Recorded starting on April 8, 2005
at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Paul Smith
Mixed and Mastered in 2005
at Silver Spring Subterranean
Original Release: October 10, 2005
on Imaginary Lines I

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Bret Alexander
Electric Guitar
Ron Simasek
Drums
Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: This a totally original song, fusing a melancholy power ballad with a precise, marching drum beat, revolving, almost funky bass line, and an excellent, bluesy, guitar lead. The vocals and lyric are almost secondary here, but still they portray the sad lament in the epilogue of a broken relationship. Further the song is asymetrical, nearly a mini-suite, with the story told in the form of a journey.

Song Trivia
In over 20 years of recording with The Badlees, and The Cellarbirds, and various other groups, this is the only individual songwriting credit for Ron Simasek, according to the All Music Guide.
“33 Flames for Mary” is the origin of the “33”, later used in the song “33 Shots at Louis”, the album Imaginary Lines 33, and ultimately the company 33 Dimensions LLC (parent company of Cygnus Wave).

To offer your own analysis of 33 Flames for Mary, please leave a comment in the box below.