All Tracks - Aesthetically Oriented

The “Big Man” once said “No Wine Before It's Time”; and I try to stick to that axiom when it comes to my choice of material, and when I record and release it. This one has been “in the cask” for quite some time—but finally it's ready for consumption! 
It's maybe exceptionally timely due to the recent increase in volcanic activity around the Earth. Geologists say it's the beginning of a “Volcanic Winter” (events starting 2022 certainly aren't despelling this conclusion)...maybe that'll slow that “Global Warming” thing down a bit...

Back at the time when Van Halen originally released this tune, I thought I was making pretty good progress on my guitar pursuits. After I heard it, I felt like Khan in that epic “Star Trek” scene where he's about to finally get revenge on Captain Kirk by blowing up his ship and the Enterprise (both crippled, but in close proximity) together...only to see the repaired Enterprise engage “hyperspeed” and disappear from his video screen mere seconds before detonation! 
Fortunately for me, I didn't “blow up”! Instead, I started working on what I thought it would take in order to one day understand how to actually get “THAT SOUND”, and then succeed in getting it out of my guitar. While it DID turn out to be an “expedition” of Everest-like proportions, I eventually got there!
Now, I didn't achieve it by merely attempting to research and acquire all of the gear Eddie used (a relatively tall order for some of those items), gain access to a “Reverb Room” to record in, or pursue finding out exactly what he was doing with his hands.
Instead, I thank my former “Shred Instructor” – one Steve Jurich (8.17.68 – 4.9.18) – for emphasizing the method to break down any given piece, methodically put it together myself...AND inject my own style into it at the same time. (For instance, I don't have a backing band punctuating the opening phrases; I'm not using any custom, antiquated or ridiculously expensive performance or production gear; I'm not—nor was I aiming for—attempting a “carbon copy”, note-for-note performance...starting with the fact that my vintage ESP “The Mirage Deluxe” is in standard tuning, for example.) 
In reality, I feel I solved several problems with the original—especially that last “dive-bombed” note...and NO, I'm not going to tell you the details of what I did to get MY performance to sound the way IT does! I will tell you that the performance for this recording was done “straight through” with a digital stereo recorder capturing the sound in the room. There are no overdubs, or any other post-production “tricks” employed—just some basic light mixing and level adjustment.

I dedicate this posting to Mr. Jurich's memory.  –  Thrust

ERUPTION 2021 - 2022 (SoloGuitar Version)- Van Halen Tribute by H. Thrust

Well, it looks like the “Natural DisasterTrend” continues to play out in new and exciting ways:  the latest being unprecedented flooding in disparate locations around the globe.
I've always liked pretty much everything about the Led Zeppelin rendition of the McCoy/Memphis Minnie tune “When the Levee Breaks” (a tune originally written in response to the then record setting flooding along the Mississippi River c. 1927). 
With the musical situation that I have going on right now, I'm able to get music addressing current topics out in a fairly unobstructed and immediate way...like my take on this particular topic and tune.
A few highlights you may enjoy are my use of a phrase from the Jimmy Driftwood song “Battle of New Orleans” (popularized later by the Johnny Horton version) early in the tune, as well as the use of a Wah Pedal to simulate a “Jaw Harp” in the rhythm loop; not to mention the “audio wonk” I used in the Intro (as opposed to Zeppelin's use of their own brand of “wonk” @ the end of their version).

When The Levee Breaks (LookMaNoSlide Version) - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method  (Led Zeppelin)

I don't know...is “Manic Lucidity” even possible?!
Well, what with all of the chaos in various forms encircling the Globe, it seems like it's about time we had some; so I manned the Studio “battle stations” and got 'er done (at least as far as on the sonic side of things)!!
The general inspiration for this tune came from a major hit the band “Queensryche” had in the early '90s, the music for which guitarist Chris DeGarmo was responsible; as well as the instrumental guitar approach used by Joe Satriani (among others...maybe even a little “Electric Neil Young” thrown in there for counterpoint)...and, of course, the conceptual insanity displayed by none other than (the late) Frank Zappa!
So, if it sounds a little “ragged around the edges and foaming at the mouth”, that's only because I was semi-consciously aiming for it! 
- Thrust

Manic Lucidity - MMountain Offensive - Rock Instrumental inspired by Queensryche / Satriani / Zappa

