ehowton: (Default)
ehowton ([personal profile] ehowton) wrote2008-05-27 03:30 am
Entry tags:

Date Rape


Moving a family involves a cast of thousands. [livejournal.com profile] catttitude and I (mostly [livejournal.com profile] catttitude) put a lot of prep-work into our moving to make it as smooth as possible, because let's face it - it's not. Smooth that is. In fact it sucks. But every time I've moved since leaving the military (they took care of everything) I have enjoyed help. Hell, in moving from [livejournal.com profile] drax0r's house in Anna to my own, an entire moving-party showed up to assist. Touching, really.

And when we were loading up to move to STL my wife and I worked a 12-hour day standing alongside that very truck in my avatar. I had five people assist (four if you include my father's "supervision" assisting): My mother (who tackled the child angle), [livejournal.com profile] drax0r (who showed up when we were finished), Big Dave, (who can curl small cars like barbells), and [livejournal.com profile] celtmanx (who did more visiting than *actual* moving). Nonetheless, when I discovered that he was moving from his 4000-sq/ft house in Fort Worth, 30-minutes Southwest to a 100-year-old Victorian off the town square in Granbury without engaging my assistance, I volunteered.

And this is where my title fits in. First, he plied me with Monster drinks in the garage fridge. Secondly, he presented me with a box of Macanudo tubos - ! - Then he worked me like a beast of burden.

I feel dirty.


My wife deserves half that box of cigars for watching the kids alone for 12 hours!


Eight hours later our 26' U-Haul was loaded and we were in Granbury where he hired a 20-year old college student to unload the truck so I could make my way back home. With it being a holiday and every State, City, Town & Municipality cop on the road trapping speeders, I had to restrain myself from driving 100+ mph across Interstate 20, my usual modus operandi. This decision was just one in a confluence of events which lead me to overwhelming enjoy an unexpected surprise: Redwoods.

Seeing the cover didn't bring back any memories of the entry whatsoever (though I did go back and read it as soon as I got home), and the minimalistic title gave me no clues. A quick check of the track listing wasn't conclusive, as I couldn't tie anything together on my own. Of the 21 tracks I wasn't familiar with fifteen of them. Because there were so many cops out, I simply put my cruise on the speed limit - something I almost never do. And because I wasn't barrel-assing across the Interstate at a hundred miles an hour dodging traffic, I was more relaxed. Finally, because I had been worked like a beast of burden I was exhausted. Everything formed the perfect shell in which to enjoy this very discrete album.

I popped in the disc and was immediately rewarded. [livejournal.com profile] swashbuckler332 has a tendency to "set the tone" of the album with the first track. It was a beautiful track. I checked the liner notes. "Wendy Carlos." Huh. I know her from her classical Moog album (the first..classical album to ever go platinum? Anyone? Is that right?) and her later work with Telarc. This sounded very un-Moog like. It was light and angelic. I was smiling. I looked down and was on Track 3. "GODDAMNIT! HE DID IT TO ME AGAIN!" I backed up three tracks and started over. It was even better the second time. I hear something I haven't heard in a very long time - Pleasentville. I've wanted that album since the movie came out - the first thing I ever saw Tobey Maguire in, and the best role he's ever played. He embodied his character and the score embodied him. I close my eyes and get goosebumps. The tree fucking ignites! "HOLY SHIT I'M DRIVING A CAR WHY ARE MY EYES CLOSED!" I don't know why I don't own this movie on DVD. I'm angry about that. I'm also angry I missed this song the first time around - of course...I'm on track four! What happened to Tracks 2 & 3? Mostly, I blame the album on the clarinet. It seems to me that some of the tracks end and begin with the *same* clarinet playing the *same* note. "Incomprehensible!"

Unlike Excelsior! where each theme was selected for its individual properties and woven into a tapestry of similarly oriented themes for an overall purpose, Redwoods appears to try to accomplish perhaps a less difficult task, and in doing so, allows for greater continuity. I'll put it this way: Even of the albums I have, the tracks are made better on this disc than they are in their original setting, because they all compliment each other.

I may have to shelve Excelsior! for awhile, because I've found a new favorite.

Thanks Swash. You're full of surprises.

[identity profile] melancthe.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 10:31 am (UTC)(link)
Huh. "he worked me like a beast of burden" + the Village-People-style photo? I think you guys are my new OTP ... ;)

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 12:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Hrm. He does look rather flamboyant in that photo, doesn't he?

[identity profile] melancthe.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Actually, it's the two of you together, what with his headband and your cut-off sleeves, that add a superlatively flamboyant touch ...

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Also - I was naked from the waist down.

[identity profile] catttitude.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
That explains the chafing.

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I love it when you use that avatar.

[identity profile] swashbuckler332.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 02:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Me too.

[identity profile] swashbuckler332.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow.

As I mention in my notes, I wanted to create something much more intimate than the bombast of the several projects that had come before it. It was originally intended to be more of a follow-up to Songs of the Heavens, its sequel Grace: More Songs of the Heavens and Connections ( the latter of which was, essentially, another Songs of the Heavens entry but I had decided to move away from that terminology because people were ascribing a spiritual aspect to those mixes that I wasn't comfortable with).

While not reflected in the entry, Redwoods actually became something that was very personal to me over the course of compiling it. I have wondered since its creation how accessible the disc actually is to anybody because of how specific to how I was feeling and where I was at the time when I assembled it. It was expressing something very specific and very private. It is a very subtle album (more so, I think, than any of its antecedents), and not being connected to any particular fandom, I rarely ever hear any feedback or it.

I'm very glad that you're enjoying it.
Edited 2008-05-27 16:31 (UTC)

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I made a 320kbps/CBR rip last night and put it on my iPod so I could listen to it at work the remainder of the week (adding its artwork, of course :P) I also made a 1:1 CDDA copy of the disc to keep in the car to unfurl its uncompressed majesty, allowing the original to be stored in archival conditions.

The difference, to me, between this album and the others you mentioned can be summed up in a single word: Passion. The tracks on this album emote something fierce. And while the others are enjoyable and well done, they lack the emotional strength this one provides. Based solely upon the tracks I do recognize, they were written during scenes meant to evoke an emotional response, and you've done a fine job not only in having collected them, but equally as important, in collating them.

The only thing you've ever asked in return for your albums is feedback. I wish to unabashedly provide that from my humble perspective.

[identity profile] swashbuckler332.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 02:09 pm (UTC)(link)
And I thank you. Your response to my work has been most gratifying. I'm glad you and your wife are enjoying them!

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 02:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Wait until I come across one which grates on me ;)

[identity profile] swashbuckler332.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
That'll probably be this one. I'm very proud of it, but it's a really rough listen.

[identity profile] irulan-amy.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 12:30 am (UTC)(link)
That is a fabulous picture of you two!

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
Yes. I'm not wearing pants.

[identity profile] irulan-amy.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
I had a hunch this was the case.

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
Neither was [livejournal.com profile] celtmanx.

[identity profile] galinda822.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
Nothing sexier than a pic of 2 hot, sweaty men. ;)

I miss you sharing music with me. :(

[identity profile] ehowton.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
You got the hot & sweaty part right - I was just thankful it didn't reach triple-digits that day!

Unseasonably cool tonight.

[identity profile] catttitude.livejournal.com 2008-05-28 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
You must be blind. heeeehee

[identity profile] galinda822.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
I was being sarcastic!