From: UICD@MARIST.BITNET (Christoper V. DeRobertis)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Subject: Sonic Verse Volume 2, Issue 9
Date: 14 Oct 92 21:52:20 GMT
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU


          SSSSSS     OOOOOOOO    NN    NN    IIIIII     CCCCCC
         SSSSSSSS    OOOOOOOO    NNN   NN    IIIIII    CCCCCCCC
         SS    SS    OO    OO    NNN   NN      II      CC
         SSS         OO    OO    NNNN  NN      II      CC
          SSSSS      OO    OO    NN NN NN      II      CC
           SSSSS     OO    OO    NN NN NN      II      CC
              SSS    OO    OO    NN  NNNN      II      CC
         SS    SS    OO    OO    NN   NNN      II      CC
         SSSSSSSS    OOOOOOOO    NN   NNN    IIIIII    CCCCCCCC
          SSSSSS     OOOOOOOO    NN    NN    IIIIII     CCCCCC


       VV    VV    EEEEEEEE    RRRRRRR      SSSSSS     EEEEEEEE
       VV    VV    EEEEEEEE    RRRRRRRR    SSSSSSSS    EEEEEEEE
       VV    VV    EE          RR    RR    SS    SS    EE
       VV    VV    EE          RR    RR    SSS         EE
       VV    VV    EEEEEE      RRRRRRRR     SSSSS      EEEEE
       VV    VV    EEEEEE      RRRRRRR       SSSSS     EEEEE
       VV    VV    EE          RRRR             SSS    EE
        VV  VV     EE          RR  RR      SS    SS    EE
         VVVV      EEEEEEEE    RR   RR     SSSSSSSS    EEEEEEEE
          VV       EEEEEEEE    RR    RR     SSSSSS     EEEEEEEE

                             Music Magazine
                        Volume 2, Issue 9 (E-RE)
                    Formerly Update Music Newsletter

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Contents
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonic Verse Information:
    Copyright notice
    Mailing addresses
    Disclaimer

Columns:
    Editor's Tangent
    Reviews
    Demo Review  . . . . . The Mike Moscato Band
    Perspective  . . . . . Not Beyond Reproach (Part 2 of 2): Balancing
                           The Scales
    Perspective  . . . . . Words DEFINITELY Matter To Me

Features:
    Exclusive Sonic Verse Interview - Mike Moscato
    Fall Cleaning

Appendices:
    A - Additional Sonic Verse Information

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Sonic Verse Information
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonic Verse Music Magazine (c) 1992 Christopher Vincent DeRobertis

This magazine may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either
in whole or part, without the express written consent of Christopher
Vincent DeRobertis. All questions, comments, reproduction requests, and
general inquiries can be sent to the following addresses:

INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SERVICE: Sonic Verse Music Magazine, ATTN: C.V.
DeRobertis, P.O. Box 219, Stormville, New York, 12582-0219, U.S.A.
(NOTE: Sonic Verse Music Magazine can be replaced with its short form,
Sonic Verse.)

ELECTRONIC MAIL SERVICES for ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS should be
directed to: UICD@MARIST.BITNET, for Bitnet links, and
UICD@VM.MARIST.EDU for Internet links.

STAFF: Editor, owner - C.V. "Dero" DeRobertis. Writers, researchers -
Dero, Joel Kraft, Jill Troseth; Financial management - Dero, Jill
Troseth

DISCLAIMER: The staff and owner of Sonic Verse take no responsibility
and make no claims regarding the mail order items described herein, nor
does Sonic Verse state or imply any guarantees regarding the merchandise
and/or services of the companies and/or individuals presented and/or
reviewed and/or as expressed by individuals interviewed. Advice columns
or advice oriented write-ups are not to be taken as legal consultation
or legal service, but as suggestions and examples of real-world or
hypothetical models. Always consult a lawyer for legal and lawful
guidance. The opinions and views contained in Sonic Verse reflect those
of the individual authors. The opinions, content, organization, and
management of this magazine are in no way connected with the faculty and
staff of Marist College.

For additional information on Sonic Verse, please refer to Appendix A
for the following: Publishing and Subscription, Transmission, Prices
used in Sonic Verse, Text Conventions found in articles/write-ups,
Bitnet and Internet FAQs, Solicited and Unsolicited material received by
Sonic Verse or its agents, and directions for freelance writers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Editor's Tangent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings from the electronic domain of Sonic Verse! I'm pleased to
report that administrative tasks concerning Update's transformation into
Sonic Verse are going well. It hasn't been easy, but we're almost there!

