1   STOP AND GO TRAFFIC

       Instrumental. 

 

  2   SWEET LITTLE SQUEEZE

       A fictional story about those nonfictional characters some of us might have known (or in some ways may
       have even embodied ourselves) earlier in life who enjoy playing the field and just want to have fun. Things
       can get lopsided in a hurry if you're not on the same page.

 

  3   IT'S A CAREFREE LIFE

       A tongue-in-cheek portrait of those laid-back souls we know who don't seem to be bothered by anything life
       throws at them… in this case, a guy who goes so far as to delude himself into thinking everything is cool
       when the only thing he's seemed to have mastered is taking down a fly.

 

  4   I'M AT PEACE IN THIS WORLD

        (Sarah Yoder's Tune)

        It's easy enough for people to fall into jobs or lifestyles that don't make the most of their talents. This

        song is sung from a woman's perspective with a sympathetic (to be sure, biased) view of how gender,
        religious dogma and/or cultural tradition (in this case, the Amish) can limit a person's growth in certain
        ways. With that said, I do believe some find their own brand of happiness, whatever that means.

 

  5   THE SIEGE OF KHARKIV

       An instrumental that in a very small way highlights the unimaginable loss of life and country that those in
       the Ukraine have suffered since Russian tanks started rolling into modern cities in February 2022.  

 

  6   RIVER OF LIFE

       There's a secret swimming hole on a Minnesota river where my wife and I like to cool off and relax on a

       hot summer day. It's our "close to nature" time and a break from big-city life, and the place where I asked
       her to marry me. Thankfully she agreed and seems equally attached to this special place.

​

  7   MELANCHOLY BLUE

       Just another in the hundreds of thousands of songs about lost love.

​

  8   THAT'S LIFE 

       The hard times mentioned in this song are minor annoyances compared with those other people are 

       faced with every day. Nonetheless, we all have our ups and downs, and it's good to keep things in

       perspective. Though it can be trying these days, life is basically good if you look for every opportunity

       to see it that way.

​

  9   THE KIND OF WORK I DO

       Sometimes, the strum of a couple chords can set things in motion. This one seemed to complete itself
       (including the recording of it) within a 24-hour period. Kind of my nod to film noir.

​

10  MAYA

       I almost named this one "Mexican Soap Opera." If you've ever watched one, you know how over-the-top
       dramatic and passionate they can be. That's what I had in mind here.

              

11  ONE DARK AND FOGGY NIGHT

       Another venture into the dark side, having a little fun with the concept of someone moving the traffic cones
       on a dark mountain road. As someone I used to know liked to point out, "Cones rule!"

​

12   SIMPLE AND FREE

       My overly protective but very well-meaning mother kept me in her sights and under her wing as long as
       she could, which made me find ways to appreciate my limited environment and life's simple pleasures. I
       could probably write three of these songs and not repeat some of what I remember from these, my
       "formative years." Probably why I still like a good western, close encounters with nature and music that has
       held up well after all this time.

​

© Bradford Kissell. All Rights Reserved.

Images and music on this site can only

be used with the expressed written permission of the author.