All these songs can be freely added to your stations. Many are being played all over the world and I thank you most heartily for that; however, if you find you are listening to them a lot and would like to add them to your iPod or similar device I have made them available to download for a small IAC-regulated fee. Thanks again - Al

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So he never existed... not really, as a real person. He made himself up one day in 1969 and lived a dual existence: half of him surviving on dead-end jobs, the other half believing that one day he would write at least one song that the world would remember. Now half of him is dead, and, as with all conjoined twins (without major surgery), that sentences both of them. It would be sad if it wasn't so pathetic. Fairy-tales always end this way... well not always, rarely... and this was rarely a fairy-tale; so there the similarities end: the ending was neither sad nor happy - it just... was.

The enigmatic and tragic Jackson C Frank was a hero of his... now he emulates that frail and failed soul. Maybe in 40 years people will still say 'Al who?', much as they do today. That would be both a great epitaph, and a fitting legacy.

Below is the page as he inexplicably and hurriedly left it: hot meal still on the table; knife and fork still in place and at the ready; the drink untouched in the pewter tankard...

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Thanks for the nominations and votes that earned 'Perfect boy' a Golden Kayak for 2007. I am dead chuffed and it looks great on my mantlepiece. Thanks again.

Visit my jolly contentious blog at:
http://alstravinsky.vox.com






License this music for commercial use through Pump Audio

I heard 'Space Oddity' on Radio Luxembourg (little tinny transistor radio, 2am, with the earpiece in, under the covers: 'Planet earth is blue and there's nothing I can do...') when I was about 13, and the world hasn't been the same since. In November 2004, over 3,000 gigs later, I suddenly found myself with time on my hands and the days are relatively empty. I now have the equipment and the time, a bit of pent-up creative frustration, and a reservoir of bits of ideas and tunes that have floated round my head for years looking for a home.

I now have an album: 'The sentence that I serve' available from CD baby. Click on this mini album cover to take you there:

All the tracks are on this IAC player and are listed below, also.

The sentence that I serve Station 5847 at KIAC and IACmusic.com

'I'm blending everything I've ever heard, read, seen, felt, touched and thought in my tiny messed up brain; trying, by the force of my will against all Nature's constraints, to shape songs to tell you how it feels.'

The album or individual tracks can also be downloaded from iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=216015067

	Emotional Ocean In this song I have likened temptation to the sea; and the song says how we must resist it for fear of drowning in it. Solo piano and voice are all that are on this track, though a more lush arrangement beckons. It's also the longest song so far at 4mins 44 and maybe needs to lose the first chorus.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Sandcastle The flag is usually a symbol of unity and togetherness, but not in this tale. Does the inexorable tide of time wash the beach clean to try again, or do we move on to fresh shores?		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Shallow water I saw the line from the chorus, in a book of Zen wisdom I picked up on holiday. My computer broke down when I got back home and so I had several weeks to form the song in my head...		Rock
	Sixty-second song It lasts a minute and says all I wanted to say. It's made of bass, piano, metronome, strings, vibes playing 'Westminster chimes', choir, synth and vocals; took me about 360 minutes to go full circle, from first thought to finished mix.		Alternative
	You would never believe I wrote and recorded this in a very few short hours. It has electric guitar (tuned D G C F Bb F), backing vocals, strings and a few effects with a single lead vocal. A Katydid provided the flapping faerie wings sound. This song was inspired by the accompanying picture by Kurt Bujack (used by permission), a wonderfully talented artist and musician. See (and hear) more of his work at http://myspace.com/life9music		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Subway song A song sung live in a subway... you might care to stop, listen and throw a coin or two as you hurry by. I wrote and recorded the best part of this - acoustic guitar (capo 6th fret) and vocals - in 2 hours on 19th December 2006. I added some brass, sound effects, echo-vocals, and tidied it up and mixed it the day after.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Lift A song about a lift (elevator). We can choose to get in or not but don't forget: what goes up must come down. This is totally sequenced using Reason, with its great modules and powerful automation capabilities. There's lots of vocal harmonies too. It's my first song of 2007.		Electronic
	You make Apart from 2 acoustic guitar tracks this is a totally sequenced song about being an instrument through which things are made by someone else...er... love, creativity and inspiration, if that makes any sense. Lots of percussion, fretless bass, guitars, piano, violins and cellos make up the track on top of which are 8 backing vox and a single lead vocal.		Pop
	Big girl I wrote the biggest part of this 30 years ago, about a girl in the pub I frequented; I would have asked her out but I heard some guys making unkind remarks about her weight and I just didn't have the bottle after that... shame on me, for she was lovely. It's a commentary on how our choices can be made for us if we are not strong-minded enough, rather than a criticism of an overweight girl.		Comedy
	Perfect boy		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Your sister's wedding An entirely fictional story woven around a very real, recent event. Another song, one that I've just remixed, written as I drove home from a gig and, if it's of no other value, it at least helped keep me awake. A brushed drum loop and double bass/acoustic guitar thing, with Fender Rhodes piano, percussion, between 4 and 12 backing vocals, 5 electric guitar tracks, with a sung/spoken, light-hearted lead vocal.		Comedy
	Sitting on the sofa with you If you ever had a friend that you fancied and you ended up at your place at the end of an evening out together, chatting, CDs playing, then this particular cup of coffee may taste familiar. I used a 'Back II Black Street' rex loop and added splash cymbals, handclaps, vocal percussion sounds, ukelele, acoustic guitars, slide guitar, bass guitar, lots of backing vocals and a single lead vocal.		Pop
	Falling apart Maybe it's my age or simply the company I keep, but I do seem to lose a little bit of me somewhere everyday these days, and once lost they are gone forever: I'm terminally depleting. The song has Beatle influences I suppose due to them being just about the only band I listened to from being 16 to 25 (What kind of songs do I write? I write both kinds: Lennon AND McCartney - er...I wish!).		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	This old shirt Inanimate objects can take on more importance than their face value would suggest; even an old, threadbare T shirt might have bitter-sweet, indispensible memories for its owner. There's lots of stuff on this: Several 'Chameleon' Drum loops; bass, Wurlitzer piano, Cellos; violins; oboe; guitars and vocals.		Easy Listening/Soft Rock
	Mirror/Since you asked I've applied the fairy-story magic-mirror principle to a tale of modern love, and turned two songs into one in the process. 'Mirror', a folky ballad, tells the story of a relationship over a number of years; 'Since you asked' is the mirror's stark telling of how things are today, done in a rocky, tongue-in-cheek style.		Alternative
	Roll the dice I wrote a line about a bed, toast and crumbs and had an idea for a shuffle rhythm and jazzy ooh and aah harmonies. It took off from there: the words were written first as usual, and the whole thing took five days of fairly intensive work to complete. The song comprises of: a chopped up Brian Delaney drum loop, bass guitar, two acoustic guitar tracks, arpeggio electric guitar, Hammond organs, 14 harmony tracks, and some ethereal sounds; Rebecca's sax solo on day five was the finishing touch.		Rock
	Hope ... is a song about finding your way when you thought there was no way through, or no route back. It could be about God but could equally relate to a woman, a man, an ambition: anything that gives you a reason to get up the next morning.		Christian/Spiritual
	If only This song is about the regret of lost opportunity, and how it can consume everyday life. If you see a chance, just go for it, what is there to lose? There are 4 acoustic guitar tracks, 5 electic guitar tracks, 2 vocals, with sequenced bass guitar, violins and cellos, Wurlitzer piano, percussion and a 4 bar drum loop.		Pop
	Away, be a stranger ...meanwhile, on Earth, things aren't quite going as planned... God: "I know what to do! I'll send my amazing, gentle, wise, brilliant, beloved son for them to berate, abuse and crucify. That'll show 'em!" My version counter-balances the decadence and debauchery of this tragic season by featuring just Fender Rhodes, a bell, and a vocal.		Christian/Spiritual

