February Album Writing Month - FAWM.ORG

Dragondreams (@dragondreams)

progress: 27

winner!
joined: January 29 2011
location: Somewhere, UK
website: www.dragondreams.org.uk/
influences: Sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, emotions, memories...

Bio

It started back in the day.

Back in the day when there were no clouds to block the sun. Back in the day when vinyl was so new that people were no more worried about its long lasting carcinogenic effects than they were about smoking tobacco. Back in the day when you could paint a town red and it didn't mean zombies.

That's when I started to dream.

I dreamed of doves hurling majestically through the air from the arms of magicians hoping that they hadn't suffocated in their long, ebony cloaks damp with sweat and grime. I dreamed of horses charging through the desert hoping to find a source of water before their camel brethren caught up to them and sneered at their lack of biological survival skills.

And I dreamed of music.

My bedroom was nothing more than long sheet of fabric I had stolen from my mother's bed. Knowing what I know now, I would have questioned the wisdom of such a move, but that is another story. I had no walls save for that sheet which protected my privacy... like water protects you from drowning.

But the lack of walls were the key to my freedom. It unlocked my mind which had been beaten down by the barrage of cartoon edutainment, the constant jabber of my older siblings as they returned from their shift down the tripe mines, reliving the same old tales of whippet wrestling, clog polishing and wench-baiting.

And the Smurfs.

See, through those thin walls of cloth, I heard music.

Music that charged my soul.

Armed with only a guitar, and half my wits, and my desire for a creative explosion none had ever seen since the renaissance and possibly other venues of artistry which I was unaware of, I emerged from my self-imposed matriarchal cocoon and joined FAWM 2011, shortly followed by 50/90.

It was a grand adventure resulting in music now lost to the ether of wonderment and ecstasy.

But I was not done.

Such experience taught me that challenges should not be undertaken by the unprepared, the untrusting, the unselfish, nor the unshucked. But as I stared at my guitar, bare and broken, muscles exposed and raw from three months of trecherous toil and torment, I could bear it no longer.

I thrust it into the boiling waters of Styx itself and it emerged an instrument of the gods! Its thunderous roar bellowed forth defiantly as I embraced its reawakened form.

I straddled my bike. I fastened uranium-tipped valve amps to the handlebars because weight has no bearing on my ability to swathe awesome through the streets of life.

I sipped a dark roast, so bitter it could stain the soul of a saint and impregnate the virtuous.

And life was good.

All that remained to make it "perfect" was a walk-on part in that cult classic internet comic, "Debs and Errol".

And now even that wish has been granted, through that embodiment of kindness and generosity that is the fairy geekfather, @errol!

FAWM.
***************************************************************************************
(I have @errol to thank for my bio - several of the words are perfectly true! )

2012 Songs

1	Blow the dust off	58 comments // 3 months ago
2	Your move	31 comments // 3 months ago
3	My Valentine	18 comments // 3 months ago
4	Grilled Ham Skankwich (with chasingandromeda)	36 comments // 3 months ago
5	Addict On The Abyss (DD's DEMO now up) (with donna)	23 comments // 3 months ago
6	Whenever you are near me	27 comments // 3 months ago
7	Frustration	18 comments // 3 months ago
8	The (wrong) way to do it	11 comments // 3 months ago
9	Dance, dance	17 comments // 3 months ago
10	Eyes that bite	18 comments // 3 months ago
11	Monochrome Man (with rittmo)	6 comments // 3 months ago
12	What Has My Clown (with rittmo)	8 comments // 3 months ago
13	Poor Frankie	16 comments // 3 months ago
14	Mixed-up Kid!	14 comments // 3 months ago
15	Bitter Roast (with airbagtester)	29 comments // 3 months ago
16	Planky Spanky	12 comments // 2 months ago
17	Between the lines	12 comments // 2 months ago
18	Ongoing Fantasy (with rittmo)	6 comments // 2 months ago
19	The day is coming (with ballyhoot)	13 comments // 2 months ago
20	Pollyanna's Playhouse (with darcistrutt)	19 comments // 2 months ago
21	Kona Funk (with airbagtester)	26 comments // 2 months ago
22	Driving Stick (with debsanderrol)	26 comments // 2 months ago
23	What sucks colour?	10 comments // 2 months ago
24	Clash of the Plank Spankers (Guitar Battle) (with dasbinky)	18 comments // 2 months ago
25	Peace Through Superior Firepower (Orbital Banana Bombardment) (with rahkoi)	11 comments // 2 months ago
26	The @#$&%!bread Man (with cts*)	15 comments // 2 months ago
27	Thermal imaging	19 comments // 2 months ago

