Recorded March-July 2012

Back in 2000 I had hoped to make an album and called it Year of the Dragon during my August stay back in Ottawa but I spent the time instead transferring my old recordings to minidisc.

In the years after I returned to Ottawa full time after my time in Japan I had at this point only done six albums. Four of those were more or less demo albums for my CD projects, one was a collection of instrumentals made with Acid. The only one that was what I would thus call a genuine “Warhorse” album was Circle Nine that I recorded in 2003-04.

Much of my song writing thereafter was always with the mindset that the song could be on my CD. I found that limiting and yearned to get back to making whatever I felt like as I had done years ago.

Year of the Dragon was thus a return to a more genuine Warhorse. The tracks were recorded in Cubase. I either used backing tracks I first composed with Finale then imported as midi files or were crafted from loops in Sony Acid. Only a couple were made manually using a M-Audio Keyrig

1. Year of the Dragon (completed April 5)
This instrumental was created for an assigned that required us to build a piece of music including the drum track.

2. Love is the Way (2012) (May 3)
This was originally recorded to be included on the Rise Again Demos but I decided as the song wasn’t destined for the Rise Again CD, I would feature it here instead. The song was previously recorded on Forever.

3. I Will (May 13)
Words by Lynn Myles. In my songwriting class, Chris McLean asked us to come up with our own song based on these lyrics and I made this recording.

4. Carry the Cross (May 16)
A song about the grief and sorrow we carry with us. I used Sony Acid to create the backing tracks for this song. I considered it for the Rise Again CD and recorded a new version set to my own music but this did not ultimately make it on the CD.

5. Rainy Wednesday (May 20)
Chris also asked us to compose a 12-bar blues piece and someone in the class had chosen this title. I made the song about a rainy state of mind rather than actual rain.

6. Sixty Dollar Cake (May 22)
In the songwriting class I brought up the the writing technique of stream of consciousness and Chris gave it us the option of creating something based on that. She suggested the first line based on something she had overheard. The song here is rather nonsensical and I used Sony Acid to craft backing tracks.

7. Somebody New (May 23)
One of the very rare times I used the Keyrig to play the music rather than crafting using finale or directly in cubase. I still like the rawness of playing by hand but it’s hard to be accurate. Musically the song calls back the Year of Dragon song. Lyrically it’s the desperate desire to find love again.

8. Let Me Sleep (May 24)
Features backing tracks crafted with Sony Acid. The song is about peoples demands on us when we would rather just be allowed a bit more sleep.

9. Killing Time (June 9)
Chris White (who split the running the class with the other Chris) likewise asked us to compose a 12-bar blues pieces as our first assignment. I decided to use Sony Acid to craft backing tracks for this. The song is really about how I feel I’ve been drifting since my wife passed.

10. A Song to Sing (June 15)
One of my songwriting classmates shared a story about her trip to New York to see an artist she liked. She got to meet her and then busked her way around to pay her for trip. She liked the song.

11. Library Song (June 28)
Chris White told us one tip for songwriting was to immediately jot down what came to mind after sleeping. After a nap I came up with the line ‘checking out girls at the local library’ and completely the lyrics within a day or so. I used Sony Acid to create the backing tracks.

12. Anniversary (June 29)
While visiting my wife grave on our wedding anniversary I came up with the words to this song which I recorded the next day. This song would later be included on my Rise Again CD.

13. Devil in a Party Dress (July 1)
I created the backing tracks in Sony Acid and liked the sort of swamp rock feel of it and made me think of New Orleans and the bayou.

14. I Need to Feel (July 14)
Featuring backing tracks created with Sony Acid, this song revisited the instrumental Feel I had created on the Acid collection.

15. Paradox (July 20)
I took some melodic inspiration for this from a song by Chris McLean. Though my piece is more in a techno mould.

16. Out of the Dark (July 24)
My favourite track on the album. Another love song to someone not yet met.

Regarding the video for Anniversary:

“Beautiful tribute Marc. Very poignant and moving. You must miss her a lot.
Hope you are well. Keep up the good work!”
-Chris MacLean (an accomplished folk musician and co-teacher of my Song Writing class)