We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

King Of Illusion (edit)

from Always Look On The Dark Side Of Life by Greg Segal

/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $0.50 USD  or more

     

  • Buy the Full Digital Album

about

King Of Illusion (edit)

G.S.: guitar, drums, 8-string bass, vocals. Lyrics 11/13/81; music mid-to-late 11/81.

This was intended to start off side 2- vinyl was still the standard. The album was arranged so that side one was all shorter tunes, and side two featured 3 longer songs with extended solos. King of Illusion featured a jam and a drum solo, not included here; this edit features only the main body of the song, which is just under 2 minutes and I believe stands up just fine on its own. I like to think of it as a really wild AM radio single in some alternate universe.

If I remember correctly the lyrics were written first and very shortly after that I came up with the music. The manic drum beat, kind of like Love's "7 and 7 Is" played in 7, came into my head at a bus bench one afternoon and I played it very hard with my fists on the wood 'til the bus came. The melody arrived before the bus did and by nightfall the song concept/arrangement had developed. At that time I thought I'd make it the title track of an album, and it would take up side 2. The picture on the song's page was originally intended as the album cover and this image (photo tinted dark purple w/yellow highlights) was also designed, in my head, that day, based on a b&w image in one of my textbooks. I later abandoned that and tried to work the song into Night Circus, but eventually it ended up on A Man Who Was Here, though in a much shorter version.

There are a few versions of this in existence- several mixes or edits of this performance and another totally different recording produced by KennyRyman for the Night Circus sessions. There are live versions recorded with the band Cold Sky. All of them differ pretty significantly from how the song was originally conceived, especially in the longer sections (not heard here). I have yet to record a version I am fully satisfied with. There are two more variations on this I'd like to try, so don't be surprised if they pop up one day.

credits

from Always Look On The Dark Side Of Life, released September 18, 2015

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Greg Segal image

Greg Segal Portland, Oregon

contact / help

Contact Greg Segal

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

If you like Greg Segal, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now