Such wonderful creativity from you all, if I had to pick a favourite... I don't know that I could! Love this.

Seeing this again on Amanda's repost found me listening to it again and hearing so much more in it this time.  It is quite rich and Jacques is wonderful and the guitars awesome!!  I want some of this!!

Just a beautiful piece...amazing and wonderful guitar work from all!

Enjoying a great visit with your great music

❤❤

I Love You - Avril Lavigne

I wrote this song 15 years ago for close friend and guitarist Elmer Stone. Elmer and I have collaborated on three songs on Soundcloud but this one is purely a tribute to him and the friendship we have shared for the past thirty-plus years.  It is also a memorial for his wife Bonnie who he lost two years ago. She was a core contributor to his music, life partner, and his best friend.
I am indebted to Mike Fox and Axel Meningen for taking my rough demo of the song and making it a broadcast quality production.  Thank you gentlemen for your time, talents, and belief that the song could be more than I could ever make it on my own.  Hear more of their amazing music @michael-fox-925325997 and @axel-m-501052973  
Good Ol' Boy
Lyrics:
He's a good ol' boy with his good ol' toys,
He likes a beer now and then.
He picks a guitar and dreams of going far,
Don't know the how, or the where, or the when.
The boys in the band play as hard as they can.
And they hitch their wagon to the star,
Of this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.

He keeps house with his wife, the love of his life,
The kids are all grown and gone.
By the gray in his hair you can tell he still cares
'bout the things that are right and wrong.
And the question comes does it get better than this,
A hard days work and a goodnight kiss,
For this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.

Bridge:
Well it hasn't been easy, no it's never been easy
But he keeps on keepin' on.
And what hasn't killed him he finds a way
To put into a song, 'bout this good ol' boy
This good ol' boy.

Instrumental break, repeat bridge.

He's a good ol' boy with his share of joys,
And his share of the cares of this world.
When it's all said and done, and his race has been run,
And he rests in the arms of the Lord
Of this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.
Instrumental to the end.

Good Ol' Boy (Mike, Axel, David)

When the railway runs along the coast, right beside the sea, there are many tunnels. Sometimes they’re so narrow that two tracks must draw near to one another to pass through. That’s how a strange love story begins between them.
This is a song I wrote around the year 2000, one of my last. I think it has a good mood. I’ve remixed and partially rearranged it.
You can still hear the warm tone of the Washburn, along with the old Yamaha’s sounds (including the flute). The sax — reworked by me  — is kindly provided by Dropgun Samples.
Still, as always, everything is very handcrafted.

Below is the English translation of the lyrics.

They converged at the tunnel’s mouth,
suddenly parallel —
twins of the railway.
They looked at each other, studied each other,
just enough
to not quite grasp
how much the one beside you knows of you.
They hesitated, thinking of the road behind:
companions in adventure,
but now unsure why.
And then they stared at the night gaping inside the tunnel:
a magnificent promise
to be traveled on the thread of fantasy.

“Inside this darkness, maybe we will never part,
under this shadow, maybe you’ll finally know me,
after this night, who knows where you’ll fall asleep —
perhaps closer to the sea…”

They parted at the tunnel’s edge,
but a narrow wall concealed a silence
charged with jealousy,
shaped like fear — fear of that strange kind of courtesy,
fear of the light,
fear of the end of the tunnel.
“Parallel track,
mirror born of the railway,
traitorous twin,
lover made of parody.
Don’t tell me that
after this darkness we’ll never part,
that under this shadow you’ll finally touch me,
that after this night, who knows where you’ll take me —
perhaps down by the sea…”

And at the end of that masterpiece of engineering,
only one of them
came rushing out of the tunnel;
on instinct, he turned and saw
that the sea was beside him,
and under the sea, the sky,
and beneath the sky — who knows what lies...

“After this darkness, surely we will never part,
inside this shadow, surely you’ll let go,
after this night, I cannot say where you’ll fall asleep —
perhaps closer to the sea…”

----

Confluirono all'ingresso della galleria
improvvisamente paralleli 
gemelli della ferrovia.
Si guardarono, si studiarono quel tanto che
non basta a misurare sino in fondo
quello che hai di fianco cosa sa di te.
Indugiarono, pensarono alla strada dietro di sé:
compagni di avventura,
ma ora non capivano perché.
E poi guardarono la notte spalancata nella galleria:
magnifica promessa
da viaggiare sul filo della fantasia

"dentro questo buio forse noi non ci separeremo mai,
sotto questo scuro tu finalmente mi conoscerai,
dopo questa notte poi non so dire dove ti addormenterai,
forse più vicino al mare ..."