Back in the mid-'80s, I remember a mainstream Pop/Rock Music trend involving a resurgence of “social consciousness”. It may have had something to do with talk of an end to the “Cold War” between West and East that had been going on for decades up to that point.
Many artists offered up contributions—if not actually defining their careers by the sheer volume of their offerings to this cause.
One contribution by a (slightly) past mainstream artist, Steve Miller—who was famous for previous efforts in the “socially conscious” realm—is the subject of my work posted here. While this tune didn't seem to garner the kind of attention lavished on his earlier work, it sure got mine; and is the inspiration for this instrumental foray.
Of course, as the World situation has played out, it looks that even though the previous animosity between West and East seemed to have some kind of a “cooling period” with the official disbanding of the Soviet Union, the Principals of that State are organizing some kind of a comeback in the “here and now”.
So again, we have to be exposed to yet another period of armed conflict between these same Powers.
And again, the reason for “socially conscious” artistic statement is with us now, too.
As usual, I am responsible for all duties involved in the arrangement, performance and production of this work. - Thrust

Blue Planet / Gonna See The World Turn Around - Instrumental by MMountain Offensive (Miller / Vai)

While I'm not a dyed-in-wool, raging “Experimental Music” fan, I do nevertheless dig it; and occasionally produce work in this genre.
This one came out of some interesting experience while tinkering with the YouTube Video Player. (You can check out my YouTube Vids here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpAfG_aFKB0dDyp5mNl35sQ/videos) As I continued to progress with this tinkering, it became more focused...and finally yielded a rather “thematic” complete work!
The defining moment came during this process, when I realized that I'd heard something like this in a real-life experience...on many occasions, no less. It was, in fact, the audio and visual bombast that would hit me when I entered the Main Auditorium at the NAMM show in “full swing”! (We're talking the old-school, pre-Covid, pre-recession, PRE-PUBLIC(!) NAMM Show)
It bordered on “randomly chaotic”, while still having some kind of a “fractal root” involving a massive semi-orchestrated collective human musical endeavor! Not as well-defined as, say, John Coltrane's “Ascension”, but not wholly unrelated, either. Trippy!
So, here it is! 
While EIGHT MINUTES of this might seem rather lengthy to some, the reality is that this “sensory onslaught” would continue in some kind of a “rolling boil” for about the whole duration of the operating hours each day! We're talking like EIGHT HOURS of it!! Talk about fatiguing! 
Still, I've never experienced anything quite like it! – Thrust

EverythingAll@Once (Sonic Tribute To NAMM Show) - Experimental Music/ Noise by Egregious Phil's Bin

Every now and then, I'll run across a tune that, for a variety of reasons, is absolutely amazing—usually an early work...and then...I don't hear much from that artist or band again. 
Such a song inspired me to do this particular piece.
Many have heard of the band “Iron Maiden”; and may also be familiar with the frontman that played a large role in the band's climb to “superstardom”: Bruce Dickinson...often referred to as “The Bruce”. Truly a “larger than life” figure!
Well, he has a cousin (Rob) who also is a musician; and he had a band back in the '90s called “Catherine Wheel” (There's an interesting connection between the names for their respective bands.)
The song in question “Black Metallic”—from their first album “Ferment”-- was all about use of sonic “imagery” and “atmospherics”. This kind of music came to be known as “shoegaze”, since band members often were looking down at the stage to trigger and control a variety of “effects” used to get their sound.
This musical genre has since been widened through use of prefix “mashups” to help further define the type of “shoegaze” being performed.
Getting around to the song I'm posting here—inspired by this unforgettable original work—there now is one of those mashups that applies: “Darkgaze”...and it really DOES seem to be appropriate. See if you agree...

...and what about Rob Dickinson? He still is involved with music, but is receiving recognition for the pursuit of another passion: Building re-imagined Porsche 911s. And the name of his Company? “Singer Vehicle Design”! Makes sense - Thrust

Dark Metallic (HodadWarrior Version) - Darkgaze Instrumental by MMountain Offensive(Catherine Wheel)

Originally, the music for this work was the first half of a composition I played and recorded a while back, called "3rd Stone: Demolition and Reconstruction". It worked out well as the background music for a reading of Apocalypse (Revelation) chapter Sixteen. I thought that an "otherworldly" sound of the voice for the reading would fit the context appropriately.
It took a little more production-type work to get the mix I wanted, but--as with the Bukowski piece--the process seemed artistic enough, and was well worth the effort. I hope you agree.

