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3.2 - The Rules Have Changed
Liner Notes - 3.2 - The Rules Have Changed
These are my recollections and the chronicles of our efforts. The emails, phone calls, and art through music. All recalled from my head, my heart, and from my eyes outward. These were and are, very important times in my life...
With this I raise my glass to the memory of Keith Emerson, my friend, colleague and my all-time favorite keyboard player.
We lost Keith on March 11, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. Who knows why? Perhaps overwhelmed by struggles with chronic arm pain, a recent diagnosis of an impending heart condition, a worsening hand problem, and a love hate relationship with performing. This album, which was meant to be our often delayed follow up to the “3” record is dedicated to his memory and his strength through his struggles.
Together, we laid plans for a band we would call 3.2 and the album he wanted to title “1”. He is missed by many around the world. My own personal loss is evident in these songs and a sound we, along with Carl Palmer, had created together. The result, to my ears still sounds fresh, energized, and powerful.
How to get to 3.2
One must start somewhere. In 1985 I released “Back to Back”, my first solo project. I was coming off a successful 10 year run with Hush, my band from the San Francisco Bay Area. I had a collection of songs that didn’t quite fit Hush’s more progressive leanings and I had an offer from a record pressing plant that wanted my recording studio business. Rather than risking a client’s project to test their product I thought it better to dive into my song catalog. I chose 9 songs. As I readied those songs for pressing I began to think that I should really make it an even 10. I quickly wrote a new piece called “Life the Game” and sent the project off to be pressed. When the results were delivered they were beautiful, but I had no real plan for this album.
My solution was to give them away at my New Year’s Eve concert. And, just to get them out of the office I gave Rob Fowler, a friend and graphic designer, a handful of copies. What I didn’t know was that he sent those albums to the music trade magazines. Those magazines, Cashbox, Record World, and Billboard, each gave it high praise and “Pick of the Week” recognition. I was astounded. Then KOME, a Bay Area radio powerhouse announced they would be adding “Life the Game” to their rotation. I couldn’t believe it. Something was finally starting to click in my songwriting and production that was earning some attention. Fowler also had sent copies to prospective managers, sparking the attention of a guy that in turn suggested an attorney that might be helpful. It turned out, John Espedal, a San Francisco attorney, happened to be tight with Herbie Herbert, Journey’s legendary architect.
I could sense my life was about to change as Herbert and Espedal embraced me and urged me to write more and decidedly deeper songs. I was evolving as a serious songwriter and as a singer. I was learning how to connect my writing to the sound and emotion of my voice. Things began to move quickly. Soon Herbert arranged a showcase at a huge Hollywood soundstage. It seemed everybody that was anybody in the record business was there. One of the industry people attending was the legendary John Kalodner from Geffen Records. Kalodner soon set up a second showcase, this time in San Francisco. Unfortunately, that showcase had a myriad of technical problems and came off poorly. Still, Kalodner seemed to like me and my songs. He hooked me up with a pair of interesting scenarios, Sammy Hagar’s recently orphaned band, and a drummer named Carl Palmer. Next thing I know, Palmer is calling me at Soundtek, my recording studio.
The whirlwind continues as I soon find myself in the UK working with Steve Howe in his new band, GTR. Eventually I’m dining with Keith Emerson at the Savoy, London. It seems Palmer and Emerson were imagining a new project and I was invited! The name was to be “3”. Not ‘Three’, but “3”. We were soon signed to Geffen Records.
3 hit the airwaves at a time when tastes were changing with each sunrise. Grunge was on the verge of breaking big on the AOR charts and yet everywhere we went radio programmers would remind us that we sounded great on their station. We were purposefully breaking away from expectations, knowing from the start that there would be vociferous detractors. Some critics were disappointed, contending “3” was playing ‘songs’ and not long extended pieces that they preferred. Some said I could never be Greg Lake. I agree, I could never be Lake. I believe Emerson and Palmer were in the search for something different as they always insisted that I just be me.
Fortunately there were many that appreciated the new path. They listened and heard the magic. As time passes, many die hard ELP fans that once criticized Emerson for allegedly “selling out” are revisiting that album and live recordings, and hearing that Emerson and Palmer were playing harder, tougher, and more musical than ever before. And me, well I was having the time of my life.
