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Keep It To Yourself

by James LaBrie

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1.
His Voice 03:44
Nostalgia plays through me Along with the radio A taste, A scene, A sound A touch is not enough If only I Had known his fear So torn and feeling frightened 15 years have passed A sour taste still curls my tongue In despair, He danced the air A life became undone If only I Had recognized A silenced cry of sweet lies Ma, you know you can't hold me Now Ma, would you like to hold me Now I heard His Voice The trace of tears Still live within that moment I heard His Voice He lost his will One’s fate revealed that moment I heard His Voice The moment ends So much was said in silence Ma, you know you can't hold me Now Ma, would you like to hold me Now And if I could I would If what had happened then, today I hold you close Not turn away
2.
Statued 03:25
I sit and read your story Mortal image statued Delusions of one's glory Irony masked in virtue When mom she told me I'm not gonna to live forever She gave this manuscript to me To read when I am gone Tell me what it's like to be Where you are, I wanna be The Invitation To this Sensation As I read the last few lines I slowly start to realize You have opened up my mind This is completely beautiful And now it all makes sense These words I wish she spoke to me It was right in front of me I feel her next to me Tell me what it's like to be Where you are, I wanna be The Invitation To this Sensation I need to break away Need to break through Throw it all away Show me how to I adore you I won't forget you I adore you You helped me break through I adore you You held onto me I adore you I feel you Tell me what it's like to be Where you are, I wanna be I'm tired of feeling out of place Too many roles I imitate Tell me what it's like to be Where you are I wanna be The Invitation To this Sensation
3.
I never saw it coming Somehow the heat of battle Sure dulled my senses to the real world Or was I dreaming She held my hand and knew me She looked right through all I knew Lie quiet, let the rain wash over me now Inside the royal chambers She's staring out her window Tears well hidden by a crimson veil This is the poison Clutching a Turkish dagger By the moonlight I feel it begin I'm wounded, let the pain wash over me now Loneliness again Sits here along side of me Gotta make my way To where the waters heal my wounds I know this is where I'll stay Too jaded by her deception A trust I thought to believe I just wanna rest Live out the best of my days When I reach Avalon Walking to my window I'm feeling weak and so betrayed by all I've lost I'm left here To comprehend this strange barrage of lies By the dawn’s early light The war had raged through the night I turned to her I thought I heard her crying I could see by her face Before she laid me waste That there was someone else she's dying for Someone else out there besides me I'm fading let the fear drain away from me now My fears' been broken As healing waters poured over me And I begin to feel Feel its magic strengthen me I know this is where I'll stay Can't take any more deception I just want peace in my heart This calm I am feeling I've never known until Until I reached Avalon Lie quiet, let the pain wash away from me now No beginning or end All of the roles we pass on through I looked inside and I saw My soul's my guide I need to walk with you I know this is where I'll stay The world I've left behind Has no place in my heart I can finally rest And live out the rest of my days I'll never leave Avalon
4.
Beelzebubba 05:23
An intern in a silhouette Gets DNA from the president Let me tell you..... I guarantee it He's got his Yes, Senator, the bill's fat.... It feels good.... I didn't mean that. It's for the children Don't forget it. Cause slick Willy He's selling his jive Slick Willy He's taking a dive Slick Willy Slick Willy Slick Willy Arafat and Albright America, a sad sight Let me tell you..... I guarantee it He's got his We got what we deserve It's much too late to go back We were taken for the ride.... So many tried to say We have only taken what we've sown And when time passed It had grown.... Into Beelzabubba. Beelzebubba. Beelzebubba. Bubba Beelze.... Bubba Beelze...... Bubba. While the country is burning down We're being sold out in the big town Have they got yours ? Cause I guarantee you.... they've got mine. Slick Willy He's selling his jive Slick Willy He's taking a dive Slick Willy We got what we deserve It's much too late to go back. We were taken for the ride.... So many tried to say We have only Taken what we've sown And when time passed It had grown Into Beelzebubba Beelzebubba, Beelzebubba. Beelzebubba, Beelze.... Bubba
5.
In the early misty morning As you open your eyes I am there Another day in a cold uncaring world Dark treasons cold unhearted ways I stand before your providence Nobody comes nobody goes You’re so bright eyed and innocent There's a side of life you just don't know Draw yourself close to me I'll take them all I'm not afraid Your faith is all I need I'll simply lay me my life down for you And never turning away I'm your Guardian Angel I'm your Guardian Angel I dream of a place of Simple Love Detached from the Wicked and the Bad Lost out in a storm of Sinfulness Where is the Kindness we used to have Your life is sworn to me I'll take them all I'm not afraid I'll give you all I need And when the rest have left you for dead You can count on me I'll never leave never go Wrap yourself around my world Now go to sleep in my arms tonight So when it's hard, when it's cold When you’re so afraid Just close your eyes Rest easy child and know I'm by your side I hear you weep Dreaming among the stars And I see your smile in the sun I hope you'll understand Someday far down the road That I showed you Love All the while All the while... with me I'll never leave never go Wrap yourself around my world Now go to sleep in my arms tonight So when it's hard, when it's cold When your so afraid Just close your eyes Rest easy, child And know I'm by your side I'm your Guardian Angel I dream of a place of Simple Love Detached from the Wicked and the Bad Lost out in a storm of Sinfulness Where is the Kindness we used to have
