Without a Voice, Listener Album Review

Back in May of 2008 I discovered Skully. I fell in love with his music, and it has been with me ever since.

I love all of Skully's music, but I keep coming back to his 'Without A Voice' album. Although all the songs are purely instrumental, so much of Skully himself is in each and every song! Sometimes I wonder how many nights he spent awake working and thinking; to get everything just right. One can tell that he poured his heart and soul into creating 'Without A Voice'!

Living in Oregon and waking up to the rain hitting the window panes once again, Skully's 'It Rained That Morning' has become my favorite song. Oregonians have a saying: "Don't just stand in the rain, FEEL it!"
I "feel" the rain while listening to this beautiful song! Early morning dawning, simulated by strings. A little "rumbling" in the back, just like before a storm. The piano setting in when the first raindrops start falling. The guitar accompanying the piano, the rain increasing. The song ending with the piano by itself, tiny raindrops continuing to fall, echoing while the song slowly fades away.

Here comes 'Arduity Sails By'. Literally! I am not sure if Skully got his inspiration for this song by one of the big Ferries in the Irish Sea, or by a Sailboat gliding by. To me it sounds like the engines of a Ferry are slowly starting, turning into the rhythmic, steady sound one can hear when the Ferry leaves port and gains speed. A little creaking and moaning, after all the engines have to run day after day, but there she goes!

Love Trains? Listen to 'Gare De Montrabe' and go on a journey through the French country side. You can hear the rhythmic, metallic sound made by the wheels of a moving train. The clickety clack everyone is familiar with living close to a train station!

'My Waltz With Matilda' is another favorite of mine! I was enchanted the very first time I heard it. In my mind, I traveled back in time. Skully mentioned to me later that the song was inspired by the story of a WW1 soldier and his Tank "Matilda". To me, listening with my eyes closed, it conjured up these images:
A soldier coming home after being away for a long time. Walking up to a big, beautiful old house. The house appears to be empty. Ivy is creeping up the facade, and the paint has faded. He pries the front door open, hesitates for a moment at the threshold and finally steps into a great hall. Silence greets him, only the wood creaking beneath his feet while walking up the stairs. A double door leads into a ballroom. There are no furniture left, but in the far left corner a grand piano with a bench awaits. He sits down on the bench, opens the lid, wipes the dust off the keys and starts playing 'Matilda'. For a moment it seems like the old house is waking up and is listening to the music. A young couple appears out of nowhere and starts dancing. Laughter, bits and pieces of conversation and the clicking of champagne glasses can be heard. As soon as the music ends, the couple disappears and the house is quiet once again. The visitor closes the lid softly, gets up and looks around one more time. Down the stairs and into to the great hall he goes, closes the front door and walks away.

'Trouble' must have given Skully the most Trouble, pun intended! What a challenge it must have been to combine the flute from the 1970's Horslips hit 'Trouble With a Capital T', and the guitar from their acoustic album 'Rollback' recorded in 2004. The end result with the 2 melodies combined, and the flute and guitar playing for the very first time together, is amazing!

These are just a few songs I love listening to from this beautiful album! Skully's pride and joy, rightly so. Go and give it a listen and make up your own stories to each song!

Skully's 'Arduity Sails By' actually inspired me to create a slide show. As I mentioned in my previous post, listening to this beautiful song made me question where Skully got his inspiration from.
He told me later that he used to watch a big Tanker sail past his recording Studio late in the night. He often wondered what far away places the ship and it's crew traveled to. The ship was the Arduity.
Arduity also means "difficulty", so to Skully watching the Ship leaving meant it was taking all difficulties away.

While doing research for this slide show, I found pictures of the actual Arduity!
Watch closely and you will find her 3 times!

Hope you enjoyed it!

Thoroughly enjoyed your thoughts, music and slide show - very moving - thanks for sharing!

Thank you, 0407usmc! Hope you enjoy more of my ramblings! Much more of Skully's music to discover!