The Contents section reveals two Perspective columns. This is not a
mistake! The second of the two Perspective columns, "Words DEFINITELY
Matter To Me", was born out of the first, "Not Beyond Reproach (Part 2
of 2): Balancing The Scales". While writing the introduction paragraph
to "Not Beyond Reproach . . ." I noticed that it took on a life of its
own and didn't flow well with the original idea. Rather than discard the
thoughts, I ran with them. So even though the focus of both Perspectives
is song lyrics, they're coming from different angles. (I really wanted
to end that last sentence with 'perspectives'!)

Also, you'll notice that the date for the Mike Moscato interview is
March 1992. It was originally slated for the May 1992 issue, but
circumstances beyond my control forced its delay. My apologies to
Mike Moscato!

With only two regularly scheduled issues left in 1992 (November and
December) and a 'ton' of material we want to cover before bidding 1992
good-bye, Supplement and/or Special issues are being prepared. Time
flies when you're having fun! And we're having LOTS of FUN! That's all
for now! Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Reviews
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARTIST: Alice in Chains
TITLE:  Dirt
LABEL:  Columbia Records
MEDIUM: CD, CASSETTE

Written by Joel Kraft

. . . And now Dana Carvey as the Church Lady:

". . . And on the 29th day (of September), Satan released _Dirt_!"

Nearing the end of one grueling 25 hour college day, I began a hopeful
second search for Alice in Chains' new album, _Dirt_. The day before, a
trip to a local record store had ended in terror! _Dirt_ had sold out!
Record stores in college towns all over the nation were probably already
placing a second order. Determined, however, on this second day of
searching, I drearily made my way to an alternate record store. But
alas, they too had sold out! Another major record store had
underestimated the popularity of this Seattle band. But now, feeling
challenged, feeling as if I was really missing out on something
incredibly huge, I sped to one last record store and searched with
anxiety. At last, there it was! Priced to move! My copy!!

This is not your average low grade infertile earth. _Dirt_ is a worthy
follow up to Alice in Chains' huge debut album, _Facelift_. The band has
left a few of their sounds behind, such as the funky, Red Hot Chili
Peppers style of "I know something (bout you)". In its place, they've
turned further toward that infamous heavy minor mode sound.

The album consists of eleven new tracks and one previously released
track. The twelfth track, "Would?", was originally released as the first
cut on the motion picture soundtrack for _Singles_. The new material is
filled with monstrous heavy grooves, crunching riffs, and strong,
grating vocals. With a variety of non-common time signatures, portions
of _Dirt_ bring Soundgarden to mind.

Behind this album, providing the heavy grooves and driving rhythms, are
Mike Starr on bass and Sean Kinney on drums. Similar to _Facelift_, the
album is often dabbed with guitarist Jerry Cantrell's bluesy solos.
However, he occasionally rips into an interesting mode solo, such as the
one on the track "Would?". Although not loaded with speed, these solos
are interesting and may please the listener. *Interesting note: Cantrell
gives thanks to Eddie Van Halen in the linear notes and is also the only
professional musician I have seen playing a guitar from Eddie's custom
made MusicMan line, with the exception of Eddie.

Unfortunately, while the music itself may bring you up, listening to the
lyrics may bring you down. Powerfully, Layne Staley sings about such
depressing topics as death, war, drug abuse, and extremely bad
relationships. Uncanny how these topics seem to follow those heavy minor
modes around, isn't it?

Opinions, notes, and observations:

"THEM BONES": A rocking 7/8 piece and a great way to kick
  off a new album.

"DAM THAT RIVER": Pure power with a 12/4 feel.

"RAIN WHEN I DIE": This track provides an interesting bass and guitar
  intro, followed by Cantrell's classic use of a wah-wah. This is a
  great tune with a 6/8 feel and an awesome vocal melody in the c
  section.

"SICKMAN": I found this song really strange/cool. There are a number of
  odd time shifts, a double time intro, and a speaking vocal overdub,
  which reminds me of the voices from Metallica's "One" or perhaps
  "Bleed the Freak", from _Facelift_.

"DOWN IN A HOLE": This song starts with a gentle acoustic intro,
  reminding me of "I can't Remember", from _Facelift_. The guitar sounds
  as if it was distorted by super saturating the master tape. Now that
  I think about it, many guitar parts on the album sound this way.
  Perhaps I have a defective copy?

"ROOSTER": Another great piece with a relaxed intro, building to a
  powerful climax. This song seems to be about the horrors of war. A
  classic rolling military snare has been left intact. *Interesting
  trivia: Under the album credits, Cantrell gives thanks to one Jerry
  Cantrell Sr. (The Rooster). Perhaps his father wore army green?

