Well, this unusual track started with the rhythm guitar part, and each time I added something it took another left turn into the cosmos (hence the title). I wrote the melody with a synth sound I wasn't planning on keeping until I added a vocal...and suddenly I felt Star Trek theme vibes. (Or maybe SC's own Admiral Krank and His Mighty Spacemen https://soundcloud.com/user-766619428). So I created the layers of vocal harmonies using EastWest Sound's "Voices of Soul" which features midi samples of C.C. White (you're definitely going to be hear more of her on future projects!).  I'm playing all of the guitars, bass, keys/synth, and I cut the drum loops. I hope you enjoy this comic trip into the unknown.

Left Turn at Andromeda

A new song written and recorded in the same room while Netta was here in Brisbane visiting from Norway..............cheers for having a listen

-

Love is A Thief

Heading down the eastern road
Looking for another point of view
While im trying 
to get my head around you
-
Your love is a thief
With a heart like a clown
Turns you inside out
Throws you upside down
Like it’s been for the ages
Somethings are just meant to be
When we’re apart it breaks my heart
That’s you and me
-
Look across the countryside
Remember it in better days
Nothing ever grows  there now
They’re still waiting for the rain
-
Your love is a thief
With a heart like a clown
Turns you inside out
Throws you upside down
Like it’s been for the ages
Somethings are just meant to be
When we’re apart it still breaks my heart
That’s you and me

When we’re apart it still breaks my heart
That’s you and me

When we’re apart it still breaks my heart
Your love is a thief

Love Is A Thief

Find Seagull's brilliant music here: @farout-music-studio

Find David's sublime guitar work here: @david-dunhamuser589535203
_______________________________________________________________________________

You know, don't you?  Oh, yes you do.  
You know you're being monitored, observed, assessed by something that knows you intimately.  
Knows you better than you’d like to think.  
Your secondary semi-subconscious once-removed.  
That's why you talk to yourself - or pretend to.  
Admit it - you're not really you, at all, are you?  
In fact, you're not real, are you?  You are watching “you”.  
You are nothing but your alter ego's doppelganger temporarily encased in a piece of warm, wet meat.  
A transient instantiation of a mirrored reflection of some lump of sentience from precisely one, of an infinite number of parallel universes.  

It’s called “conscience”.  

Handle with care.  

You were gifted it for a reason.
_________________________________________________________________________________

"…..Neatly packaged, all my doubts, the rationales and bellyaches,
Wracked without, passion in thrall to humanity's handicap diamond stakes…."
_________________________________________________________________________________

Ghost of a Sense

Yes, I know you.
I can feel your presence.
I can touch you, smell you.
I see you not by sight of eye
And yet I ken that you are I
That vespered wraith that writhes within
To test my faith, try my sin
Push the bounds to cause offence
A moral, soul thing, ghost of a sense recalls myself, so well defined
Entrenched, walls behind, built so sound of dust that crowned the pity, falling soft amiss, 
Deep inside the tears I cry as here I find my self-abyss.

Whispers bringing shadows, filled of secrets therein held,
Memories, morose, piece me still, to wear in time, my wasted face.
And now reside, cast aside, to forge and ever meld,
Of haunting, ringing echoes, that will alone their chime erased.

Ah! But you won't twist me, nor bind me fast, to the sandy doctrines of the misty past, 
With its beards and staffs and crinkled testaments.
My future's sprinkled here present with your crass irrelevance and matters not that sat right there, 
The blackest chasm in my simpling world so spare, 
Where space and time have overspilled the leaking psyche of a crippled mind,
That barely copes, unfulfilled, a crooked, limpid moral health of broken shrines
That hopes to find ....
   .......some worthwhile inner self.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Photo by Marten Newhall on Unsplash

Ghost of a Sense ... with Seagull and David Dunham

Fly Away (Jam Session) with Martin Jansen

A warrior that wanted to study the knowledge instead of fighting

The warrior (2009)

I had left the pastorate in 1985 but many friends remained in the little town of St. Francis, Kansas.  One of them was a woman who found love again after the death of her spouse.  I composed this song for them and officiated their wedding and as far as I know, they lived happily ever after.  
Then came the wedding of my oldest daughter and she requested the song be done for her and Thor (yes, his real name;) That was 27 years ago.  
This past summer, I had suggested the song to Axel and after hearing my rough, 35 year old demo, he loved the song straight away, but wanted to change it up a bit.  The song I had written was done in a more devotional 4/4 meter, he wanted to bring to it the flavor of a Celtic dance.  Enter Mike Fox who gives the lyrics a definitive voice and excellent guitar to the backing track.  I loved the track art Axel had created because it resembled the wedding of my 2nd granddaughter Grace at the end of September, a lovely garden ceremony in Oklahoma City.  It resembles it right down to the kilt another son-in-law wore by request.  They didn't use the song as part of their ceremony, but I dedicate this new version to Grace and Ethan and wish them a lifetime of love, happiness and fond adventures together.
Thank you Axel and Mike for lavishing your talents on my songwriting efforts.  I am truly honored.  Hear more of their fabulous music creativity @soundcloud.com/axel-m-501052973, and @soundcloud.com/michael-fox-925325997

Gathered--Lyrics:
 What are we gathered here for, what have we come to see?
Two people who believe that a better life
Is lived together not separately.
Father we ask you blessing upon the union of these two,
That the vows they are both confessing
Will bind their hearts to each other and You.

Bridge:
And it's more than just "tying a knot" and it's more than just getting "hitched"
We're seeing two hearts being sewn together,
We're witnessing it stitch by stitch.
It's the miracle of seeing two become one,
Though the two are really not the same,
Like the paint and the canvas are separate until 
The Artist joins them in a beautiful frame.

