Album Notes

About the music

Almost Heaven (Casi Cielo)
The title for this song was originally inspired by a Starbucks coffee called “Casi Cielo”. I always thought that would be a great title for a song. But it’s also about the frustrations of “off and on relationships”. And on another level it’s about reaching the divine itself. So whether your interpretation is about caffeine, love, or the spirit, anyway you look at it; Almost Heaven, you can see it but it’s hard to get there.

Always Forever and a Day
James wrote the words to this song for his muse. She also inspired the emotion with which he sings all the songs, This song tells the story of their relationship from beginning to end.

Count On Me
Someone suggested that I write a song about friendship. So this about that special friend that you can always count on.

Don’t Cry For Me, Mama
This was originally part of a much larger work called “Symphony for a Woman”. I took this part and expanded it to make a single piece. It tries to capture the atmosphere of a smoke filled Jazz club somewhere just beyond the edge of time.


Full Moon
The full moon always reminds me of the love of my life. One night I looked up and saw the biggest brightest full moon I have ever seen and I immediately thought of her. When I talked to her the next day she said that the same thing happened to her. So this is about that synchronicity that you have with that special person. Especially if a full moon is involved.

Leaving Paradise
I was “vanished” from Panama and James was banished from Kerrville. We had been living in paradise and didn’t realize it until we had to leave it. You really don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

Midnight Ramblin (Far From Home)
I wrote this song many years ago. It’s about wanting to be with that one special person in you life and getting away from all the corruption of modern civilization.

One Day At A Time
The first Spanish Tina taught me was “Un dia a la vez”, One day at a time. The also told she prayed to her pillow. I didn't know what to say to that but it impressed me enough to write a song about it. The inspiration for the music and arrangements comes from my experiences in rural west Texas churches where they have a piano on one side of the pulpit and an organ on the other and of course the choir.


Painting Circles Around the Sun
I woke up early one morning at the farm in Panama. I was looking though some old lyrics and came across this one. It had a good chorus but lousy verses. So I drew on the inspiration of the farm and wrote about that. The farm is not really in Panama but exists somewhere in a dream. This song really shows off James’ singing range

Shooting Star
It seems that at one point or the other in my life I have been addicted to everything on the planet. It has always been a struggle to kick these addictions that seem to choke the life out of you. So this is for everyone out there that is still struggling. There is hope!

Something To Believe
This is a song that I wrote recently that at various times seemed to be an Irish folk song and at others, a rock anthem. It worked well both ways so we ended up with two very different versions. So whichever one appeals to you, this is about having to have something to believe in. Something you can hold on to in times of need. The electric version is the bonus track.

Thief Of Time
This song is about looking back at the past and realizing everything you had is lost or at some point will be. It’s about not realizing this until it’s too late. The thief of time takes this from us and we are the Thief of Time!


Why Can’t We Be Friends?
This song is about the trials and tribulations of a relationship with someone’s daughter. She is like a daughter to you but at times you fell like an intruder. As a parent you want to do your best for them and you worry about them too. You end up doing a lot of right things for the wrong reason and the wrong things for dumb reasons. Inevitably, some one ends up getting pissed off. This song tries to see the relationship from both points of view.

Wonders Of The Mind
This is another song I wrote long ago, back in the 70’s I think. It is a series of metaphors about waking up to realize full human potential and consciousness. The part about eating eyeballs was inspired by Robert Heinlein’s book, Stranger in a Strange Land, and the concept of “groking”. Don’t try this at home. Remember, it’s a metaphor, albeit crude.



Final notes:

Well there you have it. Thanks for buying the CD and listening to the music. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we did making it! Take care and be good to each other!

David Karthauser - July 8th, 2010