"JUNKHEAD": You may have heard this tune on MTV's _Singles_ movie
  premier party. Scrunching!

"GODSMACK": The vocals on this song are REALLY weird. During the verses,
  Staley uses an intense wavering or vibrato on his voice. You have to
  hear this one. Only Staley could sing like this without hurting
  himself. I tried it myself and started cracking up.

Good luck finding your copy! If you enjoyed _Facelift_, you will most
likely enjoy _Dirt_!

========================================================================
ARTIST: Paula Westfield
TITLE:  Midnight Move
LABEL:  PWDP1
MEDIUM: CD

Written by Dero

Paula Westfield's _Midnight Move_ is a nine selection, independent
Country music release. The album features Westfield on lead/backing
vocals and six/twelve string acoustic guitars, and Dennis Pelton on
electric/acoustic guitars, synthesizer, sequencer, and computer
programming. The bass guitar, drum, and synthesizer lines were sequenced
and performed by Westfield and Pelton. Of the nine songs, eight are by
Westfield and one by Pelton. Depending on the song, the production
credits go to Westfield, Westfield and Pelton, or Pelton. Total CD
playing time is 35:01.

Westfield's voice can be described like eating pure sugar cane - the
palette finds it both sweet and gritty. There's something about her
voice that's captivating. Perhaps it's the sincerity in her tones.
Perhaps it's the energy behind the words. Perhaps it's the sexiness in
her phrasings. Whatever the case, Westfield's voice is both leather and
lace.

Pelton's guitar work is a perfect backdrop for the vocal passages and a
respectable lead instrument during solo passages. His rhythm playing
gives each song an instrumental fingerprint. Over all, his performances
reflect great care in contributing to the feeling of each song.

The songs have various moods, tempos, and instrumental textures. They're
well written and, above all else, memorable. Westfield and Pelton's
greatest strength, I think, is in the dramatic nature of the ballad and
those songs that are acoustic guitar oriented. This is evident in the
songs "Passing in the Night", "You're the One", "Open Up My Eyes", and
"Change My Mind."

For more information on Paula Westfield, bookings, and purchase
information, write to:

           Paula Westfield
           3333 S. Wadsworth B-104
           Lakewood, Colorado 80227    or call    303-698-5076

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Demo Review - The Mike Moscato Band
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARTIST: The Mike Moscato Band
TITLE:  The Mike Moscato Band
MEDIUM: Video, cassette

Written by Dero

*Editor's Note: See an exclusive Sonic Verse interview with Mike Moscato
this issue.

The Mike Moscato Band is a guitar oriented Fusion band formed by
guitarist/composer Mike Moscato. The band features Lance Hackenberg on
bass and guest drummers for recording and live performances. The demo
features George Murray and Harry Van Orden on drums and percussion, and
drum programming by Moscato. Moscato also performed all bass parts. The
music on the demo is in the vein of Allan Holdsworth and Frank Gambale.

The video version of the demo contains four instrumental compositions:
"Spectral Illusions", "Spiral Warp", "Weeping Willow", and
"Reflections." Of the four pieces, three feature drums and percussion,
bass, and lead/rhythm guitar. The solo guitar piece, "Weeping Willow",
is a short Ragtime offering.

The only performance video is "Weeping Willow" and demonstrates
Moscato's Stanley Jordan technique of two-handed fretboard playing. The
remaining videos are conceptual in nature. The imagery in the conceptual
videos is abstract and focuses on images of the cosmos, Rorschach like
objects, and computer generated and enhanced graphics. For the most
part, the conceptual videos are rapid visual montages that do not linger
on any single image. These videos aren't average MTV and VH1 videos. The
visual resolution is good and the audio tracks mesh well with the visual
imagery. Moscato's video vision is a patchwork display of visual
snippets. A true video quilt.

Musically, the arrangements are tight and fast paced. The music is busy,
with little in the way of openness. That is, there are not many quiet
moments in the pieces. In each composition, save "Weeping Willow", the
lead guitar work is blazing. Moscato is technically proficient and hints
at spontaneous abandon in many passages. While the non-stop fretboard
gymnastics are impressive, the constant guitar fury does become numbing.
Likewise, the drum lines are impressive, but busy and fill oriented. Do
to the busy nature of the other arrangements, the bass lines sometimes
get lost in a flurry of sound.