Soundboard

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spiritdancer 1 month ago

And thanks again for your praise on the rest of my songs! So glad you liked them!
spiritdancer 1 month ago

Thank you for your comments on "Her Son". I'm so touched by your praise. So glad you liked it!
musicsongwriter 1 month ago

Thank you Paul. Here is what we have at the moment http://fawm.org/songs/31342/
wyatt 1 month ago

Thnks on Rockin the Moon D D
I really thought someone would musicate it too., but Sometimes ones I think would be prime candidates don't and ines I thunk no one will hit in , they do:)
majormajormajormajor 2 months ago

Thanks for taking the time to go through one of those song cycles... I really appreciate getting that kind of feedback. And thanks for sharing your sublimely tasteful and creative playing. It was a genuine pleasure to check out your tunes... man, my watchlist has *quadrupled* this year - must have been a good one!
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Fun to see your name in my comment listing I drove home listening to your 50/90 CD. Great start to my weekend! I also shared our colab with a friend today. Still makes me smile...

Thanks for continuing to visit my simple offerings.
roddy 2 months ago

Thanks for those kind and insightful comments.
fineexcuses 2 months ago

Hi there, thanks for the comment on 'Button...' - your office was most imposing, so I knew I was in trouble I guess it was inspiration vs the actual reality of the final piece - simply that it didn't quite meet my own expectations in the end. Didn't mean to sound like false modesty, or anything! Cheers though, mighty kind of you.
wolfkier 2 months ago
musicsongwriter 2 months ago

Thank you so much for listening to my collaboration with Wolf! To be honest, I wanted to ask you if you'd listen to it! Thank you Paul, this was a very special collaboration to me and I wanted to hear of your opinion so much!
robs 2 months ago

Thank you for your nice comments!
musicsongwriter 2 months ago

Thank you so much for your wonderful comments on my collaborations and my music Paul. Your support is very special. It was amazing to collaborate!!!
jamkar 2 months ago

Thanks for your comments on Mysterious Dance. Nadia and ritt' are so amazing to dance with.
orbh 2 months ago

Thank you for your comments. I try to inform people when I get the vocals done.
bradbrubaker 2 months ago

Much appreciated. Always interesting what other people see/hear and how they put it into words. As for "Failure" it was my version of giving myself a pep talk, believe it or not. Prove 'em wrong. As for "Exit," cool to know you are trained as a counselor. I've been wondering lately if that is my calling.
monty 2 months ago

Oh, and if you want to add your guitar to G Minor's Daughter, by all means go ahead.
monty 2 months ago

Thanks so much for your comments on G Minor's Daughter. Yeah, I can imagine reworked with a Celtic feel. Maybe I'll try that.
raygungirls 2 months ago

Thanks for coming by and checking out "The Time is Now." Glad you like it... it's my favorite one that I did this year. Can't wait to get @sapient 's solo on it and call it done!
Also, glad you didn't blow your ears out by cranking the volume on the beginning of "Raise Your Voices".
bradbrubaker 2 months ago

Hey there. Saw your two most recent comments on "Failure" and "Exit." In both you mention the song's message. Being that each has its moments of sincerity and sarcasm, I'm curious what the message you got was. Thanks again for listening. I haven't been able to listen this week because of traveling, but will be revisiting you soon.
kiwafruit 2 months ago

Yay!! Prize!!
Just kidding. I'm stoked to have sung on a song with you - highlight!
pifie 2 months ago

Good for you, you can get that meditation vibe quite easily. Just detune to drop-d, let ring the lowest 3 strings, and play random stuff but make whatever random thing to do into a repeating riff, then play random again and repeat it again... as if it was on purpose.

And make some drums with tabla samples... it's quite easy!
duaneclancy 2 months ago

@kiwafruit and @dragondreams I think I'm the one who "won" by working with both of you
empyreus 2 months ago

27 songs is beyond impressive! I was barely able to crank out a few songs in a couple weeks!! Great job!
duaneclancy 2 months ago

Hey man ... is there somewhere I can get a copy of our song "Midnight Mass for Mistress Madness"? I would like to post it on my soundclick page, but I can't download from the song link ... it wants me to buy some kind of software first.
sherrycanary 2 months ago

DD...great getting to know you here. I will be back to go the distance. Packing for a trip right now.
BTW...I love your liner notes
bking 2 months ago

Do you build your own control rods too?
brzan 2 months ago

Thanks so much for the kind words DD! Means a lot!! Couldn't have done it without your tech support.
downburst 2 months ago

