My own musical tastes are broad and varied, but I do have a particular fondness for singer-songwriters that tell a good story within their original music. Some of the songwriters that I listen to are Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Leonard Cohen, and... well there are just too many to list.
For my own music, I like to search for chord structures and phrases of music that sound new and intriguing to me, and that hold the promise of ultimately being woven into a fully constructed musical and lyrical song that pleases my ears and musical sensibility.
Inspirations for the lyrics/stories come from many different places, and I never really know why or when until it happens - they just seem to find me. But when finished, each song will be a unified whole where the music is appropriate to the story and sonically pleasing with just the right amount and variety of additional instrumentation and voices.
When you listen to this album, you may not know what style to expect from one song to the next - that is a reflection of the different places that the inspiration comes from. Ultimately, these songs reflect me, my life, my imagination, and the landscapes of my life in Wyoming and Montana. The end results might be thought of as some unique viewpoints of the landscapes of the human condition.
The following is a review of my music. Full disclosure - he is a friend of 48 years, but one who knows music and a man I trust to tell me the truth, so I asked him to listen to the album. When I asked him if I could use what he wrote to me in a recent private communication, he said "Yes. I stand by what I said." This is what he wrote: "On the way back to LV yesterday I listened to your music...Wow, very impressive: the lyrics, instrumentation and music is amazing. I particularly liked Brothers of the Saddle, Soft Soul, Two Dollar Woman, Dancing and Skating, and So Goes Love. Even though you talked about the process of creating and producing this music...it boggles my mind regarding the complicated steps, stages, etc. Whatever happens next, your creation is amazing." David Cozzens
Will you like the music? I don't know. You will have to listen to it and then tell me and your friends what you think about it. So put your ear buds in, or your headphones on, turn up the volume and immerse yourself in a musical odyssey. It is all about the music, and this is my music. Maybe it will be yours, too.
Ben Reed
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