Just for the record

We don't do this. EVER.

Asia Redux (Redux) (Redux)

As far as I'm concerned, this blog is about disagreeing sometimes with my fellow DVers. So...it's time to do that again. :)

To My Fellow Reviewers (You Know Who You Are):

I acknowledge, first off, that I am often in the minority among my DV friends. I don't get the Grateful Dead, I dislike Bob Dylan, I kinda like Barry Manilow -- I am, needless to say, the very soul of uncool sometimes. After many years of struggling with this, I have learned to deal with it.

But I'm about to take it another step. I kind of like Asia, at least their first and second CDs, Asia and Alpha. I cheerily admit everything after that is crap, except for "Days Like These" off their Then And Now CD. Slick as the Exxon Valdez spill? Check. Corporate, soulless, mechanical? Yep, all that's somewhat true. Live albums recorded in more locations than "CSI" spinoffs in a shallow attempt to cash in on the same songs over and over again? I agree. But damn it, there are occasional moments when "Heat Of The Moment" or "Don't Cry" just hits the spot. I don't own the CDs, I don't need to own the CDs, but they're...acceptably mediocre with a chance of partly fair.

My fellow writers seem to believe they're the musical equivalent of Times Beach, Missouri. And now they've decided to give the new CD a bad rep even before it's been released by being a bit...er...what's the term I'm looking for here...ah, yes, snarky *grin*... about who's actually in the band.

There's a serious point to this; in my judgment, critics perpetuate their opinions of artists without paying attention to what they might be doing at the time. Yes, Asia's new CD, Phoenix, will probably mostly suck. But if it doesn't...are we going to be sufficiently open-minded to admit it doesn't mostly suck?

Washed-Up Band Strikes Back Against "The Man"

This just in from Daily Vault Staff Writer Bruce Rusk:

Eighties has-beens and one-and-a-half hit wonders The Romantics took time off from their gala tour of Holiday Inns and mall openings to file legal action against Activision Games and their partners Redoctane, publishers of the wildly successful Guitar Hero series of games.

For those of you who have lives (or don't have teenagers), Guitar Hero is a video game wherein the player manipulates a plastic guitar thingy and plays along with famous rock songs. Most of the songs are covers (used by permission) and some are the original recordings. Yes , royalties and all that do apply. Some major acts including Metallica, Aerosmith and Pearl Jam have blessed the games with their original recordings. The rest apparently gave permission and cashed the check, thank-you-very-much-nice-doing-business-with-you.

In one of the many versions of the game; Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s, a cover version of The Romantics' ubiquitous "What I Like About You" is included. Apparently the band took offense to the fact that according to them, the song "sounds too much like us."

Okay you window-lickers, when the sound of your careers fading further off into the sunset subsides, listen closely...

IT'S A COVER! IT'S SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE YOU!

According to a statement from the band's lawyer, The Romantics felt the cover "infringed" on their "trademark sound" and wanted to "share in any "good commerce" generated by the game.

OK, I see, you want some money. That I understand.

The irony of this is that the same song is now the advertising jingle for Hampton Inns. In fact, it's been flogged all over the airwaves in several advertising campaigns for things like cleaning products and frozen desserts over the past two decades. However, when it's being used to shill window cleaner, it's really the Romantics performing, thereby leaving their integrity intact and their wallets a little fatter. That'll come in handy as they travel out to the brightly lit stages of their stellar career, like their upcoming shows at the St. Angela Merici School's 21st Annual SummerFest 2008 and the National Cherry Festival.

As I was marveling over this incident, I discovered that a judge threw the case out stating that Activision had acted within that law, and without ill will towards the band. I suspect an appeal is coming, as soon as they can whore that song out to Tampax or Quaker Oats and raise enough to pay their lawyer.

Asia redux (redux)

Just for the record, this post is all Michael Ehret's fault, except for the parts that are all Bruce Rusk's fault.

See, Michael, having read Bruce's and my reviews of the original self-titled Asia disc from 1982, clapped his hands together with glee when he heard the recent news about the four original members of Asia reuniting not just for a tour, but for a new album, titled Phoenix and due out in April.

