Transient
Falling through the cold night until I lay
Inside you heart where I remain
Looking for the warm light of day
When you pick my hand up too
Words pressed against my lips in refrain
If spoken lest your gaze die in vain
To lie in the grass where I pray
For your tongue to give the words you play
In the moments of touch
Heaven’s light moves to crush
My fears and doubts of love
As my soul embrace you
My breath stops in the shadow of
Your beauty to lift me high above
The darkest of truths
One day will come
Years before summer sets the sun
When your hand slips away
Letting go of our passion to run
Devotion only lasts so long
Realized when my ears heard the song
Tears fell while my mouth sung
Until shame bade me well
Thus I swiftly fell
Back through the heart in swell
Sitting alone in the dark
After all these years apart
My heart still aches to see
The curve of your face
In brutal honesty
Wishing brought forth nothing
Your intentions had in store for me
Never once could my mind tell
Lying down to sleep for good now
Soon I’ll pass through iron or golden gates
Unsure of fate
Yet if one detail was ever
I would walk past any God and more
From Heaven or Hell’s shore
To hold the same moments spent
Repeat every second we held true
Myself, that’s all I can promise you
© Brett Holden
Ebullient: Full of cheerful excitement or enthusiasm
I was hesitant to post the poem above. I edited some of it while I entered it from the original copy (I like this version better, by the way). I feel like the poems I have presented you are way full of emotion. I have others that are ridiculous and some that sound like they were cut out from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I put the definition for the word "ebullient" above because my ENG 210 teacher found it funny that he knew what it meant and I didn't (because I like to use a wide array of vocab words in my dessertations).
Valentine's Day is speeding towards us. Hope to take my significant other to a Clutch/Mudvayne/In This Moment/Nonpoint concert. Others hope they're going to get dumped before they have to do the dirty work themselves. Cowards.
- For now, Brett Holden
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand
afternoon. i just wanted to throw out a reading list (comprised of the works I have read since the new year)
1. Bluebeard - Kurt Vonnegut
2. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
3. Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut
4. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
anyone see the Vonnegut preference? right now I'm reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. To be honest, I haven't been absorbed by it like the Vonnegut novels or Mr. Burgess' novella for that matter. It's occasionally humorous and mildly confusing. I'm quite far in though (a fourth of the way done) so I'm afraid there's no turning back. Next on my list: Catcher in the Rye ;)
Sorry about the lack of poetry. Sorry about the lack of philosophy. I grew up on Earth.
1. Bluebeard - Kurt Vonnegut
2. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
3. Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut
4. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
anyone see the Vonnegut preference? right now I'm reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. To be honest, I haven't been absorbed by it like the Vonnegut novels or Mr. Burgess' novella for that matter. It's occasionally humorous and mildly confusing. I'm quite far in though (a fourth of the way done) so I'm afraid there's no turning back. Next on my list: Catcher in the Rye ;)
Sorry about the lack of poetry. Sorry about the lack of philosophy. I grew up on Earth.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A History of Progressive Rock
The musical genre that is known as progressive rock is defined by several key components. The roots of prog-rock can be traced back to the late 1960s in Britain all the way to modern times. The style often contains complex structures, synthesizers, and highly experimental instrumentation. It is often more harmonious and literate than other rock genres with a tendency to lean towards longer compositions and a main motif or tale. Though it is less relevant in modern rock, the genre is still alive today.
Britain is awarded the honor of being the birth place of this musical form. Perhaps the earliest face of progressive rock was the album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Clubs Band, by British group, The Beatles. The multi-platinum album was released in 1967 to wide spread critical acclaim. The album introduced a recurring component of progressive rock known as the concept album. A concept album revolves around a central story or theme. That same year another English band, Procol Harum, released their eponymous debut album. The record showcased a plethora of the attributes associated with progressive rock, such as noticeable blues influences. Two years later, the album In the Court of the Crimson King, by British quintet King Crimson was released. This album presented the lengthy compositions that often comprise a progressive rock tune (for example “Moonchild” clocked in at over twelve minutes). Other notable early progressive rock bands include: Pink Floyd, Genesis, Soft Machine, Yes, The Moody Blues, Gentle Giant, and Jethro Tull.
The psychedelic 1970s brought progressive rock widespread commercial success. Among the most popular were Pink Floyd and Queen. In 1973, Pink Floyd crafted the timeless masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon. This studio album was a prime example of the quirkiness that traces the composition of prog songs. Their predecessors, King Crimson, were also known for such eccentricies in their work (look to their song “21st Century Schizoid Man” which happens to be a personal favorite). English quartet Queen released their first record the same year as admirable The Dark Side of the Moon. This debut release contained glimpses of progressive rock that partnered with elements of other genres. Genesis released the hour and a half concept album The Lamb Lies down on Broadway shortly afterwards. Towards the end of the 1970s, another band named Rush began to reach its height of popularity. In 1978, Hemispheres was issued and it brought the fantasy and science fiction lined lyrics that populate the wilds of progressive rock albums. However, interest in prog rock began to wane as the decade closed out.