There's nothing wrong with blazing guitar antics or intense drum lines
and I'm not persecuting Moscato for them. Musicians like Yngwie
Malmsteen, Tony MacAlpine, Deen Castronovo, and Neil Peart have shown
that guitar and drum shredders have a place in the world of music. I
find the guitar and drum work impressive and entertaining, but at times
over bearing. Of course, this is a matter of perspective. As always, one
person's view is not another's vision.

The Mike Moscato Band demo is available in video and cassette mediums.
Both demos contain the same music tracks. For more information on The
Mike Moscato Band, bookings, and purchase information, write to:

                   Mike Moscato
                   P.O. Box 13
                   Lake Hiawatha,
                   NJ  07034    or call    201-334-2152

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Perspective

     Not Beyond Reproach (Part 2 of 2): Balancing The Scales

                            Written by Dero
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Editor's Note: Part 1 examined the Body Count controversy. (See volume
2, issue 8 for details.)

Body Count is only one instance of controversy in music and the moral,
ethical, and constitutional dilemmas we face as a result. It's dangerous
to make Body Count the lone scapegoat in the on-going battle of artistic
freedom of speech. The scales of reproach need to be balanced if any
type of justice is to be achieved. Keep in mind that Body Count is an
extreme case of controversy, regarding widespread media coverage. There
are other 'Body Counts' that come and go without ever becoming national
or international news, but do cause a stir on various local levels. A
localized instance doesn't diminish the severity of the controversy, but
merely restricts it to smaller or specialized populations. Below are
two examples of 'specialized' music releases that contain lyrics that I
find offensive, but will (probably) never ruffle public feathers like
Body Count. (What I mean by 'specialized' will be apparent with each
example.) Nevertheless, these releases, like _Body Count_, are not
beyond reproach in my mind and I feel obligated to share them with you.

Depending on your perspective, California band Deliverance is either a
top notch Speed Metal or Thrash Metal outfit. Though their music is not
standard Speed/Thrash Metal fare, it's their lyrics that sets them apart
from many artists in these genres. Deliverance is a Christian
Speed/Thrash Metal band that moshes for The Master . . . and they MEAN
IT! Christianity is a way of life for this band. In interview after
interview, Deliverance stresses that Jesus Christ is foremost in all
they do. They are His tool to be used as He wills, for His glory and His
alone. As a Christian I can appreciate and respect this devotion and
dedication. What I cannot appreciate or condone are certain views
expressed in the lyrics from their release, _What a Joke_, on Intense
Records, an exclusive Christian Metal record label.

The best way to describe the over all lyrical content of _What a Joke_
is to call it a preachy, "You're going to burn in Hell if you don't
repent now!", "If it's in The Bible it's irrefutable!", finger pointing,
holier than thou release. The lyrics, "I'm so tired of this guile/Homo's
saying they're not perverted/It's an alternative lifestyle," from "What
a Joke," offends me. These lines sound so demeaning and rude. They could
have stated their position without being cold and heartless. I don't
agree with homosexuality, but I don't knock homosexuals, nor do I make
them sound less than human. They're people like me and you, with the
right to choose what's best for them, provided they're not imposing
their will on any one else. I don't agree with their choice, but it's
not my life and I RESPECT their right to choose what they want.
Deliverance's zealotry doesn't see it that way. Instead, they see it as,
"What a joke/God will laugh at your calamity."

Also, _What a Joke_ contains a version of Black Sabbath's classic song
"After Forever." This is the same Black Sabbath revered as Metal's
founding fathers of Doom Metal or Black Metal. Black Sabbath is *the*
original Satanic over-tone band! Sure, "After Forever" sounds like a
real pro-Christian song, but did Sabbath do it as a mockery? Satanism
often mocks Christianity by parody or 'sincere' blasphemy. Did
Deliverance do it to mock Sabbath in return? Well, I wish I had the
answer. Unfortunately, the cassette insert carries no explanation of why
the song is included. In fact, no where on the album is the name Black
Sabbath mentioned! The only credits associated with the song are Toni
Iommi as the writer and Tro/Essex for publishing. If you didn't know the
song was by Black Sabbath, you'd probably think a sincere Christian
wrote it. This raises the question, "Did Deliverance intentionally leave
out important details to mislead the audience?" I find this to be
confusing and distressful, since Deliverance comes off as Christian
zealots, but covers a Black Sabbath tune with no explanation. Mixed
signals here people. By their own admission Deliverance believes an
artist has a responsibility to the audience. Where's *their*
responsibility? Why is "After Forever" on _What a Joke_? If it's a joke,
I don't find it funny.

With the exceptions of the instrumental "J.P.D.", various audio jokes (a
recipe reading; album intro music), a mosh cover of "Silent Night",
"Attack", and "It's the Beat", I find their moral absoluteness
repelling. I would recommend their earlier releases as musically and
lyrically worthwhile, but I cannot in good conscience recommend, as
a whole, _What a Joke_.

