Very interesting month to say the very least. The question of the day was what ever happened to Janice, who was part of my high school years. She basically disowned everything up here and moved to Sunnyville Texas sometime after Town's Edge Rock and outside of coming up for a 1990 reunion disappeared. She's has hard to pronounce and even harder to spell last name Tryggvason. Have never met her hubby but Jack Orbit has and claims he looks like my long lost twin brother. Can't be Jack, I've never been that far down in TX nor in Iceland either.
I still have issues with the reissue of Nice Weather We're Having, the new mix is way too tinny and lacking bass, I may return back to the original tape mix for a third try on CD but needless to say the damn 4 track made a mess out of Jeanette 15 Years Later and So Far Away.
My favorite TE record? I like some, and I love most of them but if I had to choose one that best describes me, that would be 2002's The Road Less Traveled. I've also listened to Moonlight Chronicles and although it's too bit bright, the last reissue strips all the echo that was originally on the first generation Tape/CD copy. Should have been a 1 LP and not a double album.
If I was a casual fan, I'd buy the TE catalog. There's some classic stuff there.
If Janice and I was together back then there wouldn't be any TE records. I don't think there'll be anything after 1979 come to think of it. I think that's why we never got together more than passing phase. She was always thinking about the future, I was one day at a time and what's new in music. I remember one time I was at the Marion Sidewalk sale and showed her the two albums I got, Sly and the Family Stone Stand and best of The Hollies. She had a funny look on her face. But I do know one time she called me up and she had either The Ramones or Sex Pistols playing in the background or maybe one of her friends did. Looking back maybe I should have given up on Jeanette in Michigan and at least go out on a date with her.
One big memory was that Me, her and Sue Rowe Boyd went on one of those Tilt A Whirl when Marion had those downtown fair days. Hell, they even paid for it, one example that they did really care about me.
The One That Knows Me Best wasn't about Janice but it was based around her telling me that She was the only social life that I ever had; That song had more about Clarice. She did like some of the Townedger's Music.
Once I get back from Arizona, the TEs will do some shows and I'm really thinking of bringing out the Zildjian lineup that I did for TE rock or Road Less Traveled. An old Zildjian 18 inch median thin crash always has a beefy sounding crash to it. I also plan to bring out the old Reuter snare drum that I used on Town's Edge Rock. I don't think it's the original snare from the Zickos set but I think it was the replacement. Got that at West Music in Coralville around 82.
The guys that own Villa's Patio and a couple more Mexican places have opened up The Cancun that used to be Happy Chef. Looks like they got Janeen back to wait on tables. Russ and Deb love her but I think she's a ditz myself, never says anything to me unless Russ and deb is there and it's oh you're Dudesky.
I still like Paiste cymbals. Still have em. I really don't do endorsements anymore since I'm too old to get endorsements but on each recording I try to point out what I used for make the recordings. But I think I'm planning to sell some of the cymbals that I have no use for anymore. Rudes might be the first to go.
Yep still have the Impulse Cymbals that Zildjian used to make. They were a copy cat answer to Rudes and didn't sell very well but I love the 16th inch crash, somebody actually thought I was playing Rudes on Wapsi Dreaming.
The rock bar scene of the 80s is long gone, it's not coming back but there's a few choice places to play at, but given the music of the TEs only Gabe's or CSPS is where I any chance of playing original stuff.
I actually like the way Jet Airliner came out on Soul Biscuits. It sounded ragged out and pissed off but it fit the mood of the song. Don't expect The FOX to play it or KUNI. They too have gone down hill.
I was telling Diggy Kat the other day how underrated Drive In Blues was in the trilogy of the classic 90s albums that I did. I played it twice in a row at work this week. Diamonds In the Skies gets all the credit and kudos but Drive In Blues really showed us coming of age.
I really don't like mixing cymbal brands but I could make an exception for the Paiste Twenty 18 China. The Novo China also stands out big time, a bit too much at times but that Twenty China has the perfect cut off crash.
I ended up getting the Zildjian Z power crash in 1986 after I started working full time again. Not a fan of power crashes it sticks out like a sore thumb but when you want to end a song with a crash, it's second to none.
