burtoncummings

IT WAS 1969 AND THE GW WERE IN LOS ANGELES TO PLAY A COUPLE OF SHOWS AND PROMOTE "CANNED WHEAT" WHICH HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED ON RCA...WE WERE STAYING AT THE HYATT HOUSE (RIOT HOUSE) ON SUNSET. THERE ARE STILL BILLBOARDS ALL OVER LOS ANGELES TODAY FOR ENTERTAINMENT FUNCTIONS AND PERSONALITIES, BUT BACK IN 69, THEY WERE ALMOST ALL MUSIC BILLBOARDS. AND THE ONES ALONG SUNSET WERE THE MOST PRIZED IN THE INDUSTRY.
I KNOW WE HAVE A DAY OFF, SO I'VE POPPED A SMALL BLOTTER OF ACID THAT MORNING, JUST WANTING TO ENJOY A DAY IN L.A. IN THE "HEADSPACE OF JM" WHO, I HAD READ, WAS IN THAT PARTICULAR MENTAL STATE QUITE OFTEN.
I CHECK INTO MY ROOM AND I HAVE A BALCONY OVERLOOKING SUNSET, DOWN UPON GENERAL L.A. (I AM 21 YEARS OLD)... I HAVE A FRONT ROW SEAT FOR THE BILLBOARD ACROSS THE STREET...MILDLY TRIPPING BY NOW,…

Here are the lyrics from Sanity. Its a new song that will be featured on Above The Ground.

OH...SANITY...HUMANITY
DID YOU TAKE A STEP BACKWARD
WERE YOU MISSING IN ACTION...TEMPORARILY...
OH...SANITY...HUMANITY
WON'T YOU TAKE A STEP FORWARD
COME BACK FOR YOUR CROWN
AND STOP ALL THIS THAT'S GOIN' DOWN...

I REMEMBER NOT TOO LONG AGO
I COULD WALK THE STREETS UNAFRAID NO MATTER WHERE I'D GO
NOWADAYS IT SEEMS, THE WAY IT ALL STANDS,
IS IF I'M WALKIN' I'M TAKIN' MY LIFE IN MY HANDS...
I REMEMBER WHEN OLD PEOPLE WERE COOL
NEVER HIT UPON, MOCKED, MAIMED OR RIDICULED
THERE'S YOUNG FOLKS TERRIFIED NOW, ALL THE TIME...
TOO MANY CRYIN'...THERE'S TOO MANY DYIN'....

SANITY...HUMANITY...
DID YOU TAKE A VACATION
WERE YOU MISSING IN ACTION...TEMPORARILY...
OH...SANITY...HUMANITY
WON'T YOU TAKE A STEP FORWARD
COME BACK FOR YOUR CROWN
STOP ALL THIS THAT'S GOIN' DOWN...

HATE YOUR NEIGHBOURS AND CHEAT YOUR FREINDS
THERE'S NO REGARD FOR THE WAY IT ENDS
LIFE IS SO PRECIOUS YET IT'S BARTERED SO CHEAP
IS THERE ANY DIGNITY AT ALL TO KEEP...
NOT TOO LONG…

THIS ONE IS A SONG...JUST BANGED IT OUT TONIGHT...SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD, I THINK...IT'S A 6/8 KINDA FEEL...LOTTA HARMONIES...THIS CAME FAST...SOMETIMES GOOD ONES DO...

"LETTERS FOR FREE"

HE WAS CENTURY BOUND WITH A TROUPE OF RENOWN
THROUGH A SKY THAT WAS BLUER THAN SEA...
AND WHEN QUESTIONED ABROAD, HE WOULD QUIP WITH A NOD...
"SIR, I MARKET MY LETTERS FOR FREE...
YES, I MARKET MY LETTERS FOR FREE..."


THERE WERE SHIPS WITHOUT SAILS, THERE WERE SILVERY RAILS
THERE WERE HOPES THAT WERE NEVER TO BE...
BUT AS DARK AS THE RAIN, HE'D REPEAT THE REFRAIN...
"SIR, I MARKET MY LETTERS FOR FREE...
YES, I MARKET MY LETTERS FOR FREE..."


(Bridge}
IF THE MOOD WOULD BE RIGHT HE COULD CONQUER THE NIGHT
AND THE KINGS COULD BE BROUGHT TO THEIR KNEES...
BUT THE QUESTION WAS SUCH IT DEMANDED TOO MUCH
IT'S THE QUESTION THE HEART NEVER FREES...