Sexuality is certainly an offensive or defensive issue depending on whom
you are addressing. However, there is a sexual statement on _Downtown
Dreamers_ by the band Masi (Metal Blade Records - an independent Heavy
Metal label), that should be scorned by any conscious human being. Yes, I
find one song so offensive that it ruins the whole album. True, it's not
hard to ruin such gems as "Undercover (Rock and Roll Lover)" or
"Hellraiser," sex and bad boy songs, respectively. However, _Downtown
Dreamers_ has many wonderful moments, cliches and all, but they're
ruined by one song.

The song in question is "I Hear You Callin'" and concludes with the
lyrics, "What could you do with my love?/What could I do with your
love?/Would it be legal to say?/I like to rape when I play." Earlier,
the lyrics state, "An animal on the street/My sweaty flesh in heat/Your
figure fries in my brain/The thoughts just drive me insane." Rape is not
a game to be played by anyone. Rape is twisted and disgusting, yet Masi
makes rape sound so non-serious. Masi makes rape sound like, "Hey guys,
I'm horny thinking about this girl I met yesterday. Think I'll play a
little rape with her later tonight." Rape is emotionally scarring,
frightening, and traumatic. No man has the right to force his sexual
perversions on any woman -- no matter how much teasing the woman did.
What purpose does this reference to rape serve, besides showing an
obvious lack of hormonal control? There's only one purpose -- satisfy a
desire at any cost, even if that means violating another human being.

Alex Masi, founder of this band, is a brilliant guitarist from Italy.
Masi, the band, has broken up since _Downtown Dreamers_, but Alex Masi
has gone on to release two instrumental solo albums that are *amazing*.
The albums are innovative guitar oriented instrumental music, in a
class all their own. However, how could anyone this talented be so
blind? Rape is wrong -- end of discussion. In all fairness to Masi,
maybe he dated someone who liked to act out a rape scenario as a sexual
fantasy, and wrote the song about the experience. Even if the song is
autobiographical, I still think it's sick and sends the wrong message to
listeners. Maybe we need a Rock Against Rape organization (R.A.R.) in
addition to the Rock Against Drugs organization (R.A.D.).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Perspective

                     Words DEFINITELY Matter To Me

                            Written by Dero
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lyrics are a catch twenty-two situation. Those who support record
rating, banning, or labeling of other types, such as the infamous
warning sticker, feel that what an artist says is terribly important --
to the point of legal restrictions. (Or manipulation, depending on your
view.) However, many who listen to the music for entertainment purposes
only, can't even recall, or don't even know, the lyrics to many songs
they enjoy. Heck, some don't even care about the words, as long as the
rhythm is grooving and the chorus is hummable! Unfortunately, musicians
and record companies know this reality and reflect these extremes.

On one hand you have lyrics that are nothing more than a bad poet's
attempt at philosophy, or a musical comedian's attempt at a limerick. Of
course, there's my favorite -- the "I Was In A Metaphysical Trance When
I Wrote The Lyrics" lyrics. See any Nirvana song for an example of the
trance tripe lyric. Then there are the "I Wrote These Lyrics On The Way
To The Studio" lyrics. Check out any Nitro release for these. Of course,
there's always the famous "Repeat A Lyric A Zillion Times In A Song"
lyric. Who could ever forget, "Born in the U.S.A.! I was born in the
U.S.A.! Born in the U.S.A.! Etc." I still have nightmares about this
one.

On the other hand, some musicians go to great pains to make a political,
social, economical, or environmental statement. Bands like Toxik, Fates
Warning, Helloween, and Apocrypha, and artists like Frank Zappa, David
T. Chastain, and Guy Mann-Dude, are lyricists for the thinking person.
Queensryche, Extreme, Queen, and Gamma Ray are other examples of artists
whose lyrics are of a higher order. These artists are tired of hearing
the same phrases and structures used by lyricists at large, and attempt
to express timeless emotions in imaginative ways. Instead of simply
translating images into words, the words build images. A pen, pencil, or
word processor is as important a composition tool as a guitar, bass,
drum, or keyboard.

