Tragedy Machine

V1)
I’m feeling like the colour blue
Parades of lies are coming true
There’s no more shrines to break into
Just monuments to fools.
They built a tragedy machine
To glorify the might-have-beens
It keeps them on our TV screens
Like visual vaccines

CH)
They sing a song
To the common man
He can understand
But what went wrong
With the common man?
Did he run out of plans?

V2)
They’re printing things they shouldn’t say
Just for spite, to disobey
I’m waiting for election day
My life in disarray
It’s not for me to sympathise
To point the finger, criticise
If I were you I’d compromise
And get myself baptised

Middle 8)
Your freedom of expression
Is all you ever mention
But it’s gone.
V3)
I’m feeling like the colour red
Competing voices crowd my head
A phony war that starts to spread
A virus of the dead.

Copyright: Andy Holland 14/01/2015




Tragedy Machine

This song was originally recorded by The Flying Burrito Brothers for their classic debut album 'Gilded Palace Of Sin'. It's my favourite Gram Parsons song (co-written with Chris Ethridge) and so I decided to record a version.

Hot Burrito No 1 (originally by The Flying Burrito Brothers)

My friend Kerry Brooks asked me to a cover-version of this Leonard Cohen song, 'Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye'.  It was originally recorded for his debut album, The Songs Of Leonard Cohen and later covered by all and sundry. Like most of Cohen's songs, it is simple but extremely powerful.

Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye (originally written and recorded by Leonard Cohen)

This is my version of Joy Division's classic song 'She's Lost Control' from their album 'Unknown Pleasures'. I tried to do something different with it rather than copying it entirely.

For those interested in such information, this was recorded with Pro Tools, through an analog Mackie mixing desk.   The drums were programmed using Native Instruments Battery 3.  I played a Gretsch Country Club on it, in addition to a Fender Stratocaster USA Deluxe. The bass guitar is a cheap Vintage bass picked up from Cash Converters.


She's Lost Control (originally written and recorded by Joy Division)

This song was written and recorded over two years ago.

No Skills For Life

They don’t check your pulse, test your weight and height
They don’t ask your age, though you’d think they might
They don’t sound your chest, check you breath alright
But they still decide you’ve got no skills for life.

So you’re ten years wed, been a parent twice
And all your neighbours ask for your advice
And all your virtues outweigh every vice
But they still decide you’ve got no skills for life.
Chorus)
But that’s all fine cause you’ve built a shrine
To all their wealth and all their crime
That’s plain to see, it’s no mystery
And that’s how it’ll be
Cause they write history

Your life has handed you more lows than highs
As you tried to buy into what’s advertised
You obeyed the rules like they still applied
They still decided you’ve no skills for life.

Been in every war and you still survived
And more than used to being demonised
Doing all the work and getting criticised
And they still decide you’ve got no skills for life.

Copyright: Andy Holland 13th March 2013

For those of you who are interested in such things, this was recorded with Pro Tools through an analog Mackie 1642 VLZ PRO Mixing Desk.  I played a Gibson Hummingbird, a Fender Telecaster USA Deluxe, and a Gretsch Electromatic Lap Steel. The bass is Vintage picked up from Cash Converters.





No Skills For Life

Some weeks ago I asked people to recommend some cover versions for me to record versions of and Tommy J Lafferty kindly suggested The Damned's New Rose. Once again, this is strictly my interpretation of the song and so it shouldn't really be compared to the original.

For people who are interested in such things this was recorded using Pro Tools through an analog Mackie 1642-VLZ Mixing Desk. To program the drums I used Native Instruments Battery 3.  I played a Fender Telecaster USA Deluxe and a Gibson Les Paul Studio to track the guitars. I also played a Vintage bass-guitar picked up from Cash Converters.

New Rose (Originally Written By Brian James And Recorded By The Damned 1976)

This is another one from about two years ago. People who know me well, even some that don't, tend to notice that I get very wound up about politics. This track isn't political as such, but it was put together because I was very angry about the behaviour of the UK's current govt towards people who are vulnerable. Rather than going on social media and ranting about it, I decided to do this instead. The lead guitar playing on it is even sloppier than usual but I decided to leave it as it as it is, warts and all.

