dad-d-o

all of this below relates to State of The Heart which was produced in 1999 this has been down loaded onto the site as a historical note and much more current information will follow soon relating to my new CD nostalgia, the music portion will have more added all the time. Anyhow the site is up and will be progressing all the time soon i will be selling  product again through paypal etc. thanks for checkin in, Owen

I have always sang and performed for as long as I can remember. My mother was involved with a Chrisitan Church and I sang in youth choirs. And as a duet with my brother , I performed in church plays with sets and costumes, it was there that I got a taste for Showbiz.

In high school, I joined my first rock band with my friend David Ptolemy from Stoney Creek Ontario – we were called “Maxwell Friday.” We won a band contest with the Conservatory of Music from Hamilton, people cheered, I was hooked.

After high school, I joined my first full time band; they were a respectful metal progressive rock band called “Old Sailor” from Hamilton, Ontario.

All members were older than I was and I felt somewhat intimidated. We played many high schools, colleges and nightclubs in Southern Ontario. I began to formulate my own ideas for songs – it was a good learning ground. I left Ontario and moved to Canmore Alberta where I drove a truck hauling Limestone for 8 months, enough time to save money and travel. I hitchhiked from Alberta across America to the Mexican border. I took buses, trains and whatever until I got to South America, deep into the Aztec and Inca strewn past of the region.

[insert picture #4]

It was during this time that i became aware … that life is a school, a journey and hopefully a metamorphose. I was 21 in Macchupicchu (the lost city of Incas) Peru, you had to climb up in those days and i came in on a steam engine to Agua Caliente. Amazing places, Quito, Esmeraldes, Pisac, Sacsahamusan, Nazca wow Nazca  and San Pedro.

Back in Canada, I went to The Hunt Club in Winona, Ontario to see my friends perform in “Old Sailor”.  I was offered the lead singing job in the band “Vehicle” which I took .

After doing “Vehicle” we recorded some demos for John Driscoll of Skyline Records. He liked what he heard (and saw) and within a year I had my first record deal. It was cool to be driving along in the car and hear myself on the radio. The song was “Mr. Love” and we had a bullet on the charts. We played everywhere.

[insert pictures 5 & 6 – Owen]

After a rocket start the label was unsure what song to put out next and to our chagrin they had no idea what to do with us. I left the band. I put out a single called “Jennifer” it was charted under the name of my first band “Maxwell Friday”.

[insert picture 7]

I began to focus on my own art form as an actor studying with Opus Theatre in Hamilton and even getting accepted at the Manhattan Neighbourhood Playhouse while Paul Martin and Martha Graham we still involved .

[insert picture 8]

It was exciting in New York studying voice with Edward Johnson. Then I returned to Canada. The music scene was moving toward punk and New Wave, which suited my direction perfectly, and I wrote a bunch of songs, which I took to Martin Wall my old keyboard player and a “young prodigy”. We finessed the songs together and I heard some record executives were in town and I took them a tape, they were interested enough to come back to my house where I performed for them. They signed me to my second record deal.

I released an album called “Instructions” in 1980 it as the first album with my own songs on it. We had substantial FM air play across the country and especially from 102.1 FM and Q107 at the time. 102.1 helped the band immensely and I still thank them, this was back in David Marden’s day. The album also won a Juno for engineer of the year. Mike Jones/Instructions/”OK” and “The Factory”/Owen Smith/Martin Wall/Writers. It’s cool to be in the Canadian Rock History books. Thanks Mike.

[insert pictures from 10]

I put a band together for touring and hit the road. Quality took the album to Midem in France and sold it to many labels throughout Europe. I still get royalty cheques from places like Switzerland and Italy. I think that’s pretty cool, someone listening to me across the globe.

Anyway, we toured and worked and toured and worked. I changed some members and based the band out of Winnepeg, a great city in the middle of North America, where I have met some of the best people in my life.