The biggest regret was not able to play drums during the high school years and waiting five years to learn to play and sing. Would have been great to play All Over Now at the variety show when I was a senior in 78.
It would have been closer to punk rock than Led Zeppelin I tell you what.
Russ back then was mincing to a KISS song I do believe. But it took guts to get on stage and do that and later had his sister play piano when he was signing Mandy (the Barry Manilow song) but I was too scary cat to get on stage. Only thing I had back then was coffee cans. That would have made the Cherry Sisters look like Three Dog Night talentwise in Marion! But the 78 Quill show had Lon Washburn and his band playing some rock music and his playing inspired me to make more of myself and actually get a real drum set and learn to play. Only Took me five years after the fact but I think we have come a long way from those days.
We still can't find the tapes for 20 and so you'll have to be satisfied with the version that is out there. I have done a shitty job trying to keep things together when it comes to archives.
God bless you all.
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Last Train Home
Last Train Home-4:50
She was in my history class
Back in high school days
Don't recall how she sprung up
Her face I can't forget
Her face I can't forget
Sometimes I wish I could
I used to walk her home from school
And we sit back and argue
About marriage and the future
Janice I wished I never met you
I never took her to the prom
Instead I went to the edge of town
And by the light of the moon
Listened to the highway sounds
I used to walk her home from school
And we sit back and argue
About marriage and the future
Janice I wished I never met you
And you know I wished I never met you
We had our last fight and ended it
I just can't explain it
She's doing ten times better
More than we could ever been
And it's so it's over, it's been over
I'm getting on the last train home
And as I leave I wonder
Was it worth it to prove her wrong?
(c) 1989 Townedger's Music Emporium
From Moonlight Chronicles MR2-24533
She was in my history class
Back in high school days
Don't recall how she sprung up
Her face I can't forget
Her face I can't forget
Sometimes I wish I could
I used to walk her home from school
And we sit back and argue
About marriage and the future
Janice I wished I never met you
I never took her to the prom
Instead I went to the edge of town
And by the light of the moon
Listened to the highway sounds
I used to walk her home from school
And we sit back and argue
About marriage and the future
Janice I wished I never met you
And you know I wished I never met you
We had our last fight and ended it
I just can't explain it
She's doing ten times better
More than we could ever been
And it's so it's over, it's been over
I'm getting on the last train home
And as I leave I wonder
Was it worth it to prove her wrong?
(c) 1989 Townedger's Music Emporium
From Moonlight Chronicles MR2-24533
High School Sweetheart
High School Sweetheart (Smith) 4:25
Doesn't anyone remember Janice?
I used to think a lot about her
We had dreams and ambitions
But we never got it together
Sometimes I think she was forced upon me
She always popped up where ever I went
No I never should have given her a second thought
Cuz if I did she would break my heart
Teenage dreams forgotten it seems
You and I never meant to be
Your love's like a romantic novel
Never real but it's worth a look
She must have stayed up many a night
Thinking of ways of winning me over
I must admit that I had my chances
But I suppose I should give it a rest
For now she's only a ghost
In my story of life, she played a role
And I can't go back digging up the past
For what we know our love wouldn't last
Teenage dreams forgotten it seems
And the rain falls on our parade
All dressed up and no place to go
I think we both stood each other up
Doesn't anyone remember Janice?
Not anymore
(C) 1994 Townedger Music Emporium
From Weather On The Nines MRK-24924
Doesn't anyone remember Janice?
I used to think a lot about her
We had dreams and ambitions
But we never got it together
Sometimes I think she was forced upon me
She always popped up where ever I went
No I never should have given her a second thought
Cuz if I did she would break my heart
Teenage dreams forgotten it seems
You and I never meant to be
Your love's like a romantic novel
Never real but it's worth a look
She must have stayed up many a night
Thinking of ways of winning me over
I must admit that I had my chances
But I suppose I should give it a rest
For now she's only a ghost
In my story of life, she played a role
And I can't go back digging up the past
For what we know our love wouldn't last
Teenage dreams forgotten it seems
And the rain falls on our parade
All dressed up and no place to go
I think we both stood each other up
Doesn't anyone remember Janice?
