End Of The Month Thoughts From The Townedgers

Finishing up the loose ends on the Forthcoming Trains and amazingly the drum tracks were all done over the weekend.  But I did add some more supportive vocals on three songs in the late hour and didn't wake my brother up. Score!

When working with Hugh McConnell, we have a time limit to get things done and this album is no exception.  I recall when we did 30  it was done in three weeks as well, and Weather On The Nines, the 1994 album with him was done in 4 weeks.  Pawnshops and 30 both took about three months to complete.  Kind of sense of urgency to get this one done it seems but everything came together quite quickly.  Also helps to have a back catalog of lyrics and songs to have as well.

Forthcoming Trains does have a direct link with the Paraphernalia since I used the Pearl Snare from that time on this recording.  It sat gathering dust in the basement and after the Tyrus Reunion on Facebook, I managed to revive it to use on the new album.  For the cymbals used, the old 12 inch K Splash returns from the dead as well as the other survivor of the bar band years the 16 inch Zildjian Rock Crash. the old Medium Thin Crash was sold off years ago and I found a replacement that I really didn't use much when I first got it.  I believe that the 18 inch K Session Crash sounded more like the old Medium Thin than the latest Medium Thin Crash   The old A Swish Ride (including rivets) was the main ride, I probably would have been better off with the Armand Ride, but on the recording I didn't substitute any other cymbals this time out, unlike changing over to RUDEs from the 2002 on 30.  With the nostalgia out of the way,  I'll end up using another cymbal lineup.  Not sure which ones.

Drinking Again was a one take number, which is why it ends abruptly, and Martin playing the bass tag line ending.  Light Years Away was about 20 to 25 although on the tape I made a smartassed comment about being the 40th take. The first version was a much faster version but doubt if we'll use that one.  The last couple albums we overloaded on cover versions, most which didn't make the final lineup, this time I covered our catalog instead.  It made better sense rediscovering and re-imagining the songs in a different arrangement.  Come to think of it, How Hard It Is was done in one take too.

2033 will be the 50th anniversary of Town's Edge Rock, but I'll doubt if I'll be alive to see that special occasion.  Why we keep bringing that record up?  Because it was the first actual proper album of actual songs, not that So Much For That wasn't that, I was still trying to get a feel of this new found freedom of writing my own stuff, rather than the one take throw them out in the open songs of Big Crash Collection.
The only things that will remain will be this blog and a handful of albums that did get out there in the free market that nobody knows about.  Or cares.

The story about Isabella losing her methadone in the pizza place on our last get together is a true story.  I remember it well since I wasn't feeling all that great and needed to head to the bathroom for about 10 minutes, then having her crawling back on hands and knees making a scene about misplacing her stash while everybody looked at her with disbelief.  Good to know she's still alive after all these years.

I'd love to return back to the great Northwest but I don't forsee that in the future.

I'm not buddy buddy with neither but I have great respect for Craig Erickson and Billy Lee Janey, the two best known musicians from Cedar Rapids.  I've seen Erickson in Half Priced Books from time to time, he's usually stocking up on blues CDs.  For up and coming folks Samantha Fish is the best blues guitar player I have seen and her stock keeps going up.

For myself, I'm not the wild Crash Meister as from the Paraphernalia days and even the first two decades of Route 66/Townedgers.  When you're playing along to the finished guitar tracks you have anticipate where you're going to do the drum rolls and cymbals accents at and if I go too wild, I'll miss coming on the right beat and being off a step.  When I do listen to the old bar band stuff I still wonder how the hell did I actually do those crazy rhythm drum roll and cymbal crashes.

Since January the Tyrus talk has died down.  I'm open to suggestions about if they want to get together to do something but since it's spring and the weather is getting better to hang outside more often, and golf season is here, Russ is focusing his energies on the back 9.  Mike is feeling better but we haven't done anything since 1992 and there's nothing on the horizon about getting back together again either.  Time and age are against us. So basically it's the Townedgers for me.

I think everybody has neighbors from Hell and we got one next door, he's always shooting dirty looks from the other side of the fence, mostly at my brother and his car collection outside.  Then again everybody hates the freak next door anyway.

My brother and me, we get along fine together and he's the biggest supporter of Townedgers Music by providing the room and tolerance for drum solos and oddball guitar work. He has become the ultimate Mountain Man, growing his hair out and regrowing his bushy beard.  I don't think he'll get to Dusty Hill ZZ Top propositions, it don't bother me as much it does for Mom.  Used to be she used to get on my case for long hair but since I'm becoming more bald anymore, I been more to Super Cuts than bro, simply of the fact that I look like Doc from Back To The Future if I do grow it out.   I can't be the hippie anymore.  But my brother can.  Ain't generics wonderful?  Wish I had his hair (although it's mostly gray which maybe I don't want it).

I am thinking of going to Arizona again this year and hanging at the usual haunts but I haven't even looked for plane fares this year, I'm thinking of St Louis if I don't want to fly this summer, I haven't been to The Chain Of Rocks bridge since 2009.  It's time to return there.

Heath permitting.

R.S.