Lover’s Line has been with me for a long time and has had a few different studio incarnations. In my recollection, the writing came together quickly, and is one of my simpler compositions. Lyrically, it is one of my “progressive” songs, as each chorus adds a new element. The original title, Till the End of Time, was meant to convey a sense of this love lasting forever, through “thick and thin,” overcoming any obstacles. Over time, I decided to focus on an unwavering commitment – as in sticking … [Read more...]

Now You Can Tell Me is the fourth instrumental release from my upcoming mostly instrumental album, Electric Ned & The Danger Babies, and the first to include the gorgeous piano work of Nashville session player, composer, instrumentalist, and producer Dave Hoffner. This is a collaboration that will feature prominently in several of the upcoming releases, both instrumental and lyrical. Fett and I did not want to hold Dave back for this recording and gave him a full carte blanche to let loose … [Read more...]

When I received my vascular dementia diagnosis about 2 years ago, I wrote a handful of songs that were, admittedly, kinda maudlin and morbid. Three of them – “I Will Be There With You,” “To Get Next To You,” and this one, “Be Home Soon” were written from the point of view from someone who was not here anymore. I wasn’t depressed about my situation, but I did perseverate a bit about not knowing how long I’d be around, or how long I’d be functioning well enough to write, play guitar, sing, and … [Read more...]

Continuing with the mostly instrumental portion of the Legacy Music Project, which some of us/you may know as Electric Ned & The Danger Babies, here’s “For This Reason.” This expansive song was written with a creative question – could I compose an instrumental with a ton of space in it – both “out there” and empty connotations – that would still be musically interesting enough to keep a listener’s attention? Have I been successful? You’ll have to let me know! I’m particularly pleased with … [Read more...]

In 2023, after regaining some of my confidence in composing music, playing the acoustic guitar, and developing my skills on electric guitar after losing everything to a dementia diagnosis and basically starting over, I began to write instrumental songs. This one, Blue Night Blue, is one of the earliest attempts to express myself without lyrics. To my surprise, the composition began with a lead part, a riff. This was completely unexpected, because in all my years – 59 – of playing guitar, I was … [Read more...]

To Get Next To You is one of my recent ones. In a miraculously prolific year (thank you 2023, for this part, anyway), I’ve written eight new songs - music and lyrics - and six instrumentals. For perspective: I hadn’t written a complete song in more than two decades. (Which is another story for another time.) I also taught myself to play the electric guitar – my now-beloved Fender Stratocaster, Dolphin Gray. (At least for me, playing an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar are two very … [Read more...]