Photo : Marielle Lemaire - Ariège - France

Marcher, c'est des captures d'images, des sentiments qui se composent, se transforment, se ruminent en de douces pensées. Dans l'enlacement continu du parcours, cette source de satiété physique offre une richesse grandissante à l'esprit. La pérégrination ancre nos sens dans cette réalité.

Walking is capturing images, feelings that are composed, transformed, ruminated in sweet thoughts. In the continuous embrace of the journey, this source of physical satiety offers a growing richness to the spirit. The journey anchors our senses in this reality.

Ce projet se compose d'un prélude, d'une pièce principale, de cet interlude suivi de son postlude.

3 - Sur Le Chemin - Avec Franck Douvin

This song was written eight years ago as the darkness of the first Trump presidency was making itself known. And now once again we have the unthinkable -- this disastrous human being with power at his fingers.  And he's already busy spreading lies, fear, and hate.

Liisa Pentti https://soundcloud.com/liisapentti did guest vocals on this 2019 version, and it's the definitive one -- I love what she did.

Ever Since the Rainbow

ever since the rainbow left the evening sky
waiting and hoping seem such a waste of time
into the air we fly into the seams we dive
as if the dust of a broken down dream
could start the engine fire

the passage of time this endless ennui
rivers and threads between you and me
sleep and dream again and again
an old man's finger tapping on a window pane
we dream and breath we love and grieve
remember that we share the same blood and air

the innocent sunrise the whispering day
dark clouds rising that will pass away
I know that these things that bind you to the common marrow
will rise up in your veins to remind you
remember that we share the same blood and air

Spotify Link

Ever Since the Rainbow

I used to work in a municipal council depot in the late 1980’s and met some brilliant characters. Ronnie was one of them - he used to walk 3 miles each way to work/home. He had interesting views on life! It’s a bleak folk song but with some humour thrown in. They all used quite fruity/earthy expressions and I wanted to capture some of that. I hope you enjoy it. Mastered by RCD Digital. 
Lyrics 

Cough up the green, like a dying mans wheeze 
Mould on the walls, there’s no enjoyment 
Clothes so damp, they’ll rot your bones
It’s all frustration and disappointment 

Life is a sore that never heals

Day after day it’s just
Walk to work, pick up them bags 
Throw them in as the packerplate screeches 
Home, eat, soak my plums if I’m lucky, then sleep
But it’s still dark when I wake up! 

In all weather we work, shine, snow and rain
Fevers and puking, we push through the pain
But don’t think the boss will let you be late 
The old man will lose it and show you the gate!!

Life is a sore that never heals

Day after day it’s just
Walk to work, pick up those bags
Throw them in as the packer plate screeches 
Home, eat, sink some pints if I’m lucky
And sleep, but it’s still dark when I wake up 

And the great and the good, shiny and monied
their perfect kids with daddy and mummy 
What’s it to me where they live, what they do
How they’re doing in school, or where they holiday to?
I don’t care , it’s not my life
Leave me alone! 

And now there’s lots of management around
To save some money and cut some rounds
But there’s only so much these old bones can take
Push me too hard and the old back will break

Scratch cards! Yeah scratch cards
Thank God for scratch cards 
One lucky match,  I break free
But until then, it’s the same old routine

Day after day it’s just
Walk to work 
Pick up those bags
Throw them in as the packer plate screeches 
Home, eat, sit and rest if I’m lucky 
Then sleep, but it’s still dark when I wake up! 

James Whiteman copyright (lyrics 2017; music 2025)

Ronnie’s Lament (The Loader)

(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)

Another great tenor solo from My mate Georg !!!

BRUTAL w/ Georg Boehme

This is a fun country music track called "Running After Bacon".