3rd Stone (from the Sun): Apocalypse 16 - Thrust-O-Logue (Hendrix inspired)

The one advantage of adding words to music is that it can give needed focus and immediacy to a work. That said, in this instance I don't really need to explain much in these introductory comments--save for the fact that I've been in both positions over the years (i.e. the overbearing guitarist AND the underappreciating listener).
I figured: Why not state both positions simultaneously in the same piece? The opportunity to express ironic parody was too good to pass up.
Thanks to the Bowie / Alomar duo for inspiration along musical lines, as well as the obvious honest madness of C. Bukowski for the story! I have to thank (the late) Joe Frank for the inspiration in helping me to conceive this whole thing to begin with. (He's got some classic postings right here on soundcloud!)
This work took some editing chops to pull off, as I was mixing and blending a number of different sections and sounds. It is truly a solo work. - Thrust

Guitars (story by Charles Bukowski; arranged / performed by H. Thrust) - Thrust-O-Logue

This posting exists because I feel very fortunate to still exist too!
January 2023 as it turns out, was an incredibly tough Month to deal with: mainly due to extreme weather and its inherent collateral damage...and some really aggressive viruses floating around.
I too was seriously affected by these bogeys...maybe not as acutely as some others LESS fortunate—who suffered major property damage AND in the worst of cases, loss of life.
At any rate, I'm pretty much fully recovered—with personal health and the MMountain Studio otherwise intact—and ready for more music production. (I WAS able to keep up with production for my radio show “ESCAPE VELOCITY with Howard Thrust” during all of this! You can hear select shows in their entirety on my “howardthrustradio” soundcloud page)
This is my first release since all of that mayhem ensued!

I finally got to start on exploring the possibilities with my vintage ESP “the Mirage Deluxe” (after a fresh pickup upgrade) and my MOOG Subsequent 25 Synthesizer—not to mention my continued progress in recording straight into the Mixer (without using microphones!).
It was really intended just to further flesh-out and make some progress in these areas...but the result sounded good enough IMO to do a little production work and get it out to your ears.
I hope you dig it! – Thrust

ESP Jam In D Mirage (Sub 25 Version) -  Rock Instrumental by Groove Crater Method

Having many great memories of a wide variety of “Musical Experiences” during my “Formative Years”, they often inform (sometimes unwittingly) the “statements” I make with my current work.
Listening to a lot of Pop AM Radio during the '60s, I was impacted (naturally) by the virtual “omnipresence” of the  West Coast (U.S.) collective of studio musicians who became known as “The Wrecking Crew”...as well as what the Beatles were putting out at the time. A couple of (the many) standouts were Sonny and Cher's “The Beat Goes On” AND the Beatles “She's So Heavy” (more of an “album cut”, really; but I had access to LPs toward the end of the '60s!).
As far as our Modern World is concerned, many are having a harder and harder time observing all of the “Compounded Chaos” coming at us from all sides...and still rationally viewing it as “business as usual”.
So “The Beat” DOES go on—but at quite an accellerated and uncertain pace—while appearing to be morphing into some kind of “Dystopian Future”, at best.
I couldn't think of two better themes to incorporate in this piece in order to instrumentally expresss my reaction to the aforementioned Chaos.
It took some months of thought, trial and error before I came up with the work posted here.
Some notable highlights: I transposed both songs into the key of B (one Major and the other Minor—an octave down), and cross-faded the end of the first into the beginning of the second. The “white noise” that overwhelms the second part was recorded with a somewhat unorthodox—but very effective--”live looping method”. (As always, I'm responsible for all aspects of concept, performance and production involving this track!)

In the end...I got the sound I wanted...and was at least a little surprised by the end result! – Thrust

The Beat Goes On...but its gettin HEAVY (ToThe9s Version) - Rock instrumental by MMountain Offensive

This is a work I've been contemplating for a number of years...and finally got it figured out enough for presentation!
I've combined a number of influences in order to get the desired result, here.
It is another "Man Alone" work: i.e. all concept, curation, arrangement, performance, recording and production duties have been tasked by yours truly!
In the true "Artistic Spirit", rather than stating what I think this work should mean, I'd much rather have the listener make that determination.