Not anymore
(C) 1994 Townedger Music Emporium
From Weather On The Nines MRK-24924
Running In The Rain
Running In The Rain (Smith) 4:20
Heard about your wedding I've seen it in the paper
They said it was a success just what you wanted
I don't mean to intrude when I ask you this question
You sure have gone out your way to find the next one
But listen to me
For some sympathy
And what I say
That it should have been me
I'm just running in the rain
Cuz it keeps me sane
Trying to get over you
Just to ease the pain
My only wish was to see you again
I suppose there was a time but now there isn't
I guess the songs that I wrote you don't even mean much
But doesn't the thought even count?
But the movie's over
As you slip away
Too late the hero
There goes the train
I'm just running in the rain
Cause it keeps me sane
Trying to get over you
Just to ease the pain
Well I don't plan to see you again
Cause Dallas Texas is too far out of the way
And Arizona Nights you say are too hot
And come tomorrow another day
And one man's poison
Is another's drug
And one man's treasure
Look what the cat drug in..
I'm just running in the rain, don't mind me
C 1986 Wapsipinicon Dreamer Music
Songwriter's note: The Arizona Nights line was replaced with:
And Cedar Rapids you say is plainly too cold
I also been toying to resuffle that line with And this town has nothing left for you.
But upon looking at that line it kinda leaves the listener hanging on so basically I'll leave the CR line there for future concerts and recordings.
Originally off Wapsipinicon Dreaming (MRK-24186) 1986
New drum track recorded for the greatest hits Stories From The Road MR-24999 2000
Heard about your wedding I've seen it in the paper
They said it was a success just what you wanted
I don't mean to intrude when I ask you this question
You sure have gone out your way to find the next one
But listen to me
For some sympathy
And what I say
That it should have been me
I'm just running in the rain
Cuz it keeps me sane
Trying to get over you
Just to ease the pain
My only wish was to see you again
I suppose there was a time but now there isn't
I guess the songs that I wrote you don't even mean much
But doesn't the thought even count?
But the movie's over
As you slip away
Too late the hero
There goes the train
I'm just running in the rain
Cause it keeps me sane
Trying to get over you
Just to ease the pain
Well I don't plan to see you again
Cause Dallas Texas is too far out of the way
And Arizona Nights you say are too hot
And come tomorrow another day
And one man's poison
Is another's drug
And one man's treasure
Look what the cat drug in..
I'm just running in the rain, don't mind me
C 1986 Wapsipinicon Dreamer Music
Songwriter's note: The Arizona Nights line was replaced with:
And Cedar Rapids you say is plainly too cold
I also been toying to resuffle that line with And this town has nothing left for you.
But upon looking at that line it kinda leaves the listener hanging on so basically I'll leave the CR line there for future concerts and recordings.
Originally off Wapsipinicon Dreaming (MRK-24186) 1986
New drum track recorded for the greatest hits Stories From The Road MR-24999 2000
Friday, 14 June 2013
Songs About Janice
As anybody who has listened to the Townedgers and the music of the past 30 years a lot of songs were based upon my experiences and crushes and loves on girls that I knew and at one time was a part of my life. But back in 1976 I really couldn't translate them very well into songs. A few of them were based upon Janice Berns, a skinny tall girl who somehow developed a crush on me during my sophomore year in high school to which I had to endure her shenanigans and her girlfriends at that time. But then again a few factors came into play as well.
A year before hand I ended up falling head over heels over some girl in Jackson Michigan in 1975 and turned my world upside down. Problem was I would never see her anymore after the summer of 1976 even though we promised each other to be true and faithful. Janice on the other hand came into my life and for all of rest of 76 and part of 1977 we were the Bickersons of high school. Her and her friend Anne would constantly come to my locker and bug the hell out of me. Looking back on hindsight I really blew that one. Janice was attractive, straight honor student, cheerleader and here she was bugging some lowlife across the tracks that had only interest for records, beer can collecting and gave his heart to somebody else at that time. I mean Janice did have a crush on me, one day in American Studies class she mentioned something about sitting on my lap and I dared her and damned if she didn't plopped herself on my lap.
