Samples are available at:
       http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/alienguitar
       http://www.myspace.com/alienguitarabduction
       http://www.guitar9.com/bigfootlives.html
       http://www.soundclick.com/alienguitarabduction
   
  TRACK NOTES:

1) Into The Light  This was the first song I recorded after releasing EUREKA!!  I 've always been fascinated how complex sounding melodies can be created using devices such as counterpoint; the Bach fugues are my favorite example of layered melodies. ITL attempts to demonstrate this musical strategy by using only a couple overlayed guitar tracks that I played on my Tachamine acoustic-electric. The theme represents coming out a dark period in one's life, and 'seeing the light'; a redemption or discovery of truth.
2) March of the Sasquatch  Sasquatch is my tribute to Bigfoot, a subject I've long been interested in, to the point that I wrote a book on the subject while living in Northern California (Bigfoot Slept Here). The theme is meant to express the feeling of a hike or expedition into the depths of an ancient forest, reflecting a mystery and intrigue, mixed with a bit of apprehension. The crazy wah solo that closes the piece represents a sudden terrifying encounter with the monster of the forest. I recorded the melody of this song in one take, with no prior composing or planning; it was all completely improvised. I simply came up with a funky sounding guitar rhythm, then improvised on top of it. I use my favorite guitar effect, Slow Gear, a volume swell effect, for the main melody. Sasquatch is meant to express the main theme of this album.
3) Alien Moon Another song expressing a mysterious mood, this time a tribute to old sci-fi films, the idea of landing on an alien world, where the moon in the sky is no longer the familiar one. I used the Axon extensively in this song, including the drum track; everything was played on my Brian Moore guitar.
4) Stan's Blues My version of the blues. I wanted to record a stand-alone guitat piece, the way blues greats such as Stevie Ray and Roy Buchanan have done in the past, but modernize it and give it a progressive sound. This song uses a lot of Travis picking technique and octave playing.
5) Tioga Heaven The title refers to my address in Colorado. This was my first Axon piece, so I wanted to play tribute to techno greats like Paul Overson. Once again,  mosteverything is played on guitar, including half of the drums.
6) Hammeron This is my tip of the hat to the great fusion guitarists, Al Di Meola in particular. I wanted to recreate the exotic sound made famous in the album Elegant Gipsy. The main melody is introduced, then repeate with fourths and fifths to harmonize. The intro is a two-handed arpeggio that is one trademark of my technique, something I first learned from two-handed greats Stanley Jordan and Tony MacAlpine. The closing solo uses pick slides the way Mathias Jabs did playing with the Scorpions.
7) Fickle Hill This is a re-record of a song I first recorded while living in a small cottage in the woods on Fickle Hill, in Northern California. I use a pedal tone technique as the basis for the melody. The intro solo uses sliding taps, something I've adapted from the styles of Steve Vai and Vito Bratta (of White Lion fame). I wanted to creat an epic feel, to express the emotion of stepping out of my cabin on a dark night, and seeing the entire Milky Way spread out before my eyes.
8) Silver Cascade I recorded this piece after ice-climbing up a frozen waterfall. It was my first time ice-climbing, and I wanted to express how cool it is being out on an icy waterfall, this one named Silver Cascade. The tones express the flowing water and refractive sunlight playing on the ice. The rythm is played with a number of overlayed complex chords, using wide stretches and open strings for some really cool suspended voices. The melody uses my Ibanez Jem and the Slow Gear effect.
9) Fun Wah Frenzy The title pretty much says it. I was inspired by Hendrix and John Petrucci (my old teacher!) for the solo. I use a synthesized piano sound on my Axon guitar synth for the first half, run through some rockabilly guitar compression effects. The background rythm is a multi-fingered tap.
10) Suspended Some have told me it sounds like Robert Fripp, but I was probably more influenced by the Maravishnu project and John Mclaughlin for this one. The harmony/rhythm uses my favorite chord, really technically not "suspended" but an eleven chord that I use on several pieces on this cd. It's a chord I first learned from an early Joe Satriani tune that I heard on a vinyl disc that was included inside an issue of Guitar Player Magazine.
11) Pikes Peak/Pueblo Days My tribute to life in southeastern Colorado. I wanted to have at least one unabashed self-indulging guitar solo on this cd; hence the intro which constitutes Pikes Peak. I use a variety of techniques in the solo, starting with harmonized two-handed arpeggios, shifting to double octave taps, then some really complex two-handed stuff, and finally reverting to good-ol-fashioned shred speed-picking. Pueblo Days borrows the psychedelic backwards guitar for the harmony, but the melody transitions to a pseudo-steel drums played with the Axon, my tributeto the late east-African guitarist Ochieng Kabasellah, with a little of the Doors thrown in.
12) Septoplasty This was the final tune I recorded for the Bigfoot cd. I wrote it while recovering from surgery on my nose (a septoplasty). I had gone several day without any sleep, and was pretty uncomfortable. So, the song represents the feeling of drifting in and out of lucidity. It's a narcotic influenced decent into the boundary between life and death, sickness and health. As such, their is pain and despair, but also hope and recovery. Much of the guitar was played with a low open C tuning, with lots of harmonics!
13)  Dreaming  I literally dreamed this song. I kept hearing the simple repetitive melody in my dream, so when I woke I immediately grabbed my guitar and made sure I had the notes down. I confess, it's a really simple melody beaten to death, but hey, I dreamed it, and one can't just ignore one's dreams, can one?
14)  Sonic Acid  Once again, title says it all. I've always loved psychedelic guitar, especially influenced by Tim Wray, a great but unrecognized guitarist who fronts the band Fat Paw. This tune uses all sort of psychedelic guitar techniques, including backwards-guitar, and a variety of panned sounds.
15)  Heartbreak I had to have one pure-emotion guitar piece on this cd. I really love from-the-gut guitar, like Steve Vai's For the love of God, or Roy Buchanan's Messiah. This dragged-out solo probably owes more to Neil Young's Like a Hurricane. The whole solo is one take, one theme, all meant to express the emotions of an unrequitted love. The background arpeggios are a simple two chord progression using one of my favorite chords, a major thirteenth.
16)  Disturbed  Where Heartbreak was all about solo, Disturbed is all in the accompaniment and rythm. Another one-take idea, where I simply tuned my Tachamine to a crazy open tuning (my favorite eleven chord), then just beat away on the frets, fretboard, body, and strings all while letting things feedback. The opening and closing licks are solo phrase that I play while in the open tuning. This is a great technique to use when you wan't to 'play outside the box'.  Needless to say, the basic theme is a descent into semi-insanity. Hope you enjoyed-Stan Rose
 

---

  HOME    ABOUT   SAMPLES  PURCHASE    NEWS    AXON   CONTACT