Lawrence Russell writes about an advance copy of “Dune” and an imaginary conversation with me:
He likes track #9, called “Smoke”:
The interesting thing about this album is that everyone who has heard an advance copy, picks a different favorite song. Different people have been equally enthusiastic about tracks #2, #3, #8, #9, #10 and #12.
I like that.
We will rehearse on Sunday and Monday and will do the first handful of performances with our new percussionist in California next week. I think we will play more than half of the songs from the new album.
Well, the new album is just about finished. We are still working on the first and last track, short (one is a little over a minute and the other will be about 30-45 seconds, I think) sound creations/treatments based on guitar recordings that, to my mind, are the beginning and end of a dream, the dream being the music in between those bookends. And on Sunday or Monday we will also record a last percussion part.
We will get back from California on the 20th and Jon and I will leave for Germany on the 28th. That gives me about a week to finalyze the master and send the album off to the manufacturer. That’s tight, but should not be a problem.
With a little luck we should have CDs in time for our East Coast run in April and May.
My mockups for the new cover:
The middle panel is the back and the right panel the front of the album:
This is the inside, once the album is unfolded. The panel on the right will have a clear tray for the CD:
My face will mostly be covered by a white CD. I do like the way the horse and I stare at the fly on the middle panel. I photographed the fly on a window of my friend’s house in Mendocino a year and a half ago. The other locations are:
Japanese Garden in Portland, Horse in Tibet, Dune in Mendocino, Horse in Spain, and the portrait was also taken in Mendocino – not far from the fly…
“Dune” may be available in five flavors:
1. 24/88.2kHz FLAC files from HDTracks.com – probably around $17.98
2. CD (16/44.1kHz) from our web store, at concerts and from any place that still sells CDs – price will vary
3. 320kbps mp3 files from our ListeningLounge – $10
4. 256kbps mp3 files from iTunes, Amazon and others – $9.99
5. 128kbps mp3 files from our official “Dune” webpage – free
Yes, that is correct, I talked my manager into letting me give away 128kbps files for free. Since there are more than 100,000 ways to obtain my music for free on the internet anyway, albeit illegally, I thought why not give away 128kbps mp3 files ourselves. The webpage will state that we would appreciate a $5 donation for the album download, but if a person does not have a credit card we suggest “paying it foward” by buying a homeless person coffee, tea or a meal.
Guy’s comment yesterday set off a chain reaction… I emailed our agent, who emailed the Canadian promoter, who returned the correct dates today, which the agent then forwarded to me. Thanks Guy!
This here is the corrected schedule:
Apr 25 – Peterborough, Ontario – New Market Hall
Apr 26 – Port Hope, Ontario – The Capital Theater
Apr 27 – Hamilton, Ontario – Hamilton Studio
Apr 28 – London, Ontario – Aeolian Hall
Apr 29 – Toronto, Ontario – Hugh’s Room
Highlight of the day: this sledding crow and the fact the it snowed and hailed in Santa Fe today. Lowlight: attempt of a hacker in Russia to pay for nearly $23,000 of airline tix with my Amex. S/he was denied.
I pledge allegiance to the soil
of Turtle Island
and to the beings who thereon dwell
one ecosystem
in diversity
under the sun
With joyful interpenetration for all.
— Gary Snyder