I then put together a new band together called “Paris Mob”. It was a very creative group but could not pay the bills – we lasted about 18 months. I started to get interested in film as a medium and found myself behind the camera as a technician, which I have turned into a lucrative (time-consuming) business. I have been involved in the making of over 300 shows for television and theatrical release; some Academy award-winning, and even 3-D IMAX  back in 1991! Now look at 3D. I have just returned from Europe working with a 3D system there that does not need glasses! cool. Sometimes I direct(rock videos, industrials and commercials), but most often I am the key/dolly grip. I have travelled to some great places and met some wonderful people (want to see my Director’s reel – contact my website)

During my ventures into film I formed a band called “The Immortals” with who eight of the songs on State of the Heart were written. Hundreds of songs later I chose these 13 for their character and strength of purpose. I hope you enjoy them. It would be great to hear from you with your comments, again, please contact my website.

You see it takes patience,

So there you go.

about state of the heart

show state of the heart credits »

now remember the following information was written on this site in 1999, see how familiar the following info is and how it relates to the Divinci Code but realize this was published 4 years before the book came out. this should be in the secret garden aera, and it will be soon along with lots of  cool new info.

The cover of State of the Heart, relates to a subject of interest of mine, which I allude to throughout the work. The subject is wonder, awe, love, honour and respect. Some of the things hat have fallen away from our planet and society as it so-calls progresses.

Walter Collins did the original drawing for the cover. A talented artist from Port Alberni, British Columbia. You will soon find out more about him through my website as well as another visual artist Craig Eros who played the guitar solo with Troy Ples on “If Happiness”.

Walt’s concept come form my instructions, which were relayed over long distance. [insert picture 15] The initial image is a concept reverse of the classic Nicholas Poussin Painting “The Shepards of Arcadia”. Nicholas Poussin was a 17th century painter who used geometric symbols to work from, as did many learned painters of the time. The mystery that surrounds the 17th century masterpiece will further be hinted at as we proceed. And I sing about it as well in the song “Long Long Way.”

The drawing is the reverse or a mirror image of the original, eliminating one of the shepards and adding a Knights Templay walking toward the tomb with his horse, in his hand is a pouch. The Eras are incongruous here and will be explained. (The CD is dedicated to Mary Magdalene the suspected bride of Christ. Venue who you now know is the password, represents her in the sky. Venus plays a role which we will get to later.

With the image of the Poussin painting flipped, Mary Magdalene is to the left of he two shepards inquire to the Latin inscription :ETEN ARCAIDA EGO” carved into the side of this stone tomb. There staffs forming a triangle which aligns from the second shepards left arm to my name, to the templar who is Jacques Molay the last Grand Master of the Templars. He was burned at the stake along with 57 of his brothers for their so-called heresy by the Roman Catholic Church in 1314 – March 18th (my birthday!!) [insert picture cover + lines]

The Eras are initially 1st century if we are to believe this Mary Magdalene and the two shepards, perhaps her sons. They do seem to be comfortable at their mother’s feet. Who’s tomb is this? The tomb actually existed near the town of Arques in the Rheda area of France, which is now Rennes-le chateau. The property owner, to discourage grave robbers, destroyed it is 1988 in a misguided attempt. [insert picture of tomb]

Into this serene scene, quite apart from them, as if in a dream (but here is relates to time) comes the Templar Jacques de Molay – he was from the early middle ages. The Templars were formed in Jerusalem in 1119. Around a thousand years after Mary Magdalene walked in with Jesus. Perhaps, Jacques could have easily come across this tomb during his lifetime with its mystical inscription. And three hundred years later, Nicholas Poussin used this setting for his painting.

Thus, two eras, the beginning of the common era with Mary Magdalene in the south of France and again a thousand years later with Jacques de Molay a French Aristrocrat with a Templar castle with is a horse ride of the same tomb. On top of the hiss pastoral scene graphically has been placed “Owen Smith” in the right hand corner completing the triangle rather intrusively. The year is 2000 and others and myself pick up the mystery with “State of the Heart”.

If you look carefully at the frame that surrounds the cover artwork, you will see the words “as above so below”. This is an ancient mystical saying. Early astronomers saw the earth as the centre of the universe around which the stars and planets revolved. Each planer forms its own pattern of movement around the sun as seen from the earth. For the ancient watchers of the heavens, those differing patterns of movements allowed them to draw geometric shapes based on the position of each planet when it was aligned with the sun. Mars, for example, is aligned four times and forms an irregular four-sided figure. Mercury is aligned three times in its orbit and the pattern formed by the conjunctions is an irregular triangle. Online planet describes a precise and regular pattern in the sky, it is sister planet to the earth who’s symbol is the reverse of earth’s and is the bright and morning star. The planet, of course, is Venus. [insert picture PG 69, the holy place].

