Clearly

Album Notes

This was my first album as a solo artist; I had always previously been in bands. I went into the project thinking that if this was the only record I would ever make (as a solo artist) I should include what I felt were the best-of-the-best I had composed up to that point. Honestly, I wasn’t sure there would be more records after this.

That’s why it is a bit of both Fingerstyle and multi-instrument compositions. At the time I had been primarily listening to and composing Fingerstyle songs. I didn’t have enough to fill an album, and there were songs from my band days I felt strongly about having on this record.

Song Stories:

Canyon Serenade
This song was inspired by the canyons in and around the area of Sedona, Arizona. It is such a beautiful and breathtaking place to be… I didn’t want to leave for home!

Joy
The feel of this song makes me think of what the emotion of joy feels like.

Moonlight Sands
One of my favorite things in the desert where I live is when the moon is near-to-full and brightly shining, lighting up the night so much that you can easily see what’s around you – it’s almost like daytime – and there’s the sand gleaming in the night.

Love’s Way
The gentle, laid-back flow of this song makes me think of how God woos us to Him by His love for us.

Uni•Verse (One Song)
This song was “just there”. I was in the process of working out the details of a different song when this one came along. As I kept playing it I started thinking about the word universe and that it means “one song”. I believe this is what we are to God.

Cloud Shadows
While I was riding in a car I became mesmerized by the shadows on the ground of the clouds overhead as they marched onto their next destination.

(It Feels) Timeless
In traveling to New Mexico along the route I normally take, there’s an area of vast openness. It happened to be nearing sunset on this occasion of travel as I looked across that expanse and all the elements combined made me feel like I could just live in that exact space of time forever.

In The Temple
This song originally started out as a slow laid-back bluesy type tune that was only ever played at rehearsals of a band I was in. But as the parts came together during recording it became much more a song of meditation. I picture myself sitting in the temple of God communing with Him in silence.

Healer
Christ the healer – of body, soul and spirit. This song came to me at a necessary time in my own life.

Sunlit Mesas
Like “Moonlight Sands”, this is another song inspired by the beautiful desert in which I live.

Gone For A Walk
This song originally came about because I wanted to be better than a mentor I had in high school. This is the first song I ever wrote in an alternate tuning, and that was around, WOW! – 30 years ago. Funny thing is I didn’t even know about alternate tunings then… I just did it and this was the result.

Vibrant Aire
Driving down a lonely desert road on an awesome sunny summer day in a convertible with the top down. Yeah!

Credits

All songs composed by
Michael Mucklow

Piano, Synth, Percussion programming
Jon Gosen

Piano on “Moonlight Sands”
Eric Banas

Produced by
Jon Gosen

Mixed by
Michael Mucklow & Jon Gosen

Mastered by
The Sound Lab

Graphic Design
Disc Makers

Copyright Michael Mucklow / ASCAP
Publisher Mucklow Productions / ASCAP