This naturally led to a conversation on the Vault writers' e-mail discussion list that went something like this:

Funny you should mention the "not-original" Asia... yes, [keyboardist Geoff] Downes kept the name alive for 15 years with no other original members. The main other guy was a bassist-guitarist-vocalist named John Payne, with rotating touring guitarists and drummers. Every so often one of the other original four would play a few shows with Downes and Payne for old times' sake -- I think [guitarist Steve] Howe once played most of a tour in the early 90s while the [guitarist Trevor] Rabin edition of Yes was busy recording Talk.

About two or three years ago, [original Asia bassist-vocalist John] Wetton and Downes got together and made an album -- I think it was called Icon -- and then Yes went on hiatus, so Howe became available, and [drummer Carl] Palmer jumped in too. Apparently you hit it right on the head as far as the "other" Asia -- Downes left them by the side of the road... But that's not the end of the story! John Payne and the other two guys who were current in Asia at the time have now formed a band named -- I kid you not -- "Asia Featuring John Payne." As opposed to the Downes-Howe-Wetton-Palmer edition of Asia, which is technically known as "The Four Original Members of Asia."

See, it isn't just progressive rock MUSIC that's complicated...!

Saturday roundup redux

Drop everything because here comes another Saturday roundup...

• New benefit CD Cinnamon Girl -- Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity officially drops Tuesday, February 12th worldwide and on iTunes. The double-CD from American Laundromat Records focuses on Neil's early work (1969-1979) and features 21 new cover versions of his most popular songs by Tanya Donelly, Britta Phillips, Lori McKenna, Jill Sobule with John Doe, Josie Cotton, Kristin Hersh, The Watson Twins, Darcie Miner, Elk City and many more. All proceeds from the project are donated to Casting For Recovery, a national non-profit support and educational program for women who have or have had breast cancer.

• Haale (as in halle-lujah, or jale-peno ), is a downtown New Yorker of Iranian descent. Her full-length debut No Ceiling melds the Persian influence of her bloodline — including the work of the mystical poet Rumi and the Sufi trance tradition -- with her fondness for Hendrix, Dylan, Radiohead, and psychedelia. No Ceiling sounds as different and intriguing as they come today, and will be released March 18, 2008 on Channel A Music.

• The Mimi Fishman Foundation has launched another on-line charity auction. The latest auction, which concludes February 21, 2008, includes rare and signed memorabilia donated by Phish, Oysterhead, moe., Michael Kang (The String Cheese Incident), and artist Scramble Campbell. Items include: signed Oysterhead poster (Trey Anastasio, Stewart Copeland of the Police, and Les Claypool); signed Trey Anastasio Band poster; hand written lyrics from Michael Kang of the The String Cheese Incident; signed poster and more from moe.; signed Page McConnell (Phish) poster; rare Phish shirts (Coventry, 20th Anniversary show). To view and/or bid on the auction, as well as read about the charities the auction supports, visit the Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page.
  

International recognition

The International Songwriting Competition annually considers over 15,000 entries from over 100 countries. And wouldn't you know it, one of the finalists this year is taken from one of the Vault's favorite independent albums of 2007...

Hearty congratulations to Diego Sandrin for his nomination in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category!

Saturday roundup?

Hey, why not... it's not the day, it's the content. And we've got a full load for you today, all on the theme of innovation -- or was it inspiration? You decide.

• This Mardi Gras (February 5), Bonerama and OK Go will release You’re Not Alone, a five-song digital EP. Bonerama and OK Go spent the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina recording at Piety Street Studios deep in the city’s Upper 9th Ward. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the EP – available exclusively at iTunes – will benefit members of New Orleans’ music community who are still struggling to rebuild their homes and their lives in the aftermath of the flood. Note also, on Monday, February 11, Bonerama and OK Go lead singer Damien Kulash will perform “A Million Ways” on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman.
  
  

• "Blood On The Tracks is a murder-mystery set against the world of rock n' roll. But not just any rock star is knocking on heaven's door. The murdered rock legend is none other than Bob Dorian. Suspects? Tons of them. The only problem is they're all characters in Bob's songs." So goes the jacket copy for producer/writer Tom Grasty's cleverly conceived murder mystery cenetered on the death of an ever-so-slightly fictionalized rock icon -- a figure of, shall we say, Dylanesque proportions. Good luck, Tom!
  