I recognized from the beginning that Carl Palmer’s strengths as a drummer were undeniable. Palmer is a master at bringing a song alive with intricate and energetic percussion parts. His ideas are driven by the movement of the chord structure and melody. Listen to how he punctuated “Desde La Vida” and “Talkin’ Bout’”. Emerson was a guy with powerful, expressive hands. He applied them to the keys precisely and with extreme ease. Famous for his left-hand parts he too brought the songs to life with what I consider a little jazzier flare on a classical foundation. Emerson always brought the majesty of the song to the forefront. I took these ideas in and started to add them to my own writing and playing. If you listen to my follow up demo song, “Last Ride into the Sun”, you’ll hear that influence.
The abundance of musical ideas Emerson, Palmer, and I had made us the ideal creative partnership. Fortunately, I have been blessed with the gift of creativity. If I need a musical idea or arrangement, I rarely have a creative block. Thankfully, I found that to be true with Emerson and Palmer as well. We always had productive, energized writing sessions and rehearsals. “3” eventually clawed and scratched our way to Number Nine on the Billboard charts. It was a hard road and an accomplishment to be proud of.
I had been a longtime ELP fan, but working closely with Emerson and Palmer on our first album gave me real insight that continues to serve my writing. If you’ve heard the songs on “Pilgrimage to a Point” you can hear how this evolved. So much of what I experienced and absorbed while working at Emerson’s home studio in Sussex and at Easy Hire Studios in London during the first “3” album is present in these new recordings.
3.2 realized
To start was hard. To continue is complicated and painful. You see, my band mate, my friend, my most famous associate, and the genius I was scheduled to start recording an album with in a few weeks had just died. Elinor Emerson, Keith’s former wife had just given me the bad news. It took a year of being shrouded in the gray haze of loss before I began to think that perhaps I should proceed as a tribute to my friend. But how would I continue on the musical path we had laid out? How would I possibly replicate the genius of Keith’s hands and stay true to style, substance, and possibilities we had spoken about? Let alone trying to recreate the sonic space that we had captured the first time we made music together.
In our planning we had many extended conversations. Always thoughtful, productive and enjoyable. We spoke of relationships, of our abilities 28 years later, and of moving forward with the wisdom, experience, and a desire to maintain the youthful vigor of the music. Keith wanted to call the album “1”. “Not ‘One’ he said, but 1”. Now, that has a prophetic, eerie ring to it. We wanted to call the band 3.2 for obvious reasons. Carl would have been the right addition but, as the lone remaining member of ELP, he is quite busy and has chosen to not vary his path. I respect his commitment to their legacy. There is no way to insert another musician into our mindset at this point so “1” seemed the perfect path to take.
When Emerson and I were to embark on our “3.2” project I was set to finally put my engineering, musical knowledge and experience to the test to bring the best out of both Keith and myself. Under the circumstances, just how the songs actually got completed remains a mystery. There is some kind of connection I was born with that seems to bring songs through me. I would always write after our phone calls when the ideas were fresh and I was inspired by our talk. The songs were not only infused by our past and current conversations, but also our near 30 year friendship, and promise of the future. A common bond between two musicians wanting to always do the best work they could.
We had spoken quite a bit and were able to meet and pose for casual photos during a trade show in Los Angeles in January of 2016. He seemed a little tired and not thrilled to be doing the personal appearance thing at the Exposition we were attending. But then again, he seemed happy overall. That was the last photo I would ever have with him.
After the Expo we continued in earnest to plan and plot the album. I had negotiated a very nice arrangement for us with Frontiers Records. They were excited by the prospect of a new 3 album. Frontiers gave us complete artistic control over the material and recordings requesting only that is was a “3 record”, in the style of “Talkin’ Bout'” and “Desde La Vida”.
We continued to talk on the phone about the content of what we would work on. Those phone conversations were filled with my singing and his playing ideas on a digital grand. He also sent me a few older parts on cassette that I was to turn into lyrical songs. We knew we wanted that “Desde” type piece and something grand in a ballad. All based on what he wanted to play, what he could play (his arm was sore, but still good to go) and what I was hoping to provide. I was determined to get some very hot Emerson jamming on the album.