Si congedarono sulla bocca della galleria,
ma parete stretta nasconde silenzio
fatto a carica di gelosia,
fatto a forma di paura di quella stranissima cortesia,
paura della luce
paura della fine della galleria.
"Binario parallelo,
specchio generato dalla ferrovia,
gemello traditore,
amante da parodia.
Non dirmi che 
dopo questo buio noi non ci separaremo mai,
che sotto questo scuro tu finalmente mi toccherai,
che dopo questa notte poi chissà dove mi accompagnerai,
forse giù vicino al mare ..."

E alla fine di quel capolavoro di ingegneria,
di loro uno solo
usciva di corsa dalla galleria;
d'istinto si voltò e vide che
c'era il mare di fianco a sé,
e sotto il mare il cielo,
e sotto il cielo chissa cosa c'è ...

"dopo questo buio certo noi non ci separeremo mai,
dentro questo scuro tu sicuramente ti abbandonerai,
dopo questa notte poi non so dire dove ti addormenterai,
forse più vicino al mare ..."

----

Composed by Michele Ansani (1999)
Posted on SoundCloud: 2025, May 16

Down by the sea [Viaggio di nozze] *

The blues are steeped in the tradition of bawdy/dirty songs. Think of Bo Carter (my pencil don't write no more) or Lil Johnson (Sam the hot dog man). You get the idea.
Here's my bawdy blues celebrating outdoor sex.
Added as the last track on my album "All This Useless Beauty". Check it out!


Lyrics:
Ohh my girl 
She's so cityfied
But something comes over her
In the countryside
When she tells me to pitch a tent
I see in her eyes
That bad intent
She becomes a wild woods woman (2X)

Riding down the road
She says:
"Get a blanket and pull over to the side."

We're out in nature
Doing our thing!
All god's creatures they cover their eyes
Oh, the ground is so rough
Don't ya know she can't get enough
Wild woods woman (2X)

In the tall grass
Having some fun
I feel like Mother Nature's only son
Down in the milkweeds that makes me sneeze
Don't ya know she's got me on my knees
It gets so hot!
So hot!
So hot!
She never tires
(Only you can prevent forest fires)

Wild Woods Woman

(Written by Terry Reeves)
Terry Reeves: Vocal
Gary Reeves: Toms
Hans Albers: All other instruments, Arrangement & Production

Photo of Max from The Albers' Archive

What to say about Maximilian?
There are so many things to be told: a lifetime of 24 years, full of special moments, joys, fears, sorrows, worries, hopes, dreams, ups, downs, progress, regress, searching, finding, winning, losing, restlessness, peace...
His life had begun with an extremely difficult birth, almost as if the world didn’t want him. They told us he had a life-threatening infection, there were probably holes in his lungs and he obviously had no kidneys. In total, his chances of surviving were exceedingly slim. However, after endless weeks of both despair and hope, he overcame the infection, the diagnosis of holes in his lungs turned out to be totally wrong and they even discovered a kidney.  Just one maybe but at least it worked perfectly.  His journey into existence had begun.
As he grew, so did the never-ending nightmare of problems, challenges and battles, until we began to wonder what could possibly happen next.  Through it all, Max took every opportunity to accumulate extreme experiences - never hiding, always   seeking.  For that, we loved him even more…and even more it broke our hearts that we couldn’t help him find what he was looking for.
But suddenly, as the Summer of 2011 dawned, his troubles seemed to merely fade away.  Was he just arriving in life, coming of age, finding his place in society?  To be honest, we hadn’t the faintest idea.  But it was abundantly clear that, having always been an underdog, that same unwelcoming world had simply started to like and respect him.  He began to realise his many talents, enjoying his job as never before, finally becoming something he had never been - happy.
Fast forward to the gorgeous Summer evening of June 28th, the eve of a 4-week vacation to which he had been looking forward so very much.  A smile on his face, he said he was in the mood to go jogging, something he loved. Sometimes, he ran and ran for ages.  He’d been gone about 3 hours, quite a long time even for him, so Carina called his phone and he answered, cheerfully telling her not to worry and assuring her he’d be home very soon.  Seconds after the call, out of the blue, he collapsed.  A pulmonary embolism.  They told us he died instantly. 
Max, we have no words for what happened, nor for the eternal gratitude we feel for every single second of your life.  We do know we will never stop loving you.”
(Hans & Carina Albers)

