Last week I released ‘Something beautiful’. With the help of some great musicians we created a rocking version of my original idea. Here’s another take, with the same lyrics -Elizabeth Auzan- and vocals -Jeff Braggs-, but with a different feel and different instruments. Reason 9.5 was all I used. Less is more?

To me you are beautiful

Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder
And I’m beholding you
We both have wrinkled skin
We have been through thick and thin
We know about the ebb and flow
We’ve seen fashion diktats come and go

To me you are beautiful
Beautiful

Originality somehow sets you free
True sincerity is all
Something beautiful
So many people try so hard to please
And try so hard not to think

Beware, beware
Resist the grayscale tones
Beware, beware

Originality
Somehow it makes you free
Find singularity

We all have something beautiful
To me you are beautiful
Find your something beautiful
To me you are beautiful
Go with the ebb and flow
To me you are beautiful
Let fashions diktats come and go
To me you are beautiful

Beautiful, beautiful

(Lyrics by Elizabeth Auzan, vocals Jeff Braggs)

Awesome contributions of Timothy Reed, Elizabeth Auzan, Kelly Miller, Chris Bouchard, Jordi Ribas and Jeff Braggs turned my riff into a proper song: ‘Something beautiful’. Sometimes the title says it all…

To me you are beautiful

Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder
And I’m beholding you
We both have wrinkled skin
We have been through thick and thin
We know about the ebb and flow
We’ve seen fashion diktats come and go

To me you are beautiful
Beautiful

Originality somehow sets you free
True sincerity is all
Something beautiful
So many people try so hard to please
And try so hard not to think

Beware, beware
Resist the grayscale tones
Beware, beware

Originality
Somehow it makes you free
Find singularity

We all have something beautiful
To me you are beautiful
Find your something beautiful
To me you are beautiful
Go with the ebb and flow
To me you are beautiful
Let fashions diktats come and go
To me you are beautiful

Beautiful, beautiful

(Lyrics by Elizabeth Auzan, vocals Jeff Braggs)

I haven’t got one particular way of starting a new song. It might be a bass riff, a drum groove, lyrics, an image: anything really. For this one, it was this one line which kept going around in my head: ‘I never said it wasn’t’…

Joel Sattler picked it up, provided lyrics and I built the song to it. With loads of influences shimmering through. Subsequently Steve Johnson, Bill McCarthy, Pere Mari and Tarjei Skarlund picked up their instruments and delivered like only they can: a splendid time is guaranteed for all…

I never said it wasn’t
I never said it doesn’t
a difference is a little thing
a difference can be everything

I said that I wouldn’t
I said that I couldn’t
that wasn’t what I meant
the meaning was not sent

You’ve gotta mean what you say
Say what you mean
If you want to be more than a dream
Mean what you say
Live your own life
Day after day

I wanted only love
that is what it does
I want to be understood
my intentions are always good

and if your dreams are haunted
that wasn’t what I wanted
don’t forget me don’t
that wasn’t what I wanted
I never said it was
it was only love

You’ve gotta mean what you say
Say what you mean
If you want to be more than a dream
Mean what you say
Live your own life
Day after day

(Lyrics Joel Sattler, vocals by Tarjei Skarlund)

I started ‘See me now’ as ‘All the times’ more than three years ago. Over time seven artists stepped in and made awesome contributions to my original idea: Nicola Offidani, Frederic Osuch, JJ Lorenzo, Bill McCarthy, Daniel Swain, Kat Orlando and Pere Mari. Their ideas gradually transformed the track into the grooving song you’re about to hear. Hear me!

The river ripples north
like credits on the screen
Quietly whispers to me
almost like a dream
As long as I have known you
I’ve known you really well
Only time will answer
in a story it can tell

It says
see me now
hear me now
see me now
hear me now

The leaves are turning all the time
Changing minds on a dime
Wheels are turning all the time
such a lovely melody

Distractions
crack reactions
All I see
is much inaction
False faces on a
big screen-scape
Looking for love
hope to take shape
Mine is a whisper
over the din
in this worried state
I’m living in

See me now
Hear me!

(Lyrics and vocals by Kat Orlando)

From the very beginning I knew ‘King Clown’ would be a winner. And each of the contributions of Steve Johnson, JC Beziz, Andrew Payne, Marc Brouwer, Elizabeth Auzan and Tarjei Skarlund added up to this feeling. Such a cool original popsong. Ultimate JustVera groove.

King Clown why do you frown?
Joker stole my plastic crown
And it’s bringing me down
To the ground

Ha ha the Joker said
Clown has no crown for his head
He is wishing me dead
Dead, dead

Well, when the people knew
King Clown feeling blue
They rushed to his rescue
Gave the case to the best gumshoes
Joker, the joke’s on you
What you gonna do?
What are you going to do?
The joke’s on you
Ding dong, the bell tolls for you
For you, for you, for you

King Clown got back his crown
Happy Ending
Life’s just a carousel
Happy Ending
Ding dong, the bell tolls for you
Ding dong, the bell tolls for you

(Lyrics by Elizabeth Auzan, vocals Tarjei Skarlund)

 

This track originates from at least 12 years ago. Packed with lots of influences and ideas. And what’s more: unlike many of my earlier works, this one stood the test of time. Recently I did some refreshing based on my present views and technical possibilities. And… decided to invite some musicians to take it up the next level:

Elizabeth Auzan – dark lyrics and cool spoken verses
Jim Bryan – brilliant bass
Maarten Gelderman – convincing vocals with great harmonies
Simone Leardini – great rhythm plus lead guitar
Mark Miller – progressive driving drums

These are the Kompoz-musicians which made ‘You’ll like it here’ come alive. Some team…

Pins stuck in wax dolls
Miniature mountain trolls
Upside down crucifix
Crooked on the wall
Alice in WonderHell
Who you gonna call?
Who you gonna call?