For most of that time I resisted but finally when it came to pass that the Michigan love interest was gone forever more, they were playing Chicago's Colour My World and her friend said that Janice wanted to slow dance, so I basically went up and grabbed her hand to go to the dance floor and you think that would have been the start of something new. She grabbed herself away from me making me look like a fool and I called her a few choice names and stalked off but Sue instead came up and we finished that dance but I livid with Miss Berns. The next day, somehow she found me at my grade school and we just sat and argued big time. Somehow she mentioned she loved me that and I blew her off. Look at that another chance done by the wayside. And that turned out the be the cause and effect of the rest of the 70s, we both made feeble chances for a date but never seem to be on the right page. Circumstances also didn't help either, she became a cook at Applegate's Landing, some fly by night pizza joint and I became a dish washer which put more salt into the wound. But I don't think she ever dated anybody till I left school and I did see her with somebody a year later and was finally free from her but then got mad of the fact that it wasn't me that was with her.
Somehow in the course of that time, something in her changed and she became more bitter toward the town or maybe of the fact that she took a chance on a loner. Even up to Town's Edge Rock in 1983 I would have welcomed her into this life but I think I've seen her one time and she looked withdrawn and angry at the world. She dated a friend of my brother but sometime in 1984 she moved to Texas and married somebody that kinda looked like me in 1986 and outside of a 10th year high school reunion has simply dropped off the face of the planet or at least here in town. Even her high school friends have said they haven't heard from her in years either. It seems once she left town, she left everything behind in memories. Some people are like that I guess.
Even during the echophonic era I wrote a song that did mention Janice, Four In The Morning I think it was called but the tape got erased and it wasn't a good song anyway. In 1985 I did write Song For Janice for the Rock And Roll Made Me What I Am Today album but on the CD version I left it off. When she got married, my reaction was Running In The Rain off Wapsi Dreaming and it remains one of the most requested song in my reportorial output. Later on, she was the subject of note on We Never Danced to which I revisited my feelings of anger when she didn't want to dance with me even though she told everybody in earshot that she did. Last Train Home off Moonlight Chronicles in 1989 dealt with the playground argument of the next day after the dance to which the line utters Janice I wish I never met you probably had her echoing the same thing.
As you get older you wonder what if, what if we could have been together. On High School Sweetheart (1994-Weather On The Nines) I start the song out with Doesn't anyone remember Janice? To which I remember the good times that we did share in the brief time we were together around the town but perhaps the damming second chorus of
Teenage Dreams
Forgotten It Seems
And the rain falls on our parade
All dressed up and nowhere to go
I think we both stood each other up
37 years down the road, that line sums up the legacy of Me and Janice, of how a failed concept of having a teenage crush on somebody who wasn't interested at the time who turn somebody into a life of bitterness although I could be wrong and Janice might still be living and still married to same guy. I seriously doubt that we'll ever crossed paths again. Or what if I never went to Michigan and fell into an infatuation which blew up in my face as well. And then trying to win Janice back in the best way I knew how and that didn't work either.
What does she mean when she said she's my life
The only social life that I'll ever had
Making mistakes just like in the past
I guess she's the one that knows me best
Janice said the day after the failed dance that she was the only social life that I ever had which even made me laugh in her face even more but in a way she was somewhat right. I didn't date much if at all in high school outside of Penny which we did have a few dates but Janice and I was never on the same page, even when I wrote the chorus of The One That Knows Me Best in 1999.
As time goes by, the memories of high school fade into nothingness and perhaps she did marry the man of her dreams, they are still together and doing quite well out there in Texas just like the song Running In The Rain suggested. I also think she's doing a lot better now like the Last Train Home song suggested as well. She's a president of Ladies Auxiliary, and of a Catholic church. Ah, the power of the internet.
I guess in the outcome of life we were a clash of the air masses. I don't think she would have approved of my music and the extensive music collection over the years but that's all right.
I wish them the best of life.