IN A LIFETIME OR TWO HE WAS DEEMED TO BE THROUGH
THOUGH NO UNSPOKEN PAGE COULD AGREE...
NEVER DOUBTING HIS WORTH, SAID A MAN OF THE…

JUST FINISHED A FULL DAY AT BERNIE GRUNDMAN'S MASTERING STUDIOS IN HOLLYWOOD. THE STUFF SOUNDED GREAT !!! JOE AND I WILL LIVE WITH THESE FINAL DISCS FOR ABOUT A WEEK, DECIDING IF EVERYTHING FLOWS WELL AND IF ALL IS BALANCED WELL, MAKING EACH CUT COMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER.
THE SEQUENCE SEEMS TO WORK WELL TOO...UP IN THE CANYON IS FINALLY AS MUCH "IN YOUR FACE" AS ALL THE OTHERS.
BERNIE IS A LEGEND IN HIS BUSINESS...GOOD GRIEF, THIS IS THE GUY WHO MASTERED "THRILLER"...AS WELL AS COUNTLESS OTHER LEGENDARY ALBUMS THROUGH THE YEARS. HE ALSO HAS A STUDIO IN JAPAN. HIS WALLS ARE FILLED WITH GOLD AND PLATINUM AND MULTI PLATINUM AWARDS...THE PLACE IS LIKE A MINI HISTORY OF POP MUSIC.
AND HE PERSONALLY LIKED THE ALBUM...SAID THAT JOE AND I "REALLY KNEW WHAT WE WERE DOING"...HIGH PRAISE INDEED FROM ONE OF THE MASTERS...
ALL IN ALL, A VERY, VERY GOOD DAY...
ATG IS ON THE WAY...
GL & GH...
LITM...
PEACE HERE...
B.C.

Mastering of…

I KNEW SOMEDAY THE MUSIC MIGHT GET EVIL
I KNEW SOMEDAY I'D BE A HELPLESS PAWN
I KNEW SOMETIME THAT I'D BE JUDGED WITH SINNERS
CAN'T GO ON...CAN'T GO ON...

I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO KILL A MEMORY
I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO STAY ALONE
I DON'T EXPECT A LOT OF FOLKS TO LIKE ME
DON'T MATTER NOW, THEY DON'T MATTER NOW

I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO SHARE YOUR SPIRIT
I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO TRY AND TRY
I KNOW HOW CRUEL IT IS WHEN THINGS GET SHAKY
AND YOU CRY, AND YOU CRY...

HARD UP, HARD UP FOR AMUSEMENT
WHEN YOU TURNED, YOU TURNED TO THE DARKER SIDE,
YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO UNDERSTAND THE THINGS THAT DRIVE YOU
AND THOSE QUESTIONS AND THOSE QUESTIONS
THEY CAN TEAR YOU DOWN...

I KNOW HOW ENVY DOES THE STRANGEST DANCES
I KNOW HOW EASY COMES THIS THING CALLED PITY
I KNOW HOW YOU CAN RUN
CITY TO CITY
LOOKIN' FOR PITY............

BRIDESMAIDS...
THE ONLY SOLUTION...
ISN'T IT…

DID THIS LITTLE DITTIE WITH THE FROGS IN '04 ONE NIGHT IN DIZZY'S STUDIO IN TORONTO. I'D FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT TILL SAM SENT THE TRACK LAST NIGHT...ROCKIN' OKAY I'D SAY...IT WAS ORIGINALLY DONE BY ARC ANGELS ON THEIR ONE AND ONLY TREMENDOUS ALBUM (AT LEAST IT'S THE ONLY ARC ANGELS ALBUM I EVER HAD).
WE ALSO DID A J.J. CALE SONG THAT NIGHT (LOWDOWN) BUT CASPER BOYD TALKED ME INTO SINGING IT A CERTAIN WAY THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO, SO THAT'LL REMAIN HIDDEN FOR A WHILE YET.
IT'S BC ON THE FIRST VERSE, NICKY ON THE SECOND AND THE TWO OF US ON THE HARMONY LINES. WE'VE REPLACED UM UM FOR NOW, BECAUSE A FRIEND FROM THE MARITIMES HAS ONE WITHOUT THE GLITCH...LATER FOR THAT...
MIGHT GET THE FINAL OF "PRETTY PICTURES" UP SOON, BECAUSE AFTER VIEWING COUNTLESS VIDEO TAKES OF IT, I REALIZE I HAVE TO SING IT BETTER YET FOR…

THIS IS NOT FICTION...THIS IS A TRUE EXAMPLE OF LIFE'S RICH PAGEANT...


