Ken Tamplin Guitar

[Monica Okane]

Thiswas, until Dino Jelusic came along. Now I consider myself a reasonably-competent connoisseur of strong lead vocals. I do actually sing, and therefore I know a bit about the craft. I even have a few friends in high places that let me sit next to them and play a guitar while they do this craft. So I cruise around the musical ocean like an auditory Mako shark waiting for the next suprise to come along.

And it would so appear that the TSO Christmas tour this year is going to be wiped out by the virus. And since Coronavirus now justifies all manner of bad behaviors, misinformed, accusatory tirades, and oppressive, near-totalitarian administrative measures, I am hereby assuming that Ken Tamplin wants me in jail for not listening to Dino Jelusic. Zeitgeist, baby.

Elia gave us a little background on the writing of their song: "40 Days and 40 Nights" emerged from a Saturday of watching "Man Up" (a British rom-com) and thumbing through the Bible, which I do from time to time. Simply, I think my songs always have themes around the Bible (given my upbringing), romantic dysfunction (personally and including my love for rom-coms), and warring with the self/mental health. So, the song it's about a breakup or romance gone wrong and one of the lovers trying to save it, unfortunately to their own detriment. For some, the breakup/romance gone wrong could be resulting from betrayal or from spiraling mental health issues. For others, the lovers could be two sides of the self (a breaking up from toxic narratives and the narratives coming to life to stab us in the back when we least expect it). Still for others, it may signify something else.

I picked up a guitar in fourth grade because I thought it was a cool instrument. I didn't really do much with it until I came across and fell in love with Norah Jones and KT Tunstall. Seeing badass women making wonderful folksy music that had some feels of jazz/blues and rock really inspired me.

I wrote poetry and random little songs that I never performed throughout high school. But, I didn't start performing until my senior year when my choir teacher decided to put on a showcase. Being the painfully introverted and anxious person I am, I opted out of it until the pleas of my mother to perform ("Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones) wore me down.

Even while not being an always willing musician, I have been able to have my music heard locally, published in a movie, and recorded by brilliant people across the country. The newest chapter in the journey is finding my own sound now as I continue transitioning on testosterone. Learning a new voice while experiencing all the things in life, new and old, that contribute to my song-writing...it's all very different now. Even my point of view changes as a non-binary person who's now read as man, experiences most of the world as man, and so on. Experiences are different. So, now I'm working to infuse an honoring of the past with an embracing of the present and ever-lasting anxiety about the future. Overall my journey with music has mostly been a private one to help cope with life and because music just makes me feel good, alive, and home. And, I guess, this is where the journey is.

As I stated above, I often fight to not perform. I think--selfishly, so I've been told--that what I write is for me and that once I'm done with it, that's it. So I write in the moment to help me process the ebbs and flows of life and my mind, leaving whatever tidbits come out of it on IG, on the backs of napkins, in file cabinets. But, ever so often, the music comes back around. People pick up on a rhythm, find comfort in the message of the song, or I come out of hiding for Courtney Marie and Spiderweb Salon. That's how "40 Days and 40 Nights" actually came to be written and picked up by Shiny Sound. In the end, I appreciate the journey thus far; and, though it never gets easier to perform for audiences, I'm always glad when I'm able to let people in on my journey.

When I found out that Conor and Corbin wanted to record "40 Days & 40 Nights", I was shocked and nervous. I haven't recorded anything in years, so I was unsure at first. Prone to having a question for everything, I shared the news (and some of my questions) with my mom and Courtney Marie. I also sat in reflection. Because I know Conor and had heard of the great work done by Corbin and Jacob, I felt comfortable with agreeing to record. However, since I don't record or perform or even play my guitar much, I was definitely nervous and awestruck by the guys when I first went in. But, the more we talked and they played (every instrument) and asked for feedback (to which I was just like, do what you want, it all sounds amazing...I was the kid in the candy store, eyes big, grin on face), the more at ease I felt. Each person had an amazing ear for what was needed, which was helpful to me because I know what sounds good but sometimes can't fully articulate it. Caitlin Childs was there too, cooking up a storm, making the space feel like home. In addition to the atmosphere and the guys' talent, it was really cool that they allowed me to bring in Amari Johnson who added the dope sax magic on my song.

