The First Snow

Today, November 17, 2011 we got our first snowfall of about five inches here in Colville, WA. It was beautiful to wake up to the quiet, and then look out the window at the new fresh white powder. Snow seems to have a spiritual power to it, covering all with its immense statement that winter is upon us. I love snow; the common denominator that we all have to deal with, ever reminding us to be alert and cautious, to avoid an accident. Last year the snow and black ice took out my car. So this year, I plan to be extra cautious and hopefully avoid any accidents. As I'm now "retired", I stay at home much more anyway. So that alone should reduce my odds of an accident- hopefully! Now the sun is shinging on the virgin snow, making sunglasses a must! I got the walk ways and back deck all shoveled off. It's a start anyway and gives me some exercise. And as I look out my window now, I see cat tracks in the snow. Olive and Baba are out there already hunting for mice, regardless of the snow. So let's enjoy the beauty that snow brings; it's the only choice I see!

Focus Group Feedback to My Song

Recently I exposed my song, I've Got To Let You Go to a focus group on MusicXray.com for feedback. Here are some of the comments that I received:

"This is a little too dragging for me. I understand it's a slow piece, but its too repetitive and plain to keep my attention. I like the vocals but wish the track matched the more mature and somewhat rough timbre of the male voice. Nice recording quality though."

"Reminds me of Sinatra."

"No it doesn't. I find it quite boring."

"This is a slow and sweet song."

"The lyrics are so great! I love it. Although it may be sad, I really want to listen this again-a good product!"

"I really like this song! Its got a great feeling to it! Very nice work :=) It definitely touches in many ways!"

  "This song gets you very emotional. The lyrics have great meanings. It is a very beautiful song."

"It was a likeable song but nothing special about it."

"Reminds me of HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT."

"The song really needs different vocals or better vocals. The lyrics are awesome, but the production needs work. The simple lyrics are great and something not heard enough on radio today. The song needs to be longer - maybe add a bridge and/or instrumental. Some piano would be great."

"The singer's voice reminds me of John Mahoney, the actor that played Dr. Frazier Crane's dad on the TV show Frazier."

Well, there you have it. I personally don't care for the last two comments, but I respect their constuctive criticism just the same. You have to develop a tough skin to put yourself out there as I've been doing in trying to promote my book and CD. Everybody has their own opinion; that is just life!

Early Thoughts on Retirement

I'm still accepting being quote, "retired". It has been a month now, since I lost my job. I've decided to live off of my Social Security benefits and, hopefully, Unemployment benefits, while receiving food stamps too as my retirement. This isn't the kind of retirement I pictured, but it's my start anyway. It's my start to relaxing- about life, God and myself. When your job is gone and you are home alone, then you must face who you are now, not who you used to be when you worked. I see now, I have all the time I need to recreate who I really want to be. I am faced with doing the real spiritual work of watching my thoughts daily. Now I have the time to find part-time work that I might enjoy to suppliment my income, instead of just accepting any job to stay alive. We all have choices to make, of course, but with all this free time and space in front of me now, I feel I'm more conscious of some of the choices I make. After working hard my whole life, now it's time to live and savor life; without guilt that I should be working like everyone else. I've done that, but this is all new! These are just some early reflections on my retirement, nothing more.

My Survivor audition video

As many of you know, I went to the casting call for Survivor in Spokane but my number wasn't picked. So now, I am applying online. Here is my video: http://youtu.be/QzF9bWGfAYQ It could have been better, but I think they will get the point- I AM a survivor!

The Beauty of Youtube

Youtube may just be one of the best archives online for seeing old video footage of bands back in the 1960s and '70s. I just discovered It's A Beautiful Day performing their classic song, White Bird in 1970. I never got to see this band live back in the day, so to see them now was like a total dream comes true! Of course the filming may not be the best, but you get the point anyway. Some of the comments posted below the videos are interesting and informative too. Like I never knew that Badfinger wrote the song made famous by Harry Neilson, Can't Live. Sadly, these heir apparants to the Beatles were screwed over bigtime by their management, resulting in the suicide deaths of both songwriters! So, now I cry when I see Badfinger performing that song on Youtube. Such is the power of this information hiway online. It's all out there like you've never seen it before!

