The Riches

I licensed some of my Prague Spring records to Getty Images. I just got a big ol' check for the last two years for $44.23.
See? Because the money is in publishing.
Which I suppose is true because the only money I've ever made in music was the occasional small check from BMI and Getty.
Thing about Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is that you'd think it would be an "easy listening" MOR record -- you know, just from most of the vocals on it and the sort of "laid back" feel of the bulk of the record. But the fact is that the band just cooks. 
This is a down-tempo tune yet listen to the rhythm section when they kick in. The are rocking out.

Things We Learned

So. Things we learned.
Andrew: "I can persuade you guys to do things but I can't convince you."
Ethan: "That's very astute, actually."
  I've been listening to rock versions of Also Sprach Zarathustra to the point where I forgot whether those opening fifths were each one measure or two. Answer: one.

A Letter to Tyrannosaurus Mouse

So this dude  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iykuBrUosOw

puts an Am7 chord in there. To me it sounds more like we're just walking up from the G to a Dm but I dunno. I figured somebody else would have a better notion of how that works.

The other things which will come up are: In Also Sprach Zarathustra do we want to do the arrangement everybody (including Phish) does? Or will we by necessity just come up with our own rhythm part?

Lastwise: that extra measure at the end of the phrase in the Game of Thrones theme (everybody know what I'm talking about?) Keep it? 

Strangely the opening of the GOT theme goes from major to minor. Are we looking at a dual-attack bass and guitar to play that ostinato line? Do we feel like the drums will all be on toms? 

Does anybody actually get these emails or do they just automatically go into spam folders?

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Looming Productions has rehearsal studios in Greenpoint for $15/hour.

Them Things What Is

Hank's Saloon in Brooklyn.
Hooktheory is a... thing. Actually I don't understand it at all.

Also Sprach Zarathustra. This is a piano reduction of the theme everybody knows.
Do you like totally random things? Because I have a Tumblr now.

Imaginary Opera Framework

So there are 16 distinct pieces of music in The Imaginary Opera. The latest version of the script (with all the lyrics) is here.

1. Overture
2. Fiery the Angels Fell
3. Tattoo
4. Gold Grass
5. America's Shore
6. The Hollow Men
7. Death's Dream Kingdom
8. Late Summer-Autumn '68 (percussion ensemble)
9. Salome (dream ballet)
10. Fiery Waltz
11. The Dead Land
12. The Valley of the Dying Stars
13. The Vorga (Tattoo reprise)
14. Funeral Dirge
15. Falls the Shadow
16. Curtain

The band will be a four-piece (guitar, bass, drums, keys). 

I figure the overture and the curtain pieces would be written last. I already have some ideas for a couple of the pieces. I'm sure the lyrics will change as the music changes.

There are five actor parts. We could make Day Tripper/Holden a female role which would give us a 2/3 women-to-men ratio. 

1. Plissken
2. Chorus/Rachel/Priss/Zhora/Bryant
3. Gaff/Batty
4. Day Tripper/Holden
5. Leon/Bunny

Being able to look at this framework gives me an idea of the scale of the work to be done. The songs aren't necessarily "songs" in the popular-song sense in that they won't always have verses and choruses. But who knows, by the time we're done they might. Or at least some might. Most will be more like arias though. I mean, with a rock band.

Via.

Col Legno Day

Today was col legno day in the Pandora Machine. I can't find my violin bow. I had a very cheap bow, so I might have thrown it away when we moved from Theatresource. I don't know.
I figured the bow would be perfect for col legno because, well, who cares about it? Instead I used a pencil -- which is apparently a very legitimate way to do col legno. At least both the piano player and the cellist in the Hunchback Variations used pencils. Actually, I think everyone in that opera used a pencil at some point.
I wrote a little thing called "Sucre". It's not named that for any reason other than I needed a name when I started.

My intent is that this play as the opening of Prometheus Trap. But we'll have it playing under the music which Finn is listening to: which is Beethoven's "moonlight" sonata. This amuses me.

Phones, Footsteps, Felines

Do you think that five thousand dollar headphones are funny? I do.
Using a software sampler to randomize playable footsteps instead of Foley. It's actually a totally decent trick.
The dude who wrote the score to Sherlock has a studio cat in his writing room.

These are the English lyrics to the Procol Harem song "Conquistador". I want to get them translated into Spanish.

Conquistador your stallion stands
In need of company
And like some angel's haloed brow
You reek of purity
I see your armour-plated breast
Has long since lost it's sheen
And in your death mask face
There are no signs which can be seen

And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind

Conquistador a vulture sits
Upon your silver shield
And in your rusty scabbard now
The sand has taken seed
And though your jewel-encrusted blade
Has not been plundered still
The sea has washed across your face
And taken of it's fill

And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind

Conquistador there is no time
I must pay my respect
And though I came to jeer at you
I leave now with regret

And as the gloom begins to fall
I see there is no, only all

And though you came with sword held high
You did not conquer, only die

And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind

America a Prophecy

Set then there is what I do.

And the Sherlock score was written by a couple guys named Michael Price and somebody else and we  (Tyrannosaurus Mouse) should go in and out of the Game of Thrones theme with the BBC Sherlock theme because it would be awesome.
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So the big deal around my brain is that there's a William Blake poem called America A Prophecy. Why was I not informed of this?
Clearly this poem should form the lyrical base for The Imaginary Opera. And indeed, it is.

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Today I'm foisting my blog upon all the members of Tyrannosaurus Mouse. I hope they enjoy it and find it informative.
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Hey guys: I've been practicing. I'm better now. That doesn't mean "good". But I'm better. And I'm trying to lose weight. I should get points for that.

This is what you get from a blog post on Ambien. Now I'm going to write some of the BEST poetry I've ever... what's that? Ambien walrus wants me to call all my ex-girlfriends right now. I'm too busy losing my keys.
If you get this via email or an RSS reader, go ahead and click through so you can see the actual web page. It might be easier to see the videos and some of the pictures.

Shirley

An addendum to my previous post. Surely (and stop calling me "Shirley") we should mix up between the Game of Thrones theme and the new BBC Sherlock theme.
Of course we should.

We will be able to rock. And loud too. I mean actually loud, not that over-hyped first-stage squished loud, I mean wide open big transformers and a bootylicious sound.

This is not my fault. This was one of the first images to come up when looking for "flip top amp".

The Mouse Future

So.
I had this whole thing going in my little mind about what would make people go nuts at a Tyrannosaurus Mouse show.
1. Also Sprach Zarathustra
Let's face reality. This is a piece of music Tyrannosaurus Mouse can do. This is right up our alley. We can play the heck out of this. We can make this a monster. We will make it a double-stack Leslie gorilla of supersonic groovitude. There are few things in life we can feel absolutely certain about. But this is one of them.

Phish does their version of the Deodato arrangement of the piece.
Deodato:


Phish:
So, you say, we do Strauss' Also Spake Zarathustra. What else can we do? 2. A blues version of the theme to Brokeback Mountain. What? How? You say. The theme to Brokeback Mountain as though it is "A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker. No. Really. Brokeback Mountain: Joe Cocker: Lastwise we need to do one more thing to cement our place as immortals in the Rock world. 3. The Theme to Game of Thrones. If we just played these three songs we would have our visages chiseled upon Mount Olympus. You know we would. And the fact is, we can do these three things. Look, I know we're not the world's most technically proficient band (that's due to the stunningly 2nd-rate guitar player.) But these songs? We can play them. My birthday is coming up and I'm going to make us rehearse three times for my birthday. Then we're going to play at least one gig.