AND
NOT CRY
Greg Loiacono: This was recorded initially, at Paul's apartment
on Haste Street in Berkeley about three years ago onto his four-track.
I wrote it and brought it to Paul a few weeks later and we did the vocals
and guitars very quickly. I forgot about the recording for a while and
then Paul gave me a tape of the stellar drum, bass and mellotron parts
he put on. Notice the gusto that Paul sing's with in the vocal harmony.
Paul Hoaglin: The most beautiful Bee Gees song they never got around
to writing. Thank God Greg did instead. As soon as I heaped an ungainly
amount of echo with just the right pre-delay on it, it came to life.
I don't remember which one of us did the Mellotrons in the intro, but
I was impatient and finished it off myself. The drums and bass parts
emerged after many moons, and I did my best to cop as many Colin Petersen
and Maurice Gibb licks as possible (RIP Mo). Also doubled G's acoustic
in drop D for full Barry authenticity, but it's really quiet. The mono
mix was inspired by getting the mono version of Idea and noticing that
it had about half or less of the amount of echo as the stereo version.
ODE TO HARVEY SCHWARTZ
Greg Loiacono: This was recorded at Paul's house about a year
and a half ago. I wanted a drum loop for it. Paul glared at me and then
about 4 hours later he got off of the "studio" floor with
some spliced tape and a backache and looked up at me and said with sweat
dripping off his nose "fuck Pro Tools". He succeeded brilliantly.
I played several guitars and Pianet on this song and I performed the
vocals on my back.
Paul Played bass, mellotron and flute and drum and loop.
Paul Hoaglin: Be careful what you dare me to do. Not only with food,
but also with recording stuff. Greg wanted a drum loop, and back then
I only had a broken $5 Panasonic reel-to-reel, on which I recorded one
set of four from a drum level check tape on which I was blatantly imitating
Mike Wofchuck, slowed it way the heck down, looped it, re-recorded it
alongside itself for about five minutes, made it flange, and then cut
the best flanged bits together, including a couple of odd-number bars,
to make the "drum" track. Take that, Digidesign. Oh, and Greg
recorded the vocal lying down on the floor through a Rockman Sustainor.
Someone save us from ourselves, or at least our gear. Also note Greg's
nasty Pianet part and his octave-capoed guitar which comes in on the
third verse - his idea to stagger the entrances of those instruments.
WAIT UNTIL SPRING
Greg Loiacono: We recorded this at Paul's Mom's house in San
Pablo in 1947, I think.
I played drums and piano.
Paul played e-guitar, bass, trombones, Farfisa, and tuned water glasses.
I asked Paul to do a solo like Django. What he came up with is nothing
short of genius and totally unique. Already this solo is being copied
and transcribed up and down the California Coast.
The second verse lyric was contributed by my dear friend Tim Bluhm.
Paul Hoaglin: The first track we recorded together, just us two.
What fun it was! Greg on drums and me on guitar. Who'd have ever thunk
it? I still remember getting drool all over the carpet at my mom's house
while doing the trombone. I swear we punched in every single note, that's
how bad I am! Greg plays piano too, and I over-played the bass. I love
this song. Those are drinking glasses tuned with water and hit with
spoons, by the way.
MESS YOU LEFT
Greg Loiacono: The basics were done on four-track a long time
ago at Paul's Mom's. I started with an acoustic guitar track and then
we cranked it in the headphones. We listened and played along. ( Paul
played drums and I played Bass.)
Years later Paul put the Farfisa on and we sang it at his house onto
his MCI one inch machine.
Paul Hoaglin: Egads! It's like "The End" only missing
one. I love that slow groove like a Richard Thompson song ("Night
Comes In," "The Calvary Cross," you know, one of those)
but of course I had to mess with it with all my B-level Weather Report/Chick
Corea drum fills at the end. I still think Greg sounds like Audrey Hepburn
at the beginning of the double-tracking of the second verse. There still
needs to be several keyboard overdubs, I think. But what the hey. Can
you guess who's who? I'm sure you can. The rock leads are the finest
rock lead guitarist I've ever had the pleasure to play with, and the
faux jazz must be that drummer again, trying to play a Rickenbacker....
HE'S SO BRAVE
Greg Loiacono: I recorded this at my house in January, 2003
onto a loaned Tascam 388 (thank you Mark Henderson).
This is an experimental version of the song which is (loosely) about
my skateboarding friend Michael.
Carolina and Noah help with some gang singing in the outro.
Paul Hoaglin: I've always loved this song. I couldn't have added
anything of merit to it here. I love the drum machine especially. Very
Aimee Mann! (To me that's a high compliment.) God bless Michael Torrico.
THIS ALL ACCORDING TO YOU
Greg Loiacono: When I was writing the verse about not being
able to sleep it was eight in the AM. I slept fine that night but I
received a call, just then, from Paul telling me that he had not been
sleeping well the last few nights. So without meaning or wanting to
he made it into the song.
I have no reverb yet. All of my recordings are really dry but I think
it actually works for this song.
I tried to get my Chromonica to sound like a Bass Harmonica by messing
with the vari-speed while recording. I think it sounds more like a wet
shoe.
Paul Hoaglin: This song never fails to make me smile. Loose and
ready, and summing up the emotion of the lyric perfectly.
THOUGHTS
OF GROWING OLD AND EXITING
Greg Loiacono: This was also done on the Tascam.
These are stream of consciousness lyrics. I was singing into my SM57
and looking at the roofs of the houses outside of my window and stuff
just came out.
Paul Hoaglin: It reminds me of Alex Chilton's "Morpha Too"
or any number of high-period Robin Williamson Incredible String Band
songs, both in terms of nakedness of arrangement and subject matter
as well as in a baffling combination of extreme freakiness and comforting
warmth. I also remember the demo done on Greg's portable cassette recorder,
and so I smile when I think of that as well.
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