Gil Melle Soundtrack - "A Cold Night's Death", 1973

Gil Melle was an interesting musician.   I am familiar with him primarily through his soundtrack work which utilized electronic compositions.  Melle scored the soundtrack for the science fiction film, "The Andromeda Strain " (1971).  This is a very curious composition.  In order to achieve what eventually appeared on screen, Melle created and built many of the synthesizer devices.  Wow.
"A Cold Night's Death"follows along this path but the structure and feel of the music is more in alignment with the characters' disjointed and fractured mental states.  Whereas the "Andromeda Strain" score followed a more structured course, this score is discordant and harrowing.  Checkout "World War III" (1982) and "Kolchak: The Night Stalker"(1974) TV series theme music for more of Melles' electronic compositional treats.

Melles was also very active in the world of jazz composition and recordings.  Look for him on Spotify.

Color Organ (2019)

An attempt to approximate a color organ:  visuals/lights are activated/animated by an audio source.

Sound Experiments 4 (2019) - Overindulgence is kept to a minimum. I promise.

Riffs, fragments and noise.  A collection of old and new instruments and FX pedals are tried out and aurally regurgitated. You will hear a Mellotron tone recreated on a guitar through the Electro Harmonix Mel 9 pedal, the Dave Smith Adrenalinn pedal makes an appearance, Suzuki's Omnichord is put into play. You Rock's MIDI guitar checks in too. Som many great effects and instruments are out there.

Realistic/Radio Shack Electronic Wind Chimes (2019)

This was certainly an oddity!!  Wind chimes constructed of plastic equipped with a contact sensor that would enable the onboard "chime" sounds.  All powered by six AA batteries.  Well, the chimes are more an electronic approximation of acoustic wind chimes and their timbre doesn't alter much so I don't think this item ever really took off and replaced the real thing.  Not the most attractive appearance either and it is a bit unwieldy, weight wise.  Realistic/Radio Shack marketed this product but I have not been able to pinpoint exactly when or for how long.  Nice try.

HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARE (2019) - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Michael Myers getting some jam time in before the usual routine.  Happy Halloween!

Groovy Acoustic Guitar (2019)

My son's fancy, painted and art infused guitar.  His friends took the time to draw on it, apply stickers and add a ceramic sculpture to it.  Very colorful and nicely done!

Sound Experiments 3 (2019)

A further sampling of some of my instruments, guitar effects pedals, synthesizers and rented equipment and the half-baked riffs that result!  Sonics over style and songwriting.  That's my motto, as you can tell.  It is easier to just throw out the riffs and not compile them into anything but then I never had that talent of composition.  I enjoy it.




Sound Experiments 3 (2019)

A Royal Affair Concert Event (2019)

Two of the latter day descendants of progressive rock royalty, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy and Yes, perform at A Royal Affair.  Other acts on this bill included the John (Moody Blues) Lodge Band and Asia.  This event was held in Saratoga, California at the Mountain Winery concert venue.  Lovely afternoon concert. 

Roger Dean Was At "A Royal Affair"!

Genius artist Roger Dean had a booth at "A Royal Affair" music event at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California.

 Classic progressive music reigned on July 28th, 2019 at the Mountain Winery music venue.  Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy, Arthur Brown, the John Lodge Band, Asia and Yes all performed.

It was great to see Roger and his magnificent paintings and artwork.  Dean has designed album covers for the likes of Greenslade, Budgie, Asia and Yes.  A beautiful thing indeed!  It was an honor to see him there.

Sound Experiments 2 (2019)

https://youtu.be/xybD3f-Vx7s

Another selection of my noise making sessions using a bevy of personally owned and rented guitar FX pedals, cheap synthesizers, video FX methods and riff pilfering.  My apologies to Gary Numan:  "Cars" for treated guitar.
Other likely suspects used in this collection include the Stylophone Gen X-1, Korg Kaossilator, Electro Harmonix RTG, the EH micro synthesizer for guitar, and the circuit bent deluxe video distorter.
Hope you like some of this!

Sound Experiments 1 (2018)

Sound Experiments 1 (2018)

I am compiling a video catalog of my musical instrument and effects collection.  Enjoy the junk!

Mysterious Space Sounds Recorded in Antartica????!!!!!

https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/mysterious-space-sounds-being-picked-up-in-antarctica/

Chuck Berry, Rock Founding Father, Passes Away

They don't come more original than this:


Chuck Berry, Rock Founding Father, Passes Away

JOHN WETTON - RIP - "EXILES" - 1973

The late, phenomenal John Wetton on bass and vocals performing with King Crimson back in 1973.  Crimson plays "Exiles".  Wetton had a very distinct and powerful singing and playing style.  We will miss his myriad contributions to popular music.  Another unique talent is lost.

STRANGE SOUNDS FROM THE SKIES

This is a creepy video.  People have been reporting and recording instances of strange, jarring sounds coming from the sky!  There are many different examples included from around the globe.  What is the source of this noise?  There is a lot of speculation but no definitive answer.  Very weird and unsettling goings on!

"Home On The Range" May Be Your First Tune!

Feel like playing your guitar by the campfire or just having a reminder of what that is like?  I spotted these two unique, painted guitars at Guitar Showcase in San Jose, California.   The artwork adorning these guitars features crooning cowboys, bucking broncos, howling dogs, and other western motifs.  I can say that these are very nicely adorned instruments and might be a nice, decorative addition to the collection of the guitar player who has everything but really are not my cup of tea.  Or joe. 

SYNTHESIZER TREASURE TROVE AT GUITAR CENTER IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

A veritable treasure trove of synthesizers are on display at the Guitar Center in San Jose, California.  This little clutch contains Moogs, Rolands, and Korg brand synthesizers just to name a few.  Most of this keyboards are hooked up to monitors so you can try out the little marvels yourself.  A lot of fun!

FOCUSRITE: PLEASE GET IT RIGHT!

I have tried to download software from Focusrite's site and have received the following message since Christmas night.  Enough already!

Greg Lake, "I Believe In Father Christmas"

A sad farewell was bid to Greg Lake, a talented and influential musician, who passed away this week.  Lake was a founding member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer.  He also held a stint in Asia, as well.  Here is the popular Christmas tune he penned years ago.  I will miss Lake's distinctive vocal delivery, his impassioned playing and his memorable recorded work.  A true progressive rock luminary and a very iconic performer.

PLAY WHO POWERCHORDS ON AN ELECTRIC UKE!

This music store find was a little weird:  The Who songbook for ukulele.  But there the book was, shelved below the wall mounted ukes and, as if to save the day, there were a few electric ukuleles in stock.  I do know that Pete Townsend wrote a song which appears on the collection, "The Who By Numbers", which features a ukulele.  "Blue, Red and Grey" finds Pete strumming on an acoustic uke.  I saw Roger Daltrey in concert a few years back and he did his own rendition of the song along with accompanying himself on ukulele.  The Vox electric ukuleles pictured here could be amplified up to "11" to reproduce the 140db sound level The Who were known to bombard their audiences with in the mid to late 1970's.  Play it LOUD!!!