EXCLUSIVE! RAY TELLS ALL
ABOUT THE AMAZIN' BRAZEN!
THE AMAZIN' BRAZEN is the end result of the six-year journey which has taken place since the racing brain of RAY BRAZEN. This album took forever to write and produce. I apologize for taking so long. My life may have changed a bit, but inside I'm still the same old Brazen! The first six songs deal with my experiences adjusting to life in Florida, while the rest address various other topics. As these words go online, it's the summer of 2010 and it's a long hot one at that. I proudly make the following twelve songs part of its soundtrack:
1. LAKE COUNTY MUNICIPAL COURT -- The Florida song cycle begins with an instrumental inspired by a place I've already had a run-in or two with. The female voice at the end (speaking with an anonymous defendant about a case unrelated to any of mine, but nonetheless kind of relevant) belongs to Judge Donna Miller, who has her own local access TV show set right in her own courtroom, and her own website on which she actually fancies herself a poet in her spare time. A look at her poems should sufficiently explain why she won't be a guest lyricist on any future Brazen projects.
2. LEESBURG/COUNTRY CLUB PRISON -- A medley of two songs I wrote about the majestic beauty of Lake County. The second part is about The Villages, a Republican party animal-oriented retirement community with an alarmingly high rate of STDs (and you thought only young folks suffered from those!), and previously appeared in acoustic form on my now-long-deleted "Dead River Life" acoustic EP in 2005.
3. THE PANTHER'S COMING HOME -- This song is about the geriatric gentrification of central Florida which is currently in full swing, and how I'm not of the only species with something to say in protest of it all.
4. ANXIETY DREAMS -- Move to a new location far from your beloved home and this, too, will happen to you. This song is based on actual dreams I had during my first few months of Florida life.
5. TWILIGHT ZONE BLUES -- Rod Serling's world has nothing on the one I'm living in now. You'll notice, though, that the Florida-related lyrics are taking on a humorous tone by this point in my musical journey. Do take note of the clever fade-out at the end and the way it links this number to...
6. OH! ORLANDO -- ...the happy ending to Brazen's central Florida song cycle. A heartfelt tribute to a place that's about more than just Mickey, which is something I had to learn for myself, and am damned glad I did. This song is for the beautiful people of north Orlando who know who they are.
7. ARMANDO'S TUNE -- The only non-original number on this album is a hybrid of two instrumentals, "Buscalo" and "Donde Esta A.N.?," both of which were written by Armando Nava of Mexico's greatest rock and roll band, Los Dug Dug's. You can visit my Dug Dug's website for the full story of this man's personal significance to me.
8. BRAZEN PRAYER -- A song which subscribes to no particular religion excapt maybe music.
9. RUN ALONG -- Written with a specific person in mind. But you, the listener, may relate it to whomever you wish.
10. DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS -- A song about feeling out of place in a room full of people far more trendy than myself. Inspired in part by a parking lot conversation I once had with Jasper Bleu of my favorite Florida band, Alias Punch.
11. DON'T LOOK IN MY EYES -- The Brazen One don't play no games, okay? Enough said.
12. NEW MUSIC WOMEN -- At last we come to this song, which has become a favorite of many Brazen fans since it first appeared in acoustic form on Myspace, YouTube, and "The Wendy EP," so here it is again, this time in a new and hopefully improved electric version. Of this song some have asked, "Ray, are you putting us on with this one or are you actually being serious?" My answer: Yes.
In wrapping up this summary of my new record I must give special mention to the Brazen Guitar Company. The owners of this honest-to-goodness actual axe-grinding factory in southern California were such good sports when my longtime friend and fan Steve Carter and I petitioned them to give me a free guitar with our shared namesake on the headstock. I should also shout out to the 175 fans who signed our petition and successfully persuaded them to grant my wish. All of the electric guitar parts on this album were played on that guitar through my early '90s Russian Big Muff Pi fuzzbox. I hope they like the sounds I made with it. It is... pretty amazing.
Okay, now, get this CD and play it loud. Thanks.
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