Paint Them How You Feel

Paint Them How You Feel 

This was originally written as a jazz chord exercise, and has been around since February without a melody or lyrics. Some recent stress gave me the lyrics, which are a mixture of current reality and some past dreaming. I came close a couple of times to flipping it to a local singer for the vocals/melody/lyrics, but am happy that I kept it for myself. It's about time I posted something completely new. I did all the instrumental and vocal parts here. I seem to have lost the feel for what is good and what isn't lately - this sounds like it might be a good one, but, who knows?! 

Hope you like it.

lyrics

Paint Them How You Feel
©2015 Neil Porter 
Trusting you was my first mistake
I didn’t guess you could bring me down so bad
I couldn’t see you were just a fake
Didn’t think you could make me feel so sad

You've seen all the words I've written
You can read me like a book
You can reach your own conclusions
About the roads I took
You can form your own illusions
You can paint them black or white

You were long of limb and I was short of breath
I never thought that my heart could break like that

Would you catch me as I’m falling
Down to earth just like a stone
Or would you watch me as I hit the ground
And leave me there alone
You can have your own illusions
You can paint them black or white

You say you know just how I feel
I never thought I’d hate you being ‘round

I’m putting up my cone of silence
Taking down my “open” sign
Now I’ve seen some dirty players
You’ve done that for quite some time
You can build your own delusions
You can paint them how you feel

Sea Of Dreams

Sea Of Dreams

A revised version of an older song about sleep - or lack thereof.

Sea Of Dreams
© 2008 Neil Porter

Late at night
When the seeds of dreams are forming
Delta waves on restless seas
Far away
Hear the distant voices calling
Turn away and let them be

Sea of dreams
Rocky shores
Is there shelter up ahead?
Darkest scenes
Closing doors
Am I safe here in my bed?

Shine your light
Use it well in times of darkness
Brighten up these shadowed days
Second sight
See beyond tomorrow morning
World might mend it’s wicked ways

Sea of dreams
Rocky shores
Is there shelter up ahead?
Darkest scenes
Closing doors
Am I safe here in my bed?

Look away
It’s just your own internal weather
It’s just your hurricane inside
Fight or flee
Sometimes both things come together
Batten down and try to hide

Sea of dreams
Rocky shores
Is there shelter up ahead?
Darkest scenes
Closing doors
Am I safe here in my bed?

BIG CAR video - with PBGB featuring Jen Halper

Thanks to Grant Webster for this video:
Post by Grant Webster.

Live at last!

After a break of 3 years, I finally got a chance to play live with the new and vastly improved PBGB at the Nethercote Music Factory last weekend.  Only a cameo appearance, but the inclusion of John Drews on Hammond B3, Jen Halper on vocals and Rob Smallwood on guitar as well as long-term PBGB core members Pete (drums), Chris (bass) and myself (guitar) made for a pretty tight and funky set.

Here are a couple of videos from the night:

Post by Grant Webster.

Post by Grant Webster.

"Into The Blue" now available for online download

Finally!

My fourth album of songs is ready to be released into the wild.

You can listen to the tracks and buy the digital version of Into The Blue here - The CD version will be available shortly - printer problems have put that on hold for the next week or so.  Watch this space!

"My 4th collection of original songs. A fuller, rounder sound than my previous 3 albums, with new songs, and a couple of re-mastered earlier songs (lifted significantly compared to their original versions).  

I'm pleased to have a number of international collaborators on this one - Fran Dagostino on guitar, John Libby from Boston on keyboards, Anne Cozean from North Fork California on backing vocals and Mike Watkins from Virginia on drums - some familiar names there if you have the "Neil Porter Collection" :) I'm also very happy that I have a "live from The PBGB Shed" song here, featuring Chris Ralfs on fretless bass and Peter Reid on drums. Finally, Jan Porter joined me on backing vocals on "Money To Burn" - very glad that Jan was ready to join in again. You'll find reggae, some interesting time signatures, RnB and acoustic rock here - plus something a little harder :) The last song, "Eggshell Walk", is dedicated to the late, great Fran Dagostino from Boston, USA who plays all the astonishing guitars. Although I never physically met Fran, we Skyped a couple of times and he was good enough to play lead guitar on a few of my tunes for me. From all reports, Fran was a seriously good guy. He is very much missed, even here on the other side of the planet.  

Have a great 2015!"

Neil

Happy New Year!

An auspicious time to announce some serious recording coming up with Brett Ralph, Chris Ralfs, Kevin Breeze and Peter Reid in the PBGB Shed - starting February 3rd.

Something old ...........

Marastique may be waking after 40+ years - it looks like Graham Butchart, Ian Robbins and I will be getting together to do some recording, despite Ian now living in Canada.  With a bit of luck Gary Fredericks and Gruz Hilzinger might find out about it and want to join in too.
Patience is indeed a virtue!

