I have been living with the album for the past 3 weeks, and it has been in regular rotation with the Smile Box cds. Peter as an artist has taken some risks with this work that show some growth that I see as akin to some of the things that Brian Wilson contemplated about when he assembled the music and lyrics for Smile's second movement. The themes of the album get at the more lasting themes in life that we contemplate as we move into its middle and later stages. Some of the themes explored in this work also remind me of contemplations I have had upon reading the so called "wisdom books." There is a beautiful resonance in the guitar playing on this album and how it unites with the lyrical themes. Full Circle is an example of this unity...the chords Peter plays beautifully match the theme of the lyrics...I guess the overall feel I get from the album is that our quality of life is intimately related to what we focus our life upon. The rewards of life come from the humility we feel when we move from a self-focused to a broader focus on life. The little interludes in the album shift the themes back and forth, lighten the mood, and help us realize the artist did not intend this to be a navel contemplating exercise.
There is a tendency to over analyze concept records that I have been guilty of myself, and I think there is a possibility it could happen easily with this album. Suffice to say, numerous dimensions of our emotional selves are explored herein. Thinking back to early years of my own life, the conceit of it all is pretty painful to remember, and I think Peter and David allude to those feelings in this work. The work of Paul the apostle refers to faith, hope, and love as being essential to life, with love being the foremost of these three...and clearly Peter and David Beard understand the importance of this concept. Hope is the most intoxicating of human experiences, and this album offers some hints as to how to stay hopeful....love your family, get out into nature, don't take yourself so seriously, remember lessons life teaches you, savor today.
The recent years have taken me into exploring the wonders of little moments in living, and I see these guys doing the same thing. Peter and David are both guys who have kids...there's a wonder in seeing your children get older and move through the stages in growth that we all have to experience. I certainly see this song cycle as reflecting the changes humans move through from sunrise in our lives to sunset. Time is a strange experience...we envision our lives a certain way, and as a friend says "we make plans and God laughs." We enter intimate relationships looking for what we need, and are surprised when we finally understand that we receive what we need by by giving ourselves away unconditionally. Slowly but surely, we learn to love ourselves, and to respect others who do the same for themselves. We write our life stories through the thoughts and emotions we bring into reality. People move in and out of our lives, and memories are what we use to revitalize their presence in our lives.
The memories of people from my life are the cairns that guide me back through the rocky terrain in my past, and without them, nothing would make sense. A friend of mine, my best friend, committed suicide when I was 14. It was a baffling event...it took me 40 years to understand...these are the baffling questions Peter confronts in his song Why on this album. The mystery of life is lessened through touching base with these life turning points again and again, like his song Full Circle on this cd. We learn when we listen to that quiet voice inside of us that I ignored for way too long.
Another work of art that comes to mind is the song Sunrise, Sunset from the musical Fiddler on the Roof in listening to this album...Tevya, the main character in that film, uses his pain to grow, and as he gets older, he realizes through life experiences that his family is his significance after his life ends, and that no tradition can separate him from those ties. My favorite track on this cd is Naomi Anna, Peter's love song to his oldest daughter, which reflects his realization that he will live on through her and perhaps her children eventually.
Perhaps I am guilty of over analysis, but I think Peter, Stephen, and David have assembled a work that opens some doors for contemplation and thought and reflection. If this was Peter's only work, his contribution to those who take the time to live with this album for awhile would be immense. I am grateful these guys chose to share their art with me in this manner.
This album may be obtained through
www.pinkhedgehog.com
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