• Guru, one half of the critically acclaimed hip-hop duo, Gang Starr, began releasing his own collaborative solo albums in 1993 under the creative collective name of Jazzmatazz. The ongoing series showcases Guru’s collaborations with top hip-hop, R&B, and jazz artists, merging hip-hop with jazz in a style that has, in turn, influenced both genres. On February 12, Virgin/EMI will release The Best Of Guru’s Jazzmatazz, an 18-track CD and digital collection presenting together, for the first time, the best cuts from the groundbreaking series, including the hits “Lift Your Fist” with The Roots, “Trust Me” with N’Dea Davenport, “Watch What You Say” with Chaka Khan and Branford Marsalis, and “Keep Your Worries” with Angie Stone. The collection also features collaborations with Donald Byrd, Kelis, Ramsey Lewis, Erykah Badu, Lonnie Liston Smith, Jamiroquai and others, plus three rare bonus tracks.

Gimme more

Time for the Thursday roundup, this week appearing on... Thursday.

• Ringo Starr, fresh from his dust-up with Regis and Kelly (couldn't have happened to a more egregious pair of talk-show shills), plays a show with co-producer Dave Stewart and a seven-piece band at LA's House of Blues this Friday, January 25. Amoeba Music in Hollywood and KLOS 95.5 are giving away passes all week -- no guarantee you'll get in day-of-show, but if you're still anxious to catch the gig, it will also be streamed online at Ringo's site at 1:00 pm Pacific on Friday.
• In another Hollywood/Billboard crossover, lead singer Candice Night of Blackmore’s Night will appear in the supernatural thriller House Of Eternity, a film set for release in the fourth quarter of 2008 from Fires At Midnight Films. Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate will also appear in the film.
• Roxy Music, one of the music world's premier visual as well as musical artists, is set to release a two-DVD set of the band's best filmed material. The Thrill Of It All: A Visual History (1972-1982) is out February 5 on Virgin/EMI and includes 38 music videos, concert clips and television performances, many of which have never before been released, and beginning with the band’s first filmed performance in June 1972 at the Royal College of Art.

Jeff's Quick Hits O' the Week

Another Monday, another batch of random observations and such:

• It's January, which means one thing: American Idol. This year, I like Angela Martin, she really has what it takes to truly be....wait a minute, I HATE IDOL!!!! For 7 seasons now, that travesty of a television program has been foisted on the America public. You know what folks? It's nothing more than glorified karaoke, with singers who most of the time fail to stand out in any which way shape or form. Yes, some decent acts have come out of the program, but the majority have faded away into obscurity. The rest have found success, but who amongst them can be truly called a great artist? Kelly Clarkson? Daughtry? Carrie Underwood? Average at best, with a handful of catchy songs amongst them. Don't even get me started on the show's corporate sponsors, or their guest hosts, or their guest stars, or that dreadful "Idol Cares" special held last year...
  
  
• The Writer's Guild strike has been rough for some, including myself with a few shows. However, some positives have come out of it. The Golden Globes being cancelled made me very happy, and if the same fate befalls the Oscar, this guy won't be shedding a tear. Even the Grammies have the potential to be affected. This country is obsessed with awards show, and none more useless than the Grammies. God forbid the good music actually wins an award, instead, you see the entire industry jump on the same bandwagons, lavishing praise on the album that every reviewer on the planet just adores. Sure some of the works honored deserve it, no question. However, let's be honest, their choices don't cut the mustard.
  
  
• That's enough whining and ranting for one week. Let's close things out with an addition to Jason's post below. Yes, 2.5 million songs have been purchased by Rock Band users, while Guitar Hero III players have downloaded 5 million songs. But who are the top sellers? Metallica, as it turns out. (Those who are faint hearted and new to the game might want to hold off...just a tad difficult...) Now, these aren't songs you can put on an iPod, or a Zune, or even burn to a CD. There's is an incredibly limited functionality to these tracks; they solely play for Rock Band or Guitar Hero. However, users have found it worth it, and purchased 7.5 million songs. That states a lot about the continuing digital music revolution, and that when given a price and package that seems fair, consumers will respond favorably.

Guitar Hero-ics

I'm not sure this constitutes a new business model for the music industry, but it's definitely an interesting development...