Marastique circa 1972.  L to R: Gruz (sitting), Neil, Gary, Ian, Graham

3rd album finally released into the wild!

“Life On The Trapeze” 

So, here’s my third album of songs, 16 in all recorded between 2010 and 2012, and covering a fairly wide spread of genres, including jazz/blues, country rock, latin rock, acoustic rock and some odd little snippets of my life in non-genre-specific musical packages. 

I had always planned that I’d be in a position to do a “CD release” gig of some sort to celebrate the release of this one, but that hasn’t been possible. Maybe next album ☺ 

Once again, although I’ve played most instruments myself, there is a collection of 11 other players/singers who have helped me out. It’s a worldwide collaboration on some songs, with players and singers from Australia, the US and Norway. 

It’s the first of my albums where I’ve had members of the Pambula Beach Garage Band collective involved – on “Big Car – No Shoes”. I’m hoping to get more songs done with them for my next album. 

Included on the album is the song “(You Got Me) Spinnin’” which won me the “Artist Of The Year 2011” on the MSI international music website http://msi.icweekly.net/ 

Putting a collection of songs together is a fascinating process. To start, you need some songs worth spending time on, then you need to make the time! This has taken me over a year in preparation. All songs have been re-mixed and re-mastered so the quality is absolutely as good as I can get it. There are a couple of songs which haven’t been heard before, and quite a few that have – they are all originals, and all vastly better mixed than any previous versions. 

I’d really appreciate it if you had a listen to the tracks at http://jiguma.bandcamp.com/album/life-on-the-trapeze 

If you feel that you'd like to do a review of the album, I'd greatly appreciate it. You can buy individual tracks for $1 each or the whole album (download in a choice of digital formats, and including a .pdf lyrics booklet, a “make your own CD kit” and a video of “Safe Hands”) for $10. I’ll also have a limited number of “real” CDs (that you can play in your CD player) for $20 each plus postage (which includes the downloadable album and the other goodies that come with it). I’m also hoping to have it available on iTunes, but that may take a little while. If you’re short of $$, you can just listen. 

Almost forgot, you can also buy some spiffy “Life On The Trapeze” t-shirts @ $15 each from the BandCamp page already listed. 

Hope you have a Happy Christmas break and that 2013 is good to you, Neil

My "producer's hat"

Although I haven't released too many of my own songs recently (although that should change pretty soon) i have been busy with PBGB. The main result of this has been the production of two videos with Bill Brown for the ABC on camera of Garry Carson Jones, Jem Savage, Ken Vatcher and Dave Crowden. Garry wrote the songs, and the boys played up a storm. It was an honour to be recording engineer on the day and to also manage the mixing of the tracks ready for adding to the video.
The good news is that both videos were made "video of the week" on the ABC South East Music site - two weeks in a row. The video of "Kumeka" has now been included on the national ABC Online site: ABC Local Music – where one of the content streams is “Live to tape”, films and recordings from around Australia.
Bill does a fantastic job of showcasing local talent.

Watch Whatever You Say and Kumeka below:

 

"World Music" - Fran Dagostino

Fran chose two of my songs for this compilation CD - Bill Copeland has something to say on each:

"Fran Dagostino’s experimental, progressive, and transcontinental CD World Music should not be overlooked by fans of adventurous explorations of song possibilities. It also features a lot of good guitar playing. World Music is Dagostino’s compilation of songs he has recorded with musicians from all over the world."

"Australian composer Neil Porter turns in his own solid performance on vocals and acoustic guitar on 'Blown Away'. Dagostino adds his own special twist on the lead guitar phrase underneath Porter’s mesmerizing voice and lyricism. The lead guitar shimmers brightly in its self-restrained, sublimated place."

"'Wrong Way Home' is another contribution from Australian songwriter Neil Porter. Porter has the appealing vocal style, acoustic guitar, and midi drums in tact. The lyrics are world weary while the voice delivering them are almost Tom Waits gruff and low. Dagostino pays out a high frequency lead guitar phrase alongside it all, framing as well as accompanying it."

Thanks for the invite to the CD Fran - "Wrong Way Home" (a complete remix with Fran) will be getting another run on my 3rd album coming out in November "Life On The Trapeze".

Quotes from Bill Copeland's Music News 

  Bill Copeland is a music journalist with over 20 years experience writing about the music industry. Bill writes articles and reviews about bands, singers, songwriters, and soloists. BillCopelandMusicNews.com is a for-profit on-line music magazine. The focus is on highly talented artists from the greater-Boston area/New England. Artists do NOT have to purchase advertising in order to be profiled. Music industry businesses, venues, musical instrument retailers, and CD stores are welcome to advertise in BillCopelandMusicNews.com. Musicians from all genres of music are welcome to inquire about coverage, but talent level will be the deciding factor.