I prefer lyrics of the thinking person order. Words mean a lot to me,
and I like lyrics that educate, startle, intrigue, and impress. When a
musician's words linger on in my mind long after the music has left the
stereo, I *know* that words DEFINITELY matter to me. Words communicate
ideas. Ideas communicate life. Life communicates to everyone. Let's try
to communicate more. Maybe, just maybe, we can make a better world.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Exclusive Sonic Verse Interview - Mike Moscato

                   Conducted by Dero, March 15, 1992
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Moscato is an industrious musician to say the least. Not only does
he write all the music for the Mike Moscato Band, he engineered the demo
recordings for the Mike Moscato Band audio/video demo, and conceived,
produced, and directed the video project himself. Moscato has been
playing guitar most of his life and enjoys a wide variety of music
styles. The Mike Moscato Band's musical direction is that of Fusion,
akin to the Jazz Fusion movement of the 1970s. I had the opportunity to
ask Moscato about his music and the imagery found on his video demo.

*Editor's Note: See a review of the Mike Moscato Band demo this issue.

Sonic Verse: Why a video demo and what goal or goals did you have in
mind when you decided to make a video demo?

Mike Moscato: Being that there is no singing (on the tracks), the
animation goes good with the music. The idea is to get the music to the
people and have the images going along. When I play out, what I try to
do is have images go on a backdrop-like thing. The images give people
something to focus on. Certain Jazz videos have animation and I like the
way they look.

SV: This is a perfect segue into the next question, because it deals
with the imagery in the videos! <Both laugh.> The imagery in the videos
is rather abstract. With the exception of your solo performance clip,
there are no 'people' in the videos. In fact, there's very little
imagery of 'day to day' things. Why the abstraction and how does it
relate to the music that it is set to?

MM: <Laughs.> Right, that's a good one. I do have certain videos with
myself in it. On those that you have, the music is very different. It
doesn't really follow a regular structure. I think it sounds pretty
original. So, I felt really unusual video images go with the music.
Everyone always has a different reaction. For me, I like the video arts
stuff. I think it goes good with the music. It helps you focus on the
music better.

SV: How did you put together the video demo, with regard to the
soundtrack, creation of the images, editing, etc.?

MM: It's all self-produced. I put it together myself with help from
friends who work in the video industry. The video parts change to the
different parts of the song. It doesn't follow it exactly step-by-step,
but it does change with the song. I didn't spend a lot of money to put
it together, but it does emphasize the music. That's the main thing. I
have a small audio-visual facility at home. I got some images from music
video libraries as well.

SV: Your music is definitely of the Jazz Fusion nature. Do you find your
music being placed in the same category as Allan Holdsworth or Frank
Gambale?

MM: Possibly. More Allan Holdsworth for the stuff I sent you. But I have
all different types of sounding stuff that I didn't send you. It sounds
something like Holdsworth, but maybe more 70's sounding Fusion. It's a
combination of things. There is a Rock element. It's Fusion, but it's
heavy Fusion as in 70's style. Today's Fusion is more of the mellower
side, like the Pat Metheny sound. My stuff is like going back to the
Jazz-Rock sound of the 70's. There are so many influences that it's
impossible to name them all. I have more straight ahead Jazz; Ragtime;
Classical; Country. All kinds.

SV: The solo piece "Weeping Willow" has probably been paralleled to
Stanley Jordan's style of playing/composition. How much of your music
falls into this format?

MM: That's not my main style. My main guitar style is using a guitar
pick, then finger style, and then tapping, using both hands. That was a
Ragtime song. I have more stuff in that style. It's a short song, but I
really like it.

SV: What's your current project entail, as far as performance, band, and
recording?

MM: It would be the Jazz Fusion stuff. I'm working on a solo using a
Casio MIDI guitar to get different sounds. I'm starting off with a
Classical thing, into a Country thing, and then into other styles.  I
wrote the material for the band and The band is called the Mike Moscato
Band. I have a bassist for live performances. We use a drummer on and
off. We also have drum tracks on tape for certain songs. There's a bass
solo and a guitar solo. There's a backdrop in the middle of the stage
with images displayed on it for people to focus on. It's tough getting
gigs, unless you have a big following. Clubs expect you to bring big
crowds in. This kind of music is more original. It requires a certain
type of audience.

SV: Your statement raises an interesting question. How do you think Jazz
Fusion, or Jazz in general, is perceived in America and other countries?
Do you still think it's an 'underground' or restricted audience type of
music?

MM: Yeah. But other in countries it's more popular and it's shown on
t.v. a lot more than it is in America. I think Jazz was a lot more
popular in the 70's. You have to find an audience for it. Most people I
know don't know too much about Jazz. It's definitely unfortunate. More
people are into Rock, because it's more mainstream.

SV: How do you think the giants of guitar, as far as who's popular, like
Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, and Steve Vai, have raised audience
awareness to go out and look into different styles of music and not just
stay confined to one thing.

