An Error Thinly

Tom Atwood

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Description

I started work on this piece before leaving for vacation. It rattled around in my head driving through Kansas (see artwork). The title comes from lyrics that may be added later, that have also been rattling around, but are not yet fully formed.

(Photo by Ellen Atwood
Along Hwy 36)

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Song Stats

Hits: 2397
Comments: 43
Fans: 8
Plays: 246
Downloads: 147
Votes: 26
Uploaded: Jun 17, 2005 - 08:05:56 AM
Last Updated: Nov 30, 2005 - 09:56:19 PM Last Played: Nov 19, 2009 - 10:51:25 PM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Song Actions

Hardware:

Alvarez guitar
Casio Privia PX-300
G5

Software:

Comments

bronco

bronco said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)

I'm Old But I Like This New Age
Now Tom I know you think I don't appreciate New Age but
that's only because I'm in my Old Age. This I really liked!
The use of the various instruments without one
overpowering the others was great. And of course there
was plenty of my favorite - that acoustic guitar. Towards
the end I got this mental image of you sitting around a
campfire on the prairie and all these animals were making
noises in the night.

Check out my latest song called Strange Feeling

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	I'm Old But I Like This New Age Thanks, Tom. I like that campfire image. We actually had a fire one night. It was chilly in Colorado last week. Glad you liked this. Basically it's just a guitar piece dressed up. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Jim Bouchard	Jim Bouchard said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	cool! Nice to hear you're back from vacation. This is really cool and I can't wait to hear it with the lyrics. Reminds me of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra a little, maybe because I've just been listening to them. Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	cool! Now that you mention it, the woodwinds do give this a Penguin Cafe Orchestra feel. Thanks for listening, Jim. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Ed Hannifin	Ed Hannifin said 1618 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	cool! Yep. Definitely from the Penguin Cafe Kansas franchise. Check out my latest song called Next Time Around (w/jiguma)

Cameron

Cameron said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)

lovely wash of sound
The opening eighth-note pattern grabbed me from the
start. Poignant, lilting, striving.

It repeats and builds throughout the piece, providing a
good musical foundation. The melodic content reminds
me of Rodrigo -- mysterious, haunting. It conjures up
images of nighttime.

Your use of percussion is very artful and imaginative. You
weave the various sounds in and out nicely.

That "flute" sound is a colorful punctuation. I would have
used it a bit less, but it does add a hypnotic quality to the
overall piece.

I can see why this composition "rattled around in your
head" on your vacation. It has a certain driving, insistent
quality about it, although the general atmosphere is
mellow and contemplative.

Very nice photograph which matches the music perfectly.

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

Tom Atwood

Tom Atwood said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)

lovely wash of sound
Thanks for your comments, Cameron. Good to hear from you again. As for
the flutes, my wife had pretty much the same opinion as yours--she would
have used less. I think if I had Symphony Jampack 4 I would use other
instruments, but with GB1, I feel like the flutes are the most 'realistic'
instrument among the woodwinds and horns. And so, I tend to lean on
them...

My daughter Ellen will appreciate your comment on the photograph. (She
must have been bored on that long drive through Kansas to take a
picture of
her father.)

Thanks again for listening.

Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

mandolinquent

mandolinquent said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)

Too thrilling to be New Age
The label "New
Age" brings me out in a rash because it usually
denotes an absence of ideas and a mush of sound.
This is way too full of patterns and delicious
disharmonies to be that. There's too much on for it
to be lazily relaxing. It has more to do with Satie/
Ravel type miniatures for money, but I guess they
don't make an MJ genre for that. As with
Lamentations, a really fresh piece of work that uses
instruments in a really original way. "Just a guitar
piece dressed up" huh?

Check out my latest song called Had We But World Enough

Tom Atwood

Tom Atwood said 1619 days ago (June 17th, 2005)

Too thrilling to be New Age
Thanks, Wm. I guess I have gotten so used to cramming into genres that I no
longer cringe or get hives like you do in this New Age world. I appreciate the
comparison with Satie & Ravel. This piece pales a bit, I think, but I appreciate
it nonetheless. Gets me chuffed in a gobsmacked sort of way.