Bryan Master needs your help

Only a handful of artists have been featured as our Indie Friday guest more than once. One of those is the extremely talented Bryan Master, an LA-area singer-songwriter with New York roots who reminds me of a slightly poppier Shawn Mullins (and I think Shawn Mullins is amazing). In the past we've reviewed Bryan's LP Out At Sea and his EP Incommunicado. Now he's one of 25 finalists (out of thousands of entrants) in an LA-area radio station contest whose grand prize is a recording contract with Dave Matthews' ATO Records. You can view his wonderful video and vote for him and his song "Moments Like This (Don't Come Along For People Like Us)" here. Vote early, vote often, go Bryan!

Tuesday roundup: Blues/genes

Lots happening once again as we segue into this week's roundup. Today's theme is Blues and genes:

• Eagle Rock Entertainment is preparing to release a CD and DVD of one of the late great blues guitarist Albert Collins' last live performances. Live At Montreux 1992 and its companion 102-minute DVD are due on March 4.
  
  
• Proving that talent is at least partially genetic, AJ Lambert is set to release her debut solo recording, an EP called, well, EP that features five new tracks plus a ten-minute film. Lambert is also bassist/singer/songwriter of the NYC band Looker, the daughter of 60s pop diva Nancy Sinatra, and the granddaughter of music legend Frank Sinatra.

• Blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd recently traveled the South with a documentary film crew and a portable recording studio to capture several veteran blues players on their home turf. The resulting album and film, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, has been nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best Traditional Blues Album and Best Long Form Music Video) and is touted as “…a blues fan’s dream…” The album and film features Blues greats B.B. King, Etta Baker, Gatemouth Brown, and many others. Trailer is here; iTunes link is here.
  

• Justin Townes Earle will launch a full U. S. tour to celebrate his debut album, The Good Life, in stores March 25th. Kicking off 2008 with select dates in January and February, his schedule also features a showcase at the Bloodshot Records Party at SXSW on March 14th. The son of legendary singer/songwriter Steve Earle, Justin's genre is acoustic blues-folk with influences as diverse as his namesake Townes Van Zandt, The Replacements, Ray Charles and The Pogues.

"The cover of the Rolling Stone..."

Okay, so we didn't actually make the cover of anything just yet, but we did rate a mention in today's edition of USA Today's Pop Candy column/blog. Woo-hoo! And thanks to longtime Vault contributor Sean McCarthy for the shout-out.

Jeff's Quick Hits O' the Week

• The New Year has begun, and with it comes boundless opportunity, limitless optimism, and any other warm and fuzzy thoughts you can think of. Here at the Vault, the New Year presents a chance for us to erase the memories of terrible albums, and to purge our LP collections of unworthy material. Let's say that five minutes from now, Doc Brown is going to pull up in the Delorean and take you back to a point this year when you made a terrible mistake in buying an album, and undo it. What terribly misguided abomination against mankind are you choosing?


• For those who received a CD or perhaps an iTunes gift certificate for Christmas, and are pondering the multiple options available to you to listen to said music, do not automatically jump to the conclusion you need an iPod. A great alternative has arisen lately, that being Microsoft's Zune 2. As an Apple fanboy it pains me to say it, but the Zune is the iPod's equal in terms of hardware, and some may argue it's greater. With an iPod you have access to the whole world of iPod accessories and iTunes, but the Zune 2 is no slouch.


• When artists die, there is usually a rush to snap up their material and lavish them with praise. I always find it ironic that the person isn't around to enjoy this renewed success, but I imagine most would be happy people are listening to their music again. Dan Fogelberg was a man I knew by name only; gun to my head I could not have named a single song of his. So, when he passed, I decided to throw in the Greatest Hits disc my Mom had lying around. Shame on me. I realized that I knew a lot of these songs, and they were favorites of mine as a kid, "Same Old Lang Syne" in particular. I may have been late in joining the party, but I don't believe Mr. Fogelberg would begrudge me that.


• "Download of the Week": In a glimpse at a future review, I offer up "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. Normally I am not one to to be influenced by advertisements on television, but whilst I was gorging on poorly played bowl games, a commercial came on featuring this song. After doing some research and reading up on the lady, I took a plunge on the album. Those thoughts I will save for a later date, but I can tell you that "Love Song" is a terrific slice of piano-pop/rock that will put a smile on your face.