On the cassette there was a cool piano intro, a heavy groove piece with signature Emerson chords, and some bits and pieces that I could put in songs when they fit. I actually had a few songs that were ready at that point. I had written “Powerful Man” first as I was hot on the trail of a song that would be our “Talkin’ Bout’”. I also had a song called “One by One” that I was batting around. This song started because Keith wanted to call the album “1”. The excitement and all the possibilities led me to write a song called “The Letter”. I finished it at the end of February and was ready to play it for Keith. Between my “3” songs and parts that I had from the phone calls and the cassette I felt we had a pretty good start.
My second to last phone call with Keith worried me a bit. He was impressed and pleased about the arrangement with the record label while at the same time dreading an up-coming 4 consecutive nights of shows in Japan in March. With his chronic pain, the task ahead was weighing heavy. But we still managed to discuss more points about the new album.
My final phone call came around the usual time, early evening from his home while enjoying a glass of wine listening to music. But this call was not so good. He was down because although the shows had sold well the promoter was adding a second show each night. Worrying about a single show for four nights in a row was pressure enough. But two shows a night? I suggested he hold his ground or cancel. He said those fans were his biggest fans and he didn’t want to let them down. I simply said “you’re Keith Emerson, you can change this”. I asked him what the contract said and he told me there was no contract. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Someone had basically set him up for a grueling week of shows on a mere handshake. We hung up with him simply saying he was going to England to visit his grandkids in March after he got through the concerts and we could start working soon after. Probably in April.
Heavy lifting begins
In taking on the complexity of this album I revisited the piano, my first instrument. I had left it behind for the bass guitar in 1985. But keys were my first love and Emerson was the inspirational king and eventual mentor. I learned so much from watching and working with him. I didn’t realize exactly how much until I decided to complete this album. I worked hard to raise my keyboard playing to new heights. Though I’ll never have Keith’s hands, it was an invigorating endeavor to say the least. I felt the pressure of ‘what would Keith do’ with each note, each chord and every song I put together.
I have logged hundreds of hours alone with that mantra to guide me. But, I must say, I never felt alone. I felt his presence with me every hour of the writing and recording. I believe you will hear him coaching me when you listen to this album. If only I had called him on March 11th we may still be doing this album side by side; that will stay with me forever.
The collaboration
With these songs I offer my best efforts and my deepest feelings. I give you the part I was going to give Keith. Lyrics, songs, collaboration, and the completion of a dream second “3” album. This is the best of who I am, of what I have learned, and how far I can push the creative gift of music that’s inside of me. It is the flame of music passed down from my pianist father and my singer mother.
I want to extend special thanks to Keith’s son Aaron Emerson, and Mari Kawaguchi, Keith’s longtime girlfriend for their cooperation. Lastly, I would not have been able to complete this album without the never wavering support and encouragement of Serafino Perugino, of Frontiers Records. I hope I have created an album we are all proud of.
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Used with permission
Lyrics - 3.2 - The Rules Have Changed
ONE BY ONE - K. Emerson, R. Berry
One thing I loved about working with Keith and Carl was their love of Jazz and Big Band music. My mom and dad had a band in the 40’s and 50’s, so I guess I was born hearing that music. Keith’s love of Oscar Peterson’s style was also something that resonated with me. We had talked about that in some of the early planning stages for 3.2. My idea was to write a song that would be the title track of the new 3.2 album. As Keith had named the album “1”, I started to write the song “1”. It originally was a song about the way our culture has drawn a line in the sand on who is right and who is wrong. As events changed in my own personal world it became a little more about the passing of life in general. The piano intro and ending was based on a piece by the Norwegian composer Edward Grieg that Keith had said he wanted to use. The Korg Oasis and the old patches from the original Roland D-50 bring power and movement to the keyboard parts. And of course, I have to use the Memory Moog on every song so the warmth and depth is there. Although we never got to the point of working on this together I think he would have loved the intro and especially the middle jazz piano solo. It took me months to make it close to even worthy of our outlined ideas. This song contains the essence of everything Keith and I had talked about in our plan for 3.2.