THIS EVENT HAPPENED ABOUT 1978 OR 1979...MY FRIEND JACK DANIELS (ALTON DILLS) WAS PLAYING WITH A COUNTRY BAND AT A PLACE CALLED THE HOLIDAY...I THINK THAT WAS ITS NAME, AND I THINK IT MIGHT'VE BEEN IN PACOIMA, BUT I'M NOT 100 PER CENT SURE RIGHT NOW. ANYHOW, THAT DOESN' T REALLY AFFECT THE STORY.
MY FRIEND DANN ROGERS (KENNY'S NEPHEW) AND ONE OF HIS FRIENDS AND YOURS TRULY ARRIVE AT THIS BAR ABOUT NINE OR TEN AND PROCEED TO WATCH OUR FRIEND JACK ON STAGE...
A FEW MUSICAL NUMBERS GO BY AND THERE'S A SCUFFLE AT THE BAR...
SOME GUY HAS INSULTED OR HIT ON ANOTHER GUY'S GIRL...THE GUY WHOSE GIRL IT IS PULLS OUT A KNIFE AND STABS THE GUY WHO HAS JUST HIT ON HER...THE STABBED GUY PULLS OUT A GUN AND SHOOTS THE GUY WHO'S JUST STABBED HIM...THE BULLET GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE KNIFE-GUY'S SHOULDER, OUT THE BACK SIDE OF HIS…

I SPENT SOME REAL QUALITY TIME WITH iHAWK ONE NIGHT AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY...WITHOUT TRYNA SOUND LIGHT IN THE LOAFERS, I IMMEDIATELY BONDED WITH THE GUY AND WE SPOKE AND DRANK SOMEWHAT LIKE THE LEGENDARY WELSH MEN AND IRISH-ERS AND SUCH AND LAUGHED AND SWORE LIKE MINERS AND DRANK SOME MORE AND...WHAT CAN I SAY...THE HAWK STIRRED UP SOME SLOWLY BURNING EMBERS IN ME ABOUT WORDS ON PAPER...HE HIT ME RIGHT IN THE NUTS THAT NIGHT WITH HIS TALK OF WRITING...I'VE BEEN WRITING POEMS AND STORIES AND SONGS LYRICS AND DIARIES AND GENERAL BULLSHIT FOR YEARS, AND HAD BEEN BEFORE THAT NIGHT...BUT HONEST TO "WHAT I PERCEIVE TO BE GOD" THAT NIGHT HAS NEVER LEFT ME...I'M ALWAYS FLATTERED WHEN SOMEONE SO SHARP HAS REALLY LISTENED TO MY LYRICS...COME ON FOLKS...WHO WOULDN'T BE... SO NOW ON WITH IT...I'M WRITNG THIS NO MATTER WHAT...IT'S A SMALL EXCERPT FROM "THE ADVENTURES…

ALMOST CRIED...WELL, MAYBE DID A LITTLE BIT...SHAME ON ME...I THINK OF ALL 19 RIGHT NOW IN EARPHONE LAND, THE ONE THAT IMPRESSED ME MOST WAS "DREAM"...YOU KNOW SOMETHIN' CLUBBERS, HAWK CALLED THIS YEARS AGO...DAMN...HATE TO GIVE HIM ALL THAT CREDIT...HE'LL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE WITH...CLUBBERS, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE "DREAM"...
ATG IS ON THE WAY...WOW...RIGHT NOW I'M TYPIN' AND HEARIN' CANYON IN MY GOOD SONYS...WOW...I REALLY MEAN "FUCK" BUT THEY TELL YOU TO KEEP YOUR STUFF DOWN A BIT ON THESE CHILD ACCESSIBLE FORUMS...
LOOKIT ME...DRINKIN' PABST BLUE RIBBON, COMMITTIN' THE SIN OF DRINKIN' AND BLOGGIN' AND STILL ARROGANT ENOUGH TO USE THE WORD "FORUMS"
SURE STILL GLAD I TOOK TYPING IN HIGH SCHOOL...IN GRAD TEN I ONCE DID 450 WORDS IN 5 MINUTES WITH NO MISTAKES...I EVEN SAVED THE PAPER I WAS SO PROUD...NOW "A TOUCH OF MORNING IS PLAYING IN MY SONYS"....SEE THIS IS JUST LIKE WE'RE ALL PARTYIN' TOGETHER (AT LEAST…