Passion Play

'Passion Play: Songs of Spirit, Love, and Outrage' delivers a rich, expansive mix of Springsteen-esque rock anthems, introspective pieces reminiscent of the deeper work of Peter Gabriel, and loony-tune Police-meets-Spike-Jones satire, with a fiery honesty and a full-on band...and once again, George has performed virtually all the parts himself. What unifies this album, with it's calculated flow of tender love songs, aching search for meaning, interlude, and blistering satire? It's the passion, the love for another, the quest for that which is higher, and the heartfelt wish for a better world. These emotions play upon the landscape, like fierce sunlight ever-burning through storm clouds: Passion Play. The songs: Remember: The idea was to have a little intro piece which borrows the motifs from Forget to Remember and states them quietly in the beginning, giving the album a sort of wraparound. Note the final 'uh-oh' chord. As usual, there's Trouble In Paradise... Own Mind: Written after reading Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas years ago. Thanks for the inspiration, Hunter S. Thompson...I trust you're in a better place now. Winds of Change: This song was just music and a title until last year when a book I'd been reading, Buddhism Without Beliefs, by Stephen Batchelor, helped to shed some light on the subject of living in the moment, which is something that doesn't always come easily to me. Be This True Love: I wanted to write a very real love song about a very real relationship, and I wanted it to be perfect. If it's not perfect, it's as close as I'm humanly able to get it. The music came to me while I was sitting in church one day, which kind of figures. Hands of Heaven: I borrowed a character from an older song of mine, an old wretch, and gave him the starring role in this one. I wonder if a person can more easily find God by looking inward, not outward. Is it also possible to have a relationship with the Divine without the guilt and shame we so often attach? Hooray for US: 'Tell a lie long enough, and loud enough, and eventually the people will believe it.' -Adolph Hitler. 'You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.' -Abraham Lincoln Hamburger Man: Hey kids!!! We're all going to the CIRCUS!!! I have this recurring vision that Ronald McDonald and that creepy little 'Chuckie' doll were found to be first cousins. Be afraid, be very afraid. Say Goodbye NY: I actually got to visit St. Tropez last year for a lovely, romantic three days. The song, however, was written many years before about my disenchantment with the Record Biz. The post-9/11 rewrite has given it a larger and deeper dimension. Forever the optimist, I remain convinced that indeed, Somewhere Is Love... Forget To Remember: This is one of those songs I'm not sure there's a meaning to. There are several possibilities, each weaving in and out of the other: 1) the old 'life is but a dream' concept, 2) what goes around comes around, 3) paradox is all around us. Take your pick, and be assured there are no wrong answers. George Wallace,the Traveller An accomplished producer and recording artist, George Arthur Wallace specializes in a fusion of World Music, Progressive Rock and ambient soundscapes. His visionary songs and instrumentals promote enlightenment and positive evolution in a world that could really use it. George was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, where he first discovered his musical gift around age six. He spent his formative years in-and-out of numerous local bands which found themselves caught in the crossfire between Motown and the British Invasion. Later he majored in composition and arranging at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he then landed a six-year stint with 'Fate,' a busy, successful club act from nearby Worcester. He eventually moved to New York City to pursue a solo recording career with, as it turned out, CBS/Epic Records and a publishing agreement with Screen Gems. He recorded two albums under that label: Heroes like You and Me in 1980 and What It Is in 1982. Virtually all parts were sung or played by George himself, and both albums enjoyed enviable critical acclaim by numerous respected industry publications. In 1983 George moved to Bucks County, PA, with new freedom to explore the finer subtleties of his maturing songwriter's persona. He was now producing recordings completely in-house, writing and recording over an increasingly wide range of dynamic and lyric styles. He occasionally produced other acts and several planetarium show soundtracks, but soon discovered an interest in a more introspective and spiritual writing style, turning away from the standard 3-to-5 minute song format. In 1985 he created his own new studio and production company, AirBorn Music, and produced three landmark instrumental works: Sacred Earth (1985), Communion (1988), and Frontiers (1993). He was soon a featured artist on such nationally recognized space-music radio programs as Echoes, Hearts of Space, and Musical Starstreams. In the late '90s, while performing with a small jazz/pop ensemble in Japan, he wrote a potpourri of instrumentals titled 'If I Had A Ship...' (yet to be released) and a vocal collection which found the name 'Set Free'. As we entered the new century, George reconnected with his first love from many years before, eventually moving out to Alaska to be with her. With no apparent end to his inspirations, he continued producing from his newly-installed studio there amidst the mountains; first came an ambitious collection of songs christened 'Passion Play', offering a rich, expansive musical ride with a calculated flow of songs laced with spirituality, one's love for another, and loony-tune political satire, all delivered with a fiery honesty and George's trademark dazzling production. And now most recently, a pet project shelved for decades has at last come alive. George's latest release, 'the Goddess; songs of the Feminine Divine' combines in daring new proportions a fusion of World Music, Progressive Rock, and ambient soundscapes. A technical masterpiece, 'the Goddess' delivers a profound and diverse musical celebration of the feminine in the world as we know it, from one of Her biggest admirers. George creates comedic satirical pieces on occasion (thereby eliminating what would have probably been therapist bills), and also has plans for yet another project, an experimental venture back into Space Music involving surround sound.