Take It Away
ALBUM RELEASED: 2003
My second album contains more complete songs. With a real bass guitar, I was able to create fuller sounds, and while I was still learning how to master my 4-track, I had moved beyond the experimental phase I was in during "The Second Ten".
RICK'S NOTES:
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7 Spaces
I finished this one in 2003 but had started playing the guitar part seven years earlier, in 1996. Sometimes, being able to work with the really old ones is the most fun. Plus, it was already a little different than most, and after doing so many "love" songs, it was a nice change of pace.
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10 Miles Over
Oddly enough, this is about God. Someone knowing they're dying, and going towards the light.
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Got to Change
This is a bluesy number I had first written back around 1996 or so. I'd been playing for a long time, and it was time to do something with it.
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Say My Name
I finally used my 12-string and was very happy with this song. It's trying to comfort someone who's alone, but she can always say his name to feel comforted. Must be a really swell name, like Mookie or something. I really wish I had thought to start using harmonies in my vocals because this one could have been much better.
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Sick
I think this is pretty obvious. A guy wakes up hungover (again), misses work, gets fired, and realizes he's in big trouble. It's upbeat though, no need to cry for this old bum. He sounds like he'll be just fine. It may sound like an electric guitar, but it's just my 6-string with an effect. Obviously, I was really wanting to plug it into something.
Take It Away
This was one of the first songs I wrote specifically for "Take It Away". It's about a guy who is leaving his woman after a lot of disillusionment, and he's asking if there is anything else she has to say before he finally leaves. I used a light effect for the guitar, kept the bass simple.
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Whistler
This was the first set of lyrics I wrote for this album. It's kind of a tribute to John Entwhistle, the bassist of The Who who died on the eve of their summer concert in 2002. We saw the concert, and it was great, but I knew it was missing something. Actually, the first verse didn't make a whole lot of sense, but the song catches up with itself later.
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Worse Than Before
This one started out as a more ambitious project than what it became. I think the "electric" part doesn't quite work with it, but otherwise, it was good. The guy is lamenting a bad relationship, going over the "what if's". He's bitter. And that's just how he'll stay.