So in April of 2008 I released what I thought was the best Album I'd ever done. It was more ambitious, complete, spiritual, and musical than anything I had done previously. After I thought I was done and released the songs, 5 more arrived. I fully expected enough for a completely new release by the first part of 2009. They never came. The more I listen to those 5 songs though the more I think they belonged with the first 8 anyway. So on 11/20/09, I'm re-releasing "A New Beginning" as "A New Beginning - Deluxe Edition" with the 5 new songs. Let me know what you think. Technical stuff: I used every electric guitar I have on one place or another. The main lead guitar is my Ibanez RG320FM with GFS Crunchy Pat Pickups. My Fender American strat was used for alot of the cleans and a few solos. My Washburn "XMG" became a go to guitar for some of the solo's on the last 5. The new Epiphone LP Standard got used for alot of Rythyms on the last 5 songs. The bass work is all my SX P bass. Everythinhg is getting run through my Digitech RP250 into the USB port on my desktop. The drums are all PC DRUMMER and audio editing/recording is all done on my PC with Audacity.

A New Beginning - Deluxe Edition

About the Songs

01: A New Beginning - I love this track. I tried to capture that feeling of something awesome happening opening a new door in your life. 02: Her Laughter is Music - This is the first song I recorded. It was inspired by a friend of mine. 03: He Who Carries The Flame - This was sort of a tribute to the heavy music that made me want to pick up the guitar. As I've gotten older I'm not as heavy as I used to be but just because I've grown away from it doesn't mean I don't like to rock every now and then. This is the only track where I used my strat. 04: Sometimes the Right Thing is the Hardest Thing - this was inspired by some really hard calls I've been in the position to have no choice but to make. 05: The Promise - Tried to capture the feeling when you make a promise that you really would rather die than to break. 06: Setting on the Porch at Night - Tried to capture the feeling of being on my porch under the carport during a rain shower at night. 07: BonFire - inspired by the campfire parties I used to have when I was younger. 08: Never For Granted - This just came out one day. While i was playing it I was reflecting about not taking someone for granted. Capo on the second fret for those who want to know - oh and Bryan that's F#m9 and B6Sus4. (I was testing the chords on him and he was like "what in the hell chords are them anyway??" - at the time I hadn't thought that hard about it. 09: Good Times - I wrote this when I was about 21. Re-recording it was a challenge as my technique has changed considerably and it required many hours of practice to get those runs under my fingers again but I think I got very close to the original take. This song is and always will be dedicated to Bryan and Daniel. 10: Farewell - This was inspired when something went the way I expected it to but hoped it wouldn't. This is all my Strat. 11: Unconditional - This started out as a really fun riff and as I worked it out It became one of my favorite songs. The rythym guitars are my Epiphone LP and the lead guitars are my the Washburn. 12: Pull Her Close - This came about after I started playing with Open E tuning, and as I developed it, turned into a sweet little love song. The rythym guitars are the LP and the lead guitars are the Ibanez. 13: The Candle Song - This was inspired after I spent some time surfing my sister Nancy's web page where she would post a candle in memory of someone who had passed. I only used the strat on this one - check out the outro solo. In Memory of Dallas Shields SR