Venus, the heavenly counterpart to earthly Magdalene, To the medieval mind, such an image was immensely powerful, immensely potent. In the majestic, hidden symbol in the sky (the secret hidden pattern of Venus) harmoniously unchanging, every eight years regular as a metronome, the music of the spheres.

Venus is the planet of love. Its symbol is also the pentangle it forms with its zenith upward and its two lower points facing earth. As above, so below: he earth reflects the firmament of above. Here, indeed, was a link between the worlds of matter and spirit, between base and corrupt man here on earth and the twinkling stars where dwelt God and all his saints.

In the law book V, Plato speaks of the influence of the stars, he stresses the importance of the earth being organized in the image of the heavens if a country and its people are to receive the blessings of the Gods, – the ancient peoples understood the needs to marry the solar and lunar principals.

The pentagram as carved into the CD is unlike the seal of Solomon, which is a 6 pointed star. The pentagram is a five-pointed star. From the Greek Pente or five and gamma, a letter. In the science of magic the pentalpha is called the holy and mysterious pentagram. The pentagram is the star of the magins it is the sign of the word made flesh and according to the direction of its rays, that is as it points upward with one point or with two it represents the good or evil principal order of disorder – initiation or profanation Lucifer or Vesper the morning or evening star. Mary or Lilith, victory or death, light or darkness – on this project of course I chose light and love. It as a symbol of deep wisdom during Middle Ages. Christians referred to it as the five wounds of the saviour. [insert picture to be supplied]

In a Masonic lore it represents brotherly love; love is the law. Love was not lost to the world when arrogance and self-will ruled. Lucifer’s fall was rejection of the law of love and self-sacrifice. Lucifer is Venus the evening star. Christ is also Venus for he state, “I am the root and off-spring of David and the bright and morning star”. Lucifer is one with the Christ his brother perhaps. Fallen in disgrace, wallowing in His self. But he is the reverse of truth.

Pointing eastward is Venus, westward the earth. The Symbol for Venus and the symbol for the earth are: (DRAW SYMBOL, INSERT SYMBOL FOR VENUS AND EARTH) Earth is a reflection of Venus, it is the reverse of the planet love. Matter is the reverse of spirit. Mary Magdalene was the redeemed sinner who was the first to see Christ after his resurrection (why not? Some think she was his wife) Through her redemption from sin (for she was a prostitute) and her unique knowledge (gnosis) of the risen Christ, she was regarded by the initiates of the middle ages as a medium of secret revelation. Those initiates had chosen the planet Venus as her symbol in the cosmos.

The magdala is symbolic of the ability of all of us to rise above the physical. To realize the transience of time and beauty – he glorification of self – the power of sexual energy to manipulate or to procreate.

She also has been hinted as the bride of Christ – did she, as some think – leave Palestine with Joseph of Arimithia, after the crucifixion? Did they carry with them the Holy Grail or was the Magdalene the grail herself? Her womb the chalice, the bloodline of Jesus the “sans grail or blood royal”. [insert picture classic gothic – perhaps rosslyn] the greatest cathedrals of Europe, the classic gothics were all built over a two hundred year period during the reign of templars. They are all dedicated to our Lady. The Roman Catholic Church says our Lady is <ary the Mother of Christ. The Templars, who were master masons and hid great mysteries in the stone work could have dedicated their building to the redeemer Magdalene. The magdala represents to me the ability of one to rise above the baseness of self. She is the example of the growth of love. Not the falling into or the collapse of one’s respect. Like, for example, mans’ physics, which has given us weapons of mass destruction vs. nature or God’s physics which has given us this beautiful planet, which I wing about in this track

(insert owen symbol]

The book of lyrics and title page is enclosed in a green stone-like texture with my symbol on the back. 0-1 refers to my name Owen; but it can also refer to : the circle of life, the nucleus of the atom, the seed, the egg, and the womb – circle of time and space or earth itself. And more recently, binary code. For all it comes down to is zeros and ones. And I am just a man. Creation is living, living is an honour.

