Tom ModyJeffrey Jeff Harris


ARCHIVON
das Boot DVD
released 2007
DVD Concert
Jeffrey Harris - vocals Tom Mody - guitar
Billy Pierce - bass Todd Hensley - guitar
Brian Blaine - drums

Preview Song from DVD

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:..:...::|PURCHASE MUSIC|.:::.:..

As I was reviewing footage to include as video breaks on this web site I made the extra effort and converted this whole concert to DVD. The audio is from our Live Bootleg CD - Live das Boot. The video is pretty static, just the one full stage shot camera angle and shot on a camcorder at that so I'm not offering the utmost video quality here. It was just an awsome performance captured bootleg style. I did throw in a bunch of extras like some studio and pre show rehearsals along with a radio interview we did the night before the show. This performance was from an event called Rock Fest '93 in Randallsville, New York in August of 1993. Details of which you can read about in the Archivon Era Page. Another video clip is also available there. It's one of our favorite performances. The video clip on this page, Grand Canyon was never recorded in a studio version. Our liner notes are below.

Tom Mody

GRAND CANYON

Music & Lyrics: Mody/Harris/James
Cries echoe on like ancient remedy for restless souls that wander free. Time beckons me, scenes pass before bright eyes. Deep inner thoughts you live you breath.

Our destinty, deep canyon walls of yesterday. This open road will take us home. Caught in a trance. Her beauty compliments earth light, this natural wonder of the world.

Although my stay is short if I'm a man of reason it's rivers will flow in my mind forever. Leading us far from here this long and winding road. Until tomorrow's journey brings hope.

Far and wide Grand canyon. We look behind and wonder.

Five o' clock. The wind it howls, quiet fills a darkened mind
Half past five. The break of dawn. I can barely make a flame inside it's shell.
Six o' clock. Amidst a haze. A silhouette that takes my breathe away.


Grand Canyon is one of our personally deepest songs in that it's an experience shared by the writers of the song. This dates back to Torrod 2 and our trip across country in 1988. We stopped off at the natural wonder as a short break during our move to Los Angeles from New York. It was 3:00 am and the Canyon was just a big dark silhouette that we seriously almost fell in because we couldn't see it until it almost devoured Andy and myself. We were so startled and literally breathless- we coud not breathe and we ran away to gather ourselves. We stayed through dawn and most of the morning and though it wasn't planned, I think it was the best way to experience the awesome spectacle. When we got settled in our studio we all sat down and wrote words expressing the experience and then wrote the music but so many years later I'm not sure who wrote what segments. I think I wrote the section that starts "Although my stay is short". We all contributed to the music. Andy's drumming was a big factor of the song and Jeff contributed the keyboard segment which originally was the intro. When I joined Harbinger a few years later I programmed the drumming and we played the song minus the keyboard part. In Archivon we brought the keyboard part back and put it at the end of the song to help us find the key for the next song's Harmony vocal intro which was The Other Life. One note on this performance, when the first verse comes in I'm a half step flat on my guitar rhythm...ooops!

Hey Tom, I was there (Grand Canyon) too! Remember? It was chilly up there in the beginning of April but what a sight! I'll never forget it. Breathtaking! I remember when we wrote this song. It was exciting. When Tom first brought the guitar parts to us, it was so good I was inspired. Then Andy James came up with such incredible drum segments that I just had to work hard at a vocal melody and not let my comrades down. I hope that I succeeded. I really enjoyed the three of us sitting down and writing the lyrics. I really miss times like those. I am pleased with Tom for sifting through footage and posting this clip. We never really cut a studio version and perhaps it is for the best. For some reason I have a feeling that a studio version may have seemed bogged down. But perhaps it might be due to the fact that I was used to the fast paced version (other than when we performed with a drum machine). In the video you can see that I walk over to stage left (house right) and receive a drink bottle with cold water in it. As you will notice, after taking a drink, I dumped the rest on my head. It was so hot and almost unbearable that I needed to cool down. There. Now isn't that refreshing?! Ahhhhhh. The band performed rather tightly on this number. It is a very good version caught on video with pretty decent sound. I added the keyboard section at the end as a segue to another song where we began the song with a three part harmony which, by the way, we nailed. But back to the keyboard thing. I had originally written a different keyboard part as an intro to Grand Canyon and the lyrics you hear in this end were the intro to the song. We changed it up for the reasons descried above. I like it. Hope you enjoy!

Tom's Rebuttle: As I recall Jeff, you were there... in the bathroom!


:.::..:.| ARCHIVON Era History |:...:..:.::


 

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