TRIUMPH - Midsummer's Daydream (Live in HALIFAX)

[TheDrumgod66]

In the 80's my brother and I were the biggest of Triumph fans. My brother was a guitar player, and spent hours upon hours mastering all of Rik's classical guitar pieces. He is now a physicist at Princeton University, and one of the leading minds in particle physics in the world. So... it is safe to say playing Rik Emmitt guitar pieces will expand your brain to genius level. CHEERS!

[ChuckieInMT]

Praise The Creator for giving Rik such ability to play the guitar - YOU ROCK, MAN!!!

[v2vroth]

God I miss great players like Rick, not many in today's music.

[GeddyBre]

This is such a beautiful song, so beautifully played..

I'm compelled to say I had the pleasure of meeting Rik @ McGuffey's in Dayton Oh, when he was supporting "Absolutely" (a great show!). Also met another wonderful Canadian songwriter/guitar player, Alex Lifeson in Cincy some years after. Two of the nicest, down to earth guys ever, refreshing! Count me among the Americans who appreciate my northern cousins, and certainly the music that comes from that fine country.

Love your music Rik,

David

[Lardassful]

Thanks Rik

I abused this tune around more than one campfire.....

Special Times For You And Me.Both! I Owe You One! 

[thakrippla]

One of my favorite pieces of all time. Thanks Rik for the inspiration! I too have layed down my guitar for many years...but I have just recently picked another one up...whoa...when I play this piece, it sounds nothing like I used to....you and Randy Rhoads are my favorite influences. Thanks for all the gateways to the soul.

[Pickher]

This song changed my life. As a 16 year old Canadian kid, I learned this by ear in 85 (there was no tab for this). Whenever i played it for someone, it blew their mind...starting with my dad. It gave me confidence that I was actually good at something. Up until then I had no confidence. It took my life down a better path. This probably sounds overly dramatic, but it's the absolute truth. That's the power of music. So thanks Rik - you're the best.

[RelicScribe]

I remember seeing Rik do this song in Moncton the same week as this video was shot. What a great concert that was!

[1111kordun]

His playing is soooooo good that I didnt even notice the mullet!

[TriumphAlliedForces]

Thanks @soilsminor and @tvicic. It's true, that I love to play, because it IS play: it is a lovely, lucky thing, that i have been able to build a life, and support my family, by strapping on a guitar and doing what I love.

Not so rare, though, that I don't have my own heroes and role models - we're blessed with a lot of great guitarists in these times. But I appreciate the recognition. - Rik

[MeredithWaters]

A picture is worth a thousand words. This piece sans lyrics is one of those that is worth a picture to the thousandth power, full of messages of inspiration, wisdom, and images of love and light, joy, and tenderness. It doesn't need words, or a video...they would lessen it. Cheers and deep gratitude to the one who channels and shares this wondrous, beautiful, magical power... on his lonesome :-)

[44CONMANJ]

Also, I was wondering why some of your solo songs like "Saved by Love" aren't on iTunes, because I would really like to download them.

[ModernMan66]

Rik - Bruce Dickinson wants his spandex back! I saw this tour in Edmonton and especially enjoyed watching you play this song! Thanks for the inspiration!

[BTBHSOHBOY]

Rik, I'm a huge fan of yours and of Triumph's. My dad actually introduced me to your group. Any tips for an aspiring classical guitarist related to arranging, writing and playing pieces such as this?

[webdoc]

There is nothing a fan loves more than a musician who get;s into the music they are playing, a musician that plays from the heart.

At the same time there is nothing a musician enjoys more than looking out into the audience and seeing that they are really into what you are playing.

Music itself has a soul. and when everything is aligned just right, the 3 souls merge, the soul of the musician, the soul of the music, and the soul of the audience.

Rik, the 3 souls merged with this performance

[TriumphAlliedForces]

Thanks @webdoc I totally agree with your theory of 'Soul Merging', and when it happens, it's a beautiful, and emotionally powerful thing. I think of it very much as 'communion', a kind of spiritual bonding, which human beings try to have as a regular part of their life experience. Some people commune with nature, some through religion, or meditation: for me, it has always been music

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@webdoc (and sports, too, which also makes me feel glad to be alive and bearing witness to humans engaged in meaningful, recreational activity). Music always seemed to me to give life a higher, deeper, richer meaning. - Rik

[Expateach]

I first heard this back in late 1980s as a 17 year old. The live and studio version. I couldn't believe it was just 1 guitar playing. I was lucky to find the tab and practiced hours, finally got it except for a few bars. All I listened to was that, Embryonic Journey from Jefferson Airplane and Black Mountainside from Led Zeppelin. My 3 favourite accoustic songs of all time. Now, at 42 I have taken up the guitar again and tackling Midsummer's Daydream. How does one compose such a beautiful song?

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@Expateach In my case, I dropped the 6th string down to a D, and started fooling around with the natural harmonics, and that got me started. Then, quite literally, I started to try and play a fairly simple 'folk' melody over the three fundamental chords [the I, IV and V], and then let my imagination lead me to some of the things that came naturally to my hands, to my ears... I often tell songwriting students that part of the technique of writing is to try and get yourself out of the way, and..

[b4d27]

@TriumphAlliedForces Rik, thank you so much for the music you have given us over the years! I have so many fond memories of great times I've had listening to your music. Many just this past weekend on my anniversary weekend with my beautiful wife of 22 years! Our road trip was accompanied by your music the whole way!