Paul--I can think of no one I would like better! Email me? (It's on the profile) and I'll get you a better quality file.
sheilerk 2 months ago

Lol.... I'll unlock it when I feel like I've got it to a point that I won't get That Look from your boys Will give you a paw pat when it's done Thank you for your comments, too!! !!
tcelliott 2 months ago

Wasn't a double win... two "songs" were fawmcasts

But still 26 songs is okay, right? At least I'm not a wussy boy.
cts 2 months ago

Paul...you, sir, are the king of Castle Dreams. I really dig what you do...keep doing it.
bking 2 months ago

Man your bio is the best thing I've read all month. Granted, it's barely the third, but that makes no never mind. It's still good clean fun and it's probably @errol s fault anyway. That being said, so long and thanks for all the comments!
timfatchen 2 months ago

@dragondreams lots of people want to take me aside. Normally it's the FLying Tadpole they're after, so they wear big boots. I escape between the treads tho'. That song, I don't hate it. It's just banal. There weren't any real failures this year, but a lot I'll let simply lie on the net and gradually be silted over and forgot. Thank you for your kindness tho.
sherrycanary 2 months ago

Hey, thanks for comments on It Wasn't Me. So glad you dropped by. I emember we commented back and forth a lot last FAWM!
nicksypniewski 2 months ago

Thank you sir, for the wonderful comments on my tunes. They were much appreciated. And yeah, on a few days separation, maybe This is How our Midnight's End is worth the minor effort for salvation. I'll give it a try at least. Thanks again.
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Pollyanna's Playhouse sounds great! You've left me smiling again as I run off to work. And...if you feel like playing with "Pumpin" maybe you could help me save that song
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Ya know...some tracks you just hit the >> button on. I have a ways to go before I can play a smooth bass line Glad that you thought it had potential so it did "work out" a little.
chasingandromeda 2 months ago

Paul, give me a shout via email at crescendo (at) yahoo (dot) com. I some questions for ya!
skullcrush 2 months ago

Ooh, that's right, not being able to put in multiple collaborators is a bit problematic...
skullcrush 2 months ago

Whoo, you got nearly a double win too! Congrats right back at ya!
dragondreams 2 months ago

Thanks, Eric.

You're the best!
airbagtester 2 months ago

Here's a .wav:
http://airbagtester.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/abt_dd_kona-funk-mix1.wav
Probably my favorite song I've sung this year
skullcrush 2 months ago

Thanks for the kind words on *31408! Made me laugh.
chasingandromeda 2 months ago

Not sure if I am going to be able to kick out this final track but I will give it a shot after work tomorrow. If not, we will finish it after FAWM. I am pretty burnt right now. But a couple of weeks and I should be good to go again. Will keep you posted.
cts 2 months ago

I could not have done this without your input, my friend. I'm really grateful. Thanks.
caterwauler 2 months ago

Thanks for your comments
Hehe, I have barely spooned this year but let me know when you finally give it a go, I'm curious!
There's no "good way" to do it, as far as I know. And the great thing is that people all spoon differently.
decayingmolars 2 months ago

WE HAVE DESCENDED UPON YOUR PUNY SONGWRITING CHALLENGE

AND WE WIN

GAME OVER

PLEASE INSERT COIN
donna 2 months ago

Merci beaucoup, Paul. Am pleased to have 'Addict on the Abyss' in full swing now, and with YOUR vocals. Surely that makes it kind of a 'collector's item'?
songsville 2 months ago

PS Surely you are going to set your bio to spoken word over an epic track ??! !??
songsville 2 months ago

Hey DD, when fawm is over, maybe you'll have time to listen to Tal Wilkenfeld's album 'Serendipity' -- it is just excellent instrumentals that I hope might nudge you into slightly jazzish territory, something I would love to hear from you one day ... just sayin' ...
errol 2 months ago

*laugh* your suggestions are hilarious! I think debs would love to!
davos 2 months ago

Hey man thanks for the comment! Means a lot to hear such nice things
donna 2 months ago

Re the vocals for 'Abyss' - go for it, Paul!
skullcrush 2 months ago

There might well be a follow-up, if the inspiration hits me. Many of my songs (not only this FAWM but last FAWM too) tend to take a musical/story form... Maybe it's the novelist side of me budding in ;D
jamkar 2 months ago

Hey Paul thanks so much for your thoughtful comments
Looks like you are headed for a double album!
musicsongwriter 2 months ago

Hi DD, congratulations on winning, not far from double winning!!!
Thank you so much for listening and posting your beautiful comments on my collaborations. Your support is very special!
Nadia
natrin 2 months ago

thanks ^.^ your kind comments on *26611 mean so much to me!
skullcrush 2 months ago

Thanks for your comment on *29373, I'm glad you enjoyed the piece!
sentense 2 months ago

There are vocals on the dragons now Not by me but by @karan, who actually can sing
errol 2 months ago

@Debs - Well, You had it for three days! I had no question you could do something with it. Because you're awesome and much more talented. This is why people want to kick me out of the band.