Seriously, thanks for listening and for the kind words. You have now elevated
this piece to a level the bombers will notice. (Thanks alot)

Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Cori Ander	Cori Ander said 1618 days ago (June 18th, 2005)
	Too thrilling to be New Age I am completely with mandolinquent on this point! Your music is potent and not at all dead end. I strongly suggest you try another category. Check out my latest song called Guitar test — Martin CSN (Gerry Tolman Tribute)

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 18th, 2005)
	Too thrilling to be New Age I agree New Age is not exactly the right category, but looking at the list of MJ genres, I don't see much else. Acoustic isn't right. Classical? Funk? Country/ Western/Bluegrass? Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

White Hawks	White Hawks said 1618 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	cooool! this is very cool. nice guitar tunes and i also like those "flute" sounds which comes out in some places in this song. thanks for sharing this beautiful pieace. - Hawks # nice picture:) Check out my latest song called Shepherds Out in the Field

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1618 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	cooool! Thanks Jemimah. I will tell Ellen you like her snapshot. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

I. Spike	I. Spike said 1618 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	Rumblefish The missing track for Rumblefish... Loved it! Check out my latest song called Mighty Cracker Fly

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1618 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	Rumblefish Thanks Mr. Spike, for listening, and for your kind words about fish and rumbling and such. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Mystified	Mystified said 1618 days ago (June 17th, 2005)
	Beautiful It calms...then twitters...then calms again, rather like thoughts disrupted by errant chatter (of passengers on a crosscountry trip?) But, oh how I love those moments where the guitar just settles into that wonderful, mild lull of warm, rich sound. beautiful...thank you. Check out my latest song called Father Time

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 19th, 2005)
	Beautiful Thanks Cat. There was alot of errant chatter on that drive through Kansas, the state that never ends. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

said 1618 days ago (June 18th, 2005)

There Should be A New Genre
Called "Good Music". You could file song this under that,
Tom.
I enjoyed this. It's relaxing and interesting. I like the spanish
guitar type opening, the introduction of flute and percussion,
the transitions, interweaving of the parts and the melodies.
You had the "flutes" there doing some car horns and I'm
reminded of that revolving door feeling at certain points. :)

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 19th, 2005)
	There Should be A New Genre Thanks Mr Flynn. I am confounded by genre issues on this piece. Better than being confounded by gender issues I guess? Really can't think of another category to file it under, except "Other," which is the category for misfit songs. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

snowdragon

snowdragon said 1618 days ago (June 18th, 2005)

Really looking forward
to the addition of lyrics on this one. You've set the bar
pretty high with the music so don't let us down. (no
pressure, no pressure.)

Tell the wife I loved the choice of sepia tones for the
photo as it gave a marvellous juxtaposition of 50s road
trip with 21st Century auto interior. This whole piece
would make a great Twilight Zone episode.

Check out my latest song called The Wolf 7

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 18th, 2005)
	Really looking forward Picture a typical American family, on a pleasant summer vacation, driving down a sepia-drenched hiway, unaware they are on the road to...the Twighlight Zone. Thanks snow. BTW, Ellen is my 13-year-old daughter (the photographer). Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 18th, 2005)
	Really looking forward Twighlight??? Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Mr. S	Mr. S said 1618 days ago (June 18th, 2005)
	puts me in... bad ass mode once again. Secret mission stake-out style. Nice piece. Check out my latest song called MacJammer's Tribute

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 19th, 2005)
	puts me in... Thanks for the compliment, S. (Do you mean my gun?) Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Joanna	Joanna said 1618 days ago (June 18th, 2005)
	Nicely done! Great work here, Tom. I'm not a New Ager either, but this had meat to it. It had something to say and somewhere to go -- you really did an excellent job. Check out my latest song called Nellie G.

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 19th, 2005)
	Nicely done! I'm beginning to sense a general, widespread dislike for New Age. But I appreciate your comments, Joanna. Thanks for taking time to listen. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Shimky	Shimky said 1617 days ago (June 19th, 2005)
	Promises, Promises! Come on, then, where are these lyrics?? ;O) Great piece. Seriously, I would be very interested in hearing how you mix it when you've got vocals on there too. Check out my latest song called Funeral

Tom Atwood

Tom Atwood said 1617 days ago (June 19th, 2005)

Promises, Promises!
Originally, this was a much simpler piece, for two guitars and voice. While
working on the lyrics, I decided to see how this would sound as an
instrumental, and it got very dense and flutey. If I finish the lyrics--which
deal with cutting and other destructive behaviors--alot of the window
dressing will have to go, and will be replaced by a simpler guitar backing. (I
think any lyrics now would get lost in what Mungo describes as the "revolving
door.")

Thanks for listening, and for the comments.

Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

thetiler	thetiler said 1616 days ago (June 19th, 2005)
	like that guitar . . . I like the guitar and how it interplays with the keyboard. Then the cord-al fingerpicking later on, almost an open tuning sound feeling, it might be, not sure. Nice Thanks for sharing Check out my latest song called The Bluebird Cafe (with two other guest)

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1615 days ago (June 20th, 2005)
	like that guitar . . . Thanks Bill. The guitar is in standard tuning on this piece, although I may have used a capo? Memory, fading...with each passing day... Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Peter Greenstone

Peter Greenstone said 1616 days ago (June 20th, 2005)

another for the CD
I got to hear this a couple of days ago but did have time to
comment until now. I'm really taken away by this, on a
journey. The combination of your sweet guitar playing with
your more newly found sounds is wonderful. It's warm and
comforting while expressing a little bit of a darkness
underneath. Emotionally complex, musically elegant.

Check out my latest song called From Nothing

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1615 days ago (June 20th, 2005)
	another for the CD Thanks for those kind words, Peter. If I ever release a CD, I want you to write the liner notes. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

alley-oop	alley-oop said 1616 days ago (June 20th, 2005)
	Guitar heaven I just found this! Most excellent, Mr. Tom. Your instrumentation is wonderful. Interesting sounds, all couched in the great guitar work. I'm looking foward, to hearing this with lyrics. Your friend, JohnnyRay....I'm mean alley-oop Check out my latest song called anymore

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1615 days ago (June 20th, 2005)
	Guitar heaven Thanks Tom, or Johnny, or Alley, or Ray. Whoever. Thanks for the comments and for listening. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Retro Plien	Retro Plien said 1612 days ago (June 23rd, 2005)
	inventive bit of music this is cool - using the guitar over loops is an interesting way to go - the piece keeps you interested right through (so can it really be 'new age' then?) liked this a lot Check out my latest song called Worse Off - by Jack Billman

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1612 days ago (June 23rd, 2005)
	inventive bit of music Thanks retro. No loops in this piece though. Just a looped feel through live playing. Glad you took time to listen and comment. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

mulletsrock

mulletsrock said 1608 days ago (June 28th, 2005)

Movement into a true New Age
I appreciate your well done tracks. Currently, there are many
aimless, shapeless songs gaining high scores, much to my
amazement. But your tracks, with Tobin Mueller's, show the
difference with great inventive writing and thought through
writing and seamless production. I look forward to listening
to your music very much. You two are what New Age music
should always become... movement into a new age of
sensitivity and discovery.

Check out my latest song called Frankenfun II (with iGStudio, Tobin, Suz...)

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1608 days ago (June 28th, 2005)
	Movement into a true New Age Thanks mulletsrock, I really appreciate your comments, and the comparison with Tobin, who is in another class altogether. p.s. I checked out your material after reading your comments. Really enjoyed Franken fun. Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

Drew Kopr	Drew Kopr said 1604 days ago (July 2nd, 2005)
	This rules I love how you switch btw. major and minor sounds. The guitar sound is one of the best clean acoustic sounds I have heard on this site. Very nice piece!! Check out my latest song called WinterSong

SpasmodicMan	SpasmodicMan said 1603 days ago (July 2nd, 2005)
	more than mellow Not wanting to be mellow, I listen and am cooled without mellowing. Maybe because you are cool while inventing at the same time. Maybe you should always imagine in Kansas colors. Three cheers for rattling around in cars! Check out my latest song called The Androgyne

perceptualvortex	perceptualvortex said 1596 days ago (July 9th, 2005)
	Reminds me of strolling through the woods as the sun is setting. Has that "things aren't what they seem" feel, in an entertainingly mysterious kind of way. Very cool. Check out my latest song called Machine Man (w Beastie Boys)

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1596 days ago (July 9th, 2005)
	Reminds me Thanks Drew, SM, and PV for checking this piece out. Always glad when you guys stop by. --- . Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

wittybrit	wittybrit said 1582 days ago (July 24th, 2005)
	Of an age Enjoyed this hautung fantasy of misty swirls. Guess you and I are of the same age...I just wish there was a better term than new age, still its better than the alternative! (old age!)

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Artist Info

Name: Tom Atwood

I guess I could be a 'poster child' for MacJams. I joined the site on New Year's Eve 2004, after several years of not making much music at all. A long dry spell. Since then, I have posted more than 50 songs here, collaborated with some wonderful arti... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

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