The Second Ten
This is my first complete album of new songs. Before I got my digital 4-track recorder, I either had to use cassettes or plug a mic into the back of my PC. The sound was awful, and I was never inspired enough to take on anything serious. That changed after Christmas, 2001. Five months later, I had produced a CD of over 20 tunes. I hesitate to call them "songs", as only a handful contained lyrics. Most of them are very short, not much more advanced that the initial demos I had recorded. A few others are more "complete". At the time, the only instruments I had was my 6-string Odessa acoustic and 12-string acoustic/electric, and I was just learning how to use the drum software I had. In order to make a bass sound, I would play the guitar, then drop it an octave in my mixing software. Sometimes this didn't go well, but there are a few tunes where it was fine. The terrible thing is, I somehow lost most of the original tracks for this album, and only a few remain. I don't know how it happened, but I grieve for the lost tracks. The best thing about this album is that in late 2002, Tamara discovered my site and sent me a fan letter on my message board. From that one letter, we're now preparing to live together. So, for however "dated" this CD becomes after time, it will always be special to me.
Not all of the songs have links. I am, after all, trying to scrape together a meager living off of my music, so the three CDs of original music are on sale from this site. Click here to purchase one!
Track 1: "Bad Times"
So, this is the first song from my first album. It happens to still be one of my favorites. Faux-bass sound aside, I've always liked the slow build-up and the middle section. I suppose it goes on a bit without any words. However, even though I now acknowledge that most songs are better with lyrics, my heart remains with instrumental pieces. Toss your prejudices about vocals aside and listen to the music!
Track 2: "Offbeat"
This, along with many other songs on this album, is named for what I felt it was about when I first thought it up. If a tune brought any kind of clear picture into focus, that was usually going to be what I named it. Other than that, the names have no rhyme or reason. This one is called "Offbeat" because you tend to expect a different beat from the way the guitar starts off. But it shifts a little, and.....there you go.
Track 3: "A Little Kiss"
This is by far everyone's favorite track. It's probably the best as far as the lyrics go, and actually tells a story, a somewhat light-hearted tale of rejection. Not exactly heartbreak, but enough to sting just a little. Writing a song like this helps the titles make sense too. What a bonus!
Track 4: "Mononucleosis"
Why the title? I think I simply liked the word. This was something I had first developed in 1999. In fact, there used to be a little video of me playing it while Kelli sings weird stuff in the background, but I think it's gone. Three similar verses, but each one gets a little more involved.
Track 5: "Zesty"
Definitely one of the best tracks here. I always imagined some Spanish singer providing vocals for it for some reason. Alas, I don't know any singing Spaniards. It works well enough without words.
Track 6: "Express"
This one is about the stresses of the commute to and from work. After a long day, the guy just wants a break, but his woman wants attention. So he tells her how it is.....on the Express. Maybe there's an epilogue to this song where the woman stops talking and brings him a beer, but.....I doubt I'd live through it.
Track 7: "Running Around"
I love this one. I may redo it now that I have better instruments. As I added parts to the main guitar riff, I ended up with three compatible sections that each had their own sound. It reminded me of "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin (no, I'm not comparing myself to them at all), as that song does something similar. This is also fun to play the main guitar part on simply because it's a good rhythm.
Track 8: "Sticky Situation"
This is a rather long tune, and could have used some vocals or at least other instruments. Boy, the things I could do to it now. This one was inspired specifically by a Zeppelin song, "Achilles' Last Stand". Most people who gave me feedback liked it in general, but said it dragged.
Track 9: "Surprise"
This was the first song done for the album, and first lyrics I wrote. It's about a very bad day for a guy who can't seem to keep from staying out all night partying. His woman finally has enough, and he learns a lesson (maybe). I like the bass line here, and wish I hadn't had such an aversion to singing a high note every once in a while. I was mired in self-consciousness and wouldn't let loose at all. I've learned my own lessons from this thing.
Track 10: "Quarters"
A nonsensical title for a rather obscure tune. I was trying for something different from a regular rhythm. I like it.
Track 11: "A Single Note"
When I get around to doing my rock opera (it's a long way off, don't get all excited yet), this song is going to be the centerpiece of it. I don't know much about the scope of the album, but this particular song is about a couple lonely individuals, lost and unable to find their way to the person (or anything) they love. It isn't until the third stanza that they play a single note that resonates with them both, and they get together. The little jam session after that verse expresses the excitement and initial happiness they feel having found each other.
Track 12: "Mellogie"
Sometimes the simplest songs can turn out to be the best. It's a very simple picking tune, and I still like playing it. The title comes from me liking the "melody" and.....well, I played it in "G".
Track 13: "EasyBeat"
I had had this tune around for a while, and it's one of my favorites. I expanded it on the next album with lyrics and better playing.
Track 14: "IdioRomp"
The title comes from the demo, which I played in a haphazard way, just flailing about. There was no structure to it, and that was fine with me.
Track 15: "Tiny Fish"
This is by far the weirdest song I did. The lyrics are from two points of view, one from a mother trying to guilt her kids into staying with her after they're grown, the other from the kids who decided to leave anyway, and are now "free" from some sort of abusive control they were under. Yikes. Very strange. I loved the guitar on it, and never thought the words went with the music, but they merged anyway.
Track 16: "Up & Down"
This is a lot of fun to play. The beginning is an afterthought, just something to make the whole thing different. The title comes from the fact that I play up and down the frets throughout the song.
Track 17: "Everyone Loves Paul"
Is it too late to burn this from people's memories? I hate the lyrics and singing. I wrote it about nobody in particular, but then decided it could be about Paul McCartney. It's not a tribute, just a story about him in concert. The guitar work surpasses the vocals by far.
Track 18: "Level 18"
This means nothing, it's just a somewhat upbeat diddy to enjoy while recovering from the last one. i tried my best to get an electric sound out of the 4-track's effects. I'm very glad I have a real one now.
Track 19: "Foreign Girl With A Flower"
I fell in love with this one after I had written the two guitar parts. And for once, I sang in a higher register, for better or worse. It's simply an ode to an imaginary beauty.
Track 20: "One Rider"
This was inspired by a commercial I saw featuring Lance Armstrong. I hate admitting that since I abhor most advertising, but the tune was catchy. It ended up being one of the better tunes I recorded, and the bass effect works best here.
Track 21: "1994"
I wrote this in 1994.....what do you want from me, deep meaning?!? I never quite liked the weird effect I put on it, but to my surprise, most people liked it.
Track 22: "Time's Running Out"
This is an update to a J.R. Comics song that John and I wrote in 1992. It was fun to add a bass line to it and develop the song more fully.
Track 23: "Peanuts"
This one won't be on the CD, since I STOLE it. It's the Peanuts theme song, done on the guitar. I can think of a dozen ways to make this better, but it's still pretty cool as-is.
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