*sigh*
debs 2 months ago

What?! WHAT?!?! @errol, once I started working with the track, I had it written in all of 5 minutes! Hooray! It sounds like you like it! I LOVE it
errol 2 months ago

*sigh* Are you speaking badly about me again?!!

It was TOO HARD! I couldn't come up with anything!

ALTHOUGH... at the rate Debs is going with the song, I may just take it back again...
sheilerk 2 months ago

Oh my, Begging his Majesties Pardon, lol!! And PeeWee's changed his mind has he? Well, the bass case actually would work MUCH better for me. I never could catch that rabbit, nor meet up with Alice, and won't probably be getting any smaller after all...
sheilerk 2 months ago

Oh, I love those little crossed paws, and that ATTITUDE.... I can see her giving the head shake and the snap, sayin', now GIRL, you don't mess with MY man!! lol
The curling up in the banjo case could be a non-starter anyhow. Warm I can manage, but small...unless I can get with Alice and beg a sip of her shrinking drink.... I saw a white rabbit scurrying by just a bit ago, if I hurry I might catch him....
Would still have to face THAT look though.... Giving this a LOT of thought....
PeeWee seems to fit like the proverbial warm furry glove!! Such beauties, both!!
chasingandromeda 2 months ago

Ahh, little pieces and parts rustling around in my dropbox...(that is NOT a euphemism)
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Yes... 1960 was a very good year!
(I do go back and forth in my mind if it is NSFW - but then again I have been called a prude)
dasbinky 2 months ago

My time is growing short for collabs, but if you're up for a guitar battle drop me a line @ dasbinky@dasbinky.com. Rock!
chasingandromeda 2 months ago

I'm watching...
bigbluemusic 2 months ago

Hey, just dropping by to say I dig your stuff.
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Fun knowing you've listened to more of my offerings - glad you enjoyed them! Totally weird to think it's 4:20 AM for you right now. Guess I can't ask how our song is coming...or at least need to wait until you wake up for an answer
chasingandromeda 2 months ago

Think we can squeeze one more in? My dropbox is open...
rittmo 2 months ago

Motivation is everything!!!!

rittmo'
nancyrost 2 months ago

Sounds like we have similar cats!
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Can't wait!! How does "Pollyanna's Playhouse" ring? Also, feel free to change up words as you see fit. Wine doesn't always make for my best thinking
ballyhoot 2 months ago

don't worry about the trouble I'm going through. My own fault for being so sloppy, file management wise. I believe all the tracks start at the same point.... I tried to be very sure that I did that. Let me know if any of them are not, cuz that may mean I ended up sending you a wrong file. Some of the do end before the end of the whole song, but I don't think that'll be an issue. Let me know if it is, tho.
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Looking forward to see what your creative juices do with that lyric. Yes...there was wine involved (with a touch of blackberry brandy in it for flavor) and it was rather late (close to midnight) so my internal editor quieted down and let me have some fun with them. I could imagine a few shouts and screams thrown in (lol) It is all about the fun!
errol 2 months ago

Pressure? What pressure is she under?? she's the one that asked for them
darcistrutt 2 months ago

Just emailed you some "movie" lyric my friend. Feel free to say "what were you thinking?". I was in a feisty mood
ballyhoot 2 months ago

Sorry it's taken me so long to get the vocal tracks to you. When I went into the folder, I realized they were all jumbled up with other files, including previous versions, incomplete versions, merged versions, etc. So I had to go through each one and figure out which ones were the right ones. I think I got it now. There are 9 of them because I found I couldn't sing the whole song in one go without messing up, so I split it into 5 parts, if you will. Here's a dropbox link to the first one. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59972089/part%201.wav. The other ones should follow the same pattern but with these labels: Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 3a, Part 3b, Part 3c, Part 3d, Part 4, and "Screaming and Grunting".... The Part 3 tracks are the ones I really am not happy with. Let me know if this method of getting you the tracks doesn't work or is too inconvenient.
errol 2 months ago

