Ghost Train RadioTone Photos
Posted on October 25, 2022
A good friend of ours recently called my music “Tone Poems”. I looked up what a Tone Poem is and found that (like Art Song) these terms are beyond my musical ability. I like the terms, but I’m just a 3 minute pop song writer with slowly improving musicianship – fast enough though!
But she is right about one thing, I like reciting my lyrics like poetry rather than singing. Its my intention, not because I’m not a good singer. With enough work and some coaching (like when I took Cello lessons) I could become an OK singer if I wanted to. I just have no interest.
HOWEVER, when I write a song it is always connected to photography. Photographs and graphic art always co-mingle in my mind in a delightful way. So, lets call these posts Tone Photos?
From Photo to Song
Posted on October 7, 2022
Most of my songs are a combination of three things:
- A photograph
- How I felt when I took the photograph
- A real life story but turned universal and which either directly or indirectly matches the photograph
This blog celebrates both nature photography and still life photography where I make puppet theatre sets with scraps of wood or where I show some of my past assemblage art. One area I’d love to get back to is street photography in cities and towns. I have shared some of my old European street photography, but probably not enough as that was done using film way back in the 80’s.
Sometimes the words are song lyrics, sometimes there is no music and the words are trying to pass themselves off as poetry. Words have a tendency to do that.
My intent with this blog was to meld multi-media together. I had some ideas for doing videos but have abandoned that as I enjoy good old still photography much more.
Minds Eye
Posted on October 3, 2022
There are scenes
Photographic dreams
Once in a lifetime
Favorites of mine
Some visions last
Like ghosts from my past
Friendly and warm
In from the storm
Like an old friend
These visions again
Grace my minds eye
Past wonderful times
Pumpkin Hill
Posted on October 2, 2022
They say there's no gold left in these hills
I respectfully disagree
I see golden squash and pumpkins
As far as the eye can see
Mining's fine but not my thing
All that glitters is not gold
When autumn comes to town
These colors never get old
I mark each year
When the trees make their final show
Before they sleep
Before the year grows old
Effervescent Neon Light
Posted on October 2, 2022
Effervescent neon light
Will the leaves fall off tonight
One poor tree has lost its leaves
This yearly cycle sure does please
A finer coat I've never seen
These vibrant colors of the leaves
Effervescent neon light
Will the leaves fall off tonight
K.B.O.D Radio Ghost Town
Posted on September 30, 2022
Radio Ghost Town
K.B.O.D
Spinning yarns in song
From a cemetery
The ghost of
Lottie Johl
Shunned by some
In the know
Seen in a trance
Rope burns on neck
Joseph de Roche
Lives he wrecked
Sprits abound
At the cemetery
And all over town
Its really quite eerie
Broken Wagon
Posted on March 17, 2022
This one requires a little set up. It was 1987 and I was teaching programming classes at a company called PSDI in Cambridge, Mass, in the Boston area.
On the weekend I took a photo pilgramage trip to Lowell, Mass, birthplace of Jack Kerouac. I saw his inspiration for Dr. Sax, and just what it would have been like growing up there. But while crossing a bridge over the Merrimac, near an old mill, I saw a Radio Flyer Wagon, frozen in solid ice on the river.
For me, that was the image that has always stuck with me regarding Lowell.
Kerouac (and my father born in the same year a month apart) would have turned 100. I’m glad to see there were quite a few mentions of this anniversary.
Last night
Last flight
Radio Flyer
Solid Ice
Merrimac
Lowell Mass
Mill Town
Ti Jean
12 Stations
Oblations
Dr. Sax
Notations
Dharma Bums
On The Road
Vue Girard
Very Odd
Ode to Arthur Fellig
Posted on March 3, 2022
Here is the song on the Volt 276 with EQ and effects:
And here it is on the Volt 276 without EQ or effects (but with its onboard “vintage” mode):
They called him Weegee
The name of his game
Was Street Photography
You really should see it
High society
Gala affairs
Scandal sheets
Devil may care
Lowbrow Bowery
Gypsies, Tramps and thieves
Real life captured
Beyond belief
Fact or fiction
Is it really real
Scenes on film
History sealed
Another era
Another time
The fleeting moment
So sublime
Life is just
Imitation of art
We are characters
In a play with a part
Chorus
New York City
Late Night scenes
Real life
Humanity
in a nutshell
- Weegee was one of the most iconic American photographers
- He had an eye for reportage with a very humanistic approach
- His reportage also was quite an artistic expression
discussion
New York City has always been intense and the stories told there are legendary. People from all over the world have moved there. It is a global melting pot and always has been. Weegee was one of many extraordinary characters. His photography and cinematic work inspired many others. His photographs grace all of the photo art books.
theme
Art and life can many times and many ways be one in the same. Humanistic photography is many times not too pretty looking, but it is real. At first it can even be shocking, but then the humanity oozes out. Weegee was a master at this.
conclusion
I’m finding that writing lyrics and music about quirky American historical characters is great fun. All seem a bit wacky at first glance, then you see the humanity in their souls and they become unlikely folk heroes.
Shades of November
Posted on January 17, 2022
High above the telegraph wire
A Winter Moon that does inspire
Familiar, and as I remember
I saw the same thing in November
I never liked January
It always seemed bleak to me
But now I've opened my eyes
To this beautiful new surprise
Every month has it's gems
Just look round the bend
Take your camera and look
Round every cranny and nook
The Puppet Portraitist
Posted on January 10, 2022
I stumbled on a pretty cool new idea – use a small Lumix LX-5 digital camera but take pictures through the two old Twin Lens Reflex cameras I have. I might even devise some sort of bellows.
The Puppet Portraitist
Has an important job
Take pictures of Dummies,
Politicians and other such Slobs
The Puppet Portraitist
Has too much work
Snooty entitled Puppets
And other Selfish Jerks
The Puppet Portraitist
Changed his rules
From now on only good puppets
He won't suffer fools
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