Mad Science (MP3 attached)

[kozmikdave]

[Got a gig coming up with the theme "Mad Scientists" - might try using a boiling tube as a slide, etc, etc, etc.]

Well I was down at the lab for a week or two
Watching men in white coats with their Pyrex test tubes
They were stirring, they were mixing – creating things that kill
To carry little children to the graveyard on the hill

Chorus:
Mad science – mad science – mad science – mad science

Well I watched them through the window with their super minds
Using formulae from physics, from Newton and Einstein
Just the right amount of thrust to give their shells the power
To rocket into cities into suburbs into towers

Chorus:
Mad science – mad science – mad science – mad science

I saw them fiddling with smallpox, anthrax and TB
Manipulating genotypes to spread some vile disease
And they’ll bomb some fucking country just to bring it to its knees
They’ve got designer vaccinations especially for the elite

Bridge:
There’s money to be mined from the military vault
There’re research grants and kudos – and WAR is not our fault
Let's sit around our swimming pools and dream …
Dream of cluster bombs and radiation
Dream of guidance systems and defoliation

Chorus:
Mad science – mad science – mad science – mad science

A politician in your pocket, I saw you on TV.
I cringed to hear your talk of weapons making people free
And I thought I heard the anguish of mothers in the street
I saw images of innocent blood on your hands and feet

Chorus:
Mad science – mad science – mad science – mad science

[marten]

You have cuncocted quite a fantastic formula for a song. I thorougly e(=mc^2)njoyed it.

I thought this flowed well - nice sounding

Just the right amount of thrust to give their shells the power
To rocket into cities into suburbs into towers

Certainly entails kind of an apocalyptic projection that is a result of our intellegence and it's capabilities to create newer technologies, formulas, viruses for disaster. It is frightening and real, and the political element (abuse of power) makes a strong ending. I always liked the Ghandi quote "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." And those who desire power should be the last ones to recieve it (not sure who said that -loose quote).

I like the drive and repitition of the chorus, I can see almost a primal ranting here. Eager to here this one because I have some imaginings of how the music might sound but like the element of suprise.

Science is cool stuff. I took a lot a science in college that unfortunately goes mostly forgotten. Always enjoyed physics. Tried wrapping my nog around string theory with a book called the Elegant Universe - they made a really cool Nova series about it starring the author Brian Greene. Saw him give a talk recently, pretty fascinating and makes much sense but alas no proof. But yeah science has made some pretty nasty stuff, for man to thin out the species. Increasing population over time, has brought an increase in the devestation of weaponry. Is this some attempt of keeping the numbers down?

Cool lyrics. If you attempt to perform this song live, in the future, maybe wear proper lab gear, and when your done...light your guitar on fire with a bunson burner. It might take a while.


-marten

[David]

Now, what does this remind me of ...

I was working in the lab late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster from his slab began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise ... etc. You must have been thinking of that.

I like it Dave. Good references to scientific details - Pyrex test tubes, Newton and Einstein - and a good contrast to the wordiness of the verses in the repeated "mad science" in the chorus. I'd love to know how that chorus goes. I like the drive and repitition of the chorus, I can see almost a primal ranting here - I agree with Marten on that.

However, if I'd change anything , it would be one of the bits he likes. I think your last verse is a bit preachy, a bit over the top. Ah well, that's just my personal slant on it.

Are you going to make a musical version available? I'd like to hear it.

Cheers

David

[kozmikdave]

Gidday

Just got my computer back on board yesterday and today and am still struggling to make it all work again. Processor crashed and had to be up graded - shouldn't be too hard except they put in a new hard drive as well. I might swap the two drives over again and see what I get. [This is just the excuse to say I haven't recorded my last two songs yet. And my days and nights are filling up with much music-related activity.]

Will send songs on as soon as...

Thanks for the ticks, fellas.

David, I was thinking Monster Mash when I wrote it - and now that you mention it, there are similarities. The last verse, nay the whole bloody song, is a bit preachy, but I do preachy too. I think war is an issue worth getting steamed up about, personally.

