Covering Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin with Tone 11.
My friends in Europe may recognize the Gotthard influence.

Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin cover

Hush cover by my friends Tone 11 and I.
In the spirit of Gotthard.

Hush - Deep Purple cover

I've been seeing more and more articles in the news about mental health issues in these trying times. If you have a moment, give this song a listen and really try to listen to the lyrics.  Thank you.
Wrote this song to help raise awareness of the anguish and suffering of anyone afflicted by any form of mental illness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqr22JOLKn0

Intro:  
Left: Afraid, broken, vulnerable, sadness, oppressed, hopeless, insecure, empty, nervous, abandoned, consumed, dejected, alone, emotional, suicidal, fragile, hurt, miserable, overwhelmed,

Right: Devastated, paranoid, crushed, exhausted, shattered, withdrawn, tearful, weak, suffering, isolated, helpless, distraught, anxious, brittle, defensive, suffocating, numb, pain, failure.

Verse 1
These voices in my head
   I hear them calling but there’s emptiness in there.
These voices in my head
   The echos bouncing in the darkness of my mind.
These voices in my head
   The chatter blurring thoughts that are barely there.

Chorus:	
I feel emptiness and fear, of being all alone.
I sit and wonder, anybody see the pain.
I’m scared and hopeless dare not share my shame.
Loneliness consumes me, eats away the ye-ears 

Verse 2
These voices in my head
   I dare not dream, I fear nightmares and pain.
These voices in my head
   Fill me with sorrow, I see no end in sight.
These voices in my head
   Make me insecure and bring me guilt and shame.

<Chorus>

Instrumental:

Verse 3
These voices in my head
   Suffer through the pain trying to hold out my hand.
These voices in my head
   The crushing darkness breaks my heart consumes my mind.
These voices in my head
   Does anybody notice, does anybody care.

<Chorus>

Verse 4
These voices in my head
   I ask why, there are no tears when I cry.
These voices in my head
   No one hears the silent screams in my mind.
These voices in my head
   You don’t understand when I tell you I’m fine.

<Chorus>

Outro: (with just guitar and synths)
These voices in my head
   I hear a soothing voice reaching for my hand.
These voices in my head
   I see a light, where darkness filled my soul.
These voices in my head
   Someone heard my cry, now I’am alone no more.
These voices in my head
   These voices slowly fading from my mind

Playing a Godin xtSA through a Roland GR-55. A Schecter P series bass straight into the input interface. Recorded through an AudioBox 22VSL using Presonus Studio One 4. Drums and synths played on and Impact LX49 using Studio One instruments.

These Voices In My Head

Here's one of my first recordings. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did recording it.
For those who may drift into a daydream now and then, you may enjoy my composition Mystical Dream.
Inspired by once having seen and being mesmerized by the Northern Lights.  
It has a Floyd meets Satriani vibe.

Mystical Dream (guitar instrumental)

Having some fun on a new song. After "These Voices in my Head", needed to do something a little more lighthearted.
This is about a guy who finds an old car and pours everything he's got into it to make it special.
Somewhere between blues/rock and country. Enjoy and share.
Playing a Godin Summit Convertible  through a Roland GT-100. A Schecter P series bass straight into the input interface. Recorded through an AudioBox 22VSL using Presonus Studio One 4. Drums and synths played on and Impact LX49 using Studio One instruments.

One Sweet Ride (Blues/Rock)

A song I recorded with my high school band way back in 76. Lead guitar and drums by my dear friends Michael and Frank who both passed away at a young age. Bass by Tony.
For those who do not recognize the image, it's a 45. LOL
We recorded this with our hard earned cash at a local RCA studio. We had a blast.

BJ Blues

An original song about, well, The Forest.  We drive by them almost every day and seldom stop to admire their beauty and think about the importance they play to the well being of our beloved planet.

The forest reverberates           with sights and    sounds.
Sheltered by the trees,           wildlife           abounds.
Such immense beauty,              hiding in plain    sight.
So very few,                      ever venture       inside.
Majestic, alive and thriving,     yet so easily      ravaged.

No door to enter by, no door to exit from.
Once inside you feel, tranquility taking hold.
Anointing you to the spiritual and the material.
Daring you to let go and dream in peaceful solitude.