Tuesday roundup

Just to prove we can do the roundup any day we please, here's another collection of the latest and greatest items to cross the DV blotter:

• Iowa roots rockers The Nadas, reviewed by the Vault, made national headlines last month when frontman Jason Walsmith recorded and released the timely cut "Get Outta Our Town (Caucus Lament)." The band subsequently fielded calls from the political desks of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, and appeared on NPR. The clever DIY video is here.
• One of the secrets of the surprise hit film of the Christmas season, snarky teen pregnancy comedy Juno, is that it features a 20-song soundtrack that mixes classic tunes with fresh new material, including eight songs from Kimya Dawson, who is featured as a solo artist as well as member of the groups The Moldy Peaches and Antsy Pants. Classic acts rounding out the soundtrack include Mott The Hoople ("All The Young Dudes"), The Kinks ("A Well Respected Man"), Buddy Holly ("Dearest"), and Sonic Youth ("Superstar").
  
• Sheryl Crow's new disc Detours is due out February 5 and you can now catch the video from first single "Love Is Free" on YouTube.
• The Black Crowes return March 4 with the new album Warpaint and will do a special series of shows March 2 through 20 in which they will play the entire new album live. This swing will include a headlining show at SXSW in Austin March 15. Then they're off to play Australia and a couple of exclusive European dates in London and Amsterdam before returning to the States in May for a full-fledged summer tour.
  

...in with the new

It's the time of year when those of us so inclined turn reflective and tally up the year's events in some fashion or other. There'll be plenty of time for that later this evening though -- for now, we just wanted to point you to our annual Daily Vault cavalcade of "Best Of 2007" lists! Enjoy...

When I Was 22, It Was A Very Good Year....

All things considered, 2007 was a fairly normal year for the music business. CD and Retail sales continued to drop, while digital sales continue their outstanding growth, as they did in 06. However, as we approach the end of the calendar, there's one event that could easily become one of the most important decisions made by the industry in quite some time. We're talking, boys and girls, about DRM.

If you read my Best Of 2007 list , you'll see I alluded to this event but didn't expound upon it. Well, that's why the Vault has a blog!

The whole issue of DRM is much too expansive for me to completely cover here, suffice it to say it has become one of the cornerstones of the arguments for Digital Music. For the uninitiated, DRM is what record labels and online stores use to ensure that the music downloaded from them has restricted usage. For example, anyone who is reading this probably has an iPod, and odds are some of you have downloaded a song from the iTunes store. That song contains a DRM technology created by Apple called FairPlay. That technology only allows your purchased music to be played on 5 different computers, selected by you.

On cursory glance, that wouldn't seem to impact your normal music listening habits, but to others, it is the principle of the matter. When you buy a product, it's yours. By all rights, you should be able to do what you want with it, as long as it does not infringe on the personal rights of others. You purchase a car, and decide to fix it up yourself, adding custom parts. No one sees a problem with that, yet there is a stigma with people wanting to share their music with others. Recently, in a Peer-to-Peer Sharing Trial, an RIAA executive stated that even just ripping music from CDs is a copyright infringement. (This involves the whole notion of copyright laws and art, and that's an argument for a whole other day. I will say that I, unequivocally, have never met anyone who has stolen music.)

This year, however, the tide has started to turn for the better. Apple's CEO Steve Jobs wrote a letter early in the year decrying the use of DRM, and stating Apple would support any record labels that would remove it from their product. Shortly thereafter, EMI announced it would start selling DRM-free music across the Web, and they made good of their promise in May. Apple at that time launched their iTunes Plus portion of their store, in which the consumer is able to choose is they want the DRM-free, higher quality tracks or the standard FairPlay files. Over the past few months, other labels such as Universal have engaged in implementing similar strategies. Amazon launched their own Mp3 Download store, with every song DRM-free (As a sidenote, before you go to iTunes, check to see if Amazon has the album first. Their service is terrific, the quality of the files is better, and each has artwork imbedded in it).