Marten, we are performing this live on 14 March. It is a gig with the theme Mad Scientists and yes we will be crammed on a small basement stage (5 of us) in lab coats and thick glasses. I would not put any of my guitars near a bunsen though. (JH did a trick with lighter fluid on stage once. I have it on video.)

Cheers
Dave

[marten]

Y ou should really put that on...
o
u
T
u
b
e
?

[twoleftfeet]

Nice one, Dave

It has great drive - I did think of Monster Mash, but more so
The Munsters theme.

Geoff

[kozmikdave]

Ta

I have recorded a proto-version of it. Just have to convert it to MP3. My conversion software has to be reinstalled.

Cheers
Dave

[David]

I have recorded a proto-version of it. Just have to convert it to MP3.

And I'd like to hear it. Where is your band's My Space thingy again?

[kozmikdave]

Dreams of Flying - http://www.myspace.com/128125772

or you can get there using http://www.myspace.com/dreamsofflight (because some young girl in Manchester used http://www.myspace.com/dreamsofflying)

anyone want to be my friend?

Cheers
Dave

[David]

OK, I've found it. "Boy in a Rusted Cage" - great stuff! Is it just me, or is there a lot of "Heart of Gold" in this?

And you already have 286 friends, you kidder. Of whom Neil Young is one? No way!!! That's great.

I clicked on the link - if it is him, he has 105,353 friends, so he outranks you. Slightly.

How does this MySpace friends thing work anyway?

Still, you are a player, Dave. Good on you. If I ever get to Brisbane I am definitely checking out your gig guide.

Cheers

David

P.S. Here's the latest bluestastic phenomenon to rock this rock - http://www.myspace.com/backdoorslam - apparently they've just got a record deal - check 'em out - what do you think?

[kozmikdave]

Cheers David

"Boy in a rusted cage" is a song about my father after having a stroke. I was not aware of any "Heart of gold" likeness because it was probably influenced by Hunters & Collectors at the time of writing. I do get comments about my NY bias from a lot of people, though. For me it is a compliment, because I never try to actually sound like him unless I am singing covers.

The friends thing works by either asking someone to add you to their list of friends, or them requesting to be added. Some of my "friends" are dead I'm afraid. But others have made fan-based Myspace pages for them. I try to add people I like (eg NY, Dylan, etc.), people whose music I have decided was worth buying at some stage, people I know, and I also try to find other Brisbane musicians so I can follow some of their gigs and give some support to them if I like their music. In the process I am starting to average about one request per day from all kinds of people from all over the world. A couple have started using my songs to play on their profile pages - that's a buzz. A good place to search is in other people's friends lists. I have also had ex-students from 15 years ago tracking me down - one from London.

One of my mates has had one of his songs picked up by a professional record label and is now getting monthly royalty cheques. There is still much to learn and much potential on Myspace so I am still pretty enthusiastic about it.

Cheers
Dave

[kozmikdave]

Had a listen to Back Door Slam - takes me back to the 60's and 70's. Good solid stuff.

Cheers
Dave

[kozmikdave]

My software is doing backflips so all I could do was put this out in WMA file format for now. Very proto but will hopefully give you the sense of it. Use your imagination and add drums, bass, lead guitar and keys.

Cheers
Dave

[barrie]

Great stuff, one of the best I've heard you do - Words and music really bite together. Are you keeping this unplugged?

Appreciated the file

cheers

Barrie

[kozmikdave]

Happy you liked it.

Are you keeping this unplugged?

Playing this one with the band (5 piece) on 14th March at a gig. If the footage is OK we'll post it on Youtube.



Cheers
Dave

[marten]

Hey. How'd the show go?

[kozmikdave]

Generally cool. Thanks for asking.

Drummer started a bit fast and I stuffed the fist line - tripped over my tongue - on this song. We also had some difficulty with the theremin which was to solo in it. Instead the sax solo-ed. I was pretty happy with the overall results but not good enough for Youtube. Will do a staged version in the next few weeks (after next week as our school is being inspected next week).