The forest reverberates           with sights and    sounds.
Sheltered by the trees,           wildlife           abounds.
Such immense beauty,              hiding in plain    sight.
So very few,                      ever venture       inside.
Majestic, alive and thriving,     yet so easily      ravaged.

Perhaps a bit indifferent, when you first arrived,
Now in awe of it’s diversity, and its abundance of life.
From the outside we give it, but an indifferent glance.
On the inside we immerse in the sights, sounds and smells.

The forest reverberates           with sights and    sounds.
Sheltered by the trees,           wildlife           abounds.
Such immense beauty,              hiding in plain    sight.
So very few,                      ever venture       inside.
Majestic, alive and thriving,     yet so easily      ravaged.

Staring up at the sky, to see those towering pines.
Reminds us of our minute place, among living beings.
Afraid and delighted, loneliness and enlightenment
In debt to the forest, for stimulating our minds.

The forest reverberates           with sights and    sounds.
Sheltered by the trees,           wildlife           abounds.
Such immense beauty,              hiding in plain    sight.
So very few,                      ever venture       inside.
Majestic, alive and thriving,     yet so easily      ravaged.

Sustainer of life, comforter of souls.
In-stiller of wisdom, evoker of feelings.
A world within a world, where life seems to stand still
A sanctuary of sorts, to experience and protect.

The forest reverberates           with sights and    sounds.
Sheltered by the trees,           wildlife           abounds.
Such immense beauty,              hiding in plain    sight.
So very few,                      ever venture       inside.
Majestic, alive and thriving,     yet so easily      ravaged.

The Forest

Having a bit of fun on my take on traditional blues.
Playing guitar, bass and harmonica. Hammond sound and drums played/created with midi keyboard through Studio One daw.

My friends they all say, I’ve got to pay my dues.
I’ll never be no guitar man , till I’ve played the blues
They say rock is fine and it can get you by
But you gotta dig deep inside for those words that make you cry
And then and only then, can you call your self a real blues man.
But these are Not Quite the Blues

Got me a pen and paper to write down what I’d say
Picked up my guitar and thought I’d play in the key of A
But I just drew a blank, and the words just wouldn’t come.
Maybe the mood just wasn’t right, so had me a shot of rum.
That was a big mistake,  now I can’t even play my guitar.
But these are Not Quite the Blues

I’m thinking maybe, I may of had it easy.
Nothing too troublesome, and nothing to drive me crazy
Life has been pretty good, really can’t complain.
So many have had it bad and can tell you all about the about pain.
Take a look around you and you’ll see you’ve had it pretty good.
But these are Not Quite the Blues

Got my rhythm down but I have no words to sing
Seems you got to pay the price, for the blues to be your thing
Lose your girl, lose you job and maybe even lose your mind.
Words will start to flow, when you’re down and out you’ll find
And then and only then, you start to sing the blues.
But these are Not Quite the Blues

Not Quite The Blues

I thought I'd give it a try and write something smooth and relaxing. Very different to what I would normally do. Hope you enjoy it, and of course share and repost.

Guitars and flute: Godin Xtsa - Roland GR-55
Electric bass
Strings, synths and recording: Studio One 4 (daw)

Mindful Serenade

This is where my latest idea took me.  A bit of a message in the lyrics. 
 Not sure what genre it is, but was pretty cool to do.  Always a challenge to do something different and most certainly quite rewarding.  Hope you enjoy it.
Artwork by Michael Whelan.

Planet in Peril

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
And make it right,
Fix what’s wrong,

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
Disgrace and guilt,
The time to act has come.  

The decline of the Earth’s natural life-support systems,
So many species threatened
Habitats neglected and destroyed.
Freshwater resources being depleted or polluted. 
The human footprint so large leaving little space for anything else.

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
Accept our crime,
Give life a chance

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
Change some habits
Give the planet, it’s right.

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
Stop the abuse,
Sow seeds of life.

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
Hand in hand,
We can make it change.

Natural ecosystems have lost half their area.
Rain forests desiccating into savannahs
A million species at risk of extinction
All largely a result of human actions
Nature is being destroyed at hundreds of times higher than the average over the past 10m years 

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
Return the gift,
This planet earth.

What’s it gonna be,
Will we blame the past,
Or take a stance,
Only time will tell,
If we did enough

Planet In Peril

Everybody has had a Jelly Belly sometime in their lives.  They come in all kinds of flavours and colors.  What if each flavour was an instrument?
This is a fun song with a funky/jazzy/bluesy beat.  Hope you enjoy it.

