This is the first recorded version of the instrumental Trent Boswell piece called “Scorpio.”
It was done with an acoustic guitar, no mic, straight into a cheap, handheld tape deck. It was the kind nobody owns anymore, but was in classrooms, lawyers offices, and company boardroom meetings. Super high-tech stuff, lemme tell ya.
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The fancier, official recording is on the album Area 25 by Trent Boswell, and it features bass, drums, and electric lead guitar.
album artwork by Dorian Strange
If you’re like me, you are not nearly cool enough to use Spotify (the link above). Uncool, Gen X guys like me use services like Apple Music.
I’m hesitant to do any regular promotion today because of everything that is going on in America. My heart goes out to women everywhere, as well as all of the other minority groups that SCOTUS has in their sights to attack and marginalize next.
There is nothing I could possibly say or do that could make any of that madness seem less important. I’ll do anything that I can to help, but I am honestly clueless about how I might help, beyond voting and just being a supporter of equal rights for all people. Try to stay strong and please, take good care of yourselves; it’s easy to slip into depression and bad habits when we see our nation slipping toward authoritarianism.
All that said, somehow, someway, life has to trudge on forward. As you might already know, my new album is out, and that means part of my job is to promote the stupid thing. Actually, it’s not stupid at all—I’m exceedingly proud of it. I think it came out great. I’d love for it to be some kind of small escape from the harsh realities we’re facing.
Something in the Air – Music by Trent Boswell
Below, I’m providing some links to the bigger music streaming services that carry the album. If you subscribe to any of these, you can do me a huge favor by liking the tracks on all the services you have access to. You can of course purchase the album or individual tracks through most of these outlets. That’s excellent because it helps me to make more music for everyone.
However, it’s incredibly easy (and free) to just favorite, like, thumbs up 👍 the songs you like, and to add them to your favorite playlists on outlets like Spotify.
If you really want to help out, really go the extra mile, you can share the album or individual songs to your social media pages.
There’s also the YouTube channel, which provides interesting visuals for the music.
Something in the Air
Existential art rock for perspicacious psychonauts and connoisseurs of eclectic, eccentric soundscapes, chock full of the beautiful terrible. Ten original songs about things which are replaced by new, theoretical things that never arrive.
2 cups of Rock and Roll, ⅓ cup of Pop Music, 3 heaping tablespoons of psychedelics, and one fifteen inch subwoofer of pure Funkadelia. Use responsibly. May interact with certain medications. May be illegal in your area.
Napster – I don’t know the link because I’m not a subscriber, so I can’t look it up
There are plenty of other music services that carry the album; these are just the biggest ones.
And here’s a video of one the songs, track number three from Something in the Air. This one is called A Nice, Quiet Place to Die. Despite the seemingly dark title, it’s really a love song. It’s about loving other people, animals, and the Earth itself. Enjoy.
My cover of Willie Nelson’s “Seven Spanish Angels”, a wonderful song that he got Ray Charles to do a duet with him on. I don’t care for modern country music but I love Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn… to me, that’s real country music.
The great jazz saxophonist, Charlie Patker would go into a bar and load up the jukebox with country songs, which puzzled his jazz cat friends. When they asked why, he’d say “It’s in the stories, man. Listen to the stories.” Nobody can tell a story like Willie Nelson. How much more true is that, when Ray Charles is helping him tell it?
I’m doing the vocal, playing all the guitar parts and the bass. I’ve never been much of a slide guitarist, so it’s not exactly amazing slide work but it came out just well enough that I didn’t ditch it entirely. Since I didn’t have Ry Cooder’s number, it will have to do.
You can support this work and download the song for free at:
He looked down into her brown eyes And said “Say a prayer for me” She threw her arms around him Whispered “God will keep us free” They could hear the riders comin’ He said “This is my last fight If they take me back to Texas They won’t take me back alive”
There were seven Spanish Angels At the Altar of the Sun They were prayin’ for the lovers In the Valley of the Gun When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared There was thunder from the throne And seven Spanish Angels Took another angel home
She reached down and picked the gun up That lay smokin’ in his hand She said, “Father please forgive me I can’t make it without my man” And she knew the gun was empty And she knew she couldn’t win But her final prayer was answered When the rifles fired again
There were seven Spanish Angels At the Altar of the Sun They were prayin’ for the lovers In the Valley of the Gun When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared There was thunder from the throne And seven Spanish Angels Took another angel home
Words and music by Willie Nelson
Special Thanks
Special thanks to the following people for their video and photo contributions:
It’s only a string section, not an entire orchestra. But what sets this apart from anything that I’ve ever done before is that, in addition to writing the chord progression, the guitar and bass parts and the lyrics, I also wrote the string part. That’s a new one for me.
And I didn’t just write something on guitar and then transpose it for strings. Instead, I wrote it the way a classical composer would.
To do this, I had to draw on the part writing rules that we learned in music theory class in college, something that I thought I’d never actually use. It was a long time ago, so I feel sure that I broke some of those rules in various places but remembering the basics (no parallel 4ths or 5ths, etc) got me through it.
SomethingLike A Rainbow
Lost and alone and wandering Finding a true friend there, in the rain Hold fast, together Warmth in a lover’s arms Loving each other heals the pain
A soft and gentle light, to lead the way Something like a rainbow
So many things we were told we’d see Most of them never came to be But no one can explain the redeeming grace That shines from the light in your face
A soft and gentle light, it leads the way Something like a rainbow
And it shines into forever Walk in its light, into forever
So many things we were told we’d see Most of them never came to be Still, no one can explain the redeeming grace That shines when a smile is upon your face
A soft and gentle light, it leads the way Something like a rainbow Soft and gentle light, it leads the way Something like a rainbow
And its light goes into forever Ride the light into forever
Many are they Who have whispered lies Many are they Who have made me despise Many are the lies And many who have heard She knows that I could love her If not for fear of that word
You know that I’ll try Put a little sunlight in your eye You know that I’ll try Put a little shine in your smile And you know that You can come with me, anytime But you know that I have fear Of the fear and the lies
Kevin Trent Boswell 