Album Front
Album Back
For my 2nd album I decided to record with a real band, which meant having to renovate my studio to soundproof it and minimize disturbing the neighbours. My 1st album had relied on electronic drums modules and software/hardware controllers, but this time it was all going to be totally “real”…. production was a total adventure as I had to learn new things every step of the way. Tiny details like the distance a microphone is from a sound source, the angle at which it is placed…all affect the recorded sound tremendously.
And somehow it got done. With the limited resources and finances, 2012b was finished. The album name was a no-brainer. I have this terrible fear of the number 13, and the year was 2013 so it became 2012b 🙂
Click The Buttons Below To See The Selected Song’s Lyrics.
01 Rock & Roll With A Little Twist
Nothing like good old Rock & Roll to get an album going, with some Certified Insane changes to the structure!
02 I'm Not Going To Cry Over You
A ballad with some Soul elements.
03 Pretty Fields
One of my pet peeves is the destruction of beautiful natural places in the name of “development”. It is rampant in Asia. Ugly concrete and steel buildings stand where beautiful parks and forests used to be. Future generations will probably only see flowers in museums. Bees are disappearing, many species of birds are extinct or on the brink, what does this say about us?
04 Last Song For The Night
It’s been another long, tiring performance. Your voice hurts, your fingers are blistering, you should have ended the show long ago but they always want more….
05 Everyone Is So Beautiful But Me
Feelings of inadequacy and lack of self-esteem. We’ve all been in situations where we’ve felt inadequate. Physically or otherwise. This song came about spontaneously one night when I was invited onstage to jam with a band during the closing section of their show. They had put on such a superb performance that I felt there was nothing I could contribute to the show but they would not let me back down. And so I tried to express my feelings in a simple composition. It came out rather well and decided to include it in the album. The band in question? “Touch Mahal Acoustic” , Malaysia’s premier Rock band with the amazing Nurdeen on guitars and Sasha and Tam on vocals.
06 Kreepy Movie Date
I guess I’ve watched too many Quentin Tarantino movies. Decided to do a totally Insane song in a totally different style from anything I’ve done before, something even the youngsters would hear with awe at the madness.
It tells the story of a young couple who go to the movies on a date. It’s a cheap trashy horror film ….she complains, he explains…
This song also comes out in it’s own crazy Youtube Video (check out my Videos page)
07 I'll Just Walk Away Quietly
After the insanity of the previous song, something soothing and reflective 🙂
08 Trigonometrify The Blues
Music schools. They teach you a lot. But can they teach the Blues? Too many musicians nowadays armed with too many formulas, trying to solve the Blues like some Trigonometry equation….
09 You Can Take Me To Your Special Place
A melancholic slow song. I like melancholy. Sometimes. I guess it’s old age…
10 Don't Bother Calling
Reworked one of my own songs! This song was in the “Maybe Some Day” album but we decided to see if we could do it a bit differently with a band format.
11 Anything You Want
Another song from the 1st album, redone in band format.
12 Morning Blues
Blues with an infusion of Indian flavour. My long-suffering drummer Durvan sings on this song. Poor guy put up with me for years before finally escaping by getting married….
12b You Got To Make A Stand
It was the time of political unrest in Malaysia. I decided to make a subtle statement.
14 Going Home Blues
A simple Blues song about going home to visit my mom, who feeds me like I was still a child. There’s nothing like being with your mom. It doesn’t last forever, though, don’t miss the opportunities.
15 Maybe Some Day (Malaysian Kopitiam Version)
Malaysians talk funny. I took the title song of my 1st album, re-recorded it with the band, and added a narrative being spoken by an imaginary neighbour who does not seem to like musicians. Stereo listening essential. A “Kopitiam”, by the way is a Malaysian old-fashioned coffee-shop where you have a coffee and perhaps toast bread and talk about every issue under the sun with your fellow talk-about-every-issue-ers :).
01 Rock & Roll With A Little Twist
There’s no secret to why we’re here
We’re all here to have a good time
Rock & Roll will never grow old
Add some Twist and you got it made
Rock & Roll, Rock & Roll
Rock & Roll, play it cool, shake a leg
and you’ll stay forever young
None of that fancy Mambo, Waltzing
We’ll be bringing down the ceiling before we’re done
02 I’m Not Going To Cry Anymore Over You
I’m not going to cry anymore over you,
I don’t have the tears, they dried up a long time ago.