This is my first time using drum loops.  I don't think I could have pulled it off with two fingers banging on a midi keyboard.

Jelly Belly Jam

Teamed up with Santi-Caballero (https://soundcloud.com/santi-caballero) to do another take of Jelly Belly Jam with Santi-C on tenor and alto sax.
Nothing like the sound of live saxophones.
Thanks Sam. Brilliant work.

Jelly Belly Jam Take 2 (ft. Santi-Caballero on sax)

Regeneration picks up where Planet in Peril left off.  A sequel of sorts.  Touches on neglect and abuse, effect of Covid-19 and leaves off with a message of hope.  Stick around till the end.

You can ignore the facts,  and make up your own
Mislead the masses,  for personal gain
This changes nothing, nothing at all
Avoid and neglect  exasperate the need
We need to act, and need to act now.

There is no denying,  we must be better
So much at stake,  a lifetime to lose
We can make a difference, and foster a better way.

Daily life on pause,  traffic ground to a halt.
Social distancing hinders, our most primal needs.
Basic activities,  now a challenge to all.
Pollution dissipating,  and waters clearing
An invisible threat, at our very doorstep.

There is no denying,  we must be better
Our world is so fragile,  we all have a part
A little pain today,   wake up to a brave new world

Instrumental

We must do better,  or risk it all.
Too much at stake,  to stand idlely by.
This too shall pass,  and good times return.
We bear the burden,  to take control
Change our habits,  to shape the future.

The is no denying,  we must be better
A frightening time,  a wake up call to all.
A worldwide effort, a regeneration.

Planet In Peril - Regeneration

I always got my blues second hand. By that I mean by artists that studied the old blues guys and developed their own blues. So I went back and looked at Robert Johnson and picked "Kind Hearted Woman Blues" and wrote my own lyrics to it. This turned out to be a lot harder than I had imagined. Not a good finger picker made this a big challenge and took me some time to be proficient enough (just enough) to record.
It's somewhat raw, but I tried to honor Mr. Johnson as best I could. Hope you enjoy.
My version relates to homelessness.
The picture is from Newsweek.

Lyrics:
Never met dad, wasn’t there, he wasn’t there when I was born.
	Never met him.
Heard he left my mom, when she needed him most.	That’s when he left her
Momma worked three jobs 
Just to make ends meet.	Yes she did.

Have a little sister, a little sister, haven’t seen her in 15 years.
	And that’s a long time.
Always think about her, but she lives too far to visit. Oh I miss her so.
Heard she’s married with two kids.
Hope her husband treats her well.  Yes I do.

<Chorus>
Been down on my luck, since the day I was born. I’ve had it tough.
I’ve been down on my luck, since the day I was born. The very first day
Chicken soup to warm my heart,
A shot of whiskey soothes my mind.  Yes it does.

Work the streets all day, for some change to get me by. Work all day.
People walk right by, never even bother with me, like I’m an invisible man.
Make due with what I have,
Every day is just another day.  Same old thing.

Life in the streets, mostly by myself, can be a lonley and scary place.	Oh yes it can.
I do what I want, noone to order me around, telling me what to do.
Good days and bad days,
Wouldn’t have it any other way.  No sir no.

<Chorus>

Outro:
Sometimes I wish I’d done better, and made a different life.
	Maybe done better.
But then I realize, this is where I belong. This is my place.
Should you pass me by.
Help out and stay to chat, or at least say hello.  Please do.

Chick Soup and a Shot of Whiskey

Chicken Soup and a Shot of Whiskey

Here's a little track to help everyone enjoy the good weather. It's a jazzy, upbeat song you can certainly dance to or simply listen to.
John: Guitars, bass and drum programming.
Special thanks to @santi-Caballero for the outstanding Alto sax.
Do visit @Santi-Caballero page for some really wonderful music.
If you like this, leave a message and repost.  
I thank everyone for their precious time.

Let's Do This (ft. Santi-Caballero)

Devoid of Reality is reflective of most dreams, which when one wakes up from, simply don't make sense and are far from reality.
Headphones or some form of stereo will enhance the listening experience.
Music and lyrics by John.
That droning sound at :20 to :31 is me hitting a open A chord on my Schecter CET with the whammy bar pushed down and almost touching the strings and then slowly releasing the whammy bar. Thanks to the Floyd Rose system, the guitar stayed in tune all the way.
Artwork by the Mrs...

