Over in the Coffee House there's a thread asking where is the Zappa of today?  
 
You might want to raise your hand and shout "Right here"!!
 
Just dandy.  Killer diller.
 

Geez, I go away for a day and.......  thanks!!  
 
Allan - I appreciate that!   I've been a big prog fan since the mid-70s but Yes was always my favorite band growing up.  Musicianship, songwriting, harmonies, etc... Always been a big Steve Howe fan too.   Grazie.
 
Lynn - Utopia, huh...  I like it!  The original basis was very instinctive, but I guess the layers and such would be more cerebral since they're somewhat intentional.  At least that's about as cerebral as I can get. 
 
Rikkie - thanks.  Prog style music just begs (at least in my mind) for bringing together multiple elements.  Hopefully the right elements! 
 
Gabo -  I still have six Dregs albums on vinyl! Free Fall thru Industry Standard.   I think some of that is permanently imprinted somewhere in my brain, courtesy of Mr. Morse & company. 
 
Gonzo - now that is an interesting combination... (shakes head and smiles)    I'm not sure I'd want to (or even could) add vocals, but I will certainly keep it in the back of my mind!   About that UK reference - that was completely unintentional, but now I do hear something, maybe reminiscent of Jobson's work off the first album? (what a freakin' album)
 
Daryl - thanks, it definitely was a bit groundbreaking for me!  The tempo mapping was easy, the more difficult part (relatively speaking) was deciding when and where to simplify and adjust things.  But once that "natural click track" was in place, recording to it felt so much better than a static click. 
 
David - thank you!  I was also a big Kansas fan during the late 70s, and saw them live during the Monolith and Audio Visions tours.  I wanted to be just like Kerry Livgren (I also had blonde hair and a mustache)
 
Dan - thanks, I am happy with the way this process added some "humanity flow" to things.   I have a feeling it's going to be difficult not to do the same going forward.    I'll have to go back and listen for those hihats though - ironically, one of the reasons I did simplify the tempo changes was to minimize the possibility of plugin glitches!  
 

stevec
 
Gonzo - now that is an interesting combination... (shakes head and smiles)    I'm not sure I'd want to (or even could) add vocals, but I will certainly keep it in the back of my mind!   About that UK reference - that was completely unintentional, but now I do hear something, maybe reminiscent of Jobson's work off the first album? (what a freakin' album)

yes, that's exactly the album i speak of,
the first UK album, with holdsworth...
i didn't mean to imply that you knicked it or anything,
other than those KINDS of sounds, you obviously dig, and the ethereal quality, the 'unresolved' feel to it...
very cool.
 
you should find a vocalist who understands these kinds of arrangements, that would want to collab.
it works fine as an instrumental, but h3ll, if you're going to go there.............?!!
;)

 Interesting composition with varied tempo.. sounds nice
 

Ol pal - why thank you sir.  I'm afraid there will only ever be one Frankie Z, but I certainly appreciate the thought!
 
Gonzo - gotcha, I figured it might be more of a "sound/feel" thing as I'm no Jobson/Holdsworth (who is?).  As far as vocals go, I dunno, any thoughts on someone that might know the style and has great vocal chops?  
 
Makke - thanks, I'm glad you liked it!
 

Very enjoyable, very creative, nicely played and well mixed.  I hearing a number of different band influences.
 
Good job Steve nice one

Very cool stuff Steve, and a great explanation of how you approached the composition, that's food for thought indeed. I think you achieved a 'band' feel by doing that, it has the hallmarks of people playing off each other, which is quite an achievement for a solo track!

A bit of Frank in this one. You are talented my friend. The composition is fantastic - your playing is very good - creative - and the overall mix is spot on. I love this.

It's great to hear that people still can play like this. And the tempo changes are really impressive. Everything about this song sounds difficult!

Being a huge Yes fan, I was reminded of "Awaken" as far as ambiance. It's a very spacious sound you've captured, and you probably didn't have to travel to Switzerland to record keyboard in some cathedral either. 

Wookiee - thank you, much appreciated!   And yes, multiple influences were definitely involved on this one, some more intentional than others, but all there in my head either way (did that sound weird?). 
 
James - thanks!  This was the first time I've attempted anything remotely similar, and just based on this one experience I will certainly be changing how I approach recording going forward.  I highly recommend it!
 
Mark - another Frank reference.... cool!    Thanks, it was a fun one to do.  Appreciate the comments!
 
Mark - thank you!  Having grown up with prog embedded in my brain, stuff like this is comfortable for me.   As a life-long Yes fan seeing a reference to Awaken in any fashion in OK with me!  Now, if only I could record a masterpiece, perhaps using the phone lines in Switzerland...