6.
Sacrifice 05:17
I remember a time when I was free When I could fly away Sky's the limit I sang my song it was my dream And still is today Changes come, changes go Where they lead I just don't have a say Don't have a say Do you remember The time I traveled Sing my songs to all the world You were stronger But that's all gone and that's okay You’re still my girl Seasons come, seasons go Where they lead I just don't ever know Don't ever know I know you need me here To see you through I'm gonna make your eyes shine like brand new I'd sacrifice all that I have and more Forever until death do us part All those pictures Painted by your hand I still remember How beautiful Nothing’s changed, you’re still the one I'm dreaming of Just this morning You awoke and took my hand I smiled inside How long we have here Left to us, we'll do our best And enjoy the ride Good times come, good times go When they’re gone How will we ever know We ever know I know you need me here To see you through I'm gonna make your eyes shine like brand new I sacrifice all that I have and more Forever until death do us part
7.
Lace 04:17
Sit with me in the corner Where the lights are low Maybe you can make it right With all the lights still covered There's something too familiar A little much to hang onto What I believed in No longer matters Won't try and hold on To who I once was Why should it matter What I prefer But society slams me Thinks I'm less of a man Now I know I'm wanting To go back to you And I don't quite understand Can't deny these feelings That are coming through Is this who I really am I never imagined This that I'm feeling I finally have something I believe in It shouldn't matter This is who I am But society slams me Calls me less of a man I've finally something to believe in I never imagined What I was feeling It shouldn't matter You don't feel the same But so quick to judge and You don't understand
8.
Slow Burn 06:21
I feel my future Tied to my past Why don't we go and leave this world behind Watch me as I wander Aimless through this mystery Counting all the times You fallen to the cold You we're always there for me Always said a prayer for me I'm drifting in time No reason I find You always come to my soul Somehow you believed There'd always be a season for us to behold I'm drifting in time No reason no rhyme You always come to my soul I've learned to believe So thank you For the Slow Burn you've brought to my heart And you are the one Yes you are the one I have been to distant Sometimes just too far away Let me go and leave it all behind Sorry if I've hurt you Sorry for the time we've lost If you could just forgive me I'd bow down before you So that you could see I'm real So that you could hear these words
9.
First, the bad news... Face the music. Mind over matter. In other words...my imagination run amuck Give and take with inspiration, information, innovation Impossible situation? Worsening aggravation Every change, every step, every moment defined As a man...... as a man..... as a man thinks Shell game in a strait jacket 12 gauge in a shotgun racket Shinbone, shindig, shimmy for the Shinto Got to do this all alone Wait Better slow it down and think about it. Embracing this moment Enslave or free my soul Just to play the game with no guarantee Is what I'll do for now My life's a requiem playing out of key With no 'absolutes' at all Who promised tomorrow? Tomorrow may not even be here. How long am I blameless- 'Undecided' in a frantic world? My velocity screaming fast From this truth I fear Where did I hear; 'As a man thinks, so is he' ? But this man thinks 'Til his moment's gone' Scapegoat to the end, dig it ? Whiz-bang in a whirlwind minute Voodoo- take a turn. Why not nuke my head - feel it burn ? Wind up where you were If you think about it. Shell game in a strait jacket 12 gauge in a shotgun racket Shinbone, shindig, shimmy for the Shinto Got to do this all alone Wait. Better slow it down and think about it. Better slow it down. Take a moment right now. Let a man think As a man thinks What a man thinks Hey there, Budapest What about..... let's just give it a rest. Scapegoat to the end, dig it? Whiz-bang in a whirlwind minute. Voodoo - take a turn. Why not nuke my head - feel it burn ? Wind up where you were If you think about it. Shell game in a strait jacket 12 gauge in shotgun racket Shinbone, shindig, shimmy for the Shinto Got to do this all alone. Wait. Better slow it down and think about it. Better slow it down Take a moment right now. Let a man think As a man thinks What a man thinks..... Bottom line ? Get it in. Get it off. Get it out. Get away. Get a buck. Get a clue. Now he just wants more. And he feels it now..... No more indecisions here No more time to figure things out No more lies No mortal sin He'll pay up square But he won't get in. Too many opportunities Too many reasons Too many travesties Now for the good news It's gonna get..... gonna get wild When you wake up and realize You've still got it all. Hey there, Budapest. How about next time we do our damn best ?