MM: It's probably helped. There's not too many that I really like. I
like Malmsteen. I also like Vinnie Moore. I like artist who have their
own style, who play clean, and have good sounding songs. For me, the way
the Rock scene has been going, I have not been too crazy about it.
That's my own personal opinion. But, some of the solo stuff for Rock
music is great, because I can get into the music. I'm sure people
listening to Joe Satriani will say, "What else is out there?" and maybe
get into Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, and, hopefully, get around to the
Jazz guys. I like to listen to everything. I really do. I started out
playing Rock and listening to Hendrix. I can listen to Malmsteen, Eric
Clapton, and Joe Pass. I think guitar players are like that, though. The
guitar is a universal instrument and it sounds great for all styles of
music.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Fall Cleaning

                            Written by Dero
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The passage of Summer to Fall brings more than just a rainbow of fauna,
'V' formation bird migrations, and smirking jack-o-lanterns. For me,
Fall also brings the seasonal Fall Cleaning. (Its cousin is the more
popular Spring Cleaning.) Seasonal cleaning, however, entails much more
than cleaning and preparation for the approaching weather. A part of the
over all 'cleaning' time ultimately goes to rummaging and reminiscing of
'stuff'. That 'stuff' is the tangible part of ours lives that has been
building almost magically over the years. Of course, the stuff occupies
far too much of our living space, but we can never seem to discard it
during a cleaning mission. Instead, we simply rearrange it and *maybe*
throw out one or two items.

During my Fall Cleaning adventure I went through a box of old 45 RPM
records. This box also doubles as a table for a box of archived
cassettes. (See how stuff just grows!) What did I find in the box of
45s? Memories. Memories that come mostly come from the pre-teen and
early teen years.

The box revealed a budding economical force (I had an allowance), that
was careful to exercise freedom of choice on true artistic items. I
found youthful investments purchased with the hope that someday they
would yield big dollars when sold to collectors. (Ok, so I was a bit of
an entrepreneur at a young age! Hey, what kid didn't collect something
that they thought would be worth something significant someday?) The 45s
that I thought would be 'worth something someday' are: Tom Petty and the
Heartbreaker's "Change of Heart" on translucent red vinyl, David Bowie's
"Blue Jean" on translucent blue vinyl, and the one sided single "The
Girl Is Mine" by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. Obviously, I still
own them. So much for the return on investment!

Then there's the assortment of promotional 45s that record stores in my
area used to give away. These 'free-bes' were always fun to get. They
were cool to have, because they were different from purchased 45s. Plus,
one artist just might become world famous, making me an owner of an
early, valuable effort. Yeah, I was VERY aware of the collectible value
of recorded media. I knew that Elvis and Beatles early recordings were
valuable, so I held on to the promo items I got. Some kids collected
baseball cards or sports memorabilia or army men. (Army persons now?) I
collected records and comic books. Unfortunately, bands like Ram Jam,
Blackfoot, and Saxon never reached the huge popularity that I had hoped.
Their 45s rocked, but not too many people listened. Oh well. I still
like them.

Of course, the box also contains the 45s that I can't believe I
purchased AND listened to. For example, there's M's "Pop Muzik", Michael
Sembello's "Maniac", KC and the Sunshine Band's "Keep It Comin' Love",
and Nick Gilder's "Hot Child In The City Tonight". Eek! Can you say,
"Influenced by popular media!"? I was young then. My non-conformist
attitude didn't take firm hold until my early teens. Now, I almost
*loathe* what's vogue.

Amid all the "I can't believe I actually own this stuff!" sentiments,
there are a few 45s that reflect a young heart trying to grapple with
the harsh realities of the world. There's Elton John's "Empty Garden
(Hey Hey Johnny)", a tribute to John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Stevie
Wonder's racial peace plea in "Ebony and Ivory", and the lonely life of
a musician, as expressed in KISS' "Beth". These 45s were emotional
dynamite, plain and simple.

Finally, there's the stack of 45s that rocked me and stirred dreams of a
Rock music career. KISS' "Detroit Rock City", Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant
Song", Iron Maiden's "Flight of Icarus", and Queen's "We Will Rock You"
b/w "We Are The Champions", were reserved for air guitar/drums and talks
to an imaginary audience. They also served as membership cards in the
unspoken alliance known as the 'Rock Fan'. These songs were avenues of
release amid the pressures, failures, and triumphs of youth. These were
the bands whose logos and song titles I drew on paper-bag covered text
books, folders, and notebooks. These were the 45s I brought to teeny
boper parties. These were the songs that friends gathered around the
turn table to listen to. Yeah, those were good times.

