TRIBUTES

There's a ton of great artist' and songs out there that have influenced my music - and have steered my life as well. This is a brand new page that will be updated infrequently to pay "Tribute" to some of those artist/song. Any song placed on this page, is strickly for demonstration purposes only. Where possible, I'll throw in a little artist information - but I'm not a R&R historian, so don't expect the facts.

All songs listed on this page are available for download. Right-Click on the links, and "Save Song As" to your music files. They are solo recordings (unless otherwise noted) done here at Saxon Sound Studio - the details of which I'll try to provide.

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Here's a song by one of my all time favorite bands: The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. You'll see a lot of songs by them placed up here from time to time, because I've always been obsessed with their music.
The song My Dog Back Home is one of those songs that I've played for years. It was one of the first songs that The Merle Astrolite Band added to our songlist, I've enjoyed playing it since. Written by the team of Bob Markley / Dan Harris, it's a psychedelic ballad filled with jangly guitars and mysterious lyrics.

This cover was recorded in October, 2005 using a combination of guitars and amps: The Yamaha acoustic laid the foundation (RODE NT1-A mic / ART TPSII preamp), with the Rickenbacker 12-string and Fender Tele adding additional spice (and space) (MXL 990 / Line 6 DuoVerb amd / Behringer UltraGain preamps). The harmonized lead guitar tracks were recorded using a Jay Turser ES-335 (AKG 3035 / Vox Brian May Special / ART TPSII preamp). And the vocals were recorded using a Studio Projects C1 / Joe Meek preamp.
To download a copy, CLICK HERE and enjoy!

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Here's a song by The Steve Miller Band off their "Brave New World" LP. It's one of them hauntingly beautiful Steve Miller compositions that I always liked best. This album has to be one of the greatest LPs of all time. It exhibits everything good about the era it was recorded, and has to be the SMB at their best.

I wish I could fingerpick - but I can't, so I had to treat the recording of this song as if it were all electric. I wanted to take a few liberties with it, and make it slightly more Psychedelic than it was - so I poured on the effects! Featured on this track, is the Behringer Virtualizer. I used it extensivly for the electric guitar effects, and again on the keys. Of note: the "backwards guitar" tracks during the outro are worth the listen alone.
To download a copy of this track, CLICK HERE - break out the lava lamps, and enjoy!

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Here's a song by the band CHRYSALIS - one of those obscure, psychedelic, Boston bands from the mighty 60's.  Previously, I had recorded a cover of "Cynthia Gerome" - a pretty mellow song with great chord structure and a heady atmosphere, but "Dr. Root's Garden" is a strange ballad that sits right up there with Syd Barret's lyrical & musical fantasies. <p>

The song shares many of my characteristic over-indulgences; plenty of effects, and a structure that takes you from here to there on a flying carpet. What better way to listen!

 To download an MP3 of "Dr. Root's Garden" CLICK HERE and enjoy!

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