The Simple Things

The Simple Things
(Morgan-Sookman)

Well, here it is, the big bad bloated climax to the 365 Music Project and the whole Pop Machine Welterschmittundgotterdamungspeil in general. Written long ago in a rinky-dink Hollywood apartment far away, this is the one where we threw every erg of smartassedness we had into puncturing the idea of the power ballad as best we could. Lots of bombastic instrumentation, lots of over-earnest lyrics (until the obligatory-for-us "All You Need Is Love" long not-quite-fade) and lots of friends in the studio yukking it up makes this the perfect close to the show. Please turn off the lights when you leave but leave the night light on. I get lonely...

Al: Vox
Sook: Percussion, Vox
Scott: Lead & Rhythm Electric Guitar, Vox
Mike: Keys
Dave: Drums, Bass, Lead Electric Guitar
Michelle Jackino: Acoustic Guitar

...and now, the future. 365MP will be returning at the end of the summer and retaining the daily format (best I can) for round 2. I'll be reposting much of the previous year but promise at least 1 NEW song a week, plus new alternate versions, mixes, demos, pictures, and a website redesign. So there'll be plenty of new stuff around, a'aight?

And in the meantime, please visit the new Pop Machine MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/popmachineband. I hope some of you out there have enjoyed the lummage; hopefully a "best of" will take me less than a year...

Cheers,

Al

Long Ago and Far Away

Long Ago & Far Away
(Morgan-Wall)

Like "Can't Let You Go", a song about looking back and bittersweet loss. However, here the narrator is able to move on, so ultimately a happier song at that. I felt able to inhabit this one at a deeper level; it's more heartfelt, so I hope that comes across.

Please ignore and/or learn to enjoy the minor Frampton steal in the verse; strictly parallel development, I assure you.

Al: Vox, Drums
John: Guitar
Dave: Bass

Only one more to go, folks. And then we've got the whole 365 online! Tune in tomorrow for the final track (I wonder what it could be? I'm as giddy as Lindsay Lohan at an open bar!) and an announcement on how I'll continue the 365 format through the next year...'Nuff Said!

Captain America

Captain America
(Morgan)

All right, I admit it, I grew up a comic-book geek as well as a pop music fetishist. Which is why this XTC-meets-Marvel combo came so naturally to me about a dozen years back. Always been one of my fave pieces, though in retrospect I lay on the fanboy minutae a bit thick in the second verse. Still, I like that it's both poppy and a bit more plainspoken than some other pieces I've done. Come on, fanboy, dance!

Al: Vox, Keys
John: Guitar
Steve: Bass
Dave: Drums, Guitar

Anarchy in Your Hand

Anarchy In Your Hand
(Lennon-McCartney-Cook-Jones-Matlock-Rotten)

Ah, the piece de resistance (literally, the piece of resistance) in the Pop Machine canon. Or one of them, at any rate. Only the smart-assiesed of smart-asses would cram the lyrics to "I Want To Hold Your Hand" into the music for "Anarchy in the UK" waaaay back in the pre-Nirvana days, and we are those smart-assesses.

Fun side note: years later in LA, Sook pulled this one out at a "punk-rock karaoke" night, featuring actual punk rock musicians like Mike Watt of the Minutemen, etc. Not only did Mr. Watt compliment him on the concept, but one of the alternative paper heavyweights (maybe the LA Weekly, if I remember), gave him a nod as a "rocket scientist" in their ensuing coverage...

Al: Vox
Sook: Bass
Scott: Guitar
Dave: Drums