Instrumental Interlude

Repeat Bridge

Repeat Verse:
What are we gathered here for, what have we come to see?
Two people who believe that a better life
Is lived together not separately.
Father we ask you blessing upon the union of these two,
That the vows they are both confessing
Will bind their hearts to each other and You.
Will bind their hearts to each other and You
Will bind their hearts to each other and You.

Gathered-A Wedding Song (Axel Menningen, Mike Fox, David Dunham)

Hey… Thanks for dropping by. As a young boy, around sixty years ago, I used to like to listen to old people as they rambled on with stories about their lives. I really enjoyed those stories. I am an old man now, and I tend to ramble on, as well. This song is about that…. as I wake up to a chilly autumn morning. I have been busy ‘buttoning things up’ for winter. Collecting seeds, preparing garden beds, raking leaves, moving stuff inside, winterizing my home, getting winter gear ready, and other such sundry tasks, some of which I had forgotten about, like filling a tub with gardening soil and compost for planting seeds next spring. So I put the tub right by my front door. Ha. I have mixed feelings about heading into another long mountain winter. Throw old age into the mix and boy, am I having fun. I have also been sitting outside quietly, as flocks of birds fly by. Some flocks temporarily stop here to rest and feed, before winging off. It is fascinating to watch the dynamics of the flocks and how different kinds of birds interact. There are high flying geese, cranes and ducks overhead as well. All those birds are vocal, and when I am outside working, I tend to whistle along with them. They don’t seem to mind. The relative harmonious balance of it all is so refreshing to watch. Although a robin, or two, in the mountain ash always seems to be chasing other robins away from the berry laden tree. There are more berries in that tree than all those robins could ever eat, and I watch as the chased away robins sneak back into the tree. Some older birds die here in the yard, as they are no longer up for the long migration ahead. Sad to see. I often find one or two of them, dead each year, huddled peacefully in the deep grass, or hidden elsewhere. It has also snowed several times here in October… Hope you’re doing well. Mark  

Autumnal Ramblings Of An Old Man

Cast of Characters:
Single Use & Recycled -- @user-995867230 -- Bill — acousitc rhythm and lead guitar and composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums and percussion
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – synth strings
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — acoustic rhythm guitar, production, mix, and mastering
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals and lyrics

This song started as an idea Bill came up with on his acoustic guitar. Having found each other on the Cloud and enjoying each other's music, Josh and Bill decided to do a collab. Bill is a real deal guitarist, who's as prolific as he is skilled. Of course, Josh invited Eclectic Collective to the party, too.
  Shortly after doing so, he laid down a bass part to Bill's skeleton withi his four string fretless bass. Ken followed suit, and after a back and forth, completed the rhythms secion. JJ dug in next, adding the thrilling strings that highlight the high points of the melody. 
  There wasn't a whole lot of room for everyone on this, though, as Bill had the guitar parts nailed down tight. However, after sitting on the shelf for about half a year, Carl came along and added the missing piece with his raucuos vocals. Stephen also fattened up the sound a bit with his acoustic rhythm guitar.  
  Once it was in the can, we asked Stephen to work his production, mix, and mastering magic on it, too, which he came through with, as always.
  This brilliant song almost didn't see the light of day. It sat for what felt like forever, until we decided to revive it. This will not be the last collab we do with Bill, though, who was generous in not only sharing his music with us, but allowing us to do whatever we wanted with it, too. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.  

Original lyrics by The Beautiful Dark:

Shifty shire
Ah, redistrict rot
Dividing a country for power by plot
Gerry's meandering
Not thinking of sane
What colourful friends can stop red rain?

With freedom waning
Conversation is paused
A few rich men failing
With solidarity cause
Shift the shire!
At minority we've baulked
That mind inconvenient
New red lines are chalked

State turf wars are on
Ah, redistrict rot
Dividing a country for power by plot
For the rights of the white man
We missing those slaves
So legislate oppression
That skin 'aint red way

Shire (Eclectic Collective with Single Use & Recycled)

I love this time of year when the light seems to play on the floors.  It's just a peaceful thing I notice.  Certainly not earthshaking, but lovely.
Thank you to David Dunham for his friendship and his unending help in mastering my piano tracks.
@david-dunhamuser589535203

The Evening Light

Writing at the piano again and mastered by my lovely Sander. 😊🎶🎹💕🎤

A little bit faster…(acoustic piano and vocals)

This alt rock album blends raw emotion with modern energy, bringing together atmospheric guitars, punchy drums, and melodies that stay with you long after the last note fades. Each track lives in its own world—sometimes moody, sometimes explosive—but always anchored by a driving pulse and honest storytelling.

The project leans into the best parts of alternative music: spacious riffs, textured synths, and vocals that rise and fall with real feeling. You’ll hear moments inspired by indie rock, pop-leaning hooks, and a few unexpected twists that keep the sound fresh from beginning to end.

Whether you’re listening on a late-night drive, zoning in with headphones, or searching for a soundtrack that captures both intensity and escape, this album was built to connect. Turn it up, let it breathe, and dive into the world behind these songs. Stream more music at KJDMusic.com.

One of those Nights

I am a finger-style guitarist living on the Texas high plains.  At the core of my music is melody that is inspired and informed by my Christian faith, family, friends, and countless influences through the years from the great composers, to jazz, folk, rock, Latin, Celtic, and the many fine musicians I have come to love on the Cloud, some I have been privileged to collaborate with.  Thanks for stopping by to have a listen. Comments are always welcome. Feel free to click on the picture of any track to learn more about it.