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@Expateach let the music talk to you, and tell you what it needs, or where it wants to go. Sometimes, you get luckier than others. But in the case of Midsummer, I think, I just got kinda lucky, that all the elements seemed to come together in a nice, logical kind of way. The piece develops fairly well, and seems to have its shape, and its overall form, pay off in the right places. I should also say that, I recall working that piece up in The Metalworks studio, with engineer Ed Stone helping..

[webdoc]

@TriumphAlliedForces I agree, on the idea of letting the music talk to you. There are many great musicians out there, but the truly great musicians understand dynamics. It is too easy to want to throw in a killer guitar riff or a drum solo. The most important thing as a musician is to play to the song. I've been playing drums since 1980 and some of my favorite songs/drummers are where they just play the groove, with the accent here and there w/o going crazy.

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@Expateach me out, and if I hadn't been able to take advantage of his editing capability, I probably would have been plenty frustrated, because there's a difference between writing and composing a guitar piece like that, and then performing it (like, trying o get a good 'take' recorded), and the process of writing and recording in The Metalworks was always a luxury for me, because I could create something and make a recording out of it in a short period of time, instead of having to wait...

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@Expateach months for me to build up my technique & chops to play the piece without clamming it up too much! (p.s. You mentioned Black Mountainside, and I should say, Jimmy Page was a huge influence on my guitar writing & playing. Between Jimmy and Steve Howe (Mood For a Day), the inspiration for 'Midsummer's' was probably well-laid. - Rik

[Expateach]

@TriumphAlliedForces The tab I have has a dropped 6th string so I think I'm lucky I have good tab. There are a few different ways I see on youtube people are trying to play your song. There's just a few bars, here between 1:39 and 1:47 that I could never get to sound right or even passable to then play the entire song beginning to end for anyone.

I remember in the early 80s when I discovered the song I would play the cassette for family and friends and say 'listen to this'. They all loved it..

[Expateach]

@Expateach I told my father I was going to try to learn to play it. He said 'you'll never play that song', I made him eat some of his words there. :)

My guitar instructor in Ottawa told me that you were now teaching business at Humber College. We both agreed that was a shame to such a great musician. But now I read on Wiki that that's not true! Rock on!! But I'm living in Indonesia now so not expecting you so come out this way when your play live.

[Kurtlifeson]

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lifeson241]

Thank's Rik for all you have shared with us In your musical journey's !! Ive seen you perform at Harpo's ,,twice, the state theater, and cocbo with the the band, you are truley a blessed guitarist as well as a great human being ! Keep taking us to scool Rik...We love you and everyone around you !!

Steve

[lifeson241]

Thank's Rik for all you have shared with us In your musical journey's !! Ive seen you perform at Harpo's ,,twice, the state theater, and cocbo with the the band, you are truley a blessed guitarist as well as a great human being ! Kepp taking us to scool Rik...We love you and everyone around you !!

Steve

[Krakhedd89]

Simply Amazing Guitar Playing!!

[keyboarddk]

Wow, Nice job !

[ccguy66]

Sublime. This piece inspired me to pick up the guitar. It also inspired me to put it back down again when I couldn't figure it out. But I tried. Thanks, Rik. You'd be hard-pressed to find a greater admirer than me back in the day.

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@ccguy66 I hope you'll still admire the work I'm chasing in this century, ccguy ... I still try to write & record fingerstyle guitar pieces, every year, from different stylistic perspectives. I'm not sure if I ever get to 'sublime' or not (beauty remains in the eye - ear? - of the beholder), but ya can't blame an older guy for still tryin' ... ! - Rik

[ccguy66]

@TriumphAlliedForces Yes, I still keep tabs on ya. Thanks for the reply. The teenager in me is dancing in the streets! But the 45-year-old today is just as appreciative of your time and talent as that younger me would be.

[Scott00086]

I just love how most guitarists would come out solo (while the other guys are offstage having a beer) and play something fast, loud and over-distorted, and Rik came out and played this... and puts all those other guitarists to shame!

[TriumphAlliedForces]

Thanks @Scott00086: I never really saw it as a competition, except that I had to try and work hard to keep getting the best out of myself that I could find. Still feel that way. There are still plenty of guitarists that keep me humble, both living and dead (but the magic of digital internet keeps the legacy of ... ohhhh ... Joe Pass and Django alive & well: and brings us the latest from Steve Morse and Steve Vai, John Petrucci, and Pat Metheny --- just to name a few ...) - Rik

[soilsminor]

Love Rik's playfull nature while perfoming this piece. A joy to see this (if not in person).

[DonWishon]

Rik will be back in Dallas this Saturday night, June 11, at Poor David's Pub.

[cranpineapple]

That was tremendous. He has played it cleaner before, but I will take that version any time. What an uplifting tune!

[F1Fanatic]

Cheers to the man who inspired me to play the guitar, whose music has given me happiness and joy, and whose arrangements continue to challenge me!

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@F1Fanatic Thanks, Fanatic. I love to get 'cheers'. ;-) Hey - those arrangements continue to challenge me, too! And I keep adding little twists and turns to that stuff, and writing new stuff, and my brain struggles to remember all the different arrangements ... ! But isn't it the challenge that gives us the happiness and joy? I think so ... I think Life is all about enjoying the process: the journey, and not necessarily the destinations, right? - Rik

[GianpaoloUsai]

No one commented on this ?????? Oh damn..., Rik Emmet you are a genious, thanks for your precious musicianship over the years ! cheers from Italy

[TriumphAlliedForces]

@GianpaoloUsai Thanks, Gianpaolo. Isn't this a wonderful thing about the internet? I can hear directly from people on the other side of the world, instantly, and feel all humble & grateful for the high praise of a stranger? I'm glad that the music we make makes friends out of strangers. - Rik