This collection pretty-well summarizes the kind of chaos that has defined the Calendar Year 2020; besides speaking to the future of The System that it's all playing out within. The track list is (more or less) in their order of appearance.
The title is from a line from a "Peanuts" cartoon (c. 1956), wherein Lucy is trying to disrupt the good mood that Snoopy is enjoying at that moment. Even though her comments were based on elements of the World Situation as it was back then (which wasn't all rosy, by any means), those elements didn't have the intended effect Lucy was aiming for. 
There seems to be a valid lesson in all of that.

With thoughts of The Silver Lining  -  ThrustOut

Egregious Phil's Bin - "Doom, Defeat and Despair"

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)

The use of the term “unprecedented” seems to have come into vogue in the last several years, as applied by the media and other entities to the so-called “natural disasters” that have been plaguing the planet. Unlike the use of the word “inconceivable” by a character in “The Princess Bride”, however, the aforementioned use of “unprecedented” actually—and unfortunately—has merit.
In my “neck of the woods” (which really IS surrounded by “woods”), the recurring disaster is WILDFIRE. While 2020 was an unprecedented year in terms of acreage burned in the State, 2021 has SURPASSED that figure...and even after a cool, rainy and snowy October, lower lying areas are under threat again as we head into December!
Consistent with my goal of keeping new postings focused on current topics here on my soundcloud pages, I've got this rendition of an iconic Blue Oyster Cult number. I'm not really much for performing a “Carbon Cover” of any tune—especially one that has been in my consciousness for decades, as this one has. Skewed interpretations (esp. involving guitar abuse culminating in breaking the Low "E" String @ 4:48, for instance) are way more interesting to me; hence, the offering we have here.
As usual, I'm performing all tasks involved to get this to your ears: arranging, playing, engineering and production. - Thrust

Burnin' For You (ScaldedApe Version) - Blue Oyster Cult inspired Instrumental - MMountain Offensive

Where would all of us artist-types be without "The Wizard Of OZ"?!!
There have been so many interpretive artistic expressions based on this work, I'm sure I haven't heard anywhere near the half of them!
Considering the multi-faceted problems facing humanity (many of which the present pandemic situation has only highlighted), I really didn't have any trouble coming up with my dystopian take on all of it, employing inspiration from none other than the aforementioned movie.
One of the main reasons I enjoy expressing myself through instrumental music is that a wide "door" of interpretation is left open for the listener's imagination.  That said, I'll only tell you a few of the basic elements of my work:   I'm playing a riff based on the marching chant of the Winkie Guard over a reversed chord progression for the verse section of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", with a marching rhythm I coaxed (ok, more like "beat") out of my Danelectro Hodad electric guitar (an "oddball" instrument, which is proving itself quite adept at performing in such roles) by raking a serrated metallic implement across the strings. I'm improvising in real-time over that "loop"--including the crazy special effects heard toward the end of the piece. As always, I'm responsible for all sounds and production tasks. There was very little post-production work involved in getting the sound you're hearing. 

The rest is up to you...

Meanwhile, Under The Rainbow (dystopian theme)- Egregious Phil's Bin (The Wizard of Oz inspired)

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!