A sound that began as jam session among friends a few years has evolved into a startling new album, ABOVE. The group began when Pearl Jam's guitarist Mike McCready set up some informal jam sessions for himself and two friends: Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin, and Baker, a bassist McCready had met in Minneapolis, who has played with such blues talents as Little Pat Rushing, Hubert Sumlin, Sammy Fender, and the Lamont Cranston Band. Two of the songs on the record ('Wake Up' and 'River of Deceit') were written instantly when we first sat down and played," says Baker. We knew that a really good spark was happening. It was obvious that we had something good going. McCready then gave Layne Staley, Alice In Chains' lead singer, a call and asked him to join in the fun. Staley arrived, with guitar in hand and a head-full of lyric ideas, and the new band's musical mix got even hotter.
"The world is like a ride in an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it, you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly coloured and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question, is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, "Hey - don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because, this is just a ride..." And we... kill those people.
"We have a lot invested in this ride. Shut him up. Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account and my family. This just has to be real." Just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter because: It's just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defences each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace. Thank you very much, you've been great."
Bill Hicks (December 16, 1961 -- February 26, 1994)
- Today, like all days is a great day to check out Zgeek ( I have watched this site grow since I worked with Pirate years ago and always been a huge fan of it)
"A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. You think when Jesus comes back, he ever wants to see a fucking cross? Kind of like going up to Jackie Onassis with a rifle pendant on, you know." - The late great Bill Hicks
