Big Big Train drummer and former Spock’s Beard member Nick D’Virgilio has released a distinctive cover version of “Money (That’s What I Want)” as the second single from Invisible. The first ever hit on the Tamla Motown label in 1959 has seen notable covers in the past by the likes of The Beatles and The Flying Lizards, with NDV stating: “I’ve always liked this song, with the original version by Barrett Strong being my favorite. I wanted my take on it to be dark and brooding with a cinematic sound, so I came up with a way to build an end with chords that kept climbing until a nice climax, while parts for orchestra were arranged that built a great sound on top. One of my favorite parts of the song is when I’m whispering a bunch of slang terms for money. I sang the whole song like a person that is going a little crazy and that section was a perfect fit.”
In regard to how the song fits into the narrative flow of Invisible, he explains: “Lyrically, the words fit perfectly. The song comes at the point in the story where the protagonist has decided to leave his dead end job and venture out into the world to try and discover the meaning of his life. He wanders into a shop and sees the person behind the counter looking disheveled and depressed, prompting him to ask ‘is everything OK? Why are you here? If it’s that bad, why don’t you go home?’ Those questions prompt the response that they need money. They are stuck in life’s trap just like him, and he swiftly realizes that he is not alone in feeling alone.”
Invisible is the second solo album by California born but Indiana based drummer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Nick D’Virgilio and comes almost two decades after his debut solo offering. D’Virgilio describes his new record as: “a collection of songs that make up the story of a man who is unhappy with where his life has ended up. He finally decides to take the scary step of leaving everything behind so he can go and find the meaning of his life,” before continuing: “Throughout my career I have been in many different places. Over time the word ‘invisible’ kept coming to mind and it got me thinking of people that truly had the hardest jobs in the world, or no job at all. The outliers. The ones we all take for granted. The ones we will never know but if they were not there then our lives would not be the nearly the same. Over time I amassed lyric and song ideas with the idea of writing a concept record on the subject.”
Keen to establish that: “This is not your typical drummer record,” D’Virgilio describes Invisible as “a rock record with various musical flavors thrown in because the songs were formed with the story in mind. A classical prelude that uses various themes from the whole piece sets the stage. From there comes a mellow ballad outlining the story and then it is onto the adventures of the central character. The main thing making this record did for me was to reaffirm my strong belief that we are all here for something. We all have a purpose.”
With the recording process split between the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London (including full string and brass sections) and the world class Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Invisible boasts star turns from luminaries such as guitarists Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) and Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), bassists Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Steve Hackett), plus keyboard players Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Jem Godfrey (Frost*).
The release of Invisible now begins yet another fascinating chapter in D’Virgilio’s multi-faceted career, which he concludes “has taken many twists and turns. I have been able to live out some major musical fantasies. I have seen some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows. It has been a wild ride that is not over yet!”
Nick D’Virgilio’s Invisible will be released on June 26, 2020.
To purchase: www.nickdvirgilio.com/shop/
“Invisible” Track-listing:
Prelude
Invisible
Turn Your Life Around
I’m Gone
Money (That’s What I Want)
Waiting For No One
Snake Oil Salesman
Where’s The Passion
Mercy
Overcome
In My Bones
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Not My Time To Say Goodbye
I Know The Way