OUR LIVES I REMEMBER THE GOOD,
OUR LIVES SO CLEARLY RIGHT BEFORE ME
RIGHT INSIDE THEY HOLD ME
THERE'S SO MUCH
NOW WALKING THIS LIFE ALONE
IT'S A TRAGEDY
IN THE DARK WE COLLIDE
ONE BY ONE THE PARTS UNFOLD
UPON THE LIFE WE BUILT NOW
ONE BY ONE THE VERY THING THAT
HELD US UP NOW FALL APART
THE CHANGING TIDE OUR WORLD DIVIDES
ONE BY ONE WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD STAND
WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD LAST
YOUR EYES (I feel the solitude)
I REMEMBER THE LOOK YOUR EYES (this dark and lonely place)
SO CLEARLY RIGHT BEFORE ME (in innocence, a faith that's tested)
RIGHT INSIDE THEY HOLD ME (it's tested everyday)
THERE'S SO MUCH (a special love)
NOW WALKING THIS LIFE ALONE (kept in a private place)
IN THIS TRAGEDY NO ONE CAN PENETRATE
POWERFUL MAN - R. Berry
I have been very fortunate in my career to have worked with some great musician. I got to know their families, their wives, their sons, their daughters. And in a few cases their girlfriends. Powerful Man was written for many reasons. First, it represents the musician sons like Aaron Hagar, Ryan Kihn, and the reason I finished it, Aaron Emerson. These sons became great musician in their own right. They learned through talented father’s that were on the road a lot, yet gave them the love and inspiration that shaped their lives. The second reason was that my own son, at the age of 20, also decided he wanted the musicians life. I can only hope he will not only be inspired by the path I have travelled, but by those great fathers I’ve called my friends. I believe we are mostly guided by the 'actions' of our parents more than their words. And by the way, you may know that both my mom and dad were great musicians as well. Especially important to the sound of this song is the use of a digital kick drum. To get the same kind of power we had on the original Talkin' Bout I used a program called Soundreplacer that takes the kick drum I played and replaces it with the sound of my choice. I also used a keyboard sound from an Oberheim 1000 module to give it that big bend on the attack of the chords.
I'M JUST A SIMPLE GUY
THIS WORLD OF STRUGGLES AROUND ME
HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGH
DOWN THE PATH OF MY YOUTH WHERE IT GUIDES ME
THE FLESH AND BLOOD UNFOLDS
SECRETS OF MY LIFE I HOLD
BUT WHEN I NEEDED ANSWERS
I COULD FIND THEM DEEP INSIDE
CAUSE I'M THE SON
STILL GOT THOSE INNOCENT KIDS EYES
I WON'T TAKE IT ON THE CHIN
I'M A GONNA WIN AND I GOTTA LIVE LIFE
I'M THE SON
THAT WAS RAISED FROM A DISTANCE
BY THE WORLDS DEMANDS
BY THE GENTLE HANDS
OF A POWERFUL MAN
LIFE HAS ITS TWISTS AND TURNS
ALONG THE TRAVELS TO JOURNEY'S END
AND TIME IT'S A HEAVY LOAD
THE BUMPS AND GRINDS THERE
ALONG THE QUEST
BUT HOW THE STORY GOES NOBODY REALLY KNOWS
BUT AT EVERY CORNER YOU WERE RIGHT THERE BY MY SIDE
CAUSE I'M THE SON
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED - R. Berry
In our lives we have friends come and go. We are influenced in some way by their passing through our life. The same year we lost Keith, I lost another very good and inspiring friend to the same fate. Trent Gardener was a talented composer and keyboard player. To me he seemed steady as a rock and highly focused. His band, Magellan was an early entry into the prog-metal scene. He was a deep and methodical thinker, yet very open in his musical style. Trent could fit any musical passage together with another and blend the sound like sheer genius. He left a lasting musical impression on me. The Rules Have Changed is about my utter disbelief that he was capable of ending such a passionate life and throwing away the genius he was. How do we wind up deep in that hole? When all the songs for this album were complete it seemed like this one held the perfect title for the whole album.
