Night Circus is concept album. The story concerns the manipulation of reality and eventual destruction of civilization by supernatural forces. (Not the devil or the antichrist, but angry spirits of murdered and lost souls- victims of genocide, wars, intolerance, apathy.) A young man is chosen to act as a focal point for these forces, and invested by them with enough psychic power to cause chaos, disease, and eventually to manipulate electronic systems from a distance in order to cause a nuclear catastrophe. Civilization is almost completely wiped out. The young man is transformed into a sort of wandering supernatural monitor, and when necessary, an exterminator . He is sent to places where humanity has survived, and if these places are full of violence and chaos, he is ordered to wipe them out. He has become immortal and is doomed to wander and destroy, forever.
Click on any underlined song to read the lyrics and/or see the instrumentation. Songs that have sound clips have asterisks next to them. Clips are in MP3 and RM format and can be downloaded either from the Sound Clips page or the individual song's page.
Side One: Introduction* Dream Landscapes As the Sky Turns to Fire- intro As the Sky Turns to Fire * Audience The Center For Ann Side Two: Running Water Black Sunsets Cold Sky* Erebus I Hold the World For Ransom Side Three: Night Circus* Side Four: Watcher The Last Ride 
All songs/lyrics c 1980-1985, 1987 by Greg Segal. All rights reserved. Written June 1980- August 1985.
Recorded May 1984- August 1985.
Recording Engineer and producer: Kenny Ryman
Mix engineered and produced by GS, June 1-4, 1987
GS: vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, effects, 4 and 8-string basses, organs (Roland, Hammond and internal), bowed device, drums and percussion.
Kenny Ryman: electric piano, loops, collected sounds, backing vocals (choir), patience.
M. Segal and Marilyn Moon rounded out the choir.
Dedication: To Kenny Ryman, without whom this recording would not have been possible; and to Vincent Crane, who was to the soul of rock music what Poe was to the soul of literature. He will not be forgotten.
The lyrics and recording information given here may be of particular interest to anyone who managed to tape Night Circus in its entirety off KXLU when it was aired.
Night Circus contains some of my earliest work- including my first poem and second complete song. Subsequently there are things here, especially some of the lyrics, that really reflect the author's age. (These were written primarily between my 16th and 19th years. And before you decide that I couldn't possibly have done good work at that age, check out the art gallery on this site, featuring work done mostly between the ages of 13 and 15.) It is my hope that Night Circus holds up, as a whole, much like some of my favorite low budget horror films might- short on refinement but long on imagination and atmosphere.
illustration, "Year of the Fool", and original tape covers: GS
photos: Marilyn Moon
see more in the NIGHT CIRCUS GALLERY
