Music Sounds Better When You're Stoned opens with its title track. Soon after it begins there is a bright, colorful explosion of sound, and a good groove emerges. "Set plants on fire and breathe/You will surely feel relieved/Go ahead and do as you're told/Because music sounds better when you're stoned." Oh yes, certainly some music sounds better when you're high. But maybe not all music. We used to take LSD and try different music, different artists, to see how they'd sound, how they'd work. The Grateful Dead were obviously the best choice, but David Bowie and Talking Heads sounded great too. However, Patsy Cline did not work, not at all (and I like Patsy Cline). Of course, that was acid, not pot, so further study will be required. Let me get on that. "Listening to music when you're high/Is something that you ought to try/An undertaking I endorse/A rolling stoner gathers no moss." That's followed by "Come Out And Play." That's a song title for the post-pandemic world, right? "The leaves are turning/My heart is yearning/I'm hoping soon that you'll be mine." Yes, this one has a sweeter vibe. I love that it includes the word "pining," which is just not used often enough. "Our love is shining/And I am pining/I'm hoping soon that you'll be mine." And I love how near the end he adds a bit of urgency, singing, "Come out and play/Please don't delay/Soon we'll decay/It's gonna be a perfect day." There is humor there, which is appreciated, but the brevity of life is something that's been on my mind a lot lately. It will all be over much too soon.
A delicious psychedelic sound is established in the opening moments of "A Mad Tea Party." As you might guess from its title, this is a fun one, addressing this crazy life, this crazy world through the lens of Lewis Carroll's work. Doesn't it make perfect sense to react madly to it? "Everyone is mad, you see/Sitting there and drinking tea." This song is a delight, one of my personal favorites. "Crazier by far/All the best people are." There is some really nice work on guitar in the second half. Then there is a magical, sweet feel to the opening moments of "Across The Milky Way," setting a wonderful tone, inviting us to a dance. "Milky white stars, dust and gas/A window to the distant past/Ancient starlight fills our gaze/As we peer into the haze." We're all on a journey through space, aren't we? And we're all together (whether we want to be or not). "Our cosmic neighborhood/Where earth is just a tiny speck/That somehow has endured." We've seen that photo where Earth is just a pale blue dot in the distance. It should give people pause, put things into perspective. But some folks still think they're in the center of the universe, that a deity created them in its image and put them here for a purpose. This is such a great song, another of my personal favorites.
"Changing Of The Guard" has more of a rock vibe. A psychedelic rock vibe, to be clear. Gary sings, "The river of time keeps flowing on/The people you know will soon be gone." He lets that sink in, then repeats, "They will be gone." Because some people refuse to hear that message. This one has a more serious, more somber tone. It might seem to have a less hopeful, less optimistic bent, as in lines like "The world's on fire/Not a thing we can do/Not a thing we can do," but it's really just about how things go. There isn't anything inherently positive or negative about that. "Time marches by in the blink of an eye/While we sit and wonder why." This is yet another highlight for me. Then "My Doppelgänger" has a lighter, more playful vibe. "When you meet someone who looks just like you/Well, it's quite a shock, just what can you do?" "Dopplegänger" is another word I don't often hear in songs. Anyway, this one has a bit of a New Orleans thing happening, and features some good stuff on keys. "Harsh Toke" begins with a cough, and features some nice work on guitar. This song offers a sympathetic note, "It happens to a lot of folks." Don't let it stop you.
Gary Van Miert engages us in another magical dance with "Stoners Circus." All of life seems to be a circus of one sort or another, but this song describes one with great appeal. "The acrobats are smoking big blunts/Before they perform their dangerous stunts/The crowd that has gathered is just as wasted." It's a fun track. That's followed by "Time Isn't Real," a song that encourages us to destroy our clocks. "I've come to learn that time isn't real/Melt your clocks like Dali/Saving them is utter folly/Smash them all to pieces/And your happiness increases." Oh, there is no question about that. This track features some excellent guitar work in the second half. This song ends with the sound of a clock ticking, and the ringing of a distant bell. The album concludes with "Star Child," which has a great vibe. "May you safely pass through outer space/With the universe in your embrace." We all identify ourselves with the star child. And why not? Here we are, in outer space on a relatively insignificant little planet. This song is hopeful, joyful. "Star child, oh, the things that you'll see."
CD Track List
- Music Sounds Better When You're Stoned
- Come Out And Play
- A Mad Tea Party
- Across The Milky Way
- Changing Of The Guard
- My Dopplegänger
- Harsh Toke
- Stoners Circus
- Time Isn't Real
- Star Child
Music Sounds Better When You're Stoned is scheduled to be released on June 19, 2026.
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