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED
WHERE ARE THOSE WORDS
THAT YOU SAID WHEN I BELIEVED IN YOU
THE LINE IS DRAWN
MY FRIEND I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A CLUE
I BELIEVED IN YOU
TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND
DEFEND MY INNER PEACE
CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ONE
THAT YOU ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED
YOU CROSSED THAT LINE
BETWEEN TRUST AND DOUBT
AND HUMAN KIND
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED - CHANGED
(IN THE DARK WE LAY) (LOST SOULS)
(DOWN IN THE HOLE)
I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE SIGNS
ALONG THAT ROAD
HIDING IN WORDS THAT DON’T RING TRUE
THE SUBTLE SIGHS BENEATH A CRY
THERE BEHIND THE TEARS
YOU CROSSED THAT LINE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE KNEW
I BELIEVED IN YOU
AND THE WORLD STOPPED SPINNING ROUND
LIKE NOTHIN’ I FEEL NOW
I KNOW WHAT’S DONE IS DONE
BUT NOW GONE --- WHAT YOU BECAME TO ME
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED
LIKE A BROTHER I COULD HOLD YOU UP
IN YOUR PAIN
A LOST SOUL, FADES AWAY
I SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT IN YOUR EYES
SOMETHING HAD CHANGED (FADE — AWAY—- AWAY)
OUR BOND - R. Berry
I posted the acoustic version of this song after I felt strong enough to actually write a song about how I was feeling. I was hoping it conveyed the sentiments of so many others that were feeling the loss. I called our group the Emerson Army. A group of us that bonded together in the sadness at hand. It simply read; “For those of us that knew him personally, Keith Emerson was a kindhearted, fun-loving, and a very, very sweet man. You put on top of that the level of artistry he presented and you have one remarkable life. Keith was an expressive composer of music and magnificent player of the keys, and a more than spellbinding high-energy performer. Keith Emerson changed my life. He encouraged me, he mentored me and he was a partner in the most glorious musical experience I’ve ever had. It is a terribly sad loss for the world of music and an incredibly sad day for me personally”. Robert Berry, 3 (sometimes referred to as Emerson, Berry & Palmer)
The loss hit me hard as it did many of us. I’ve tried to express all of our feelings in the lyrics of Our Bond.
NO TALKING NO DEFENCE IT’S HERE
THE WEIGHTS BECOME TOO MUCH TO BARE
THE BURDENS AS WE MARCH
THROUGH THE TRENCHES OF THIS WORLD
IT ALL CHANGED HERE TODAY
IN A LONELY ROOM SURROUNDED BY
A MILLION REASONS TO STAND TALL
BUT THE LAST AND FINAL FALL
WAS ONE NO MAN COULD SHARE
ALONE WITH HIS FEARS
AND I HOLD THE LOVE I HAVE FOR YOU
THE PASSION YOUR HANDS BROUGHT TO MY EARS
THE MUSIC'S BLOOD BECAME OUR BOND
A GOOD MAN, THAT WE HONOR HERE
IT ALL CHANGED HERE TODAY
LLEGASTE A UN LUGAR QUE POCOS LLEGAN
CON EL PODER DE MONTANAS EN TUS MANOS
UNA BRILLANTE ESTRELLA SOBRA LA TIERRA
IT ALL CHANGES HERE TODAY
EN ESTE LUGAR DE DESCANSO ETERNO
IN AN INSTANT IT WAS CLEAR YOU WERE GONE
ACROSS THE WORLD A SOUND
LIKE TRUTH TO HOLD ONTO
IN DISBELIEF WE HOPE FOR PEACE
IN EVERYTHING WE HELD DEAR
IN THAT PLACE NO MAN CAN SHARE
SOLO CON SUS TEMORES
AND I HOLD THE LOVE I HAVE FOR YOU
THE PASSION YOUR HANDS BROUGHT TO MY EARS
THE MUSIC'S BLOOD BECAME OUR BOND
A GOOD MAN, THAT WE HONOR HERE
WHAT YOU'RE DREAMING NOW - K. Emerson, R. Berry
I still recall the week I returned to England clutching new demos for the second 3 album. I was excited to play them for Keith and Carl. They included Last Ride into the Sun and Shelter. My hope was to hit hard with a new album that had deeper cuts. That same day my dream was shattered. Keith wanted out. But, as life goes, new dreams are pursued and fulfilled. I got many calls over the next 28 years. Sammy Hagar, Ambrosia, Greg Kihn. But, that one dream was still lingering in the back of my mind. The follow up 3 album. Then news arrived that David Skye, A&R rep for RockBeat Records wanted to release several “live” 3 concert recordings. Wow, 27 years later people still remembered what we had done. After Keith listened to those performances he called me with a renewed interest in 3. He was so excited, and said “Robert, we were a really good band. I just didn’t realize it until now”. There it was. The opening to revisit that dream album that had eluded me. Within 6 months I was working on writing songs for 3.2. “What You're Dreamin' Now” was a special song for me to approach Keith had given me this song back in 1987 and I didn’t have time to really get into it in the day. I have no idea if he stole little parts from himself over the years, but his recollection was that it would finally be a great new piece. I loved the power in the bass riff and the syncopation in the verse. Most of the music composition is Keith with the melody and lyric being added by me 28 years later. It was a pleasure to finally finish it up. And of course, to finally make that dream from all those years ago what I was dreaming now.