Comments                                                Add new Comment   View All

EssaMattou	4/11/2024 2:22:31 AM Such a perfect work. Please continue to uphold! I'm always waiting for your next works Head Soccer
Nigels	9/20/2008 11:26:37 PM People will be changed by your music, then they will go and change someone else as a result. So your music does make a difference for the world. It would be a much sadder place without it.
Hugh Hamilton	3/29/2008 9:24:11 AM You've got remarkable talent, Sir...'tis a pleasure to see you on the "world" ballot this year, and I'm enjoying FADING right now...rock on, Al!
Texas Willie	3/28/2008 4:19:38 AM Congratulations on your Golden Kayak Nomination! Good Luck and I will see you at the Awards Broadcast! TW
Al Stravinsky	3/25/2008 4:15:12 PM Thanks for the nominations and the good wishes everyone. Sorry I missed a couple of Xmas messages too! I just forgot to look at this part of the page. I've added a couple of old songs that I found hiding under a pile of Reader's Digests that I was taking to the doctor's waiting room and stuck 'em on here instead. Thanks again and all the best, everyone Al
srm	3/22/2008 7:40:56 PM I've been gone for a while, and just saw where you were 'hanging it up'. Sadness.
The Man With No Band	3/19/2008 6:40:43 PM Congratulations on your Kayak Nomination Al ! .. There'll be no fading now ... :) Peace Sam
Vincenzo Pandolfi	3/19/2008 5:39:12 PM Congratulations, honoured to be in your company!! Vincenzo
SqurlyMurly	3/18/2008 10:19:16 AM Congratulations!! I wish you all the best and hope to see that Kayak beside Fading. Peace.
No Rhythm	2/7/2008 3:22:55 AM G'day Al Came here via Sam's blog. You've got some great tunes in your catalogue. I particularly like One Christmas, a masterfully crafted song, Great work. Cheers Mark
Marc Ceccotti	1/1/2008 11:50:36 AM Happy year 2008 ! I wish you a great new year full of music, joy and sweetness ! Marc
Beth Fridinger	12/7/2007 12:11:00 AM hello, enjoying the music here
Al Stravinsky	11/11/2007 11:43:24 AM The sales are going quite well - thank you! Individual tracks can all be purchased here, but if you prefer to own a collection of them, the album 'The sentence that I serve' is available at CDBaby for an actual plastic CD in a box, or downloadable at iTunes, Napster, Payplay and several other reputable digital outlets. Thanks again - Al
Marc Bosserman	11/7/2007 1:18:23 AM You should do a reunion or something........ :)
Al Stravinsky	11/1/2007 6:46:31 AM I won't be writing any more, but I've put my songs up for sale so that my vast underground fan-base can have a piece of me for posterity... one day they might be collectors' items! '...Bought it on IAC!'. Thanks for calling in, for all your comments and kind words everyone. All the very best - Al
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