I used to own a four track recorder, and Atari/Cubase sequencer, guitars and old synths. Songs came to me easily and I tried my best to capture my ideas to tape. At the time I had no idea what I wanted to do...I had a day job that paid good money but I enjoyed writing music and songs and playing in local bands with local musicians....at one point i even fronted my own band. I didn't take it too seriously at all. I was having a good time.
The Greatest Album Never Sold is the collection of mp3's that I have recovered from those exciting days when music was our social life. You have to understand we were from the streets of England we didn't have money for professional recording studios, our money was best spent on beer, girls and recreational drugs. I had this sonwriting gift that I later trashed in order to survive as a wage slave. Sad but true....I had little confidence in myself to go beyond my local upbringing.
Ignore the untidyness and experience the raw musical imaginations from the suburbs of Britain some time in the 1990's.
Some of these tracks are actually built on live rehearsals, some are simply my experiments with four track recording, some are my adventures into computer sequencing software. It's a wild snapshot of an era I took for granted that cannot be repeated. Ignore the untidyness and experience the raw musical imaginations from the suburbs of Britain some time in the 1990's. Be the first to listen and I hope you can enjoy and appreciate my compositons from the core of my soul.
Below is the full list of tracks available in the download.
1. Are you doing alright?.
We were a band ...'Those Cucumber Shades'. Exciting guitar (Fred Waight) and wicked saxaphone (Mick Penney). I guess it's about the evil love of money.
2. (It's getting hard to be the) Life and Soul.
When you question your relationship with you beautiful girlfriend. Guest on keys (Burzy Cunningham)
3. The Blood of Arabia.
This was an amazing band jam captured to tape recorder (Thanks Mick Dolan). Overdubs were inspired by the bizarre invasion of Iraq. (Gaz Muldoon - Drums, Gordon Adams - Bass)
4. Melancholy Boy.
The bands most popular song and my vow to quit my 9 to 5 job.
5. Take me for a ride.
My drummer lived next door.....I love this beat. (Dave Macfarland) I created another 'escape' song.
6. Starlights and Cities.
A home-coming kind of song...this was purely a live rehearsal. I wish I had a better version. (John Muldoon - Bass)
7. Confusion.
Slow and haunting...this time I gave Craig (RIP) the opportunity to show his guitar skills.
8. Deadpan Days.
Just a little ditty that came together well. When I knew TV was going to destroy the world.
9. Crossing Bridges.
Me and Fred got together to record and compose this over my drums and bass. it's weird.
10. We love our children.
One of my best compositions ....another live rehearsal take from 'Those Cucumber Shades'.
11. You're So Cruel.
A short song about the time of the month.
12. Pure and the Godless.
Fred on guitar makes a simply song so electric. In amongst the pure and the godless....I'm not alone.
13. Diggin' your own grave.
A great rocknroll song if I must say...can you hear me laughing hehe :)
14. Skrumping.
A strange instrumental ...I had my mate Brian do some harp. Steel an apple and the trouble it caused.
15. Back on my own again.
A purely live recording of great 'end of a relationship' song. By 'Those Cucumber Shades'
16. Everybody wants something.
Alternate version of 'Are you doing alright'....such amazing lead guitar courtesy of Fred Waight.
17. Coming Down.
I tried hard to make this a really special soundscape. I'm happy with it...but it could be so much better.
18. Gambling Man
You say you win don't say you lose...scrappy recording but it still a great listen.
19. Magic table of dreams.
This is really something that can't be explained. Take the journey :) (Mick Dolan speaking).
20. Waiting for Charlie.
We built this studio in Mick's Attic (Mixatic) this was a quick composition while waiting for Charlie.
21. Time will tell. (Mixatic)
I found a pitch shifter and had some fun ... but seriously....such a great song, untidy but come together well.
22. Storm in a T-cup (Mixatic)
It's a scarey instrumental ....exploring the new sound canvas.
23. Money doesn't care (Mixatic)
A fantastic trance techno effort from a song I created with guitar.
24. Anything can happen. (Mixatic) (Lyrics by Gaz Muldoon and Gordon Adams)
Now Gaz joined the team....such a great lyricist. Gaz helped me a lot in the 'Mixatic'...this was our best Mixatic track I think.
25. My party. (Mixatic)
Just an incredible composition with the help of our Atari/Cubase set up.
26. Country Love. (Mixatic) (Written by Johnny Thompson)
We mashed up the music for a Johnny Thompson song. Formerly Johnny Wildboy and the City Centre Shakers (RIP).
27. Deep in the heart of soho. (Mixatic) (Written by Marc Byers)
We also mashed up the music for a Marc Byers song (Brother of Roddy Radiation - Specials AKA).
28. Try to keep occupied. (Mixatic) (Written by Gaz Muldoon)
Another song by Gaz. Very funky ...almost like a professional pop song. Timeless.
29. Suck. (Mixatic) (Lyrics by Gaz Muldoon)
More lyrics from Gaz. Spooky and funky.
30. Nightshift. (Mixatic)
One of our first techno instrumental tracks...just getting used to the sequencer and streaming.
31. Lost Soul. (Mixatic)
Another spooky song about the next door neighbour :).
32. Come play with me.
My cheeky song about the girl next door. It was a framework...I never go around to finishing it. :(
33. Headslide
It was a great idea of a song...I wish I could have perfected it.
34. Let's go up to heaven
A left over from our days in Mixatic. Messy but exciting.
35. Perfect Smile
I wrote this song on a trip to Perth, Australia...in fact on return a couple of years later I recorded it at a local Kitchen Studio. (Kitchen Cooked Records)
36. Soul Motion
My friend Mick Dolan requested I write a song about the coming ascension time (December 2012). Ascention time never arrived. I got Mick to play some guitar and produced a great rocknroll track. I started a competition at homerecording.com to find a good mix. Thanks to 'lo-fi'.
37. Let's jam the switchboard.
A save the world song. Simple and weird. 'Did you ever wonder how you got this far?' :)
38. Polar Bears (Written by Fred Waight)
A powerful song by Fred ..he come around and shouted at my wall microphone. Out come a masterpiece.
39. Riding on a subway train
A very old and raw bonus track. The subway sound effects you hear are made with my acoustic guitar through reverb effects.
40. You're Killing Me
Finally a great LIVE track from 'Those Cucumber Shades' in all their glory.