One of the few remaining prog bands in the 1980s was the sensation Pink Floyd. The band continued to be an immense commercial hit with records like The Final Cut and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Yet, they found a brief rival in 1982 with English rock quartet Asia with their single “Heat of the Moment”, a premier instance of progressive rock. The later half of this decade gave rise to a new branch of prog rock known as neo-progressive rock. Examples of this branch include: Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, Iluvatar, Dream Theater, Fish and Ozric Tentacles. IQ released The Wake in 1985. This album presented the prog rock element of arranging lengthy compositions with songs ranging between seven to nine minutes. Fellow neo-prog artist Dream Theater also released several albums throughout the eighties and nineties. As prog rock developed throughout the ages, it stayed consistent in its absurd inclination to produce complex and experimental sounds.
The complexity and experimentation of this genre gained new ground with the introduction of synthesizers and other electronic arrangements. These electronic textures can be seen in pieces performed by The Who. In addition to synthetic sound, intricate time signatures and classical guitar play added a majestic symphonic layer to progressive rock. These intricacies were championed by the band The Nice on albums like Five Bridges and Elegy. The experimental side can be gleaned through the fusion of jazz on Queen’s A Night at the Opera (“Bohemian Rhapsody” anybody?) in 1975 and the conceptual side can be derived from listening to 1976’s 2112 by Rush. However, the once popular genre has far from died out.
Today, progressive rock is on the bottom of mainstream rock’s to-do list. Yet, we cannot call prog a dead art. Major labels continue to sign prog acts like Coheed & Cambria, Three, Muse, Mew and Oceansize. The concept albums that riddle the annals of progressive rock can still be found today in the aforementioned Coheed & Cambria (look to their long winded titled album, Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness), and more recently The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. The complex time signatures and song structures breathe life in the dark and enigmatic songs of Tool (“Sober, “Vicarious”, and “Jambi”). Unusual experimental methods live in the abstruse albums of The Mars Volta (Frances the Mute, Amputechture, Bedlam in Goliath). Additionally, older progressive rock acts like the enduring Rush continue to release new work with 2007’s Snake & Arrows. It is safe to say that this often infamous genre, stretching back over four decades, is on the rise once again (according to Campling, “…the sound is back”). Therefore, we can conclude that progressive rock still brings complexity and exceptional theatrics into today’s modern rock.
© Brett Holden (2008)
Above is an essay I wrote for my English 110 class. I wrote it after going through a prog rock phase obviously. I still love prog but I find myself listening to mostly indie rock recently. And yes I know MCR is NOT prog!
There has been a rift on the homefront. I suppose that's a product of two opposing forces. One refuses to submit and the other extends control. It's maddening. Due to self-indulgence & selfishness on a certain conscience, I've become (insert comfortably numb. just playing) really angry. I suppose I should let it go. Maybe we should all let things go. Go with the flow.
- Fraternally yours, Brett Holden (in a worldly manner, of course)
The musical genre that is known as progressive rock is defined by several key components. The roots of prog-rock can be traced back to the late 1960s in Britain all the way to modern times. The style often contains complex structures, synthesizers, and highly experimental instrumentation. It is often more harmonious and literate than other rock genres with a tendency to lean towards longer compositions and a main motif or tale. Though it is less relevant in modern rock, the genre is still alive today.
Britain is awarded the honor of being the birth place of this musical form. Perhaps the earliest face of progressive rock was the album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Clubs Band, by British group, The Beatles. The multi-platinum album was released in 1967 to wide spread critical acclaim. The album introduced a recurring component of progressive rock known as the concept album. A concept album revolves around a central story or theme. That same year another English band, Procol Harum, released their eponymous debut album. The record showcased a plethora of the attributes associated with progressive rock, such as noticeable blues influences. Two years later, the album In the Court of the Crimson King, by British quintet King Crimson was released. This album presented the lengthy compositions that often comprise a progressive rock tune (for example “Moonchild” clocked in at over twelve minutes). Other notable early progressive rock bands include: Pink Floyd, Genesis, Soft Machine, Yes, The Moody Blues, Gentle Giant, and Jethro Tull.