Cheers
Dave

I have to write a song about a family heirloom next as part of a project. Will have to have it done by Monday night. Seems no one is writing songs at the moment. Very quiet.

[marten]

Cool, glad it went mostly good. I always have no problem creating the sounds, but when I play old songs (and new, but mostly old) my fingers have a more than wanted tendency, of forgetting a string, or buzzing it. It's not that bad, but worse with congac, hehe. I don't mind (okay that's not true) the imperfections but as long as I am mostly coherent when I play around the once-a-year campfire, that's cool. Pretty nervous 'round people: I can belt okay at home, but I shallow a bit with company. Maybe I should take some Lorazepam or something. It's only with the voice though, not the guitar. It'll come.

I will put some lyrics up shortly, as I have been remastering one from the graves. I could of said fixing up, polishing, the old spring cleanin'...nope, I chose, remastering...because it sounds professional.


adios

marten

[boxpoet]

i liked the consistent theme, and the counter-culture feel. Good rhyming scheme.

[kozmikdave]

Bumping this one too!

Excuse? Yep, well I'm attaching the songs, huh.

[oranggunung]

Hi Koz

This is clearly well after the event, but I thought I’d show willing and have a look at it. I appreciate that changes may no longer be possible.

I liked the telling of the story and the use of technological vocabulary. The tune you used was very flexible, but I thought some of the lines were rather syllable-rich. I’ve given a few thoughts below.


Using formulae from physics, from Newton and Einstein

Bacteria and rockets, care of Fleming and Einstein

I thought the test tubes would be hinting at biological weapons rather than ordnance.
This then uses the word ‘rocket’, so you’d need to change the later occurrence -

To rocket into cities into suburbs into towers

To devastate the cities, hour after hour


They’ve got designer vaccinations especially for the elite

They’ve got designer vaccinations just for the elite

'Especially' seemed to struggle as I listened.


There’re research grants and kudos – and WAR is not our fault

There’re research grants and kudos – conflict ain’t our fault

In order to accommodate a later change:

Dream of guidance systems and defoliation

Dream of star wars and defoliation


The last verse was considered a little preachy by some, so I worked with a couple of alternative ideas. Hope you don’t mind.

A politician in your pocket, I saw you on TV.
I cringed to hear your talk of weapons making people free
And I thought I heard the anguish of mothers in the street
I saw images of innocent blood on your hands and feet

With a pocket politician, I saw you on TV,
saying weapons for the masses will make the people free.
But collateral damage is killing voters they won’t meet
and landmines still blow innocents off their feet.


The material really engaged me, so I couldn’t help working with it.


og

[cameron]

I too thought Monster Mash - but only at the start.

This sort of stuff would go down well in the acoustic tent at the Cambridge Folk Festival.

Good luck with it.

Cam

[kozmikdave]

Thanks Og

The version on MP3 is a kind of proto version and is always up for modification. Having said that, I think I like the over-crowded nature of the lyrics as a chance to shout at somebody. I may very well take up some of your suggestions.

The last verse was considered a little preachy by some, so I worked with a couple of alternative ideas. Hope you don’t mind.

I would agree with preachy, but then I AM being preachy.

saying weapons for the masses will make the people free.

I thought this was getting at a completely new idea for the song, which I hadn't had in mind. It is supposed to be a protest against war, not guns in the general population. Perhaps that is a good subject to address in a future song, but being Australian, it is not a big issue here.

I will definitely try out some of the ideas you picked out, however as many of them seem to scan pretty well. Thanks for the effort

[donjuaninhell]

you might put it to subterranean home sick blues. it doesn't quite work, but could be pulled off for a little bit of a spoof. the guitar part is pretty similar to begin with, though minor instead of major (i think?). anyway, fun blues about scientists destroying the world.

[camus]

poweeeer

toweeeeerrrrrrrrrrrsss

This is my fav of your posts, good stuff