Thanks for listening! - Thrust

Camb-delasahmb-delahmbra by Egregious Phil's Bin (modern religion / Led Zeppelin inspired)

As with all of the postings on "Howard Thrust Radio" (see the link to these broadcasts in my "Profile" section), this show has previously aired on the radio; but is posted here purely for educational purposes.
I edit, mix and master ALL tracks, for maximum audio impact (some of them REALLY needed help!)
Thanks for listening! - Thrust

ESCAPE VELOCITY with Howard Thrust - EP 58 - THEME: RocKtober Memorials

Speaking of the '70s, another of the many artists which got my attention during that period was Harry Nilsson. He had a lot more to do with Pop/Rock music during that period than many are aware of. 
The track featured here is one of my takes on a cut from his hit album "Nilsson Schmilsson", which was also released as a single.  Since I'm really interested in performing music featuring "loops", any good tune that can be easily adapted to this approach is right in my wheelhouse. Herbie Flowers' mother-of-all-basslines is the unshakable (and irreplaceable) foundation for this song. All of the sounds you hear I performed, along with all production tasks. This is another track where I've performed lead work along with the rhythm loop in a straight-through, "live" fashion. There are no overdubs, and editing only to get it to proper "single" length (under five minutes).
There's a useful message here too:  When attempting a move to improve a given situation, one should be careful that said move doesn't take them out of the "frying pan" and "into the fire"...

Compilation

Jump Into The Fire (Single Version) - (Nilsson Cover) - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method

This work hits especially close to my--and many West Coast residents--home. The Creek Fire--to date, the largest single-ignition-point fire in California history--had us in the E. Sierra choking on smoke for most of September/ October 2020, with AQI's exceeding 2000 (not a typo) on numerous  occasions! We were very close to being evacuated, but a number of factors converged to save us from that eventuality.  In many other locales, however, residents were not spared from suffering the worst, including a late November blaze that severely impacted the town of Walker, CA (just to the North of us, on U.S. 395).  
The scale and frequency of these blazes (search "CA Dixie Fire" 2021", for instance) raises doubts as to whether "The Golden State", as well as the rest of the States West of The Rockies, will be able to return to the natural equilibrium we've enjoyed up until recently

Welcome To The Charcoal (formerly Golden) State - (wildfire soundtrack) - Egregious Phil's Bin

Well, 2020 seemed to continue to deliver in the "natural (and man-made) disaster" department right up to it's end. (It's looking like 2021 is going to continue with that theme...)
This tune seemed pretty relevant when it was released by the Pat Travers Band, way back in 1980. No argument that it's a lot more relevant today!
I've always liked the chord movement (Travers an excellent Hammond / Keyboard player, too), as well as "The Beat Goes On" bass line; but I have felt that there was room for more "crash" and  "burn" in the sonic department. 
I think I've taken care of that in my interpretation.
I'm using the chorus melody as a one-time intro theme: "We can't stop the World from it's..."

Crash And Burn - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method (Pat Travers inspired)

"It's that little souvenir of a terrible year." -- The Sundays

Rather than make any attempt at putting some kind of narrative on this subject--political, or otherwise--in my introductory comments, the real purpose of my arrangement here is merely to inform and hopefully, to generate some objective contemplation on the listener's part.

With thoughts of Peace -- ThrustOut...

Portland 2020:  Did You Feel It All Around? - Egregious Phil's Bin (inspired by portlandia theme)

Howard  is a guitarist, writer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, live performer, producer, studio engineer and online/onairwaves radio host; emphasizing musical communication through instrumental interpretation in various forms--at times employing spoken word, storytelling, reading or other audio sources in complement or contrast. 
His solo live performances feature real-time multi-instrumentalism employing live recording and synching of loops and subsequent improvising over them.

Check out "Howard Thrust - SIDE 2"  https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-2/tracks for recent and future postings here on soundcloud.
Check out "Howard Thrust - Musical Monologues"  https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-monologues/tracks for "story" with Music here on soundcloud.
Check out "Howard Thrust Radio"  https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-radio for complete Music shows, also here on soundcloud!
Check out "Escape Velocity with Howard Thrust" on KRHV every other Monday from 9P - 10P @ www.mammothfm.com or @ KRHV 93.3 FM in the Owens Valley, CA.
Check out "Howard Thrust" on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpAfG_aFKB0dDyp5mNl35sQ/videos !

AND NOW (massive drum-roll, please):  You can visit my WEBSITE by going to  www.hthrust.com

Thanks for looking and listening!

Jump Into The Fire (Single Version) - (Nilsson Cover) - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method

Howard Thrust

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