Process-wise, recording went smoothly. I laid down my part in one take. That's the great thing about writing and playing for yourself whenever you feel like it. The song is in your bones. Anyway, after I laid down my part, I just got to watch everyone do their thing. And, holy fuck (idk if I can cuss here), they were amazing! They filled in gaps, added richness (and smiles), and pushed the song further than I ever had any hope for. I was probably in a state of amazement the majority of the time I was there. Not only because how they play, but also their communication patterns and body language. I'm a nerd and people watcher. I love music, but don't speak music. So to watch them was to feel like I was both at home and in another world, one that I didn't really want to leave.

Outside of music, I love chatting/visiting my family and gf when I can, taking naps, going for walks, lifting weights, eating donuts and pizza, and learning from other's stories and experiences. I guess my dissertation is a passion too, depending on the day lol.

Love (or lack thereof), suffering, and the residual effects of religion influence my music. Genre-wise: anything with folk roots and undertones. I find that I lean towards female artists and that jazz, R&B, blues, some bluegrass, and old gospel spirituals really influence. Funnily, what I listen to (jazzy folk music, Top 40, Neo-Soul, and electronic-dance music) and what influences me doesn't quite match up. I think some of those influences are in the bones and blood, passed down through ancestors who were storytellers and musicians. As far as musicians go, there are so many. Norah Jones, Iron & Wine, Lianne La Havas, Yukimi Nagano, Ma Rainy, Thom Yorke, Duke Ellington, Jill Scott, and others.

This year, I'd like to make strides in solidifying my own sound. I'd also like to actively create music for others' consumption (i.e. make a demo to say I did). I'd also like to make more art, in any form, this year. Too much academic writing and not enough creative endeavors in 2017 made Elia a dull boi.

Usually this album is lumped in with the hair bands of the early 90's, but 'Soul Survivor' is much more diverse than most pop metal from this era. As a matter of fact, this album isn't even pop metal. The album starts off with a bluesy hard rock song called "Media Mania" but from there gets very diverse with touches of blues, jazz, and even flamenco. However, the entire album holds together well and is one well executed hard rock/metal album. The production, while slick, still has some grit and girth unlike Ken's Magdallan release that would appear the very next year.

I bought this album as a new release, unfortunately I bought it on cassette. (What was I thinking?) Fortunately it wasn't as hard to find as I thought it would be. "Soul Survivor" went out of print but was released as on a single disc together with "Tamplin and Friends" by KMG Records. However, the KMG release was missing several tracks from both albums and has inferior

inserts, so I had to acquire the original.

Probably my favorite Tamplin CD as this disc is much more focused than any of the others. While I have always praised Ken for his diversity on his solo material, I much prefer this more straight forward heavy metal/hard rock disc. It's really a shame that Ken didn't have the right label backing and management because his material is as good as anything that was on rock radio at the time. His musicianship is stellar, as is his songwriting and vocals. "In the Lap of Legends" is perhaps one of Tamplin's heaviest tracks and one of my favorites as well. While this CD doesn't necessarily sound like any band I can think of at the moment, I'd say the closest comparison that I can come up with is Skid Row. The music doesn't really sound like Skid Row, but what they have in common is that they are both heavy and semi-technical yet retaining an upbeat, commercial appeal as well.

A heavier project for Ken. I remember at the time I, and many other metal fans, were in search of heavier Christian music. Bands like Mortification were the flavor of the day, and I must confess, I followed the trend here. For some reason I never even gave this disc a listen, even though before this time I had been a fan of Tamplin's discs. I suppose I had grown tired of the style. I also recall people telling me this album was not very good. In retrospect, those people were probably like me and never gave the disc the time of day, because this is album is quite good, and as I said, a bit heavier than most other Tamplin releases. There are some mellower moments, that give the disc some variety, however, for the most part this is Ken's most full-on heavy metal/hard rock platter. Guest guitarists guitarists include Joey Taffolla (Jag Panzer) and Lanny Cordola (ex-Giuffria/House of Lords). Lanny is also given several writing credits, so this disc can almost be considered a Magdallan disc, with the exception of the fact that "Witness Box" blows "Big Bang" out of the water. I'd prefer to put on this crunchy disc any day over the spit-shined polish of "Big Bang." As usual the musicianship and vocals are outstanding. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" is a cover but I can't remember who right now. "Sing Hallelujah" is a phenomenal praise song. I found an American copy of this disc used for $2.99 on SecondSpin.com., but eventually replaced it with this German version that contains five bonus tracks. Of the bonus tracks, "Big Bang", "Radio Bikini" and "House of Dreams" are from the Magdallan CD "Straight Between the Eyes" is from Ken's debut solo release. "Now that You're Gone" is the only track that I am unfamiliar with.

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