Speak happens to have some of my favorite lyrics on it.  Every song on the disc was written after Mother Love's was recorded, making it the only disc to date that had entirely new songs on it.

Once again, Andy Tyminski did most of the drum work on the album.  Andy was living in Athens, Georgia, while attending the University of Georgia (I'll leave all the Bulldog jokes out of this).  I went to visit him for about a week, and loaded up the car with a bunch of equipment.

We recorded all but one day that I was there, and we did I live show downtown, where we got to play a few of the new songs live.  It was a good trip.

When I left Athens, I had 13 tracks of drums recorded.  I travelled up to West Lafayette Indiana, were I laid down a few more tracks over the next week and a half, and finished up recording, mixing, and mastering when I returned back to Virginia Beach.

Track Break Down

Start Making Sense

Written March 2004

This was a song that I wasn't even sure I was going to put on the CD, but ended up being the intro cut.  It was something that I wrote on the fly one night after watching the news and getting pissed off.  It is what it is, but I only put it on the CD after a friend of mine heard it on a tape I had made and said that she loved the song.

On Hold

August 2004

I was cooking dinner and enjoying a beverage, when I just had the tune and words "Hold on, Hold on tightly.  Never let this go" start ringing in my head.  After dinner I went into my music room and banged it out.  I recorded it the very next night, and considering how many parts it has, was amazed that I finished the entire song in under three hours.

What's Up?

Written April 3, 2004

I think this is one of the most radio-friendly songs on the disc.  I wrote the lyrics while sitting outside of San Antonio Sam's on Colley Avenue, having a drink with a few friends.  The music was so easy to put together, I didn't think I was going to like the song as much as I do.

Without You

Written December 2003

I rewrote the lyrics to this song at least three times.  I just had a hard time conveying what I was trying to say.  When I was done, the only line in the song, besides the chorus,  that was left from the original song was, "I'm against the wall, and shaking still; I'm shaking still."

Be Somebody

Written January 2004

I really like the lyrics to this song.  It is not one that most people ever bring up when discussing this CD with me, but it is one of my top five favorites from this CD.

When I was recording it, I was having a hard time recording one of the guitar tracks due to pain in my hand from an injury.  I could have waited to be fully healed, but I really wanted to get the track finished.  Since I still record old-school style, using mixing boards and consoles rather than computers, the idea of looping the track was not very practical (plus, I hate the idea of "cheating") so, it ended up taking me almost three hours to record the one track.  Oh, well.

29 Second Filler

Written May 2004

Just a drunk idea that was recorded with aide of Sam Adams. Mix tapes are pretty much a thing of the past, but even making CD compilations at times can be a time challenge.

Silly Girl

Written April 18, 2004

Andy was really excited about this song.  I liked the idea that I had of the intertwined mandolin and guitar parts.  Unfortunately, neither of us was thrilled with how it came out.  I remixed it several times, and I almost just cut it completely, but Andy felt what I had was good enough to make the CD.

Start The Revolution

Written March 2004

This song is made up of the titles and some lines from John Lennon authored songs.  The only song titled I used that wasn't one of John's was "Yesterday," which was actually written by Paul McCartney, but it fit perfect with the song, and it was copyrighted under Lennon/McCartney.  So, yeah.

Almost Over Now

Written November 2004

This is one of my favorite songs ever.  I really like the lyrics, music, melody, etc.  It is one of the few songs that every time I hear it I wish that everyone could hear it at least once.

I Want You Back

Written February 2004

There is no story behind this song.  I did not write it with anyone particular in mind.  It was just something I was playing on the piano for a while and decided to do something with it.

Tomorrow 

Written September 2003

This started off with an idea I had for a bass line a couple of months before.  It just slowly grew into the song.  I hear a lot of influence from different 80's bands in the song, but that is not surprising.

Speak

Written August 2004

I had come up with the beat and bass part.  I recorded them and then just experimented with other tracks and instruments.  When it came to lyrics, I had just finished reading Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak.  Though my lyrics have nothing to do with the plot of the novel, I had the title bouncing around my head when I was writing.

Goodnight, Hopes

Written August 7, 2004

Another year older, I was just reflecting on paper.  I think most people have those moments, or even days, when they feel defeated or maybe just overwhelmed with how life isn't what we thought it was going to be when we were younger.  But, maybe I'm wrong.

Blush

Written July 2004

This song turn out exactly how I heard it in my head when I first wrote it.  It is definitely my favorite over-all song on this CD.

False Take

This was the demo recording of She's Not My Style.  While I was recording the tune and melody so I would remember them after I sobered up, my wife came into the room and kiddingly asked, "Am I not your style."  I told her I was going to put that on the CD, and she told me that I had better not.  Yeah, that worked.

She's Not My Style

Written August 24, 2004