I chose green for the colour of the stone-like cover as well as the theme for the CD-ROM. Green is the colour of balance between heaven, blue and earth, gold. It is the colour of Venus, of love. The green man is the man of the future who may eat of the fruit of the tree of life and live eternally. For space and time then will be transcended. The earth is the black stone about to be purified. It is unavoidable stage in the chemical process of transformation. It is Don Juan’s black crow. It is the head of the temple. Only through purging can the stone be whitened.

The 17th Century Egyptologist Jean-Louis Bernard in his manuscript speaks of the green ray synonymous with the green lion. A closely guarded secret in Egyptian temples. All forms of biological like have their essence “the green ray”. Thoth the Egyptian wisdom god was always a green statue. It is not only man who has the promise of redemption but also the planet and all that pertains to it. The green ray is the agent by which the inititatedmight attain immortality through transmutation. Bernard indicates the body mirrors the soul, the temple should be in order. A fountain of youth comes into being when the inner man is restored.

Osiris, The Egyptiona God of resurrection, had a green face. Jule Verne wrote a book called “The Green Ray” In it, one of the characters speaks of a particular green, which is never found in nature itself. A green which no artist can produce on his pallet. If there is a green in paradise it can only be this green, which is without a doubt the true green of hope.

There is also a Mohammedan tradition. Elijah was El Khidar the green one. A mysterious being who wears shimmering robes of green and guards the waters of immortality [owen to find images of gods and deities]

I chose a stone like quality for the book because of course, it is renowned for its hardness. Stone has always been a symbol of strength, fortitude and firm foundation. It has also been a symbol of faith and truth; however, it also has a negative connotation of falsehood in Egyptian and Hebrew Mythology. In the Masonic tradition, the stone (that is the unhewn stone) represents mans’ base or corrupt nature – while the perfect ashlar or hewn stone was man is his perfect or more spiritual state. [show pic of stone – ref note 20 image]

The stone foundation was said to have been in Solomon’s temple [image 21]. It was a perfect cube with the upper face inscribed within a delta or triangle was the Tetragrammaton or eneffable name of God. It was said that this stone was taken from the Garden of Eden by Adam who used it as an altar.

Beyond the Garden his descendants we forced to earn their bread by the sweat of their brows; there they experienced mortality. It has been likened to the black stone of the Kaaba or sacred temple of Mohammedans, which is said to have been erected by Abraham. It is a temple, a cube in Mecca, that was originally 15’ high, 15’ wide with only one aperture of light and a door in the east. In the northwest is the black stone of Kaaba. It was said that it came down from Paradise. It was originally white but turned black with the sins of man. Or perhaps it was a ruby, originally one of the stones of Heaven, but it had been deprived of its brilliancy by God or it would have illuminated the world from one end to another. The mystery continues.

So how does this relate to “The State of the Heart”?

Everything we are is a result of what we believe we are. It begins in the heart. The mystery? What greater mystery than life itself. The average man of the stream takes little timAre we happenstance, some fluke of evolution. To tand alone and look up – to try to comprehend the universe without asw, without wonder. Have we lost that childlike inquiry? Do we live after death? Do we have souls that can be immortal?

These are timeless questions.

I know I am deathless; and my soul chooses to be creative. I have created music and thought here to move you, your spirit and your root. And if you should choose to join me then I welcome you to share in my search for knowledge and understanding for I intend to keep the wonder of the child in me alive [insert own child pic]

For:

Child-like gaze in awe I saw

At what art imitates. When God paints,

He uses broad strokes.

The journey is timeless, the destination, home. Unity with all that I can be, To know my full potential. Thanks for listening to one man’s thoughts.

Any comments or ideas you may have regarding State of the Heart I would love to hear from you. Please contact me at my website.

Recommended Reading

• The Dream and the Tomb
• Dead Sea Scroll Deception
• Gnostic Scriptures
• Holy Blood, Holy Grail
• The Science of God
• The Holy Place
• The Hiram Key
• The second Messiah
• Holy Grail across the attic
• Recommended Path”
• Leaves of Grass
• The Bible
• Koran
• Bahavagita
• ’The Book of Mormon
• The Torah