I’m not going to cry anymore over you,
I’m not going to cry anymore over you,
It must have been some time, since we talked at all
And now I’m just disinclined, to go over any of it even once again
I’m not going to cry anymore over you
Wouldn’t really matter what I say, so why say anything at all
There’s nobody listening anymore, you stopped listening a long time ago
You’re always too busy, when it comes to me
And now I’m just disinclined, to even want to ask you if you still want to be mine
I’m not going to cry anymore over you
It was a slender thread, that we were clinging to
And now even that’s gone, what more am I supposed to do
There’s no point talking about love, it died such a long time ago
And as for Forever, it lasted such a very short time
I’m not going to cry anymore over you
I’m not going to cry anymore over you
I’m not going to cry.
03 Pretty Fields
Pretty fields with flowers, children playing there
These things I see in my mind and I look for them everywhere
But all I see out these windows are streets cold and bare
Glass and bricks and stones, not the fields for which I care
So I close my eyes, I close my eyes. Yes I close my eyes, and I see pretty fields.
*** What of the children, what will they see
What of the children, where will they play
Pretty fields are gone now, they’re not coming back
Pretty fields are gone, they’re not ever coming back
Picture rolling hills, with little running streams
Trees with leaves in shades of green, and birds everywhere.
But I look out these windows, at buildings mocking me
They laugh at me as if to say “We are this land now”
All I can do, is close my eyes. I close my eyes, I close my eyes.
04 Last song for tonight
Last song for tonight,
Let’s do this a little slow, stretch it out a little more
You give your all, but they always, always want more
Last song for the night, then it’s time to go home.
Last song for the night, then it’s time to go home.
Try to hold on to the melody like it’s the last thing you’ll ever own
Last song for the night, then it’s time to go home.
Last song for the night, then it’s time to go home.
Last song for the night, for the lovers another kiss
The spotlight takes its toll,and you rasp out the melody
You give your all, but they always, always want more
Last song for the night, then it’s time to go home.
Last song for the night, tomorrow another show.
05 Everyone Is So Beautiful But Me
(with thanks to Deen, ShaSha and Tam from Touch Mahal Acoustic for the inspiration)
Everyone is so beautiful today Everyone but me
Everyone is so beautiful Everyone but me
Everyone loves everyone Who’s there to love me
Everyone is so beautiful Everyone but me
Everyone is so beautiful But only I love me.
Still I love me Still I love me
Still I, still I love me
Though everyone is so beautiful Still I love me
I used to dream of being beautiful
I used to dream of being loved like everyone else
I used to dream of happiness but I couldn’t be ‘cos I didn’t love me
Everybody was beautiful, and I didn’t love unbeautiful me
But I am now a happy boy, ‘cos I now love me
I don’t need to be beautiful to you, ‘cos I’m beautiful to me
Yes I don’t need to be beautiful to you, I’m happy and I’m beautiful to me.
06 Kreepy Movie Date
Stop touching me, you creep, she said, but it was not I, I said
What’s with this movie, it’s wierd, she said, but it was her idea not mine.
You’re so disgusting, she said, why do you say they’re all going to die
Can’t you see I’m sensitive, you creep, why did you bring me to this horror flick.
Well I did suggest that cowboy movie to her, but guns are too violent for me she said
So here we are watching that guy, dismember those kids to bits.
Didn’t he love her,she said, well yes he did, in parts, if you get what I mean
What’s with those stupid kids she says, why do they walk (all) alone.
Stop touching me, you creep, she said, but it was not I, I said
What’s with this movie, it’s wierd, she said, but it was her idea not mine.
Stop touching me she said you’re so disgusting why do you say they’re all going to die
It’s just a movie I said, there is no sense to it but gore is what sells it’s what the kids want
You’re just disgusting you creep You’re just disgusting you creep
You’re just disgusting you creep You’re just disgusting you creep
Could we go for donuts after this, she said, what a stupid movie, I slept through all of it.
Oh LOOK! He’s going to kill that girl, I don’t want to see her I don’t want to see her I don’t want to see her die
I don’t want to see her I don’t want to see her I don’t want to see her die
Stop touching me, you creep, she said Stop touching me
Stop touching me, you creep
07 I’ll Just Walk Away Quietly
Oh I know I must be quite a fool, to walk away from the only girl I ever loved.
Yes true I had it all before me, all I had to do was play the game, play the game.
But I just couldn’t see that guy in the mirror, he wasn’t me
Wasn’t me so I’ll walk away quietly.
Do you remember now, do you remember now
What It was, Love, what it was.
Now you can stop pretending this is love, if this is love, why do we need to blame.
I’ll just walk away quietly through the door and let’s just say I am to blame.
And you don’t have to ask about me for after all you must be right, I must be wrong so I’ll walk away quietly.
Do you remember now, do you remember now
What It was, Love, what it was.