The psychedelic 1970s brought progressive rock widespread commercial success. Among the most popular were Pink Floyd and Queen. In 1973, Pink Floyd crafted the timeless masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon. This studio album was a prime example of the quirkiness that traces the composition of prog songs. Their predecessors, King Crimson, were also known for such eccentricies in their work (look to their song “21st Century Schizoid Man” which happens to be a personal favorite). English quartet Queen released their first record the same year as admirable The Dark Side of the Moon. This debut release contained glimpses of progressive rock that partnered with elements of other genres. Genesis released the hour and a half concept album The Lamb Lies down on Broadway shortly afterwards. Towards the end of the 1970s, another band named Rush began to reach its height of popularity. In 1978, Hemispheres was issued and it brought the fantasy and science fiction lined lyrics that populate the wilds of progressive rock albums. However, interest in prog rock began to wane as the decade closed out.
One of the few remaining prog bands in the 1980s was the sensation Pink Floyd. The band continued to be an immense commercial hit with records like The Final Cut and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Yet, they found a brief rival in 1982 with English rock quartet Asia with their single “Heat of the Moment”, a premier instance of progressive rock. The later half of this decade gave rise to a new branch of prog rock known as neo-progressive rock. Examples of this branch include: Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, Iluvatar, Dream Theater, Fish and Ozric Tentacles. IQ released The Wake in 1985. This album presented the prog rock element of arranging lengthy compositions with songs ranging between seven to nine minutes. Fellow neo-prog artist Dream Theater also released several albums throughout the eighties and nineties. As prog rock developed throughout the ages, it stayed consistent in its absurd inclination to produce complex and experimental sounds.
The complexity and experimentation of this genre gained new ground with the introduction of synthesizers and other electronic arrangements. These electronic textures can be seen in pieces performed by The Who. In addition to synthetic sound, intricate time signatures and classical guitar play added a majestic symphonic layer to progressive rock. These intricacies were championed by the band The Nice on albums like Five Bridges and Elegy. The experimental side can be gleaned through the fusion of jazz on Queen’s A Night at the Opera (“Bohemian Rhapsody” anybody?) in 1975 and the conceptual side can be derived from listening to 1976’s 2112 by Rush. However, the once popular genre has far from died out.
Today, progressive rock is on the bottom of mainstream rock’s to-do list. Yet, we cannot call prog a dead art. Major labels continue to sign prog acts like Coheed & Cambria, Three, Muse, Mew and Oceansize. The concept albums that riddle the annals of progressive rock can still be found today in the aforementioned Coheed & Cambria (look to their long winded titled album, Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness), and more recently The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. The complex time signatures and song structures breathe life in the dark and enigmatic songs of Tool (“Sober, “Vicarious”, and “Jambi”). Unusual experimental methods live in the abstruse albums of The Mars Volta (Frances the Mute, Amputechture, Bedlam in Goliath). Additionally, older progressive rock acts like the enduring Rush continue to release new work with 2007’s Snake & Arrows. It is safe to say that this often infamous genre, stretching back over four decades, is on the rise once again (according to Campling, “…the sound is back”). Therefore, we can conclude that progressive rock still brings complexity and exceptional theatrics into today’s modern rock.
© Brett Holden (2008)
Above is an essay I wrote for my English 110 class. I wrote it after going through a prog rock phase obviously. I still love prog but I find myself listening to mostly indie rock recently. And yes I know MCR is NOT prog!
There has been a rift on the homefront. I suppose that's a product of two opposing forces. One refuses to submit and the other extends control. It's maddening. Due to self-indulgence & selfishness on a certain conscience, I've become (insert comfortably numb. just playing) really angry. I suppose I should let it go. Maybe we should all let things go. Go with the flow.
- Fraternally yours, Brett Holden (in a worldly manner, of course)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
So It Goes
Ashes
Ashes cast into the blue rolling wave
Memories pour through the pen on paper
Take my classified ad for a caper
Mother, forgotten, she never forgave
Never mind whether others wished to save
The young devotee within the vapor
A brief glimpse of the one that would rape her
Stranger left the girl in the field grave
In those swift moments a newborn mother
She stood up real high to fall down quite ill
Passerby saved your soul from a room dark
Nowadays in Brooklyn with young brother
Your ashes swim in the Atlantic still
We mostly remain your last living spark
- © Brett Holden
I suppose that's what I get for listening to a lot of Death Cab For Cutie.
Its odd to observe individuals that have grown up together their whole lives. When so many powerful forces begin to pull them apart there are equal and opposite reactions. One responds by pulling the other towards them and the other pushes them away out of fear. So it goes.
Ashes cast into the blue rolling wave
Memories pour through the pen on paper
Take my classified ad for a caper
Mother, forgotten, she never forgave
Never mind whether others wished to save
The young devotee within the vapor
A brief glimpse of the one that would rape her
Stranger left the girl in the field grave
In those swift moments a newborn mother
She stood up real high to fall down quite ill
Passerby saved your soul from a room dark
Nowadays in Brooklyn with young brother
Your ashes swim in the Atlantic still
We mostly remain your last living spark
- © Brett Holden
I suppose that's what I get for listening to a lot of Death Cab For Cutie.