about

James LaBrie has seen stunning commercial and critical success throughout the '90s with his band,
Dream Theater, that pantheon of progressive rock this past decade . But gathering the steam before the millennium, each and every member of the band has also been busy with side projects.

But unlike his bandmates, LaBrie's record is a true solo offering (despite the playful band
moniker), perhaps reflecting that special place we hold for both vocalists and lyricists, perhaps
reflecting the highly personal place words hold within our heart.

Before LaBrie's words took hold however, James had to see his musical vision take place. As Dream
Theater came down from a hard year of touring James formulated a plan. "When I sat down with these guys and talked to them individually, I told them all I was really looking for was a common thread throughout, a really cool groove, a push that you felt you had to move with, one that felt really comfortable. So that’s basically what I tried to nail on every song. Every song had to have a groove with a lot of emotion."

"I wanted the album to be something that was easily digestible," continues James, "but one that
also had some substance to it, a bit of a creative quality, I guess you could say. There are
progressive elements, but there are also songs that are between the lines, that have a solid hard
rock groove going. So I would say that it’s a hard rock album with some progressive influences
thrown in . I’m really happy with it, I’m really proud of it. It’s nothing like Dream Theater, but I never meant it to be. It shouldn’t be, and I don’t think it could be. I had a great experience working with all these guys. They're tremendous people, and Terry Brown, I can’t say enough about the guy. He’s one of the nicest guys
I ever met in my life."

So, yes, with the help of the venerable Terry Brown, producer of Rush's output throughout the '70s,
James built, shaped, then fine-tuned nine distinct, heartfelt and often bombastic tracks, all of
them co-writes with an army of the field's hottest creators. Four tracks, 'Shores Of Avalon',
'Sacrifice', 'Slow Burn', and 'Guardian Angel' found James writing with members of Shadow Gallery
(hot off their blistering “Tyranny” epic, on which James guest stars). Matt Guillory of Dali's Dilemma, who also plays on the album, co-wrote 'His Voice', 'Statued' and 'Lace', while Trent Gardner from Magellan and Explorers Club chimes in with 'Beelzebubba' and 'As A Man Thinks'.

So the writers planted the seed, and the players made it grow, James getting together with a
further layer of spark and fly for the execution of these monumental songs. Towards that end,
James tapped co-writer and keyboardist Matt Guillory, scary Zappa-orbiting guitarist Mike Keneally
and his gravity-defying bassist Brian Beller, plus Mike Mangini (best known for his work with
Extreme and Steve Vai) for a little musical witchery down in LA.