08 Trigonometrify the Blues
Yes folks welcome to the music school
where we’ll teach you every rule
We’ll make you a brilliant star
A genius, with all our tools
We got great computers
That can Trigonometrify the Blues
Trigonometrify the Blues, Trigonometrify the Blues
Trigonometrify the Blues, Trigonometrify the Blues
Trigonometrify the Blues, Trigonometrify the Blues
We(they) got great computers, that can Trigonometrify the Blues
So now you know them 9’s, 11’s and augmentates
You ready to go out and celebrate
You can’t wait to show the world
You’re a genius, you got a certificate
Yes it says right here “This kid can Trigonometrify the Blues”
Back in those days we didn’t even know 3 chords
Never knew what we were playing
You just did whatever felt right, only stop if the the dog starts crying
None of that anymore, now they Trigonometrify the Blues
Trigonometrify the Blues, Trigonometrify the Blues
Trigonometrify the Blues, Trigonometrify the Blues
They’ve been to music school, now they Trigonometrify the Blues.
09 You Can Take Me To Your Special PLace
You can take me away to your special place, you can take me away into your dream
Just be gentle then when you let me down
Do it with a tender touch it won’t hurt so bad
I already know this love we have is going to make me sad
yes you can take me to your special place
Love is not all that it’s made out to be
It’s always played without any rules
Though sweet the flower, how bitter the fruit
Yet you can take me, take me any way.
You can tell me about forever, haven’t I seen it before. Such a beautiful place, one more time
Just don’t find bitter words, when it’s time to cast me away
Make it like a love misplaced, that makes a better script that way
A light brush on the lips, a tender touch, and a whispered “Goodbye”
yes you can take me , to your special place.
So many times, I’ve been in love so many times before
So many time, I’ve been hurt so many times before
But fool that I am, I don’t really care
You can take me to your special place
10 Don’t Bother Calling
Don’t you bother calling I won’t be home
Don’t you bother calling, ‘cos I’ll be on the road
Don’t you bother calling, I won’t be there
Don’t you bother calling, ‘cos I’m going on the road
I’m going to be, gone for a while
I’m going to be, riding on my own with nobody to bother me.
I’ll go wherever, anywhere I please nobody’s telling me where or when to go
I’ll be taking an open road, who cares where it leads
So don’t you bother calling, don’t be calling me.
A mountain or a valley right in front of me
Or a river or a stream, or a forest or a tree
It’s not what’s ahead, that matters most to me
It’s knowing that I’m roaming, and nobody’s calling me!
So don’t you bother calling, I won’t be home
Don’t you bother calling, ‘cos I’ll be on the road.
Don’t you bother calling, I won’t be there
Don’t you bother calling, ‘cos I’m going on the road
11 Anything You Want
Anywhere you go, anywhere you move,
I’ll be close to you, ‘cos I’m a fool for you.
Anything You Want, anything at all
I will get for you, ‘cos I’m a fool for you
You know that I will never be your lover, I know that I won’t.
You know that I will never be your lover, I know that I won’t.
Anything you say, anything you do
I will follow you, ‘cos I’m a fool for you.
Anything you want, anything you ask
I will get for you, ‘cos I’m a fool for you
12 Morning Blues
In the morning, the sun’s going to shine
In the morning, the sun’s going to shine
In the morning, every day and every time
And the moon will go away.
Why, why. Why, Why
Must the moon go away.
In the morning, every day and every time
In the morning, the sun’s going to shine
In the morning, the sun’s going to shine
And the moon will go away
12b You got to make a stand i tell you
You got to make a stand i tell you
You got to make a stand i tell you
You got to make a stand i tell you
You can’t let them push you around
There comes a time when you got to say enough is enough
You can’t let them take what little you got
You can’t run all the time until you run out of time
So make this your stand.
Hold up your head, look them square in the eye
Stand for your rights.
You work all your life trying to put some bread on your plate
You get what you get by the sweat of your brow, by the sweat of your brow
But they’re taking it all, taking it all, taking it all.
So you got to make a stand, got to make a stand, got to make a stand.
14 Going Home Blues
I’m going home, packed my bags and I’m going home
I’m going home, packed my bags and I’m going home
I’m so tired, I’m going home.
Mama’s cooking, eat and sleep all day
Mama’s cooking, eat and sleep all day
When I get home, I’ll be lazing all day.
Like rats, we’re always racing But this racing is slowing us down.
You know, Like rats, we’re always racing But this racing is slowing us down.
I’m so tired of the rat race, I’ve raced myself to the ground.
———————–
15 Maybe Some Day
Another day, and it’s time for me to leave
Every time, every place I go
I wish I could stay, but I got to move
You know, you know I do
Maybe some day, I’ll come back to stay
Maybe some day, I’ll come back to stay
Memories, are all I have
Every place, they’re all I can keep
I wish I could stay, but I got to move
You know, you know I do