Its odd to observe individuals that have grown up together their whole lives. When so many powerful forces begin to pull them apart there are equal and opposite reactions. One responds by pulling the other towards them and the other pushes them away out of fear. So it goes.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Iron
Iron
Morning woke wide with open eyes
Notice you’ve gone away
The moment the iron tore the blue skies
Along with red stripes atop your casket
Where flowers lay inquiry as to why
One would decide to leave a child alone in the grass
As sure as the soft zephyr will continue to sigh
I sit beside an albescent stone somewhere above wry
Tear stains are saved for much better reasons
Than to wipe them from cheeks at the turn of the seasons
When a single protector fails in all worn disgrace
Don’t let the weeping mar this face
Twilight broke dim with half closed truths
Humming the tune for the sun to press a lister
Across the creation marooned in a noose
By the brutal orders of a mourning blister
With the world at small resting inside holy walls
Holding onto the words and hope
Let me stay beside this silvery epitaph
Caught in this iron rope
- © Brett M. Holden
I wrote the poem above about a variety of things. One of the most obvious to the ones who know me is the reference to my father's death. I think to an extent, it shows the contempt I've even harbored towards him. The last stanza in the poem reflects my struggle in faith. I do not claim to be a overly religious. Not even modestly religious. I believe. That's all.
I recommend listening to the album Cease to Begin by Band of Horses. I've been spinning the record. I've really taken to the vocals. "Ode to LRC" & "Lamb on the Lam (In the City)" are my two favourite tunes off the record.
A film I observed recently caught my interest. It is very much a cult classic. A Clockwork Orange. The lengths to which the government portrayed in the film go to in order to ensure their social goals is oddly disturbing. It is even more shaking once you recognize the parallels to modern government.
A writer named Kurt Vonnegut was brought to my attention recently. I read his novel Bluebeard. It was a fascinating fictional autobiography of an Abstract Expressionist painter. After reading the last words (which inspired my previous post) I thought...no matter what trials you walk through during your life, there are far more greater things to expect. I don't pretend to be a great shake on philosophy. Still. It makes a lone droog feel better.
- Peace. Brett Holden
Morning woke wide with open eyes
Notice you’ve gone away
The moment the iron tore the blue skies
Along with red stripes atop your casket
Where flowers lay inquiry as to why
One would decide to leave a child alone in the grass
As sure as the soft zephyr will continue to sigh
I sit beside an albescent stone somewhere above wry
Tear stains are saved for much better reasons
Than to wipe them from cheeks at the turn of the seasons
When a single protector fails in all worn disgrace
Don’t let the weeping mar this face
Twilight broke dim with half closed truths
Humming the tune for the sun to press a lister
Across the creation marooned in a noose
By the brutal orders of a mourning blister
With the world at small resting inside holy walls
Holding onto the words and hope
Let me stay beside this silvery epitaph
Caught in this iron rope
- © Brett M. Holden
I wrote the poem above about a variety of things. One of the most obvious to the ones who know me is the reference to my father's death. I think to an extent, it shows the contempt I've even harbored towards him. The last stanza in the poem reflects my struggle in faith. I do not claim to be a overly religious. Not even modestly religious. I believe. That's all.
I recommend listening to the album Cease to Begin by Band of Horses. I've been spinning the record. I've really taken to the vocals. "Ode to LRC" & "Lamb on the Lam (In the City)" are my two favourite tunes off the record.
A film I observed recently caught my interest. It is very much a cult classic. A Clockwork Orange. The lengths to which the government portrayed in the film go to in order to ensure their social goals is oddly disturbing. It is even more shaking once you recognize the parallels to modern government.
A writer named Kurt Vonnegut was brought to my attention recently. I read his novel Bluebeard. It was a fascinating fictional autobiography of an Abstract Expressionist painter. After reading the last words (which inspired my previous post) I thought...no matter what trials you walk through during your life, there are far more greater things to expect. I don't pretend to be a great shake on philosophy. Still. It makes a lone droog feel better.
- Peace. Brett Holden
afternoon. my name is brett holden. this is my blog. this blog is my place to post everything. i will be graduating high school soon and have been admitted to Missouri State University.
i've grown up in Missouri almost all my life. but that is for another time. i will be sharing a variety of things. poems. stories. essays. thoughts. this is basically a journal. i hope i'm able to post something interesting from time to time.
oh happy rabo karabekian.
- Brett Holden
i've grown up in Missouri almost all my life. but that is for another time. i will be sharing a variety of things. poems. stories. essays. thoughts. this is basically a journal. i hope i'm able to post something interesting from time to time.
oh happy rabo karabekian.
- Brett Holden
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