Small chance of survival, words from the first day
Stretching all emotions not a single which way
Asking whys and reasons, a chance to breathe long
Heartbreaking moments, hopes remained strong

Such a short distance, but a life running miles
Bring every sensation, fear to a million smiles
Experience not forgotten, continuous hug of care      
Born with fighting spirit, giving back more to share

24 years of love, no single regret
24 years of love, never to forget

Every challenge building, inner muscles to be felt
Secret ways to be happy, never question hand dealt         
Complication of thinking to find a new sentence 
Pathways to friendships, dreams of acceptance

24 years of love, no single regret
24 years of love, never to forget

A vision full of truth with strength to admire
Finding a hidden talent, past helping to aspire 
No journey of distance could prevent direction
A phone call assurance became last connection

It’s hard to find words, express feelings remaining 
Deep down inside shell, empty, sad, self-complaining 
But we will never forget our boy hero from birth
Brought love and kindness, past and future unblurred

24 years of love, no single regret
24 years of love, will never forget
24 years of love…

MAXIMILIAN - CRIPPLE CLUB  (Please Read Description)

To celebrate the second birthday of this song, Carl from @thebeautifuldark kindly wrote some lyrics, sang them with soul, and played some fabulous guitar for the occasion. Exo now stands as a new creation, and it's something I am very glad to share with you 🤍

Listen to the original here
https://soundcloud.com/scratchkelly/exo

Lyrics
Time to test time
Flow in rhyme
Exo makes jail for mind matter mine
Intuitive thought
Instinctual
No messy thoughts
Devine deliverance
Placebo proof
Chooses truths
No lies emerge when this mode is heard
Thoughts are herd, interferance
Ever present of presence
At one with the mammoth
Still alive as mutated carrot
See, I am everything
So flow chooses to bring
Standing waves for sin
Handing haze the bin
The rubbish of man
No fake thinking
It's Spirit
It's Soul
It's need for good role
It's time that we saw new pathway,
New God
It's me
It's you
It's hill of trees
Truth
We see
We do
It's for new youth
It's retention
Ascension towards my younger proof
It's real want to mute the spoof
Ryhme to test ryhme
Flow divine
We are the whole Earth
It's finally lassooed from both sides
Simultaneous prize
Just by beings alive

Cometh conduit
Lets dive
Earth's core connection is live
Thrive holding hive
Now is live to survive
Drive new Alive

Soothe



The Feathered Crown is a card of pride, loss, and the aftermath of hubris. It draws upon two rich veins of folklore — the Appalachian belief in a feathered crown found beneath a dying person’s pillow, and the ancient myth of the Sirens and the Muses. Together, these stories form a layered symbol of reckoning, the echoes of lost glory, and the burdens of victory.

In Appalachian tradition, discovering a tightly woven feathered crown in a pillow was often seen as a sign that the soul of the deceased had passed to heaven, a mysterious mark of spiritual judgment. In mythology, after the Muses defeated the Sirens in a singing contest, the Sirens were stripped of their wings as punishment for their arrogance. The Muses, triumphant, wove the plucked feathers into radiant crowns — symbols of their victory but also of the destruction they wrought.

This card stands at the intersection of triumph and regret. It speaks of victories that come at a cost, the spoils of conquest weighed down by lingering guilt or sorrow. The Feathered Crown reminds us that success without humility invites ruin. It asks whether our pursuits of recognition or superiority are worth the burdens we carry in their wake.