Lyrics

You look up to the sky and see it in flames
The ocean waters boiling there’s lava in the waves
The air thick with smoke you’re gasping just to breathe

Wake from your dream dazed and confused
While you slept your mind played tricks on you
Sitting in a cold sweat your soon realize that dreams are Devoid of Reality

Running hard from a threat you can’t see
Your heart races faster as you try to flee
Everything slow motion you’re tangled in a web

Wake from your dream dazed and confused
While you slept your mind played tricks on you
Sitting in a cold sweat your soon realize that dreams are Devoid of Reality

Wake from your dream dazed and confused
While you slept your mind played tricks on you
Sitting in a cold sweat your soon realize that dreams are Devoid of Reality

A mysterious sensation grabs hold of your senses
The world around you spiraling out of control
Falling from great heights no bottom in sight

Wake from your dream dazed and confused
While you slept your mind played tricks on you
Sitting in a cold sweat your soon realize that dreams are Devoid of Reality

Devoid of Reality

Devoid Of Reality

A little rant on what is happening to humanity these days. IMHO. 
Opted for a raw sort of sound for this one.

Whatever happened, To empathy and decency
Whatever happened, To respect and equality
Whatever happened, To honesty and kindness
Whatever happened, To humanity

Lots of friends on social media,  noone’s talking noone’s listening
Why is it more people,  feel alone and dejected
Common sense not so common,  talking about decency
Where’s the courage and resolve,  to stand up for what’s right

Whatever happened, To empathy and decency
Whatever happened, To respect and equality
Whatever happened, To honesty and kindness
Whatever happened, To humanity

Respect and kindness,  should come naturally
Instead self serving, lies and egos,  drive daily life
Leaders with no shame, no heart,  no sense of compassion
Oblivious to world needs,  and the plight of humanity
 
Whatever happened, To empathy and decency
Whatever happened, To respect and equality
Whatever happened, To honesty and kindness
Whatever happened, To humanity

Don’t give in to fear,  intimidation and complacency
Rise up, be good and just,  to everyone you meet
Race, color and culture,  shouldn’t drive hate and violence
Time on earth is brief,  wake up for humanity

Whatever happened, To empathy and decency
Whatever happened, To respect and equality
Whatever happened, To honesty and kindness
Whatever happened, To humanity

Whatever Happened

A light hearted bluesy song about a guy going to a party and not remembering a thing afterwards.

Don’t remember but must have been...   some kind of party 

Invited to a party, last Saturday night
Got me all dressed up, I just-had to look right
Lot’s of pretty women walking about
Thought I did my best to not freak out

Don’t remember but must have been...   some kind of party 

Must‘ve had a drink or two, or maybe many more
My memory’s kind of fuzzy after walkin thru the door
Hope I wasn’t rude and craz to anybody there
Just hoping for a good time, but I guess I didn’t care
 
Don’t remember but must have been...   some kind of party 

Did I do the macarena, or strut the chicken dance
With the O Jays and Kool and the Gang, I just didn’t stand a chance
Could have been the beer, or maybe whisky shots
But I tell you one thing my friend, my head sure hurt lots

Don’t remember but must have been...   some kind of party 

Found a tattoo on my left butt cheek
Really kinda hurts but it sure looks sweet
Not asking any questions about that night
Cause people there all told me it wasn’t a pretty sight

Don’t remember but must have been...   some kind of party

Must Have Been Some Kind of Party

Must Have Been Some Kind Of Party

I've been busy working with a band. But I will post something really soon. 
This is a great music community that supports  and encourages others. I urge you to do the same for your fellow artists.
I thank everybody for your precious time.  It means a lot to me.
If you have a moment or two, listen to some tracks, leave a message  and please repost if you like. After all, music is meant to be heard.  Thank you for dropping in.

All the nickels and dimes I make on my songs will go to children charities (tbd).  Thank you for your support.

I love listening to tracks on SC and will certainly repost, but I only repost what I actually listen to.
Influences or artists I simply really like.
Jeff Beck, David Gilmore, Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, Adrian Belew, Mark Farner, SRV, Hendrix, Steve Vai, and the list goes on.

John Carusone

Pinned to spotlight

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