Alan Goldberg Re-imagines a 40 Year Old Record
A new release from Alan Goldberg comes through as a massively progressive piece of work that feels theatrical, cinematic, quite compelling at times, and laced with this almost orchestral backbone that just comes through robust and intense at times.
But this is a bit of a rock record, but it's also based very much so on keys. The whole thing is laced with keys and synths that really give the songs massive melodic drive, and the whole thing comes through with heart and character.
However, to tell the story of this record properly, I have to start in 1984.
In 1984, Alan Goldberg went into a basement studio somewhere in Minnesota and recorded a record called Fuel for the Fire.
It was definitely a piece of work that delved into the synthesizer and keyboard. Using the progressive rock influence and delivering unique tones throughout its course, this was an actual reel-to-reel recording, and was well received for those who got to hear it. However, albums back then didn't quite have the reach they have in current times.
So, Alan ended up going back, finding the original recordings, and building on them in a very unique way.
Going back to the record and adding things like drums, guitars, and more really changed the shape of what the original record sounded like.
I think it comes down to the fact that we are now in a time where he is able to go in and digitize things, build on the songs the way he really wanted to, and bring some of the ideas to a bigger place.
So, the new release is called Fuel for the Fire 40th Anniversary Edition.
Throughout these songs, the original recordings are actually there. A lot of the synths and keys that you hear are the ones done in 1984.
A lot of the rest are things that he added on much more recently, of course.
So that's the story. This is actually brilliant because the 40-year difference between 1984 and today is a big gap, but he managed to close that gap, and not recreate, but expand upon the original ideas that he had back in the day.
I can only imagine how exciting this must have been to actually do.
The record opens up with the track called "Spark from the Dark," which has a massive alternative rock sound. The guitars are heavy, the drums are absolutely slamming, and the synthesizer has this sort of smooth and, again, quite melodic overtone.
This is a great track to introduce the record with because now you're getting to see what the goal was. How the songs have grown into what they are now is astounding.
The title track of the record is the second one. I find that this is probably the most theatrical of the bunch. Or at least one of the more theatrical-feeling. It's very piano and key-based, but the rock element is still there.
You have a bit of psychedelic undertone with delays and trippiness, layers of tones sitting upon each other, creating boisterous atmospheres, and more.
Then songs like "Changing By Degrees," which have a much more vast feel to them. The spaciousness and almost ambient tonality is far and wide and really sort of swallows you up.
The piano work on this one is really amazing and quite elegantly performed, if you ask me.
You actually find quite a bit of that on this record. You can tell that even in 1984, he was in love with playing the keys.
There's a lot of self-expression and exploratory elements into that progressive aesthetic, almost always revolving around that rock backbone.
Songs like "Warm Enough," some almost like they were left the way they originated.
This one feels very filmic, with layers of that symphonic-style approach, utilizing particular tones for those keys that feel like strings. It feels less like synthesizers or keys, and more like cello and a violin.
I definitely dig that, and you can hear how score and instrumental work really influenced him as well.
Perhaps there's a bit of classical influence in there too. When you hear songs like this one, it certainly feels that way.
"Consumed" is the track that closes the record, and it's a great one because it's got a smooth feel to it. It has its areas of intensities, of course, but it really feels like a silky sort of airy track that is reminiscent of jazz influence at times.
This record certainly branches out. It's not just this progressive rock style thing. There's all kinds of different styles and genres that the whole album embodies, and this is one of the reasons I suggest listening to the entire thing in one sitting.
Diving into this record all at once is the best way to experience it the way it was meant to be heard.
It's more than worth your time, a lot of fun, and very engulfing.
After listening to this, and learning that it was originally tracked in 1984 and grown upon now, I wanted to sit down with Alan to talk about the process.
So, while you dig into this record, check out our interview with Alan Goldberg below.
Remember where you heard it first.
As I understand it, this was actually created 40 years ago and is now reimagined, performed and recorded. Is that correct?
Yes. The original Fuel For The Fire was recorded and released independently in 1984. Over the years I kept hearing other versions of these songs in my head. For the new version, I used stemming technology to separate elements of the original recordings so I could preserve some of what was there while rebuilding the music around it with new performances, arrangements, drums, guitars, bass, orchestration and newly recorded piano.
For me, the new version became a continuation of something that began forty years ago, bringing the original intent forward into a fuller realization.
How did everything start for you as a writer?
It has almost always started at the piano. I'll sit down and play, usually recording the session, and discover where the music wants to go. That part of the process really hasn't changed very much over the years.
What has changed is that I'm more comfortable now with simply finding the direction of a possible song. I don't expect every improvisation to arrive fully formed. There may be a moment of inspiration that gets captured and then shaped into something larger.
What made you come back to this release and re-create it?
As time went on, I kept hearing other versions of these songs, and eventually the desire to make those versions real compelled me to move forward. It felt like a time of completion was here. Just as the original album cover was black and white, and this version is full of the color spectrum, I could see both growth and continuity in what I was doing. The project quickly took on a life of its own.
My younger self gave me the songs, the story and the original fire of Fuel For The Fire. My role now was to help realize that intent more fully.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences as an artist?
A lot of my early progressive-rock influence came from Yes, Genesis, ELP, the Moody Blues, and Jethro Tull, along with rock bands like The Who, Deep Purple, Kansas, and Frank Zappa. I followed the chain of Prog through the years with bands like Circa Survive, The Dear Hunter, Between the Buried and Me, and Opeth. There is a certain feeling and sound that sends me a signal from certain bands.
On the jazz-fusion side, Chick Corea, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Herbie Hancock were some early influences.
I listen to a lot of different music, though. Eventually all of those influences get absorbed and translated through the piano and through the way I hear music.
Are you touring or performing live as of right now?
I play in a cover band in Austin called The Remarkables. That's a different kind of focus. We play classic rock, blues, folk-rock songs from past decades. It's always good to get out and play in front of people.
Now that this is released, what's next for you?
The full album comes out on vinyl and digital September 29, with 'Changing By Degrees' releasing August 29. Beyond that, I've already begun developing the framework for the next album. It's called Wanderer. It will bring the piano even more to the foreground and continue exploring aspects of the larger journey of seeking and discovery that runs through my music.
Do you produce your own material?
For this project, yes. I approached the new version very much in producer mode.
I imagined a production slider. At one end was simply remastering the original recording, and at the other was completely rerecording everything. What determined where that slider landed was what I kept hearing in my head.
There were things from 1984 that were essential to preserve, but I also knew the music needed real drums, guitar, bass, new piano and other instrumentation to express more fully what I originally intended.
Was it recorded at a bigger studio, or home DAW setup?
The original 1984 record was made very independently. I was working in the basement of a duplex in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, surrounded by instruments and recording equipment — what I called my "cockpit of creativity."
During COVID, I gained a lot of experience using remote musicians to record their various parts, then I would put it all together. For this album, we did the drums that way, and my son Marcus came over to record his guitar parts into my DAW setup. The tools are much more software-based now than they were 'back in the day,' when I had a hardware module for every sound I was trying to make.
What can you say people can expect from this release?
I hope they hear something that feels different enough that they want to come back and listen again. I hope the original signal that the music sent out resonates so that a person can feel the journey the music has been on.
The album moves through progressive rock, jazz fusion and piano-centered instrumental music, but underneath that is a story. The pieces follow an arc of emergence, discovery, decision, seeking, transformation and realization.
For me, instrumental music can tell a story in the same way classical music always has. The intent and feeling of the music set the stage. I hope listeners hear that larger journey as well as the individual performances.
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