---------------------------------------
Drums, Percussion, Keyboards: Ron Thomas
Guitars, Bass, Banjo, Lyre, Vocals, Midi: PS Perkins

Mixed and mastered by Mystic Tape Deck
Dedicated to Josephine of the Mouse Folk

LYRICS
---------------------------------------
I saw your feathered crown, the one you keep under your pillow
Did you think that you could hide it from me?
As you don your supple plumage, tell me did you win it truly
From the fairest maidens of Persephone?
Are your songs of grief and woe, are they songs of deep regret?
With feathers plucked from silvery Sirens wings?
Or from the tails of rainbow ravens perching just outside your window
Waiting for the passing ships to hear them sing
Waiting for the passing ships to hear you sing

Dashed upon the rotten rocks of harpy limbed nightingales
Where tides resound with death inducing cries
As the sailors climb and clamor for a seat upon the razor
And a melody to cling to as they die
Rejoicing in the arts of their inglorious ease,
Freely frolic where the churning waters flow
Diving from the clifftops, splashing down into the seas below
Charming in both poetry and prose
Alluring in both poetry and prose

Whosoever dare to wear the feathers in their hair
Like the parrot and the magpie in a cage
That we may divert our stare from the circling of the bear
While standing proud upon the heavens final stage
When the starry sisters nine, with their bellies full of wine
Have bested you at your own foolish games
And the ships all passing by which now leave you there to die
Having never even known your given names
Having never even known your real names

I saw your feathered crown, the one you keep under your pillow
Did you think that you could hide it from me?
Oh, Josephine, you should have known better.

The Feathered Crown

Awesome track by Hendrik again - EWI trumpet by me - enjoy this funky lunatics' journey :-)
@cosmic-ratzzz

lunatics 232 / Die grosse Reise / Ratzzz & joerxworx

Basic track mix - straight off my Zoom R24. Leaving it alone for a while..(earworm!) 
Synth bass with multi-clarinet riffs / alto flutes/oboe sections with tenor sax on bass pedal. Flute solos with synth middle sections.
Picture by Cathy Alexandre (c/o Pinterest)

RED ADMIRAL [CLA158M2 early mix]

Another great tenor solo from My mate Georg !!!

BRUTAL w/ Georg Boehme

Atmospheric and soulful cloudy soprano saxophone by joerxworx: https://soundcloud.com/joerxworx

The Northern Lights

Cloudy Days (Remix) feat. joerxworx

I am happy to have two special guest players on this little, old school, guitar opera. This, in fact, is the very sort of thing I would have found myself playing in high school. Two chords, all night.

The guest soloist is Hans, one of my SC guitar heroes (https://soundcloud.com/clouders_for). I was thrilled when he agreed to trade solos with me. Hans is playing the second, fourth and sixth solos (after the melody), I am playing the first, third and fifth ones. The "trading" was a lot of fun. The only thing that would have been better is if we could have been in the same room when we did it! 

Jacques Dicroce, my good friend and first band mate, played that very tasty pedal steel (if it’s got strings, Jacques plays it.) We were, in fact, in the same room when we recorded, a small room at the edge of the woods. It was great to do, especially since last time we recorded together was in the late 70’s!

There are a few technical flaws tucked away in here. I'm going to leave them be for the moment. Maybe forever.




Luray (with Hans & Jacques Dicroce)

I wanted to do this track as a Thank you to you guys for making me hit 1.9 million likes on my facebook page, that is absolutely insane!! My goal is to hit 2 million by this Christmas so if that happens there will be alot of thank you's to do then + alot more covers!! 

Hope you enjoy this one, you can also follow me here - 
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Youtube/Snapchat - SamHarveyUK

Céline Dion - Because You Loved Me Cover

Clean Bandit - Rockabye (ft. Sean Paul & Anne - Marie) Madilyn Bailey COVER

The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (Cover by Tiffany Alvord &amp; Chester See)

I want to spend my life time loving you

A laboratory with an open bar and floating altar. Come on in! 

Here are various solo and collaborative projects - songs, soundscapes, live looped solo guitar improvisations. 

This project used to be called "imaginary friends", but it became too real for that name, as did many of you.

I hope you enjoy something you find here. Do feel free to be in touch, you never know what might happen.  

I also invite you to attend @hypnopompetus, a duo project with the illustrious Cheesemont Paisley-Paisley https://soundcloud.com/sel-sync, and Fictive Sisters, a transatlantic band with  the incomparable Wheelwright https://fictivesisters.bandcamp.com/album/immaculate-distraction.

Luray (with Hans & Jacques Dicroce)

Jonathan Beckenstein

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the page formerly known as J.o.h.n.G.a.l.a.x.y

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