Mcnberry, you could not have said it any better!!! Skully's Without A Voice is amazing!!! I listen to it over & over, savoring each and every song! I know the blood, sweat & tears that went into this album, with each and every song being a memory or a part of Skully's life. This is his baby, and he has delivered a genius!!!

Hello,

This is a wonderful post and I was so hoping that you would include your exquisite slideshow, again, I give the highest regard on all the time and research you went through to achive such a beautiful slideshow and listeners review, both excellent.

We all know how special "Without A Voice" is to Skully; but it's not just about his fantastic musical talent, he has also become a great friend. To quote a great friend and mentor; "we all promote Skully the way we do, not only because we are totally in love with his music, but because of the man he is." No other musician with his notoriaty would be so humble, gracious, caring and available to their fans and friends that they have never met ! It's a lobor of love, that is why we do it."

All of Skully's music has changed my life and I have no idea how I functioned before hearing his music and becoming one of his fans, a friend and keeper of the California Fan Site at MySpace; www.myspace.com/caskullyfan.

Without A Voice, Irish Makeover and now Metisse's, Boom Boom Ba are all on Celtic Radio's playlist to request, purchase and/or sample. Now, Metisse, is a whole different story of which there is more to come.

Give it all a listen and enjoy !

darlene

For a compilation of music that is “Without A Voice”, this work of art speaks volumes to ones heart and soul.


A brilliantly layered therapeutic electronica instrumentation sure to please the most discriminating ears.
This fully digital album is incredibly therapeutic. It is meant to be heard in a controlled sound environment; with a good set of headphones or good sound system.
Skully’s brilliance in mixing his music is unprecedented. His masterful use of Subsonics and the QXD Technology which he created forms compositions that engage the listener into living and feeling the masterpiece.

I found it thrilling discovering new sounds in each track! And every time I listen, I hear new features that I missed on the prior listen. It’s like opening an endless gift box!
Thank you Skully, for your magnificent music.

I have to agree with everything that has been said!! Without A Voice is beyond a doubt the best electronic music I have ever heard. The wonderful thing about Skully is that his music crosses all lines. He is so versatile!!! He has Without A Voice which is electonic/alternative/lounge, then there is Irish Makeover which gives the old Celtic folk songs a facelift, and brings them into the 21st century! He also has put out an album only available on iTunes of his piano music, called Piano & Coffee!!! His version of Hallelujah is THE best I have ever heard! And then there is his music with Aida Bredou, Metisse (Mixture). Skully's musical genius combined with Aida's beautiful and haunting voice is off the charts!!!

This man is so talented, no wonder he has been referred to in Ireland as the Professor!!!!

This is a letter that I had written to Skully way back when...before Without a Voice was available to buy, or on CD. The songs that Skully had for us all to put on our playlists, profiles, or listen to on his pages were already drawing us all in!

"Hi Skully!

I don't expect you'll remember me; you are rockstar famous now!! I had told you that I could feel the water/waves/ocean in your music. You had written back that you were surprised...that that was where a lot of your music came from...

I just wanted to congratulate you. I most sincerely think that your music is beautiful, and that you have a genius. You and music blend like the ocean and sand... Existing together, because of each other, sometimes lying sweetly and quietly together, sometimes the soft rolling, grinding on the rough, sometimes rocky; sometimes hard fast and rough, but always together...together. The last note of your song, straining, echoing, like the last bit of passion that you hang onto as it quietly ebbs away. I LOVE your music!!

As I told you once before, I put on my headphones and close my eyes to listen to your music. It speaks to my soul and lets me fly or rest, quieting me. With the headphones on, the volume turned up, eyes closed, the sounds just go through me and take me places I need to be. Once again, Thank you!"



Honeymae

This is one of the most delightful cd's I have ever known. Skully is definitely the master of the keyboard, piano & synthesizer!!! This album needs no voice, as every song takes you into the mind of the musician. You feel his pride and his love for each and every song he has created. I rate this album 5+ stars!!!