A year before hand I ended up falling head over heels over some girl in Jackson Michigan in 1975 and turned my world upside down. Problem was I would never see her anymore after the summer of 1976 even though we promised each other to be true and faithful. Janice on the other hand came into my life and for all of rest of 76 and part of 1977 we were the Bickersons of high school. Her and her friend Anne would constantly come to my locker and bug the hell out of me. Looking back on hindsight I really blew that one. Janice was attractive, straight honor student, cheerleader and here she was bugging some lowlife across the tracks that had only interest for records, beer can collecting and gave his heart to somebody else at that time. I mean Janice did have a crush on me, one day in American Studies class she mentioned something about sitting on my lap and I dared her and damned if she didn't plopped herself on my lap.
For most of that time I resisted but finally when it came to pass that the Michigan love interest was gone forever more, they were playing Chicago's Colour My World and her friend said that Janice wanted to slow dance, so I basically went up and grabbed her hand to go to the dance floor and you think that would have been the start of something new. She grabbed herself away from me making me look like a fool and I called her a few choice names and stalked off but Sue instead came up and we finished that dance but I livid with Miss Berns. The next day, somehow she found me at my grade school and we just sat and argued big time. Somehow she mentioned she loved me that and I blew her off. Look at that another chance done by the wayside. And that turned out the be the cause and effect of the rest of the 70s, we both made feeble chances for a date but never seem to be on the right page. Circumstances also didn't help either, she became a cook at Applegate's Landing, some fly by night pizza joint and I became a dish washer which put more salt into the wound. But I don't think she ever dated anybody till I left school and I did see her with somebody a year later and was finally free from her but then got mad of the fact that it wasn't me that was with her.
Somehow in the course of that time, something in her changed and she became more bitter toward the town or maybe of the fact that she took a chance on a loner. Even up to Town's Edge Rock in 1983 I would have welcomed her into this life but I think I've seen her one time and she looked withdrawn and angry at the world. She dated a friend of my brother but sometime in 1984 she moved to Texas and married somebody that kinda looked like me in 1986 and outside of a 10th year high school reunion has simply dropped off the face of the planet or at least here in town. Even her high school friends have said they haven't heard from her in years either. It seems once she left town, she left everything behind in memories. Some people are like that I guess.
Even during the echophonic era I wrote a song that did mention Janice, Four In The Morning I think it was called but the tape got erased and it wasn't a good song anyway. In 1985 I did write Song For Janice for the Rock And Roll Made Me What I Am Today album but on the CD version I left it off. When she got married, my reaction was Running In The Rain off Wapsi Dreaming and it remains one of the most requested song in my reportorial output. Later on, she was the subject of note on We Never Danced to which I revisited my feelings of anger when she didn't want to dance with me even though she told everybody in earshot that she did. Last Train Home off Moonlight Chronicles in 1989 dealt with the playground argument of the next day after the dance to which the line utters Janice I wish I never met you probably had her echoing the same thing.
As you get older you wonder what if, what if we could have been together. On High School Sweetheart (1994-Weather On The Nines) I start the song out with Doesn't anyone remember Janice? To which I remember the good times that we did share in the brief time we were together around the town but perhaps the damming second chorus of
Teenage Dreams
Forgotten It Seems
And the rain falls on our parade
All dressed up and nowhere to go
I think we both stood each other up
37 years down the road, that line sums up the legacy of Me and Janice, of how a failed concept of having a teenage crush on somebody who wasn't interested at the time who turn somebody into a life of bitterness although I could be wrong and Janice might still be living and still married to same guy. I seriously doubt that we'll ever crossed paths again. Or what if I never went to Michigan and fell into an infatuation which blew up in my face as well. And then trying to win Janice back in the best way I knew how and that didn't work either.
What does she mean when she said she's my life
The only social life that I'll ever had
Making mistakes just like in the past
I guess she's the one that knows me best
Janice said the day after the failed dance that she was the only social life that I ever had which even made me laugh in her face even more but in a way she was somewhat right. I didn't date much if at all in high school outside of Penny which we did have a few dates but Janice and I was never on the same page, even when I wrote the chorus of The One That Knows Me Best in 1999.
