City of Legends

Just got through bringing up more than half an hour of more free downloads and listens of my recordings from my CDs, getting further down the road to having them all available to my readers and listeners.

In this batch we added:

(from the CD The Last Romantic Verb)

• from out of the city
• Bragi to Freya, on his deathbed
• Wordslinger
• glass roses

(from the CD Nemicorn)

• Damascus 3
• Brisant Revelations
• Texture of Your Tongue
• Love Gods (Multivox)

They are now all available at www.williamfdevault.com

Subject to my imperial whim (and we all know how mercurial that can be) I am making the following changes over the next 10 days:

• The dissolution of peacat.com
• Completion of the first 100 elements of williamfdevault.com
• The gutting, then dissolution of my Random Drafts and Chapters blog
• There are a few cosmetic changes to be done, as well, as well as some behind the scenes changes that no one likely to be reading this note will ever need to be privy to.
• I will make available the entirety of all my CDs, including Evangelist, as free downloads via williamfdevault.com
• Plus, for those who attend my readings on the 17th of this month, there will be some dramatic news about my books, past and future.

That’s all I have to say for now. Thanks to the people from StumbledUpon who notched my new presentation of Soubrette at williamfdevault.com. Mucho attention, mucho gracias.

Okay, one miracle down (you have no idea how much furious effort is going on in the background to accomplish all of this)…

The City of Legends Store has re-opened.  You can get there by slicking the linked name (in the previous sentence) or by following the top of the page link that reads "The City Store" (trying to keep it simple).

We’re offering some discounts on some books and CDs as a "Pre-tour Blowout", and as always, free shipping and custom signing.  Shopping cart services are courtesy of PayPal.

Available in the ‘Store are:

Books:

• As such…romantic poetry of rebirth
  
• Ronin in the Temple of Aphrodite
  
• Psalms of the Monster River Cult
  
• The Morgantown Suite Poems
  
• The Compleat Panther Cycles

CDs:

• Nemicorn
  
• The Naked Reads
  
• Amomancer:  nightblooming
  
• the last romantic verb

Not in the store?

• from an unexpected quarter
  
• Love Gods of a Forgotten Religion
  
• PanthEon
  
• 101 Great Love Poems (hardback and paperback)
  
• Invocato

But I may later decide to fold them in…I just hate making the store too chaotic and huge.  All of those not in the official store can be purchased elsewhere.

And yes, when Evangelist is done, it will be available through the City Store.

I need some sleep.  And a pile of fried chicken livers.  And a really good, earnest kiss.  And a rubdown.  And a new pair of running shoes.  And a vacation.   And a Damascus that is not an illusion.  And a Peppermint Patty (she candy, not the Peanuts character).

But for now, there is the forge and the hammer and the heat of the coals.  It is enough.

Here’s the tracks you can pretty much bet your grandmother’s virtue will be on Evangelist:

from the CD Amomancer:  nightblooming

• the taste.  Possibly the most sultry work I’ve done.  so far.

from the CD The Gods of Love:  Nemicorn

• NQ.  A funked up dance number.
• Right Set of Lips.  A charming little acoustic piece everyone seems to love.
• Strange…but Beautiful.  A tribute to every woman’s unique charms.  And the charm of unique women.
• Darfur (Jesus Wept).  We debated the inclusion, as it is inconsistent with the other pieces, but it has to be said.
• Love Gods (Multivox).  An experiment that did me proud.  Some people (ahem) still insist I had help on this one.
• Thetis.  I am not a huge fan of it, but someone dear to me adores it, and I am a sucker for that.
• Brisant Revelations.  A throwback to late-60’s classic rock.  The poem itself was written on a napkin at Larry Jaffe’s Moondog Cafe poetry readings one Spring evening while waiting to take the microphone.

from the CD William F. DeVault and The Gods of Love:  The Last Romantic Verb

• Kisses for Karma.  And yes, we’ve muted the horns in this lush evocation.
• Beasts of Legend.  How could I refuse this twelve-minute poetry jam?  Be thankful I left out Wordslinger.  God, but I love the transition into Radiant Tigers in this one.

That’s the current inclusion list for previously released tracks.  It could get altered if Jesika™ or Jazz decide to jam out their numbers to Layla-lengths.  We shall see.  And expect some pretty heady stuff and a surprise dedication on this disk.

Thanks to everyone, especially Mac, Dan, Sabrina, Jen, Karla and Twist for the emotional support. 

Ordered my new boots today.  You didn’t really think I’d start a new tour without a new, shiny, overpriced pair of exceptionally sweet Arthur boots, did you?   You obviously do not know me too well.

If you think I am going to turn in before midnight, PST, or feeling as funky as I was a few hours ago, you’re mui loco. (Did I get that right?)

One of the talents I have is the ability to manipulate my own emotional state. Sometimes it is easy, like running downhill, all you need to do is start moving. Sometimes it’s a lot tougher, like running uphill, requiring more will, but possible.

