Rob Hope

Released: November 2023

Introduction

After the frustrating process that resulted in the Phoenix Diaries, I decided to focus instead on concept over narrative. As a poet, I have written a number of odes, poems in honor of something or someone. I decided to adopt that approach with this album. Each track is an ode to a feeling or a concept; the title comes from combining the word “ode” the with the word “on”, as in “Ode on a Thing”. It happens to also be the name of an ancient amphitheater. Once I had this concept, I was able to come up with ideas and opportunities, including some unique ones such as my ode to Sudoku.

Available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

Themes Explored

With the concepts fairly isolated, there aren’t too many specific themes here other than the overall idea. One thing I did do was expand my use of instrumentation, including mimicking instruments I’ve seen in the past, such as King’s X’s Doug Pinnick’s 12-string bass, or trying to emulate a certain feel or mood, such as the theme from the show Sherlock.

I did not delve as much into alternative time signatures, being more deliberate in my choices in that regard, and tried for the same restraint with my key changes, choosing to concentrate on song quality a bit more on this album.

Specific Techniques Explored

When I did delve into alternate or odd time signatures, I was more deliberate with my polyrhythm choices. I also discovered my new favorite odd time signature, 11/8. There’s over a minute of On Stories Of Fantasy at 11/8 that might be my favorite sequence on the album.

There are also several spots where I flip the b5 choices from my previous album a bit on its head, going after #4 options in a few places to add contrast and brightness.

Songs

On Realization

Key(s): Gm, Bb, Em, A Time Signature(s): 4/4

The album opens with the aforementioned #4 motif that reappears later in the main track. The opening sets the tonal stage for the album, showing restraint in a minor key, and cleanly shifts into the chords of the song. Although the overall tone is subdued, at the 4:10 mark the #4 motif returns, first in A major, then shifting up a minor third to C major, before closing in a brighter outro section that features borrowed F and G major chords to close out the song with a satisfying acknowledgment of self-awareness and worth, or realization.

On Stories Of Fantasy

Key(s): Em Time Signature(s): 4/4, 11/8, 12/8, some with 4/4 polyrhythm

Fantasy stories are some of my favorite things, and this is an homage to that otherworldliness. One of the more interesting choices I made on this album was to replicate a 12 string bass guitar, essentially a bass track tripled at octave intervals. It’s not used everywhere, but it’s introduced in the opening of this track and drives the uniqueness of the track’s sound along with a very Star Trek evoking Theremin floating above the strings outlining the chord progression. Very little of the percussion is standard on this song outside of the chorus, with syncopated patterns varying throughout.

At 3:20 the song transitions into possibly my favorite 90 seconds on the album, shifting to 11/8 time signature with a flowing melodic guitar line over a polyrhythmic 4/4 beat. It remains in 11/8 through a start-stop section that feels very natural and smooth despite the odd meter, before returning to the main section at 4:55 after a rising guitar run over 12/8.

On Being More Than Friends

Key(s): F# Time Signature(s): 4/4

This is another song that once had lyrics that I repurposed for this album. I’ve always liked the use of the major minor 3rd chord and the major minor 7 chord in this song, in this case, going to A major in the key of F# major, or E major in the key of F# major. It requires the injection of a bit of tension in the melody to accommodate the tonal shift. The chorus provides a sense of uplifting amidst the acknowledgment that a relationship has risen to the next level.

On Kevin’s Watch

Key(s): D, Gm Time Signature(s): 4/4, 2/4

Stephen R. Donaldson is a favorite author of mine, and “Kevin’s Watch” is an iconic cliffside lookout point featured in his “Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever”. This classically infused piece is an homage to that otherworldly landmark and the stories told within that world. It features some interesting short pauses, or an additional two beats, in specific places to slow the progress of the melody, and a soaring melody backed by choir voices at about 3:40 that I feel speaks to the majesty of the story.

On Road Trips

Key(s): Bm, D Dorian, Bb Time Signature(s): 4/4

I’ve taken many road trips in my life, some of them lasting days. This song is an homage to those trips, featuring a driving beat, some interesting guitar work, and some interesting changes in key. And to facilitate the pulse of one’s hands on the steering wheel.

On Invalidation

Key(s): Bm Time Signature(s): 4/4

Few things are as frustrating as feeling that your perspective, emotional or intellectual, is not valid or valued. This track cycles through the various levels of discontent and anger. In the third section, reharmonization is employed to “invalidate” the first chord progression for that section, changing from a more standard progression to one driven by a slowly rising bass voicing that softens the impact, making it less important.

At about the 4:30 mark, the third section arrives, mostly in a major key progression:

D / Em7 / Bm7 / Bm7 – G, which repeats until a brief interlude with a tumbling slow melody, before returning to the third section’s main melody at 5:30.

At this time, though the chords shift:

Bm7 / A/C# / G/D / Em – G then Bm7/F# / G / A – A#dim rather than a straight repeat. The melody remains mostly the same, leaving the listener wondering what has changed such that the original progression was not sufficient.

