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"One must never consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar." - Helen Keller With those words, the maiden voyage of Uforkestra guitarist Doug Sprei into the wonders of home audio recording is officially launched. "Recipes From a Dangerous Kitchen" contains 17 tunes - by turns clever, haunting, caustic, sublime. . .all uniquely original. Two of these songs won top awards in the songwriting competition of the Virginia Organization of Composers and Lyricists (VOCAL). Not bad for someone who isn't even from Virginia... Recorded on a Tascam 488 Portastudio, the album's low-tech approach is belied by an array of intricately layered progressive rock performances ("Grand Central Station", "Lunch at the Club"); captivating lyrics ("Book of Our Lives") enchanting fingerstyle guitar pieces("Hiroshima," "Hummingbird Hitchhiker"); sardonic political commentary ("George's House"); even a hilarious ode to masturbation paying homage to the contemporary Country music industry ("Partnership of One"). According to the artist: "While crafting this album, I was thinking of Frank Zappa, Gentle Giant, Firesign Theater, Hot Tuna, Bert Jansch...a lot of the fertile seedlings planted during years when I was growing up. "I had no familiarity with recording gear, much less the process of assembling intricate musical ideas that swirled in my consciousness like floating jigsaw puzzle pieces. "It became necessary to reign in my overactive ambition and get in tune with the reality of eight narrow tracks on cassette tape. In retrospect, a couple of factors were present to assist the process: 1) Beginner's luck 2) 'Mr. Second-Guessing Editor' hadn't yet set up an office in my brain. 3) I was frustrated with the hamster wheel of professional life at the time, which added sharp teeth to the process. "Years later, when I listen to this record, I'm still surprised at what came out. "And I therefore heartily offer you my world-class money-back guarantee. . ." Check out the artist's website: http://www.uforkestra.com Track List: 1. A Whirl with Helen Keller 2. The Pressure-Folded Space of Our Day 3. Hiroshima 4. Grand Central Station 5. Book of Our Lives 6. Sisyphus of the Middle Class 7. You May Already Be a Winner! 8. Lunch at the Club 9. George's House 10. Partnership of One 11. The Real Personals 12. Hummingbird Hitchhiker 13. Indecision 14. Jasper in Daylight 15. Hot Commuter Pie 16. A Yellow Rose 17. Juanita in Daylight Suggested CDs:
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