So I am right now fighting my way out of a funk a dunk to end all funk a dunks. I call those my suicide spirals. I ride them out for a few, then seize the first opportunity to pull up…I do this by any of several methods, not the least of which is list making. Tonight’s list is the ten best tracks on my CDs this past year.

Hmmm…I really can’t use THE NAKED READS as more than one track, as that’s really all it is, despite the multiple works on it, one very long track. But the contents of THE LAST ROMANTIC VERB and NEMICORN are valid, so here goes.

1. DARFUR (Jesus Wept): Have to give this track its due. It has received radio airplay overseas and recognition from several sites. It is nice to take the focus off my heart or genitals once in a while.

2. RIGHT SET OF LIPS: But not for too long…this romantic but sweetly intense work could be used as backdrop to most relationships I’ve screwed up over the years.

3. THE NAKED READS: Let get this long-ass piece out of the way. Dozens of poems, from softly romantic to gently erotic. Ear candy with a pillow-talk sensibility.

4. STRANGE, BUT BEAUTIFUL: Wow. That piece gets me every time I listen to it. I don’t know where I pulled it from, but I am glad to be able to claim it as my own.

5. TEXTURE OF YOUR TONGUE: I was on the fence about this piece, then the other night this beautiful young woman, giggling, kept asking me to read it to her, then chickening out. I must have done something right, eh, Jaz?

6. KISSES FOR KARMA: In the atom bomb that was NEMICORN, many have forgotten this piece from THE LAST ROMANTIC VERB…upbeat but unremittingly romantic. Yes, the horns are a bit much, but…

7. A PASSION, UNRELENTING: Like nothing else I’ve ever done, this piece just come from a space I cannot define. The music and the words just fell into place.

8. THE NOSFERATU’S QUANDARY: Who says this guy can’t funk it up in a good way? All we missed was Prince, shrieking in the background.

9. BEASTS OF LEGEND: The second longest arc-work from VERB, the bridge before RADIANT TIGERS alone is worth the price of admissions.

10. WORDSLINGER: At just over 18 minutes, an hellaciously long poetry arc, but when keystone phrase of IN THE MEMORY OF LOVERS, "I will take no pretender, again, to my bed", kicks in, you know who is shaping this universe.

There you have it…about ninety minutes of experimental madness. And there’s a whole new year out there, waiting.

And I feel better.

I have come to learn that I attributed the chart of analysis of the tracks for Nemicorn incorrectly to Lupi Basil, it was actually her son (a note to that effect was obscured in the download of the media portions of the mail). I would still very much like to share the chart with you, but will need their permission first (I am a stickler on the etiquette of copyrights).

In the course of the chart, very nicely colour coded, he breaks things down in multiple categories, piece by piece, and assigns grades…I am sad to report it wasn’t all A’s and B’s.

The categories he used were (his explanation) along with the high and low "students":

Voice Tone: (How the poet’s voice plays with the poem on the recording)
A+ on "Texture of Your Tongue", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn", "Thetis", "Wild and Defiled, Along the Way", "Once Again, the Nemicorn" and "A Passion, Unrelenting".
D+ on "Falling and Fallen Angels" .

Emphasis: (Annunciation of words and sounds, clarity in voice and sound)
A+ on "Nosferatu’s Quandry", "Texture of Your Tongue", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Thunder Out of Valhalla", "Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn", "Thetis", "Darfur (Jesus Wept)", "Amomancy" and "A Passion, Unrelenting".
C- for "Damascus 3" and "Love Gods (Multivox)".

Rhythm: (The beat and/or stress and/or flow of the poem with its words)
A+ on "Nosferatu’s Quandry", "Right Set of Lips", "Falling and Fallen Angels", "Brisant Revelations", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Thetis", "Wild and Defiled, Along the Way".
D+ for "Love Gods (Multivox)".

Image: (Imagery; the use of sight, sounds, taste, smells and tactile sensations in the poem)
I won’t bore you with this one…15 of the 19 tracks got A+, the lowest grade was a B…for "Thunder Out of Valhalla".

Sound: (Linking words through alliteration, vowels & consonants, or the use of onomatopoeia or rhyme)
A+ for "Right Set of Lips", "Brisant Revelations", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Thetis" and "Amomancy".
C+ for "Falling and Fallen Angels".

Density: (Detailed poetry shows slower pace and less detail quickens pace - the use of either in an easy, fluid manner)
A+ for "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn", "Thetis", "Wild and Defiled, Along the Way".
B- (for shame!) on "Love Gods (Multivox)".

Poetic Line: (The poem as a whole, whether long or short, analyzed by how the poet uses rhyme or non-rhyme schemes through creativity; this includes "content" quality: This is not based on the subject matter choice or preference, but how you play with it)
12 tracks got A+, 6 got A, one didn’t have lyrics. Hey, I am a poet, after all.

