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Only Sorrow
Gothic/Industrial Compilation CD
Produced by Lee Whipple (2001)
from Issue #12 August 2004
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"Mmmm, but it happened too quickly;
I blinked my eyes and you were gone.
Were you real or did I imagine?
You seemed to go with the light of the dawn."
-- From "Haunted", by Coven XIII
Music is a difficult thing to review. Like poetry, its beauty is not skin deep but lies in the ears of those who understand it. Music is expressive of a moment in time. An experience held by someone who is so compelled to share it that it can drive them insane. Those talented enough to convey their passion are not always recognized.
Popular music is a commercial industry, cranking out dance beats, sweet lyrics, and sexy artists. Don't get me wrong; this in of itself isn't a bad thing so much as a tragedy when a pure work of art gets ignored because it isn't marketable.
Myself, I cherish music. As a writer, I admire lyrics and prize them highly. The right lyrics fit a mood and ride it, inspiring a variety of emotions. Hence why I rarely ever critique music. I am making an exception for one CD.
Ellen Claire Lawrence
On the last Saturday of May, I went to a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show which has a shadow cast here in Phoenix by local troupe Broadway Bound and Gagged. This is always a treat, and I was with three very close friends on this occasion.
That evening I met Lee Whipple, who was selling copies of a CD entitled "Only Sorrow"; a compilation of gothic music, from which the proceeds were going to the Ellen Claire Lawrence Memorial Scholarship.
The CD was very attractively priced, and as it happens, to encourage its sale, raffle tickets were being sold in order to win an Xbox gaming console. I personally am one of those folks who does not run out and buy an album from artists I don't know. But when I heard that the proceeds were benefiting not one, but two local charities, I was hooked. (I never win anything, so the Xbox will be a nice gift for my kids should I win, but I'll shed no tears if it finds another worthy home.)
I am happy to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this CD. So much so that I wanted to learn more about the scholarship it supports and the young lady it was produced in honor of, Ellen Claire Lawrence, Lee's fiancée, who everyone knew as Claire. As I did, I learned about the tragic story that took place here in Phoenix.
On May 24, 1998, Claire was killed while trying to stop her mother from committing suicide. No one is sure exactly what happened, but it is believed that Claire was shot accidentally when she tried to take the handgun away from her mother, who shot herself as well.
Lee started the memorial scholarship as his way of dealing with her death. Claire was an honors student at Glendale Community College, majoring in computer information systems. It is an understatement to say that Claire was a beautiful and gifted woman, but he recognized that her memory could well be served by setting up the scholarship to help other female honors students who majored in CIS, because he wants to help them succeed.
As a way to promote the scholarship and provide funds for it, Lee decided to create a music compilation that expressed his profound loss and pain. He proposed the CD to a number of bands, asking them to donate tracks for the project. Word traveled fast and he received nearly 50 submissions. The CD was released in March 2001.
The raffle was started that same night that I saw RHPS and bought the CD. Lee noticed that the CD sales had been slow and the last year has seen no donations. He decided to start the raffle as a way to raise funds for the scholarship and raise awareness of the CD. I was at the right place at the right time, and he succeeded in catching my attention.
Lee told me, "People do not have much money these last few years; buying a CD can be a major investment to some people… I want people to get a sense of value for their donation. I believe the feeling of doing something good combined with a CD and the chance to get an X-box creates that sense of value."
Proceeds from the raffle were also being donated to the Thomas J. Pappas School for the Homeless, a local school which Broadway Bound and Gagged also raise funds for often. Besides valuing the efforts of this local school, Lee was grateful to his friends for letting him sell CDs after the show. He wanted to help contribute to the cause so he would not impact their efforts. The rest of the proceeds from the raffle, and all proceeds from the sale of the CDs are donated to the scholarship. The scholarship has already made a couple awards since 2001.
It is obvious, just from listening to this CD, and also in talking with Lee, that Claire was a wonderful, beautiful, and intelligent young woman. It is also obvious Lee loved her very much and still does, otherwise he would not believe so strongly in this project, battling his own demons and doubts to make a positive difference in the world. Lessons he no doubt learned from Claire.
The CD is a great tribute to her, and it certainly accomplishes his goal of expressing a painful loss. It is probably not fair to classify the entire album as "Gothic/Industrial", but as labels go, this fits the best. I know that I found that when I listened to each song, I could feel the emotion that each piece pulled from my soul. That is the mark of great music so far as I'm concerned.
I enjoyed the entire CD, but a few songs stood out among the pack. "Sometimes Silver" by Tri-State Killing Spree, "Libereta Me" by Second Skin, "Fade and Sustain" by The Razor Skyline, and "Drying in the Sun" by Deathwatch Beetle Repairman.
The strongest song on the album, in my humble opinion was (perhaps appropriately located) on track 13. It is a song entitled "Haunted" by a band named Coven XIII (now named Seven13). This passionate song has no comparison to anything else on the album, or anything I've heard in a long time.
"Haunted" is pure gothic to the core, with a beautiful dark, almost medieval waltz quality. Don't let this fool you, as the rock undertones slowly emerge and the strong vocals carry a true energy. To me, this song expresses exactly the overwhelming sorrow of the loss of a true love. Anyone who misses their soul's dance partner and wakes every morning still crying over their loss will drown in this song.
The entire album is wonderful; it not only speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one, but it is easy to know how Lee felt when he compiled it. May he someday know more than "only sorrow".
The CD is available for sale at http://www.onlysorrow.org for only $15.00. All of the proceeds from which go directly to the Ellen Claire Lawrence Memorial Scholarship available at Glendale Community College in Arizona. Part of the proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Thomas J. Pappas Schools for the Homeless in Phoenix and Tempe.
Photo and artwork courtesy of Lee Whipple
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