LOOK RIGHT OVER MY SHOULDER
WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THE PAST
WHO HOLDS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE
I KNOW IT'S WITHIN MY GRASP
WHEN THE RACE IS FINALLY OVER
AND REALITY IS ALL AROUND
RAISE YOUR HEAD UP ABOVE THE ACTION
MAKE THAT DREAM WHAT YOU'RE DREAMING NOW
REACHING THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
LOOK AROUND THE WORLD IS VAST
SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING TO LEAN ON
SOMETHING I KNOW THAT WILL LAST
GRAB AHOLD OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING
SHOUT THAT YOU WON'T GIVE IN
EVERY MORNING FEED YOUR OWN FAITH
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE
THAN THE GROUND RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE STANDIN'
SOMEBODY'S WATCHING - K. Emerson, R. Berry
The biggest test in life has always been to follow the right path. You must protect the gift and cherish the time we get here on earth. I have always felt that I am a very lucky guy. I work hard, I wait, I plan, and things just seem to show up in my life. But the main thing that we are accountable to and what is really watching us be who we are 24/7 is ourselves. If we set the standard and have a code we live by I believe we will succeed. Could our departed loved ones be watching? Is there a higher power that is watching? Or are we actually setting our sites on our own lives and guiding our path? The intro piano section of this piece is pure Emerson at his best. The odd chromatic climb into the song was very hard to figure out but gave the intro a nice build. Something else in this song is signature Emerson but most people have never heard it before. He had a very strange way of programing his drum machine patterns on his demos. Although there are real acoustic drums on here you can hear the drum machine augmenting in places. That is his original pattern and it makes it move quite nicely.
SOMEBODIES WATCHING OVER MY LIFE
THE ROAD THAT I WALK ON
THE KEY TO INSIDE
IT MOVES ME FORWARD DRIVES THE GOAL
TO ACHIEVE WHAT LIFE OFFERS
COMPLETE AND WHOLE
SOMEBODIES WATCHING THE RULES I MAY BREAK
THE KEY TO THE BALANCE
THE GIVE IN OR TAKE
THE SHADOWS OF LIGHT THAT MAY LOOK DIM
I TRAVELED THIS ROAD
FOUND MY PEACE WITHIN
SOMEBODY'S WATCHIN' NOT A DAY GOES BY
I DON'T FEEL THE PRESENCE
I DON'T FEEL ALIVE
SHE HOLDS MY HAND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
IN HER ARMS I'M CRADLED
HERE BY HER SIDE
SOMEBODIES WATCHIN'
MY WILL TO SURVIVE
THE FALL TO THE LEFT THE CLIMB TO THE RIGHT
NOWHERE TO BE SEEN
BY THE NAKED EYE IN THE SILENCE AROUND ME
IT CAN'T BE DENIED
THIS LETTER R. Berry
I find it interesting that even though I have written several hundred songs that it is still hard to write down my feelings about the loves in my life. I never quite get it to sound as amazing as it feels. The Letter sprung from thoughts about Keith's grandkids and my feelings about my kids and wife Rebecca. My idea was to express exactly how hard it is to put down in words what is overwhelming as feelings. Keith had mentioned when he was playing for me on a Tempest record I was producing that he really liked Celtic music. "The Letter" started with a bit of an old English, Celtic feel to it. Keith had also sent me an email that simply said "Your wife Rebecca is a keeper, lose the beard". I don't know why, but that lead me down the path of combining all those feelings and a style which would start out folky and then wind up with some intense Emerson playing. What gave me more momentum was that amongst all the stress Keith had over some upcoming shows, all he really wanted to do was get past them and go see his grandkids. Interesting enough, years before when his son Aaron had told him he was going to be a grandfather Keith had told me that he wasn't quite ready for that. As in "that sounds like I'm an old man". Years later it was the most important thing in his life. I put all that together with my personal feelings and there came the song. Two weeks before Keith passed away. I had been so excited to play it for him. I can only imagine how he would have built the song's ending.