Music Content:
A+ on "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Love Gods (Multivox)", "Thetis", "Amomancy", "Once Again, the Nemicorn".
D- on both "Nosferatu’s Quandry" and "Falling and Fallen Angels".

Final average grades:

A+ "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)" and "Thetis".
The lowest overall average was B- for "Theocricide".

In the real world, the two tracks I ended up dropping were "Amomancy" and "Brigit".

I can live with those grades. And I am grateful to Lupi’s son for the energy and time he took to involve himself in this project…I’m sending him a free copy of the CD.

The NEMICORN comes into the world, long live the NEMICORN.

Here is the final track list for my new CD, NEMICORN, available starting this Friday, November 3, either through the City of Legends Bookstore, or through the publisher (lulu.com) or you can hope to snag one at any of my public events. Ten bucks, 17 works, that’s a pretty good deal.

I’d like to thank two sets of people. First, those whose inputs were so crucial to my making the final few tracks decisions, Matt Hinton, Daleen Berry, Alan MacDonald, Aberjhani, E.J. and Pam Fries.

The second group is perhaps even more essential: People whose inspiration, directly or indirectly, lead to the works contained: Nancy, Peri, Nordette, Carole, Mary, Jennifer, Sarah, Ann, H. R. Giger, Kristina, Crystal, Jan, Jade, Brigit and Karla. I pray long and joyful lives for you all.

Here’s the final list of tracks (followed by duration of final version)

Damascus 3 (1:09)
The Nosferatu’s Quandry (2:37)
Right Set of Lips (2:12)
Falling and Fallen Angels (2:59)
Brisant Revelations (3:10)
Joining the Machine (2:42)
Texture of Your Tongue (2:40)
The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful) (3:15)
Theocricide (5:02)
Thunder Out of Valhalla (3:28)
Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn (2:16)
Love Gods (Multivox) (3:58)
Thetis (3:06)
Wild and Defiled, Along the Way (4:04)
Darfur (Jesus Wept) (3:55)
Once Again, The Nemicorn (4:08)
A Passion, Unrelenting (3:00)

Total running time, just a hair under 54 minutes.

There it is. Thanks to all. Now to finish up THE NAKED READS. So many projects, I shall never reach my nunc dimittis.

Early returns from the panel previewing the tracks for Nemicorn:

Locked in:
Darfur (Jesus Wept)
The Nosferatu’s Quandry
Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn
A Passion, Unrelenting
Right Set of Lips
The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)

Definitely there:
Fallen and Falling Angels
Damascus, Movement 3
Love Gods (Multivox)
Thetis
Thunder Out of Valhalla
Wild and Defiled, Along the Way

Maybe there:
Theocricide
Amomancy
Texture of Your Tongue
Again, the Nemicorn
Brisant Revelations
Joining the Machine
Brigit

So, what does that mean? Nothing. Yet. I am waiting for further input before making any final decisions and will release the lineup on November 1st. The CD will be available for order on November 3rd.

Nordette Adams sent me an advance of an article she is doing on me. Lovely, but I am not sure I recognize that guy. To me, I will always been that gawky kid who had to ask 12 girls to get a date to his church’s "Sweethearts Banquet" in high school, not the guy who gets indecent email propositions from strange but beautiful women, with pictures.

I’ll post a link when she finalizes the article.

Tonight’s the night I am boycotting NBC’s programming because they spinelessly refused to run ads for the documentary "Shut Up and Sing". I will miss "Heroes" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"…but such is life.

Without complex comments, just wanted to reflect on the 18 tracks under consideration for "Nemicorn". A simple 1 to 10 scale (10 being the highest) which is a combination of the technical merits of the piece, the artistry and creativity and my own opinion of my performance (weighted, as I generally do not like my own voice):

Damascus, Movement 3 (01:09) I give this one a 7.
The Nosferatu’s Quandry (02:37) An 8.
Right Set of Lips (02:12) Hmmm…another 7.
Fallen and Falling Angels (02:59) Let’s give this one an 8.
Brisant Revelations (03:10) Tough, but a 7.
Joining the Machine (02:42) I have to give it a 6.
Texture of Your Tongue (02:40) Another 6.
The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful) (03:15) A nine…edging towards a ten.
Theocricide (05:02) A seven.
Thunder Out of Valhalla (03:28) An eight, almost a nine.
Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn (02:16) An eight.
Love Gods (Multivox) (03:58) An eight.
Thetis (03:06) A six.
Wild and Defiled, Along the Way (04:04) A nine…but just barely.
Darfur (Jesus Wept) (03:55) A nine…almost a ten.
Brigit (03:35) I’m giving this one six.
Amomancy (19:04) Tough, it is so long and changes flavours so much…but an eight.
Again, the Nemicorn (04:08) An eight.

Remember, these are not judgements on one aspect, but my overall take.