With all this reminiscing, it's a wonder I cleaned at all! Eventually, I
put the 45s back into their box and put the box in a new place. My
Spring/Summer garments were exchanged for the Fall/Winter ones and the
list of winterizing items for the car and home was penned. It's hard to
believe another Fall Cleaning has passed and, for a little while,
memories awakened. To borrow some lyrics from Dream Theater, "Images and
words are running deep . . . now and forever curled in my heart."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 A - Additional Sonic Verse Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PUBLISHING/SUBSCRIPTION: Publishing takes place the first Monday of each
month, unless that Monday falls on a holiday, in which case publishing
will take place on the next available 'work' day. Supplement and Special
issues are published between monthly issues as events warrant. Sonic
Verse levies no cost for electronic subscription. Simply send electronic
mail to a computer address above, and request a subscription. NOTE:
Electronic subscriptions require access to computers and computer
networks. Depending on the computer site or access method, eg. from a
home PC network, computer network users may be charged for items by the
computer service(s) used. These fees are not associated with Sonic Verse
in any way. Please consult with computer support personnel for any
charges levied against network access/use.

TRANSMISSION: Every attempt is made to provide the reader with text that
will translate properly when transmitted electronically across different
computer systems and networks. The reader may experience some
reformatting of Sonic Verse as it makes its journey throughout the
world.

PRICES: Prices listed in Sonic Verse are in United States of America
currency. Prices are only points of reference for the reader, not an
absolute measure. Prices may vary considerably between and among music
store chains, music stores selling new and used music items, stores that
sell music products besides other products, and direct market
situations. Store sales, promotional products, and bargain bin or budget
line music items must be considered as well. Prices listed herein
reflect known instances of prices before publication, taxes not
necessarily included. The reader should verify direct market items by
contacting the company or agency whenever address, phone number, and/or
fax number information is provided.

TEXT CONVENTIONS: EP and LP length recordings (i.e., full-length
recordings), books, magazines, newsletters, a collection of writings,
video collections, etc. appear underlined using an uppercase dash before
the first character and after the last character of the title. For
example, Stryper's _Against the Law_ is a musical departure from their
previous releases. Titles for individual songs, singles, video singles,
text quoting, individual works of literature, etc. appear between an
opening and closing set of double quotes. For example, "Shining Star"
was the first single from Stryper's _Against the Law_. Emphasizing or
highlighting parts of text take the form of: underlining, bold facing
or italicizing, exclamation, plus combinations. Examples, respectively,
are: A _strange_ release. A *strange* release. A STRANGE release. A
_*STRANGE*_ release. Unless text is a direct quotation, the text will
appear between an opening and closing set of single quotes to reflect an
implied, pseudo meaning, or sarcasm. Examples: It's a 'great' recording.
Some musicians try to live the 'star' fantasy.

BITNET and INTERNET FAQs: Back issues may be retrieved from the LISTSERV
nodes at MARIST (Marist College) and BITNIC. To find out what data
retrieval and search commands are available at the various LISTSERVs,
Bitnet users can send the following interactive message to receive a
LISTSERV help display: TELL LISTSERV AT <node> HELP. To obtain a file of
available commands, Bitnet users should mail to LISTSERV@MARIST, and
Internet users should send e-mail to LISTSERV@VM.MARIST.EDU. The body of
the mail should only contain the line HELP. Subsequent LISTSERV commands
can be issued in either format.

SOLICITED and UNSOLICITED MATERIAL: Artists, record labels, management
agencies, etc. that would like to be considered for an upcoming issue of
Sonic Verse should send a complete biography, recorded materials (if
available), previous write-ups (if available), and other information
that reflects the product, service, or artist, along with a complete
mailing address and phone number, to the international postal mailing
address that appears earlier. All packages received, through solicited
or unsolicited means, will be considered on a first-come, first-serve
basis. Sonic Verse Music Magazine reserves the right to refuse, for any
reason, the critique, review, or inclusion of any promotional,
demonstration, and/or informational package(s) in the magazine. Only
copyright protected recorded materials will be considered for review
purposes. Any recorded materials received that are not copyright
protected will be returned immediately, at the senders expense, without
review. Any material received by the magazine will *not* be returned,
except recorded materials that are not copyright protected.
Confirmation, rejection, and/or acceptance notices for materials
received will be made at the discretion of the editor, though there is
no guarantee of notices, except rejection notices for recorded materials
that are not copyright protected.

FREELANCE WRITERS: Those interested in writing for Sonic Verse should
request the Guest Writer's Agreement policy from the editor.