I'M GONNA WRITE THIS LETTER
THINKIN' BOUT THE WORDS TO SAY
BUT THE MINUTES FLY
THEY FLY AWAY WITHOUT A SOUND
WRITIN' DOWN MY HEART AS IF
NO ONE EVER HEARD IT QUITE LIKE THIS
NOT THIS KIND OF THING BEFORE
HONESTY AND MORE
THE TRUTH ALL OVER IT
YET ALL THE LETTERS BLUR IN RHYME
THROUGH TEARS I SEE EVERY LINE
I CAN'T EXACTLY WRAP MY HEAD AROUND
WHAT IT MEANS ME LOVIN' YOU
AND YOU KNOW I'LL SEE IT THROUGH
WITH EVERY WORD I SAY
IN EVERY SINGLE DAY
AND SATISFIED IS HARDLY IT
I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE WAY IT IS
THOUGH MIRACLES MAY BE
YOU'RE A LOVE I NEVER THOUGHT I'D LIVE TO SEE
BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS SHELTERED SPACE
NOT THE ROAD BEFORE, THAT HIDING PLACE
JUST ONE DEEP BREATH, WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO HAVE FAITH
RECOLORING MY LIFE IN PICTURES
PAINTED NOTHING LIKE MY UNIVERSE BEFORE
WE STRUGGLE IN BETWEEN THE LINES
IT GETS HARDER EVERY TIME
WE CAN'T GIVE UP ON DREAMS
YES TOGETHER WE HAVE FOUND THIS TIME
THE MUSIC RINGS OUT AS WE CLIMB
I STILL CAN'T REALLY FIGURE OUT
WHAT IT MEANS ME LOVIN' YOU
TUMBLING AND FALLIN' DOWN
THE ROUGH TIMES WHEN I HIT THE GROUND
EVERY TIME I THOUGHT I HAD IT RIGHT
I WAS ASLEEP BUT COULDN'T CLOSE MY EYES
FINE WITH WHAT I FELT INSIDE
JUST NOTHIN', JUST EMPTY IN MY LIFE
YOUR MARK ON THE WORLD - K. Emerson, R. Berry
“Your Mark” is one of those songs that appeared while trying to figure out which direction the last few pieces should take. I was always influenced by the fact that what I wrote and recorded every day for myself or clients at the studio was going down for all eternity.
I couldn't afford a off day, to cancel a session, or to just not be ready to do what needed to be done. Fortunately for me this never felt like pressure. It felt more like a challenge. I am also aware that we only have so much time on this Earth, and every minute we waste is gone forever. I had some really good parts that Keith had sent me and like a puzzle that is completed part by part, it came together as one of my favorites.
OH WHAT WE GRAB FROM THE EDGE OF LIFE
WE LEARN TIL WE REACH TO WHERE FULFILLMENT RESIDES
THOUGH IT MAY SEEM A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME
AND A HARD, HARD, HARD CLIMB
WE MUST BELIEVE
TIME MOVES QUICKLY DOWN THAT ROAD SIDE
WHAT YOU MAKE OF EVERY MINUTE IN YOUR LIFE
IT'S WHAT YOU BECOME
WHAT YOU'RE REMEMBERED FOR
OR NOTHING AT ALL
THIS IS YOUR MARK ON THE WORLD
IT'S STILL RAINING IN DECEMBER
THE WORLD THAT I ONCE PUSHED AWAY
EVERYTHING I CAME HERE FOR
THE HIGHEST CREST, THE TRACKS I LAYED
HEAVY RAINS EVERYDAY LIKE FIRE
THE LAND IS KING WE FIGHT ONE ANOTHER
WORDS FLOW FREE LIKE RIVERS OF GOLD
IT'S STILL RAINING, IT'S STILL RAINING
SEARCH THE ASHES BENEATH THE FIRE
LESSONS LEARNED WE KILL ONE ANOTHER
THE TREASURES GREAT WE’RE FOREVER TOLD
IT’S STILL RAINING, IT’S STILL RAINING
TIME MOVES QUICKLY DOWN THE ROADSIDE
WHAT YOU MAKE OF EVERY MINUTE IN YOUR LIFE
IT’S WHAT YOU’VE BECOME
WHAT YOU’RE REMEMBERED FOR
OR NOTHING AT ALL
THIS IS YOUR MARK ON THE WORLD
YOUR MARK ON
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