However, quite possibly the biggest step forward came with the release of In Rainbows by Radiohead. They completely bypassed the record labels, releasing their album on their own online. What's more, the consumer could choose how much they wanted to pay for the album, which had zero DRM. The results? Radiohead made more off the digital sales from the album than they had with all the other albums put together, according to Thom Yorke himself. Radiohead may claim that their reasoning for the release was based on practicality, however they fail to understand just what it means from this point moving forward.

To the average consumer, this may not sound like exciting news. However, I assure you, it is important. For the first time in a very long while, the record labels are responding to consumer interests, and taking a positive step forward, instead of maintaining archaic policies that do not reflect the times. Within the next year, I would find it difficult to imagine DRM existing in any relevant fashion at all. Music Lovers 1, Labels 0.

Add to your shopping list: Chris Cubeta

I am a Chris Cubeta fan; just ask the writing staff here at the Vault how many times I have bugged and cajoled and demanded that they give him a listen. Perceptive, artful lyrics backed with stirring roots-rock/alt-country arrangements, and sung with total commitment, that's Cubeta's thing. In past reviews I've compared the quality of his lyrics to big guns like Springsteen, Dylan and Hiatt, and I'm not backing off now. Quite the contrary; his new Change EP is one of the most powerful, amazing discs I've heard all year and you should really go buy it right now.

Thursday roundup

Lots of items for the roundup this week:

• Ringo Starr's new album Liverpool 8 comes out January 15 in multiple formats, and the promotional campaign is building steam with previews, interviews, etc. already in play with Amazon.con, Quicktime.com and Time magazine. And hey, it's Ringo -- what's not to like?
• February 12 will see the release of what sounds like it will be a mind-blowing DVD featuring the a capella septet Naturally 7 playing a set at Montreux. If you're expecting chorused vocals, though, prepare to have your preconceptions smashed, because the members of Naturally 7 mimic specific instruments, creating a full band of lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards drums, horns and more using only their own voices. Keep an eye on the Eagle Vision site and check it out.
• What some are already calling the jazz event of 2008 is now confirmed: Return to Forever, one of the most influential groups of the 1970s, will reunite and tour in '08 with the classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White all on board. The developing US and European tour will be the group's first performances together in more than 25 years; stream interviews with the principals here.
• Sheryl Crow has a new album called Detours due out February 5, and you can already catch her on YouTube talking about it, and download a free clip of first single "Love Is Free" here.
  
• Aussie rockers Silverchair have a new EP out on iTunes titled The Greatest View, with significant contributions from Julian Hamilton of the Presets. Stream the track ""Straight Lines [The Presets Remix]" here.

...melt into a river of souls...

I got home late from work last night -- I'm in the restaurant business, so this time of year is busy. I ate something, then logged on to my email just to give it a quick sweep...

..and that was when I saw the subject line. "RIP Dan Fogelberg."

And that was pretty hard to take.

I am a huge fan of Fogelberg's work. I think he is -- he was -- grossly underrated as a singer, a songwriter, and as a performer. I want to celebrate the music and what it meant to me.

I want to remember the first time I heard the fantastic guitar on "She Don't Look Back." I want to once again soar high above Fogelberg's beloved mountains with "The Wild Places." I want to remember being a teenager and being inspired by "Part Of The Plan" heard at a youth Mass. I want to get teary-eyed again at "Same Old Lang Syne." I want to shudder at the power of "The River" and "River Of Souls," twenty-five years apart. I want to sit in the darkness of a Samhain ritual and drown in "Ever On." And I want to celebrate one of the first songs I learned to play on my guitar, "Tucson Arizona (Gazette)," which is one of the greatest songs of all time, period.

I want to remember all this, and I want to mourn for my own getting old and the death of my heroes.

And I want to dig in my CDs and find "The Innocent Age," "Phoenix," "Windows And Walls," and listen to them all again, and mourn for the loss of a man and a musician who cared about the Earth, about people, and about life.

What is remembered, lives -- but it's never quite as good.

"I take my place along the shore and I wait for the tide
It seems I've passed this way before in an earlier time
I hear a voice like mystery blowing warm through the night
The silent moon embraces me and I'm drawn to Her light
I follow footprints in the sand to a circle of stone
Find a fire burning bright 'though I came here alone
And in the play of shadows cast I can dimly discern
The shapes of all who've gone before calling me to return ..."
--"River Of Souls," Dan Fogelberg