The result is a banquet of purifying rock, some of it slamming in a Zeppelin frame of mind, some
of it reminiscent of Queen and possibly Styx, some of it simply the most elegant classic rock you
will ever hear. 'Sacrifice', perhaps the record's emotional cornerstone, is such a composition.
Sung to an ebb and flow-like musical track that is remarkably textured, the lyric is a touching
monument to the eternal. James explains. "The character of the song has a wife who has come
tragically into an accident, where she is now paralyzed, and he is saying that I remember this and
that and how supportive you were of me, and how strong you were to really let me pursue my dreams,
to let me do what I did. And you made it so much more meaningful, and worth it because I knew you
were behind me. And now that things have changed, and you're in a very desperate situation, in the
sense that you now need somebody to help you through this very difficult time, I’m not about to
let you down. I will be there as much as you were there for me, and even though you are now not
physically the same person, you still are to me. I’m there, I remember the good times, and we will
still be together; we'll wake up together all the time, and forever. Again, as with most of the
other lyrics, it's basically spiritual."

'His Voice' also looks at subjects eternal, this time, rocking to a busy heavy metal throb, James
lamenting the curse of 20-20 hindsight. "It’s about a friend of mine that committed suicide 15
years ago. What I’m saying there is that with how I’ve grown as a person up until now, and what
I’ve read, and how I’ve progressed, or how I've evolved, I wish I had known then how to approach
people the way I do now, because then maybe I could have easily picked up the signs and been able
to approach or confront him on things that in retrospect I can see clearly now as warning signs.
So it’s me saying I wish I could go back and do this now, and maybe I could have changed the whole
situation. And the future would be different, and we’d still be friends, hanging out, and having
good times like we were then."

'Beelzebubba' conversely swings like a traffic jam, all honking horns, chatter, and busy
call-and-response, much like the culture it claims to lampoon. Trent Gardner brought that song to me and we worked it out to where it is now. I was really impressed by it and I said let’s do this song, let’s say this. It touches on the fact that in the world of the very people that we trust to steer our world properly, to make our world a better place to live, there’s so many favors and payolas that are going on. It’s very corrupt, and it’s
almost like they have no way of climbing out of it. And unfortunately we’re thrown into this ring of evil. It’s kind of like saying, 'look, we’re completely aware of it, don’t insult our intelligence. As far as you might take things and as much as you get away with it, it’s not because of our ignorance.' It’s just that enough people haven’t risen to the challenge and want to change things. But I think slowly but surely, we’re moving towards a situation where things are going to have to be laid out in a more trustworthy or sincere fashion. So that song touches on how comical it gets a times. It’s a political circus, and it’s hard to believe this stuff goes on."

So finally, why the name Mullmuzzler? "It’s a neat hybrid word isn’t it?" James offers
mischievously. "I was sitting down and thinking about how absurd this whole process was with this
album, the long distances, the variety of human interaction, so I thought 'what can best describe
what the songs are saying to me, what is really affecting my social stance right now, my whole
environment?' So I was thinking about how so many people in the world today are suppressed or
oppressed when they want to say something. So many people hold back what they are truly thinking.
So I thought what could best describe that process? And there was no word out there. So I put two
words together, 'mull', which means to ponder thought , 'muzzler', or 'muzzle', which means to
gag. So 'mullmuzzler' means to gag or silence an individual’s thought before it can be expressed
in any manner. It’s as simple as that."

Simple but so emotionally inventive, “Keep It To Yourself” is an elemental, refreshing look into the
mind of one of rock's most approachable, easy-going, sincere and insightful performers. It's not
often that a record buttressed by so many phenomenal players can swing with such heart, allowing
the listener to forget the finesse of the sonics surrounding each track. All the while, LaBrie's
vocals - for this is the real reason we come to the show - deliver these vignettes of life that
take us beyond the pettiness of our tense, competing world. Ultimately, it is an exercise in
self-reflection that we might all visit and revisit when priorities become clouded, and life
leaves the rails.

credits

released August 24, 1999

• James LaBrie - Vocals

• Matt Guillory - Keyboards
• Mike Mangini - Drums
• Mike Keneally - Guitars
• Bryan Beller - Bass
• Trent Gardner - Keyboards


• Greg Critchly - Drums - "As A Man Thinks"
• Mark Shannon - Bass - "As A Man Thinks"
• Dave Townsend- Guitars - "Shores Of Avalon"
• Michael Stewart- Trumpet & Sax - "Beelzebubba"
• Wayne Gardner- Horns - "Beelzebubba"

Mixes by Terry Brown

Design, illustration and photography Dave McKean at Hourglass

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