The Tower (1992)


The Tower is a powerful, dramatic solo piano soundtrack to the original short story of the same name, also penned by the artist. The CD booklet includes the story in its entirety. A new and interesting musical twist on a classic fable turned into a clever analogy of the Christian faith.

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Album Liner Notes by David Nevue...

I've always loved to imagine and create - but I wasn’t always a musician. Before I got serious about playing the piano, I considered myself a poet. As a teenager, I was constantly scribbling poems and other creative explorations in my notebooks. So long as I had a paper and pencil with me - and I almost always did - I was content. I fully expected to "grow up" to become a writer.

Then, during my freshman year of college, I was introduced to the piano music of George Winston. After hearing his Winter into Spring album, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to sit down at the piano and figure out how to play like that. That’s when I began the transformation from poet to pianist. It wasn’t long before I was "writing" at the piano as much or more than I did in my notebooks.

Shortly thereafter, I came up with an idea for a short story that really fascinated me. It was an allegory; a fairy-tale-like retelling of The Creation, The Fall, and ultimately, Redemption. As I started developing the plot, I found myself composing piano music to go along with it, a soundtrack to follow the events of the story. What resulted was what you now hold in your hands - The Tower - told, song by song, chapter by chapter, in the accompanying booklet.

When I recorded The Tower in 1991, I had no idea I was headed for a future career as a pianist. My only aim, at that point, was to get a good recording of the music. I rented out a studio in Portland and went to work. The entire album was recorded in just over ten hours which, compared to the perfection I strive for in the studio now, seems staggering. We didn’t do many retakes - there wasn’t time and I didn’t have the budget - we just edited the compositions together on the fly where necessary. As a result, the music had the sense of being "live." It’s like a moment of life, one single day at the piano, recorded as it happened. I never would have guessed that that one single day in the studio would lead to the rest of my life.

I hope you enjoy listening to and reading through The Tower. It’s very representative of my early years as a pianist; very dramatic, youthful and experimental. I am pleased to re-release the album in this digipak format with much improved artwork and an expanded story line. After all these years, The Tower finally gets the storybook treatment I always wanted it to have.

- David Nevue, August 2007.


Album Reviews...

Industry Reviews...

"Join the storyteller of song and prose as he takes you on a journey of betrayal, hatred, love and hope within the lives of a prince, princess, knight and king. The characters in this fairy tale kingdom... connect the majestic, sometimes hauntingly romantic ten pieces Nevue performs. Wonderfully pleasant listening whether occupied or focused."

- Heartsong Review

"The Tower is a promising debut by pianist/storyteller David Nevue. The album features a rich piano sound, interesting passages and a clever analogy of the Christian faith."

- Jeff Johnson/Ark Records



A Selection of Buyer Reviews...

The Assimilation has unconventional penatonic harmony that intrigues!
Just listen to the modal harmonies througout. I am hearing Voice in the Wilderness. So forlorn with those tonic, supertonic and other harmonies. Then Light has this surprise B section that contrasts so well to the gloom. He can deliver the bittersweets too!

Excellent first!
I've been enjoying David Nevue's work (13 albums and counting) for many years now and I am always drawn to this first CD.




Track List / Album Preview...