The Track By Track Low-Down
Okay. I know. The right
and honourable way to do this is to "let the songs speak
for themselves." But, fuck that. Here are a few of my thoughts
about the Tracks on this album. The Dates refer to when the song
was written.
1. Up The Duff - (1996)
I love this song to death. For those who know what I am talking
about here, this is very much a Zappa meets Steve Vai somewhere
around the Flex-Able period type song. The concept was conceived
after a friend of mine referred to the fact that all her girlfriend's
were falling pregnant at the same time, thus they were all envisioned
as gleefully shouting "whooo hoo, Up The Duff."
2. Grinning Fool - (1997)
This one came together incredibly quickly. I felt that the songs
I had for this album were all very....nice. I am intrigued by
the notion of using the word "fuck" in popular music.
Usually, "fuck" is a shock value term, but over the
years, the more groups use it in popular music, the less impact
it has. (Oh, yeah, most of the song is about those bastard religious
types who attempt to convert you at your own front door...)
3. Faces Staring Back At Me - (1997)
I was going to save this for my next release when I had some
better equipment on hand to record it, but this version came
out okay, so here it is on this release. The song has someone
freaking out about the modern invasion of privacy.
4. Never Met An Angel - (1994)
If you are starting to think that religion is a bit of a theme
with me...you are right! This is a pretty straight ahead heavy
type tune...standard steamroller riffing and what have you, but
I like the rawness of it. I am proud of the bass solo as well...it
is nothing technically amazing, but it grooves! What this one
is simply saying is that, even if Angels do exist, wouldn't their
sheer perfection be so utterly, utterly boring?
5. Empty Room - (1995)
This is a troublesome song. Not only because the drum tracks
lag so much; not only because there is a cymbal crash that is
so late that it's already 4 months pregnant, but because.....well,
I really don't know, to tell the truth. So, why include it if
it troubles me so? Because, for some strange reason, I still
like it. Go figure.
6. Tragic Lumber - (1996)
This used to be much longer...I have cut it in half for this
release, and it sounds SOOO much better. I like this song. It
is imperfect, time and beat wise, but it never falls off the
fence totally. (Well, not to my ears!) Picture a sleazy nightclub,
with a greasy ol' bugger making his way over to a young thing
to put the make on her.
7. The Pancho Gonzales Song - (1994)
One typical stinkin hot day, some friends and I decide to take
some light relief and have a bash on a tennis court. One of the
rackets that I was forced to endure was one of those old wooden
buggers, and it had this young, strong, beaming face emblazoned
onto the wood, with the signature "World Champion Pancho
Gonzales."
8. Coffee Blues - (1992)
White boy suburban blues...ahhh, grab a whole bunch of cliches
about Coffee, mix it all up with the most standard blues riff
you can get, and voila! You got a....pretty stupid song. But,
that's okay, because, stupidity is a valid artistic medium, if
you go by what gets played on the radio! By the way, I luurrrvveee
the slide solo in this song.
9. Time After Time - (1990)
This was just about the first thing that I ever recorded on the
4-Track when I got it. I was working out how to use it, I did
not want a terribly difficult song, so I pretty much made this
up on the spot using lyrics I had written a while before. Well,
the lyrics are drivel, but the vibe on this is nice. My brother
loves this song, so go figure.
10. Gypsy In Heat - (1996)
My first creation with a synthesiser and a sequencer in my hot
little hands. Interesting that it turned out to have a flute
as the dominant melody and a really weird string patch as its
thrust. A friend has described it as "The Miami Vice theme
on crack." I think that is a reference to the bongo drum
fills.
11. My Baby - (1990)
Jealousy. Aaaahh, the green eyed monster. Yep, familiar theme,
and this was my take on it. Once again, perhaps the pure emotion
of this theme is lost to the "God I love to be stupid"
rule. I love listening to me attempt to yell the shit out of
the "She Don'ts" in the Chorus. Gosh, who said I couldn't
sing? Of course, the best feature of this song is the munchkin
fade out. It is a definite head turner.
12. Anthem For A Nobody - (1992)
I cannot play the piano. That is the first thing you will notice
about this song! These chords and fills were the first thing
I ever composed on a piano. It is a pretty simple piece, but
it is also one that I can never seem to get out of my head. These
same chords and fills flow out of my fingers every time I sit
at a keyboard.
Overall, I am fairly pleased
with the results I have got on this album. The performances could
be better, but that comes from the fact that I am not a Bass
Player, Keyboard player, or singer. (And not a great guitarist
either!) And for the wacky, off-beat, nothing to do with what
is happening in the music world right now type songs that I write,
this is a fairly good representation. I admit, I look forward
to the day when I will have better recording equipment, and more
patience to get the performances right. Till that happens, this
is what I have got. And I guess I am pretty happy with that.
Ian Robertson
Odysseus' Dog
Recordings are ©
1998 Agnes Records, All Rights Reserved.
Songs are © 1998 Ian Robertson, All Rights Reserved. |