The Real Stories behind My CD Songs

Now that I have a CD available, online at my website and at local stores in the Colville area, I thought this would be a good time to relate the stories behind each song. So, here they briefly are:

1.       Somehow This song is about how I feel about each day of life. Composed early January 2008

2.       The Party Is In My Mind I wrote this song out of my mind at 4am, living alone in a friend’s cabin during a year separation from my wife and child. I’ve been trying for 20 years to get it to Willie Nelson. Winter 1992

3.       Laugh At The Blues Written after the Fat Lady sang, when I was asked to leave my home on a restraining order and took refuge in another friend’s cabin with a bottle of red wine. This song just came to me instantly. Written February 1991

4.       Healing The Holes In My Heart Written in Kingman Prison in March 2005, this song is about the healing that was occurring during in my incarceration.

5.       I’ve Got To Let You Go Written in March 2005, just prior to my release from 25 months of prison in Arizona. I wrote this song with my son in mind. I knew that I would only be seeing him for a matter of hours after my release, as I had to leave immediately on an interstate compact for Washington.

6.       She’s There This song is about every single person’s longing and hope for love, to come back into their lives. Written January 2007

7.       Dave Is On The Moon A true story right out of my book, written on Christmas Day 2004, after I got the letter in prison informing me that Dave had died of heroin.

8.       Last Call For Alcohol Written in Kingman Prison January 2005, this is my testimony of why I quit drinking. It’s definitely a country song!

9.       Nothing More I Can Say Written in May 1991, after my accident that broke my body in 12 places. I was finally able to hold my guitar again, and this song was penned. It is about my soon-to-be ex-wife, and mother of my son, and all the feelings of hopelessness that were surfacing; knowing that I was going to lose her.

10.   You’re Already There Penned again in Kingman Prison January 2005; this song reflects what I was learning from my studies of The Course In Miracles- a highly recommended course! This is one of my favorite songs and very dear to my heart.

11.   Just The Thought Of You Written in September 2010 prior to going in the recording studio. This is my most recent recorded song, but I’ve written many more since then for my next CD. This song is about my first real girlfriend Jeanne, whom I’ve not seen in over 40 years and couldn’t locate anywhere. However, after the song was released on my CD, I did locate her on Face Book but she didn’t accept my invitation to be a friend. So, now she has no idea I wrote such a pretty song for her.

12.   Still Singing, Somehow Written on my porch June 2010, this is the musical nut shell version of my inspirational memoir of the same title. The melody is catchy and stays in your head. I especially love the mantra Om Namaha Shivaya being chanted to this melody, at the end of the song. It translates, “Lord, Thy will be done” or “I take refuge in God”.

North Columbia Monthly's Review of my CD

Working like a soundtrack to his self-penned memoir, Rob Rideout's Still Singing, Somehow CD draws from his storied life in melancholy fashion. Home-spun recordings with backing from local musicians that flesh out Rideout's acoustic guitar musings, this disc is partly album, partly scrapbook.

Most chapters here begin with Rideout's mid-tempo acoustic guitar and plaintiff vocals before opening up into tavern-esque, basement excursions like "Laugh at the Blues" or "Healing the Holes in My Heart" with subtle infusions of guitar texture by local artist, Clifford Ward, to give songs expansion and color. On "She's There", the standout moment is a poignant sax solo by Jai Ram Rideout, almost transforming the number into something like an early Pink Floyd demo.

It's great to see local musicians coming together to help turn ideas into an album, and at least four or more local bands are represented on Still Singing, Somehow.You can find out more at www.stillsingingsomehow.com
The CD is also locally available @ Reflections in Colville & Meyers Falls Market in Kettle Falls.