I gave it to Debs. That's what I did. I worked on it all evening... And was unsatisfied with the crap I did. So I thought maybe debs could do something with it, she's better than me... And more pleasing to listen to
ballyhoot 2 months ago

uh... No vocal tracks yet. When I went into the folder, there were a ton of WAV files mixed up from earlier attempts and merged tracks and other crap. If I don't want to accidentally send you the wrong tracks, I'll have to go through the files and make sure which one is which. Too tired to do it tonight. Tomorrow hopefully.
ballyhoot 2 months ago

Here's a mixed-down version of my second attempt. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59972089/That%20Day%20is%20Now_collab.mp3

Sounds much better I think, but there's one part that I just can't get right. The "The Day is Coming" sequence, in my head, sounds choir like, almost epic/Queen like, but pffft, good luck me singing that way. Anyway, when you work on the final mix, maybe you could work some magic and make me sound better, or find someone else to help out. Or do something completely different....whatever...:)

I'll get you a vocal-only track later tonight (gotta eat dinner).
ballyhoot 2 months ago

Here's a rough take of me trying to add vocals to the music you provided. Some problems with it that I'm well aware of -- My timing is off in several places for one thing -- but I wanted you to hear it to get your take on the direction I'm going before I worry about trying to improve my performance. I repeat lyrics in several places, and I'm not sure yet if I'm going to leave it like that or if I want to write some additional verses. Probably the latter unless you like the repetition. Anyway, here's a linkie... http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59972089/dragondreams%20collab%20take%201.mp3
duaneclancy 2 months ago

I like it very much. I tend to be one sided and it amaizes me to see all the different sides that others see. I am very weak when it comes to building the music for a piece and I appreciate all the work you guys did on it. It rocks!
rhymetime 2 months ago

Thanks very much for all kind words left on my page. You are a sweetie.
Annie
kiwafruit 2 months ago

Oh yeah, I like it
Helps that you made me sound awesome and ethereal... I need to learn this reverb/delay/tricky business you've got going on there...
kiwafruit 2 months ago

Oh wow... That sounds so cool, kind of what I was expecting but also so much more! You are so talented at mixing and producing!!! Mind = BLOWN
sentense 2 months ago

Sorry, there won't be vocals on "Here be Dragons". At least not by me. I wasted 1 1/2 weekends trying, and weekends is all i have for FAWMing - if i want to finish one or two songs until february ends i have to stop trying timeconsuming tasks leading to no satisfying results at all. Nevertheless, i provide @karan 's lyrics. So you can maybe imagine what it could have been if i had the voice for it.
kiwafruit 2 months ago

Hiiiiii.... Just letting you know the demo I wrote for @duaneclancy's "I'm just a zong" is up now if you would be interested in having a listen *24196
kiwafruit 2 months ago

Hiya
I've been mulling on the collab all week. Finally got a chance tonight to record the demo so that it works from my head to audio file... I'll email you back the tracks in about... 30 minutes .. for you to work your magic
ballyhoot 3 months ago

I think I'm getting a handle on your tune you sent me. Identified where and how I want to sing and have put together some preliminary lyrics. Just need to finish them up and then find time when I can really belt it out without overly disturbing my downstairs neighbors....
leslie 3 months ago

He was only mostly sad for part of one day. Probably for the first time in his life. But it was enough of a shock to elicit a mournful song. Plus, it dismays him to no end that people think he's sad. >:D Oh, I'd better tag @Errol's name so he knows people are still talking about him.
boyatheart 3 months ago

Thanks for the kind comments on my stuff. I'm frantically working on a few more songs, so I have a chance of succeeding my 5th FAWM in a row.
airbagtester 3 months ago

Awesome
dreamscuba 3 months ago

Thanks so much for stopping by and listening to several of my songs and for the really nice comments. Very much appreciated.
Congratulations on winning!!
errol 3 months ago

no worries... I need to be prodded... I do!
headfirstonly 3 months ago

Once again I'm in awe of your productivity and I'm loving the stuff you're coming up with. Oh, to work with drum tracks as accomplished as that!

And BTW if you're interested, the Stick will feature on my tenth track - should finish it tomorrow...
errol 3 months ago

Not yet! I'm so sorry, I still have two more before yours!! Sorry! I WILL get to it, Don't worry!

I have NO idea what I'll sing to it yet though..
errol 3 months ago

Oooho, congrats, you're done! HUZZAH!

And thanks for the comments on my song, btw. I am just getting to thanking people for comments now. Just... 5 days later!
ballyhoot 3 months ago

That's MASSIVE, dude!!! I feel a little overwhelmed by it, but I'm willing to accept the challenge.