Ashes

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 1:16
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:Ashes.mp3]
Lyrics
Ten, nine, eight – begin the countdown
Let’s hope it is not long until we hit the ground
The spoon is broken, this goon has spoken

Five, four, three – was it ever meant to be?
Too late now for reminiscing
The bird is chokin’, the family’s croakin’

Ten, nine, eight – no more time for the hate
We’ll all soon be ashes

Composition © 2008 Ric Albano
Publication © 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on October 9, 2008
Recorded starting on October 9, 2008
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Ric Albano
Mixed and Mastered in 2009
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Original Release: September 9, 2009
on Imaginary Lines 33

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
Janet Rains
Backing Vocals, Vocal Chorus

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: The only song on Imaginary Lines 33 which is pure filler.

Song Trivia
The ending of “Ashes” was directly lifted from the very beginning of the original version of “The Phoenix”.

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Can’t Get My Mojo Risin’

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 2:14
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:Can’tGetMyMojoRisin.mp3]
Lyrics
Rock-n-Roll – oh yes there is a soul
Peel away the glam and the gloom, the hype and the trite

Found it one year in the eyes of the deer
In the winter chill I feared that I just might move on…

But who will distinguish between the undeserved –
And the under-served in our Camelot?
And who would agree to be the worker bee –
When everything is free from our Lancelot?

When will I postpone casual dining alone,
Carry my millstone back home and start writing?
When the world has opined that this genius behind
The old curtain is just not that exciting, move on…
A long, so long

Eat Air! Drink Water! Breathe Fire!
Eat Air! Drink Water! Breathe Fire!
Take that plunge, that leap of faith – got faith?

So you keep your yellows yellow and I’ll keep my greens green
And we’ll never use any in between

I really don’t know what to say when you approach me that way
I’m so scared and afraid that we’ll make a scene, move on…

Do not seem to know if I’ll see the show
Float n’ feel the flow, or move

Composition © 2009 Ric Albano
Publication © 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on July 22, 2009
Recorded starting on August 10, 2009
at Saturation Acres (II), DuPont, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Bret Alexander
Mixed and Mastered in 2009
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Original Release: September 9, 2009
on Imaginary Lines 33

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Ron Simasek
Drums

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: Although it appears rather early on in the sequence of Imaginary Lines 33, this is really the closing song of Imaginary Lines. The tune is very simple and straight-forward, albeit the lyric takes some analyzing to understand. The performance slightly suffers from sync issues with the various, concurrent vocals.

Song Trivia
Although the title is obviously a tribute to Jim Morrison (Mr. Mojo Risin), it is equally a nod to mike Myer’s character Austin Powers.

To offer your own analysis of Can’t Get My Mojo Risin’, please leave a comment in the box below.

Tommy’s Got a Gun

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Written by Ric Albano and Hunter S. Thompson Song Length: 3:09
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:Tommy’sGotAGun.mp3]
Lyrics
The Hunter could not stand it no more,
Couldn’t stand his Aspen slums
He pranced about like a dignitary
But his heart paled to that of a bum
It was so easy to travel the “Heming” way

He reached out with both arms and he embraced surrender
For he could see no solace in yet another cheap bender
No longer was it easy to face the setting sun

So Tommy got his gun, away from life he chose to run
Project him towards the setting sun in six months

The Hunter could not fake it no more,
He could not shift the blame
For football season is over now,
There will be no more games
No more bombs, no more walking, no more fun
Tommy’s got a gun

You are getting greedy now, act your old age

17 more than we needed, 17 more than we wanted
Relax, this won’t hurt…

Composition © 2005 Ric Albano and Hunter S. Thompson
Publication © 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on February 25, 2005
Recorded starting on August 10, 2009
at Saturation Acres (II), DuPont, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Bret Alexander
Mixed and Mastered in 2009
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Released: September 9, 2009
on Imaginary Lines 33

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Erik Trabert
Electric Guitars
Ron Simasek
Drums
Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: A simple but haunting song with lyrics that were fused together from different sources and points of view. Writer Hunter S. Thompson shot himself on February 20, 2005 and Ric Albano composed the original part of this song a few days later in response. Months later, the contents of Thompson’s suicide were revealed and much of that was lifeted ver batim for the ending of this song, including the final, chilling line; “relax, this won’t hurt”.

