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Neil

by futur primitif

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1.
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4.
GO 4 TLI 02:06
5.
Karen 02:23
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Miss Collins 04:01
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11.
Neil 05:07

about

"I believe that America’s space program in the 1960’s and 70’s was the greatest thing ever done by man. Not only was it a triumph of engineering and human ingenuity, it brought America together for a higher purpose, in a way that has really only been seen in wartime. As JFK said “…that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills” . A muscle normally devoted to military dominance was instead used to put a man on the moon… which when you stop and think about it is such an impossibly beautiful gesture. Each piece of it was carefully choreographed, like a ballet, with elegant movements, transitions, pirouettes.. Bodies leaving and returning to each other . Despite the massive amount of violent energy necessary to do it, there is a such a delicacy to the entire thing. It’s a massive piece of performance art. Yes there were scientific gains associated with it. Yes, some of the technology was repurposed for military applications. But the thrust of the endeavor was genuine and pure. In an extremely chaotic and divided time it brought us together; not just Americans but the entire world. Half the planet tuned in to watch or listen to the landing and the first steps. When people spoke about it they didn’t say “The Americans went to the Moon”, they said “We went to the Moon”. It’s the stuff of dreams, of fairytales; to leave this world and travel to another and return. It’s the classic hero’s journey. Though Neil never would have wished it for himself, he is the hero of the story.

I began writing this album seven years ago. My interest in Neil Armstrong and the Apollo program in general was sparked by a bizarre coincidence. On August 25th 2012 I wrote a song and randomly threw in a line about Neil Armstrong. It had no context in the song, nor did I have any special interest in him. It was just a random line that came out. Later I was reading the news and discovered that Neil had just died that day. It gave me goosebumps. I don’t generally believe in signs or omens etc.. But this felt too strange to dismiss. I started reading about Neil and became fascinated. He was a truly exceptional person. Neil embodied the modern American hero. He was a quiet midwesterner who was absorbed by aeronautical engineering and almost as a by product he became one of the most accomplished test pilots of his time. In a field of swaggering, shit talking, larger than life characters, Neil was quiet and humble, but his ability to remain calm and collected under intense pressure was unequalled. He could (and did) nearly die in a test flight, ejecting at the last second, then get up, dust himself off and talk calmly about what he thought happened and why, and possible solutions to the problem. He embodies the term “nerves of steel” But also humility. He was quiet; reserved. He spoke only when necessary and always with clear intention and elegance.

Despite being quite possibly the most famous person on the planet, Neil has remained a mystery. He didn’t let on much, not even to the people closest to him. This album is a tribute to him, to the Apollo program in general, as well as an imaginary exploration of Neil’s psyche. "

credits

released July 20, 2019

All songs written and performed by Daniel Lefkowitz with the exception of "Miss Collins" -- which is a riff on a Mississippi John Hurt song called "Louis Collis", I'm not sure if he wrote it or if it's somewhat traditional, either way, it's a great song you should check it out -- And "Greatest Thing Ever Done By Man" which received some technical assistance from Julian Stodd.

Recorded by Daniel Lefkowitz.

Mastered by Mike McKenzie.

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