On A Failure To Dance

Key(s): Bm Time Signature(s): 33/8, 7/8

I have rhythm. I have timing. I’m a musician. Still can’t dance / won’t dance. So it’s no surprise that one day, while watching the legendary drummer Simon Phillips perform a composition in 33/8, I thought to myself how hard that would be to dance to? Thus this song was born. It exemplifies all the difficulties one might have trying to dance, including two separate sections with different feels to them that slice the 33 beats a bit differently. The verse section uses what two bars of 12/8 followed by a bar of 9/8 as far as how the chords land, while the second section, after using a few bars of 7/8 as a transition, place the chords within a bar of 7/8, followed by a bar of 10/8, followed by two bars of 8/8, to identify where the transitions occur. The second section’s staggered motion is particularly cogent to the lack of danceability. That said, this tune contains a strong sense of melody and drive and is one of my favorites on the album.

On Second Chances

Key(s): A, C Time Signature(s): 4/4

A straightforward ballad with a key change up a third towards the end. This progression is one of my prettiest, and showcases a style that I first arrived at in this progression, but used it in several other songs on earlier albums. This style involves moving inverted chords up and down over an open A string, in this case, A major / E/G# / D/F# / A/E, all over the open A string. This is one song that makes me wish I could sing and present this with lyrics, but I’m happy to also release it in its instrumental form.

On The Distraction Of Sudoku

Key(s): F Lydian, C Phrygian, G Dorian Time Signature(s): 4/4

This is one of the more unique ideas I’ve come up with. I do a ton of sudoku, at all levels, including variations galore. I wanted to write an ode to the puzzle, and since the puzzle involves the digits 1 to 9, this piece anchors its first section in counting. The first bar has a count of 1 on bass, the second a count of 1 on bass and 2 on guitar, the second bar brings in another guitar on 3, and so, until some instrument, most likely percussion, is counting to 9 within the bar. From there, an almost militaristic melody follows the user through the solve, until we return to the counting section at 2:52, this time with the xylophone doing the counting as well, highlighting the complexity of the interactive numerology. When the epic main section returns, the xylophone stays, providing a punchy counterpoint to the main melody.

On Insomnia

Key(s): Am, E Locrian, G# Phrygian, C#m, Eb Locrian, Eb Time Signature(s): 4/4

I have struggled with insomnia much of my adult life. This piece attempts to articulate the cycle of initial lullaby, to racing thoughts and elevated attention, followed by adrenaline, followed by inevitable crashes to near-slumber before the cycle repeats. The use of Locrian mode and the ever changing downward key motion add to the feeling of slowly losing sleep.

On Lost Loves

Key(s): C#m, D#m Time Signature(s): 4/4

A straightforward homage to the ending of relationships.

On Fascination

Key(s): Dm, Em, F#m Time Signature(s): 6/8, 11/8, 12/8

This song owes its existence to the show Sherlock, inspired by the rhythmic feel of the show’s theme song. It’s swing-infused beat and whimsical chord structure and melody provide a unique atmosphere where curiosity and interest can feel the joy of discovery. This song also makes use of the 11/8 time signature, but does not employ polyrhythm, instead embracing the abruptness of the lost beats as they occur.

On Clarity Of Thought

Key(s): E Phrygian, Bm, Gm, Bb Mixolydian Time Signature(s): 4/4

One of the things I often say professionally is that I bring clarity of thought. This straightforward rock song seemed as good an example as any of clarity within my compositions, as it brings in many of my typical techniques, including flatted fifths, to arrive at a leisurely paced guitar duet.

On Slow Hands

Key(s): Cm Time Signature(s): 4/4

I have slow hands for sure. Small ones as well. The main riff for this song, using mostly thirds, came to me as I was jamming one day and was easy for me to play given my physical deficiencies. I echo that lack in the slow, deliberate melody that drives the song.

On Getting It Right

Key(s): Ebm, G# Dorian Time Signature(s): 4/4

This song has a slightly different feel than the others. It’s not straightforward, and relies on a horn section as well as several syncopated runs from the bass. In an inspired move, the guitar solo is on the 12-string, giving it an unusual flavor as it navigates a melody loosely based on Linus and Lucy.

On Absent Friends

Key(s): B Lydian Time Signature(s): 4/4

I lost a dear friend during the writing of this album, and the conditions of their passing resulted in the news being a surprise to me, and precluded any chance of closure. This song attempts to honor their memory.

On Inspiration

Key(s): F#m, G#m, C#m, A Dorian Time Signature(s): 4/4, 6/8

This track is an homage to the various influences that inform my musical tastes. It is typical of what I might produce structurally and harmonically, with a metal rock section, another section in 6/8, and a slower, more nuanced middle section. In essence, I wanted to write something that I thought would have just come out of me if someone asked me what my influences are.

On The Last Goodbye

Key(s): G, A Time Signature(s): 4/4

The closing track, about saying goodbye for the last time. This is another song that might have been released with vocals in another lifetime, but still resonates harmonically. This was inspired by all of the leavings I’ve done over the course of my life as I moved from place to place with my military family.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to like about this effort, even though it was much less complex than my previous works. There are many unique aspects and sounds here, and some successful experimentation both rhythmically and harmonically. There are few weak tracks, and the choice to focus on emotional and musical impact over narrative in this case was freeing and ultimately a good choice. I am always gratified when I can take something I encounter, such as Simon Phillips playing in 33/8, and morph that into my own song in my own unique way. There’s quite a bit of mood painting in this release, and I am happy with how it turned out.