Song Trivia
Although Hunter S. Thompson has several music credits, mostly in the spoken word and “gonzo” genres, he is credited for composing songs for only two musical acts – Warren Zevon and Imaginary Lines.

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999 Escape

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 3:20
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:999Escape.mp3]
Lyrics
Let’s go out in the back yard, watch the lions roam in the field
Dress to the ‘T’ in our finest armor so we don’t arrive back on our shields
Let’s go witness a historic act through the lenses of tomorrow’s eyes
We’ll do our best to commence the quest to watch Atlantis rematerialize

A quarter of a quarter of a century
A few more dimes just to waste my time with amazing inefficiency
Johnny loves the air above so he won’t stand up to the man
Shall I risk my chance to escape for a blurred word written in sand?

Let’s witness a belligerent act and not fall down on our knees
We’ll act as though we’re grown ups now
Leave the rats to play in their house of cheese

A quarter of a quarter of a century
A few more dimes just to hasten my decline into the cold dark infinite sea
Janie lives for her chance to give but she won’t stand up to the man
Why should I pass on my heroic escape
Just because you don’t understand? Why?

Come with me to the back yard watch our Lyen roam through his field
We’ve come so far on little more than faith, now is no time for us to yield

Composition © 2008 Ric Albano
Publication © 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on November 8, 2008
Recorded starting on December 6, 2008
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Ric Albano
Mixed and Mastered in 2009
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Original Release: September 9, 2009
on Imaginary Lines 33

Performers
Ric Albano
Keyboards, Bass, Percussion, Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: A song with some interesting lyrics and 1980s soundscape, that suffers from the over-use of electronic percussion and a bit of a dated message.

Song Trivia
The song is about a planned retirement date, which would have been 6 years and 3 months after initiation (a quarter of a quarter century).

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Princess of Pearl Avenue

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Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 4:22
Listen to the Song: Purchase the MP3:
[audio:PrincessOfPearlAvenue.mp3]
Lyrics
Just to see you dance ignites a fire deep inside my heart
The essence of true romance that perseveres even when we’re apart
So why not just take a chance, remove constraints that inhibit this start
Please let me see you dance, I’m well aware of the difficult circumstance
Just can’t compare any other woman with you
Princess of Pearl Avenue, Princess of Pearl Avenue

Just to hear you sing that sweet song will be worth the wait
The prospect of this happening
Must soon begin to unfold towards this fate
We’ve just begun to progress, would be now rash to evacuate
Away from the song you’ll sing or towards excessive worrying
About the risk that this faculty does come true
Princess of Pearl Avenue, Princess of Pearl Avenue

I know that I’ve made my bed, spent way too much time inside my own head
But now I feel that the base has been bore
The eagle will leave this floor and will soar like never before

It’s all in your control, my wish on you bestow, enchanted glow
No tragic Vince Van Gogh nor tragic Edgar Poe, just cool old flow
We surely took it slow is it not time to go on with the show?
No? No. No! I’m not gonna let it go

Just to feel you rock shoots white lightning all through my veins
Every time I hear you knock,
It’s as if nothing in life is yet mundane
But after an ocean of talk,
Is it not time to finally get into the game?
Just to see you rocked is jubilation of the highest stock
Imagination can hold nothing against the real you
Princess of Pearl Avenue, Princess of Pearl Avenue

Composition © 2006 Ric Albano
Publication © 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Composed on June 7, 2006
Recorded starting on April 13, 2007
at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA
Produced by Ric Albano
Engineered by Bret Alexander
Mixed and Mastered in 2009
at Cygnus Wave Studios
Original Release: September 9, 2009
on Imaginary Lines 33

Performers
Ric Albano
Piano, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Erik Trabert
Guitars
Ron Simasek
Drums

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: A fun and upbeat rocker sliced in half by a slower and more methodical mid section, with a few issues with overdubs and timings.

Song Trivia
This song originated as a frivolous tune entitled “Things” when it was created in 2006.

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