As time goes by, the memories of high school fade into nothingness and perhaps she did marry the man of her dreams, they are still together and doing quite well out there in Texas just like the song Running In The Rain suggested. I also think she's doing a lot better now like the Last Train Home song suggested as well. She's a president of Ladies Auxiliary, and of a Catholic church. Ah, the power of the internet.
I guess in the outcome of life we were a clash of the air masses. I don't think she would have approved of my music and the extensive music collection over the years but that's all right.
I wish them the best of life.
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Modern Problems In Reflected Living 20 Years Later
This month we released two albums of historic value, one was Town's Edge Rock and ten years later Modern Problems In Reflected Living came to be. We focus on the latter.
I actually had an album done The First And Last Reunion when Jack Orbit came up to me and wanted to do a new album along with Ken Miller and Geoff Redding. But I thought since I was working nights at the time, it would free up days so that we could actually record new songs and we did.
The majority of songs were recorded in June of 1993 at the duplex lovingly called Broadcast Manor. Waste Of Time Wynna was the sequel to Pretender of Drive In Blues, I had this psycho chick at work that liked me but everytime I tried to ask her out, she would freak out and say she's engaged to this dude in Muscatine and bla bla bla and so basically this is a FOAD song aimed at Miss Wynna Witmer who's probably married and divorced five times already. Somebody's guitar is way out of tune on this one.
Pillar Of Salt-a odd one but I think it was a co write with Ken Miller about a reaction we saw on Oprah that didn't set well with us. I love the Geoff Redding guitar counterpoint as he strums to the offbeat. Diggy Kat played this a few times on his show although I think we have better songs on this album he could put on instead.
Hard To Love You-One thing about Orbit's contributions to this band is that he likes plenty of backing vocals. I sing well it's hard, Geoff, Jack and Ken sing To Love You and then we all get together on the final tag line but I think we gave that up on later recordings. I think Wynna may have been the target of ridicule on this song especially on the biological clock is ticking but as the years go on, the mind gets foggy.
How Far It Goes actually goes back to 1988 during the Postcards From The Edge, but none of the music fit the lyrics and we put them back into the closet till Geoff added a reggae guitar to the beginning.
Hey Bama-Something that I wrote down at DeSoda's on a fun filled Saturday Night. Ken actually is using a glass side on the bass to give it a different sound than usual. I think we were going for a Little Feat sound. Geoff sits this one out, which is probably the only recording with the Town's Edge Rock lineup of me, Orbit and Miller.
Debbie's Winegarden-Named after the chick that supposed to be my duet partner on this song but she never showed up to do the recording so we went on without her. Original intent was me to sing the first verse, her the second and both of us the final verse. It would have been gangbusters.
Missing Her-Another song conceived on the dance floor and in the bathroom at DeSoda's. Another song about a wasted weekend at the meat market.
Minor Miracle-Brian Mullahan's production on this album really came full circle as we used different methods of recording guitars and drums on this album. Although known as a perfectionist who would literately take apart other bands, he also recorded things as they happen, sometimes good and sometimes not so good and the drums are pretty sloppy to say the very least. Basically me and Geoff on this number.
Little Girl-Wynna again. She used to work with us at the old place of workage and although I think there was some sort of attraction, she seemed to take great pride in pissing me off with her split personalities although not as bad as Isabella when I decided to cast my lot with her 8 years down the road. The song is fun to do though.
Lies-When someone screwing you do you stop and say thanks.....how did we come up with that line? Oh the fun of observing folks at the singles bar and you can come up some interesting things as well. It really sounds punkish to me.
Are You Gonna Be The One-Originally from First And Last Reunion I had to include this to Modern Problems since it sounded so good.
Long Way To Go-Replaces the overlong Her Lightning Ways on CD. Something spur of the moment.
Away From You-One of the things that makes co-writing with Jack Orbit is that he managed to bring in a zinger set of lyrics or music when he feels the moment is right and he gets credited for the yuk yuk yuk yuk guitar riff at the beginning of the song. Another in a long line of infatuation songs that I tend to be good at that time.
Straight Laced And Gone- Aka Modern Problems In Reflected Living. A silly ditty that was fucking impossible to get on tape. Finally had to slow the guitars down to at least get the drums fit into the groove. Most of the lyrics is jive anyway.