Again this was recorded on Pro Tools, using a Mackie 1642-VLZ PRO mixing desk.  I used a Fender Telecaster USA Deluxe and Fender Telecaster USA Deluxe, along with a vintage 1970s Jim Dunlop Wah Wah FX Pedal, and a vintage 1970s Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (which is very noisy). The bass-guitar is a cheap Vintage one acquired from Cash Converters.

How Could You Miss This

Falling Up, Falling Down

V1)
You’re always twisting in the wind
So hold on tighter
Paying double for each sin
You’re none the wiser
It seems like heavy weather’s
Way overdue
I guess that may explain my attitude.

CH)
I’m falling, falling, falling, falling up
But I can’t fall high enough
Before I stop
And I come tumbling down.

V2)
You dug yourself into this hole
Now you can’t climb out
Spending decades there on hold
You’re poisoned with doubt 
It seems the plot keeps thickening
Now my reposte
Is they don’t know the value, just the cost.

V3)
They keep things turning ugly
And lock us in
They’re drowning out our voices with the din. 


Copyright: Andy Holland 29th October 2015





Falling Up, Falling Down

Floating In Limbo

Time Separates You

V1)
Follow the tracks of the light as it circles
Through time and through space as it frantically hurtles
Like sparks from a catherine-wheel
Head over drunken heels.

V2)
Opening and closing your eyes are now dazzled
With cascading rhythms and voices that rattle
With words that no ear can translate
No tongue could communicate.

CH)
Time separates you again,
All the pictures you paint
Wash away with the rain
And now only a shadow remains
Because time separates you
And takes
And leaves you again

V3)
Shadows that trace out a pattern remind you
Of faces you’ve known, and the names you assigned to
Feelings that ran through your heart
Barriers torn apart.

V4)
Figures that dance in an orgasmic free-fall
With souls that unlock, with a twist that can recall
A history shared, but then lost
Melts away with the frost.


Copyright: Andy Holland - 27th January 2016



Time Separates You

On The Backyard Wall

V1) 
The streets are full of battle-scars
On the backyard wall your name is carved
Your fans they take their love too far
And still they look half-starved.

V2)
A bombs went off, the world is scared
It was just a kid, it was just a dare
But the priest came down, says holy words
The one we all prefer.

CH)
Make your mind up
Don’t try my patience
You’re a wind up
It’s battle stations
You’re entitled to your own opinion
But I don’t want to hear it now...

V3) 
The streets are full of drunken threats
Foul-mouthed curses, unpaid debts
And the rain pours down, we all get wet
But we haven’t finished yet.

V4)
Cos somewhere in an alleyway
Some kids play war under skies of grey
While somewhere not too far away
Their parents do the same.


Copyright: Andy Holland 07/12/2015



Don't Want To Hear It

Tomorrow Became Today

This is going to be the theme-tune of a forthcoming project.  It's psychedelic surf music according to me.

Cozmonaut

This from a demo I recorded with a full band.  It's me on vocals, Ian Murphy on guitars, Kevin Sinnott on bass-guitar, and Stuart Carswell on drums.

01) Kelso - Shiver, Shiver

This from a demo I recorded with a full band called Kelso. It's me on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ian Murphy on lead guitars, Kevin Sinnott on bass-guitar, and Stuart Carswell on drums.

02) Kelso - (Everything's Turning) 2D

This from a demo I recorded with Kelso. It's me on vocals, Ian Murphy on guitars, Kevin Sinnott on bass-guitar, and Stuart Carswell on drums.

03) Kelso - Fall Out

05) Kelso - Red Alert

Liverpool composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Andy Holland was the former founder member of The Magic Carpets, Dharma Bums, Clocktower and Kelso.  Now solo all of these tracks were recorded in Andy's studio.  Unless stated otherwise all of these songs are self-composed, performed, programmed and produced.

Andy Holland

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