Running After Bacon (Country Dance)

Special thanks to Ashesndreams for her acappella

Lyrics :
Baby no me pidas que me aparte
Yo ya te he buscado en todas partes
Solamente vengo a recordarte que estoy
Imaginandote
Una y otra vez
Que tu estas aqui conmigo
Acariciandome
No seas timido
Dejate querer
Que si dudas te prometo
Que vas a volver

No tengo miedo
Soy un kamikaze
Mi imaginacion se prende con lo que me haces
Diario yo te pienso
Te tengo en mis suenos
Eres el motor para escribir todos mis versos
No te voy a mentir te quiero todo pa mi

IMAGINANDOTE. 🎧.  feat  Ashesndreams

Sitting alone at night around a remote campfire in the Bieszczady Mountains, a fascinating area with free-roaming wolves and bears, you feel much more at ease when you can hear a group of horses grazing behind you and enjoy the peace and coolness of the night after a hot day spent carrying riders on long journeys over hills, fields, and meadows.

Horsepower

Thanks to @Encym @markjbennett, @mark-hoogslag and @pleudoniem for feedback on earlier versions

Through the trees, a forest
The end has started,
the beginning begun.

Tides are turning
War was over, 
or so we thought

*Out with the old
In with the new
if you don't know 
which is which
what you're gonna do?

You chose, you stepped, 
you thought you knew, 
Yet the tree still asks: 
Who chooses who?
Who chooses who?

Keep on climbing the decision tree
Up the branches, to infinity
decided for you and me

For Regulo Tortolero:

A través de los árboles, un bosque
El fin ha comenzado,
el comienzo comenzó.

Las mareas están cambiando
La guerra había terminado, 
o eso pensábamos

Fuera el viejo
Dentro el nuevo
si no sabes 
cuál es cuál
¿qué vas a hacer?

Elegiste, diste un paso, 
creíste que lo sabías, 
Sin embargo, el árbol sigue preguntando: 
¿Quién elige a quién?
¿Quién elige a quién?

Sigue subiendo
el árbol de las decisiones
Al final seremos libres

Decision tree

Can't Get Bayou (But I Can't Get By Without You Either)

This is Mark's open collab and a wonderful vocal performance of the trad song. I put some watercolour washes on it.

https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett/the-parting-glass-open-collaboration 

The Parting Glass - Open Collab with MarkJBennett

!!!HOT NEWS!!! New Valuable Friends vinyl album and CD available! ALSO 2nd Deluxe Vinyl & CD+Booklet "Songs That Mean Something" See links below. 

Composer/Guitarist/Producer

Songs: We find them unpainted in our hands, throw them up into the air of our imagination, turning them in the colours we see after we close our eyes until they feel just right, and sometimes we catch them perfectly, without blemishing them...

My music is on most platforms for your ease.

Wow!!  417K+ plays and 4,000+ valued followers and friends on SC alone, that provide lots of wonderfully helpful comments that fuel the next track! Really big thanks to the SC community for listening and providing such brilliant feedback and support. It means so much to myself and my collaborators - huge thanks.

I work in different styles, as the inspiration, dreams or bubonic plagiarism comes! I use Logic Pro X on Mac.
 
I write, produce and play all my own stuff (unless otherwise stated), play vintage Tokai Strats mainly, PRS Torero, Steinberger, Gretsch G2627T, Classical, Fender Dreadnought, Yamaha and Rickenbacker basses, keyboards and sax. I use Native Instrument's Komplete, Omnisphere 2 and my own organic samples.

I mix on Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's and HD 650's (closed and open headphones) when not making a bigger noise through my Yamaha HS8 studio monitors. I use Focusrite Clarett 2Pre ThunderBolt and Apogee audio interfaces, Neumann & iSK condenser & AKG dynamic mics. 

Hardware: Feb 1978 Marshall JMP 50W Combo, BOO & BOSS stomps

I love collaborating with other musicians and will compose with, play guitar for, produce, arrange, master or even just hum along with other SC musicians. Please ask!

P.S. I am a long standing member of the Performing Rights Society and PPL through my old TV and theatre work as well as my record and publishing deals.

The Parting Glass - Open Collab with MarkJBennett

Phil McWalter