Black rabbit in white coat
Dog collar around his throat
Takes Alice by the hand
And speaks but makes no sound
Alice in WonderHell
Much more lost than found

You will like it here
You will like it here
You will like it here, my dear
Happy, happy family
Happy, happy family

You will like it here
You will like it here
We all like it here
Our dysfunctional family
Our dysfunctional family

Mad Hatter flies high
Like a tea-tray in the sky
From the white, padded cells
There is no escape
Alice in WonderHell
All night she lies awake

You will like it here
You will like it here

Alice, Alice
In a world of spite and malice
You will like it here
Alice, Alice
To the dregs you’ll drink the chalice
You will like it here
Alice, Alice
Where are you?
You’ll like it here
You’ll like it here
Alice, Alice
Why did you take so many risks?

You will, you will, like it here
You will like it here

(Lyrics and spoken word by Elizabeth Auzan, vocals Maarten Gelderman)

I don’t know about you, but I can hear loads of musical influences shining through in ‘People pleaser’. The awesome contributions from Elizabeth Auzan, Chris Matthews, Chris Bouchard and Tarjei Skarlund make this one a true gem. Ultimate JustVera. Kompoz rules!

People pleaser, stop choosing not to choose

Say yes, think no
Decide the road you wanna go
Reflecting in the future tense
You sit upon your little fence

You say you’ll win, you think you’ll lose
It’s time to learn you can refuse
Your little fence
Is no defence
Invite yourself t’the present tense

People pleaser

People pleaser, people pleaser, sitting on the fence, stop choosing not to choose

Doobiedo dee
Doobie do do-ooh
Just be you

Doobie do dee
Doobie do da-ah
You’re a star

Doobie do dee
Doobie do do-ooh
You’ll shine through

Doobie do dee
Doobie do da-ah
Goin’ far

Doobie do dee
Doobie do do-ooh
Oh, so true

Doobiedo dee
Doobie do do-ooh
Just be you

(Lyrics by Elizabeth Auzan, vocals Tarjei Skarlund)

Tarjei Skarlund (vocals), JeanLui Toudou (bass), Chris Bouchard (drums), Kelly Miller (guitars), Elizabeth Auzan (lyrics). These people never actually met -each other or me-, but they did take my initial idea to the next level. All thanks to Kompoz.

Tusen takk! ¡Muchos gracias! Thank you so much!/Merci beaucoup! Vielen Dank!

Your point of view
Is what makes you, YOU

Born and screaming alone
Smacked on the behind
I didn’t ask to be born
Nor did the rest of humankind

I was pressured to conform
But I didn’t give in
Learned true values and respect
For kith and kin through thick and thin

All wisdom can be held
In the laughter of a child
Capacity for wonder
Keeps adults from being defiled

See the glass half-full
See it half-empty as you will
Your point of view
Is what makes you, YOU

What have l learned
After this toil and strife?
Life is worth nothing
But nothing’s worth life

(Lyrics by Elizabeth Auzan, vocals Tarjei Skarlund)

Jim Bryan (bass) and Mark Murtha (guitars) reinforced my instrumental framework. Truly great stuff. But the game changed dramatically when Brian Hallstoos stepped in. His lyrics and vocals added the dimension which turned the track into the three-minute-powerpop song I’ve been looking for for so long. Next level JustVera.

Hail to ‘Your Majesty’…

Flood me Majesty
All hail, Your Majesty
Flood me Majesty, flood me

You just do what you want to do
Like a godless queen, you flood me

Problem from another century
Seems to be with us all time
Funny way of showing sympathy
Well, to me it’s just fine, fine, fine

A little boy up in his book now
Mama don’t know what to write
Can’t you see he’s feeling naked today
No, not alright

Standing on the rooftop
Kick dirt looking down
Foggy morning messy little memories
Sticks and stones, back in the ground

Push, shove, look me in the eyes
Tell me just what do you see
Climb on top, cannot stop
Not love hath wrought what sets us free because

You just do what you want to do
Like a godless queen, you flood me
Rain, wind, sorcery, I don’t care what you do to me
Your Majesty

You just do what you want to do
Like a godless queen, you flood me
Rain, wind, sorcery, I don’t care what you do to me
Your Majesty

Turning round, so many faces, but only serving one
Can I get a little space here until you are done

You just do what you want to do
Like a godless queen, you flood me
Rain, wind, sorcery, I don’t care what you do to me
Your Majesty

(Lyrics & Vocals by Brian Hallstoos)

 

‘Ample’ is one of the few JustVera instrumentals. Quite an unusual track. Something about the structure, choice of instruments, atmosphere? Something I love anyway. Bill McCarthy added his rhythmic touch, Jim Bryan his growling bass groove and recently Dan Rosati dropped his mouthwatering saxy cherries all over the cake. Much obliged, guys!