Girl On Your Mind-Another Desoda's observation that became another song but I sang it in that hypnotic whine that was typical of the 1983-1985 era to which I was trying to find my voice. Sometimes that Illinois southern drawl really is a liability.
Don't Let Me Know-Lyrics were written around 1987 and never used for Tales Of The Red Caboose but Jack and Ken came up with a nice little riff that fit the words hand in glove. The stop and start of the chorus is fun to do live and usually the jam part we do extend it by a minute or two.
Frosted Flakes-Some perverted humor of watching some dumb show on TV and making fun of the ditz that was on that show, Road Rules maybe? Geoff Redding's guitar riff counterpoint is perfect.
When The Night Comes-Wrote this with Ken about five years prior but we could never get the feeling right till finally on the next to last recording session finally did this with a very slow and deliberate off beat snare drum hit. And for the first time ever, I actually did the lead guitar part. Very simple but reeking of despair.
Sun Ra-Done as a tribute to the eccentric jazz artist who passed away a day before and we decided to do something off the cuff and something avant-garde Amazing what a digital delay can do for you.
Modern Problems would be the final trilogy of a cycle of albums that began with Diamonds In The Skies and Drive In Blues ended with the pop rock style of MP but soon after the completion of this album I decided to put the band on hiatus while reunited with my old high school sweetheart of a life of being together, which only lasted about four weeks and endless days of rain which begin the flood of 93. By then while recording we were finally mastering the art of recording music and I can hear it on this recording. Hugh McConnell did wonders by placing the drum mic at certain spots and picking up everything
Broadcast Manor's recording room was my bedroom at the duplex and it was very cramped to say the very least, the amps were turned down fairly low and some of the songs we just plugged the guitar and delay into the four track itself. Worked out very well judging by how little space we had in there. The old Realistic Mic really did a good job despite the fact that it was battery operated and the threads were just about stripped off from all the use but it did managed to hang together for another five records before retiring it for good.
20 years later it still holds up very well and I can listen to every song from start to finish. Although some might opt for Diamonds In The Skies or Long Time Forgotten as the best of the TEs, I have to concour. All the 90s albums have something of value if they weren't they would have been retired long ago. Modern Problems In Reflected Living, while quickly conceived and recorded remains one of my favorite Townedgers albums ever. And that's saying a lot.
I actually had an album done The First And Last Reunion when Jack Orbit came up to me and wanted to do a new album along with Ken Miller and Geoff Redding. But I thought since I was working nights at the time, it would free up days so that we could actually record new songs and we did.
The majority of songs were recorded in June of 1993 at the duplex lovingly called Broadcast Manor. Waste Of Time Wynna was the sequel to Pretender of Drive In Blues, I had this psycho chick at work that liked me but everytime I tried to ask her out, she would freak out and say she's engaged to this dude in Muscatine and bla bla bla and so basically this is a FOAD song aimed at Miss Wynna Witmer who's probably married and divorced five times already. Somebody's guitar is way out of tune on this one.
Pillar Of Salt-a odd one but I think it was a co write with Ken Miller about a reaction we saw on Oprah that didn't set well with us. I love the Geoff Redding guitar counterpoint as he strums to the offbeat. Diggy Kat played this a few times on his show although I think we have better songs on this album he could put on instead.
Hard To Love You-One thing about Orbit's contributions to this band is that he likes plenty of backing vocals. I sing well it's hard, Geoff, Jack and Ken sing To Love You and then we all get together on the final tag line but I think we gave that up on later recordings. I think Wynna may have been the target of ridicule on this song especially on the biological clock is ticking but as the years go on, the mind gets foggy.
How Far It Goes actually goes back to 1988 during the Postcards From The Edge, but none of the music fit the lyrics and we put them back into the closet till Geoff added a reggae guitar to the beginning.
Hey Bama-Something that I wrote down at DeSoda's on a fun filled Saturday Night. Ken actually is using a glass side on the bass to give it a different sound than usual. I think we were going for a Little Feat sound. Geoff sits this one out, which is probably the only recording with the Town's Edge Rock lineup of me, Orbit and Miller.
Debbie's Winegarden-Named after the chick that supposed to be my duet partner on this song but she never showed up to do the recording so we went on without her. Original intent was me to sing the first verse, her the second and both of us the final verse. It would have been gangbusters.
Missing Her-Another song conceived on the dance floor and in the bathroom at DeSoda's. Another song about a wasted weekend at the meat market.
Minor Miracle-Brian Mullahan's production on this album really came full circle as we used different methods of recording guitars and drums on this album. Although known as a perfectionist who would literately take apart other bands, he also recorded things as they happen, sometimes good and sometimes not so good and the drums are pretty sloppy to say the very least. Basically me and Geoff on this number.
Little Girl-Wynna again. She used to work with us at the old place of workage and although I think there was some sort of attraction, she seemed to take great pride in pissing me off with her split personalities although not as bad as Isabella when I decided to cast my lot with her 8 years down the road. The song is fun to do though.
Lies-When someone screwing you do you stop and say thanks.....how did we come up with that line? Oh the fun of observing folks at the singles bar and you can come up some interesting things as well. It really sounds punkish to me.
Are You Gonna Be The One-Originally from First And Last Reunion I had to include this to Modern Problems since it sounded so good.
Long Way To Go-Replaces the overlong Her Lightning Ways on CD. Something spur of the moment.
Away From You-One of the things that makes co-writing with Jack Orbit is that he managed to bring in a zinger set of lyrics or music when he feels the moment is right and he gets credited for the yuk yuk yuk yuk guitar riff at the beginning of the song. Another in a long line of infatuation songs that I tend to be good at that time.
Straight Laced And Gone- Aka Modern Problems In Reflected Living. A silly ditty that was fucking impossible to get on tape. Finally had to slow the guitars down to at least get the drums fit into the groove. Most of the lyrics is jive anyway.
Girl On Your Mind-Another Desoda's observation that became another song but I sang it in that hypnotic whine that was typical of the 1983-1985 era to which I was trying to find my voice. Sometimes that Illinois southern drawl really is a liability.
Don't Let Me Know-Lyrics were written around 1987 and never used for Tales Of The Red Caboose but Jack and Ken came up with a nice little riff that fit the words hand in glove. The stop and start of the chorus is fun to do live and usually the jam part we do extend it by a minute or two.
Frosted Flakes-Some perverted humor of watching some dumb show on TV and making fun of the ditz that was on that show, Road Rules maybe? Geoff Redding's guitar riff counterpoint is perfect.
When The Night Comes-Wrote this with Ken about five years prior but we could never get the feeling right till finally on the next to last recording session finally did this with a very slow and deliberate off beat snare drum hit. And for the first time ever, I actually did the lead guitar part. Very simple but reeking of despair.
Sun Ra-Done as a tribute to the eccentric jazz artist who passed away a day before and we decided to do something off the cuff and something avant-garde Amazing what a digital delay can do for you.
Modern Problems would be the final trilogy of a cycle of albums that began with Diamonds In The Skies and Drive In Blues ended with the pop rock style of MP but soon after the completion of this album I decided to put the band on hiatus while reunited with my old high school sweetheart of a life of being together, which only lasted about four weeks and endless days of rain which begin the flood of 93. By then while recording we were finally mastering the art of recording music and I can hear it on this recording. Hugh McConnell did wonders by placing the drum mic at certain spots and picking up everything
Broadcast Manor's recording room was my bedroom at the duplex and it was very cramped to say the very least, the amps were turned down fairly low and some of the songs we just plugged the guitar and delay into the four track itself. Worked out very well judging by how little space we had in there. The old Realistic Mic really did a good job despite the fact that it was battery operated and the threads were just about stripped off from all the use but it did managed to hang together for another five records before retiring it for good.
20 years later it still holds up very well and I can listen to every song from start to finish. Although some might opt for Diamonds In The Skies or Long Time Forgotten as the best of the TEs, I have to concour. All the 90s albums have something of value if they weren't they would have been retired long ago. Modern Problems In Reflected Living, while quickly conceived and recorded remains one of my favorite Townedgers albums ever. And that's saying a lot.
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