|
OK, I will be going over the new CD, track by track, since this
was kind of a 'here are my roots' CD. And in case you couldn¹t
hear my roots, I will do my best to expose them. So here we go...
1. Saving Grace
People have told me for the longest time now that I sound like Tom
Petty, and at first, I liked the fact that people thought I sounded
like him, cuz I am really a big fan and he is very cool. But after
a while, it kinda got on my nerves cuz I always sounded like this
and my voice was always this limited, even before I ever heard of
Tom Petty! But now I am in a place where I don¹t care anymore
and in this song I embrace my inner Petty for the whole wide world
to hear. And this is what I think. I think Tom and I have the same
record collection and we are both nasally white guys who are mostly
songwriters and happen to be bandleaders because of our job description.
Oh, and he is rich and famous and I am not.....so there you have
it. I love ya Tom!
Musician notes: I had the hardest time trying to cover up the 'I
Won¹t Back Down' chords in this song and came up with the little
guitar line at the last minute and I think it worked. This song
is all about the chorus anyway! The lead vocal was recorded live
with the band playing and you can hear me say 'one more' on the
end of the song. I am telling the guys we are ending now! Steve
and Howard play the solo bit in the middle, Steve first with the
low line, then Howie with the answer line. I play the fills, Russ
Kerger plays some great Benmont Tench-like organ, which seals the
deal on the Petty comparison
2. Black Leather Jacket
I wrote this after watching a PBS show on garage rock of the 60¹s
and I tried to make the recording sound primitive and simple,which
was not that hard since most of my songs are just that! And I did
in fact record this song in my garage, so it is true garage rock!
Think 'Gloria' by Them or 'Pushing to Hard' by the Seeds. Oh and
I get to say 'boom shaka laaka' in this song which is a great feeling.
Really, try it sometime!
Musician notes: Kenny Susan played a swinging little surf beat which
really locked the tune in along with Rob's on the money bass line.
Howie and I do the solo bit in the middle. I used a Gretsch Duo
Jet like copy for this one song and you can hear me wanging on the
Bigsby at the end of the song.
3.Uniform
This was my Band/Dylan song that I had written after one of my many
'that¹s all I¹m listening to is Dylan' periods. I like
the lyrics in this song. I think everyone has a uniform of one kind
or another, I was trying to figure out what mine was after I wrote
this. I am still not sure what it is though.
Musician notes: Kenny does a great job of doing a Rick Danko vocal
harmony and Russ does an equally good job of a Garth Hudson type
solo on the end. I do the fills on my Tokai telecaster played through
my 69 twin. Doug Jayne plays acoustic 12 string.
4.Somebody
I was reading a book on punk rock called 'Please Kill Me' and it
made me go back through my record collection and listen to my Lou
Reed, New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, Mink
Deville, and a bunch of other CBGB-like artists. So that was the
vibe I was trying for on this song. That book influenced more than
one song on this CD as you will see later. Of course it came out
sounding more like a Rolling Stones song but that¹s all right.
And the best thing about this song is it only has two chords!
Musician notes: Rob plays the bass part that defines the song and
really makes it better than it is, great Steve chunk part and one
of Howie¹s best solos on the tag!
5.Dreaming BB King
I actually had a really vivid dream several years ago where I was
on stage with B.B. King and I was playing my ass off, and that is
the genesis of this song. This is my tribute to all the great American
blues artists that I tried so desperately to steal from, Freddy
King, Albert King, Muddy Wolf, Buddy Guy, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny
Winter, Elvin Bishop, Albert Collins, Luther Tucker, Fenton Robinson,
and too many more to list.
Musician notes: I played everything on this song - It was my Dream!
Kenny played drums. The BB type solo on the tag was played on my
Blue Strat through the Twin.
6. Spark
This was my 80¹s rock song that I wrote around a D chord that
I just hammered with a ton of reverb on it and it kind of evolved
from there. Not much to say about this one really, I was kinda thinking
U2 but my vocals are so far from that Bono thing that you would
never know it. All you can give is what you got!
Musician notes: Steve plays a very tasty solo that has a real Edge
to it. (Get it? Edge ?U2? nevermind..) Kenny and Steve B. sing the
backgrounds and amazingly enough sound just like Bono! Well... kinda.
7. British Blues
We recorded this in London which I thought was simply splendid and
very in tune with what the song was about. The reason I started
playing guitar was because of all the guys I name in this song,
not to be a songwriter as it turned out! This is the most autobiographical
song on the album. The hardest part of this song was trying to fit
all the names of the artists I wanted too, but it was impossible.
But I got the really important ones to me. Anyway I love the British
Blues!
Musician notes: Steve plays a great first solo on his Les Paul,
I think through his Matchless Amp. I play the second one with my
Tele and Classic 30, and the fills as well. And I stole a few licks
from my favorite british blues solos. You guess which ones!
8.Hold Me Close
I was thinking of Django Reinhardt and Robert Johnson on this one,
and a little Tom Waits in the lyrics, along with my baptist upbringing.
I wrote this song in like five minutes it just came out and I recorded
it the same day, solo playing and singing at the same time through
one mic.
Musician notes: Kent Fossgreen plays the standup bass like only
he can. I do my best Django solo on my acoustic Gibson J-45, played
through a Vox Pathfinder, Kenny plays the brushes with a jazz touch.
9 The Moon
I was really trying to do a Tom Verlaine/Television-like track on
this number. I never really heard Television in the 70's, somehow
I missed them, but after reading 'Please Kill Me', I got their album
'Marquee Moon' and was very impressed. It sounded so different from
what I remember 70's music sounding like. So I was trying for a
very dry compressed sound on this one, and it is one of my favorite
recordings on the CD just because it came out pretty close to how
I heard it in my head.
Musician notes: Rob plays a great bass part that moves in all the
right places. Kenny does a great job keeping it simple and steady.
I played the solos cuz that's what I heard in my head and I didn¹t
want to try to explain it to anyone. I played my 62 Reissue Strat
through a Peavy Classic 30 and my 69 Twin straight in.
10.What Would I Do?
As a rule I don't think white people should try to do Reggae or
at least sing it, and this song is no exception. But I really liked
the way the track sounded. It made me happy to hear it for some
reason, so I kept it on the album. And reggae has really influenced
me over the years. I think this song and track was loosely based
on a Marley song from the Exodus album and a song on a early Joe
Jackson album where the song was based around the bass line.
Musician notes: The main reason I decided to keep this song was
Russ Kerger's organ part which I think makes the song. I played
the Wah solo through my 65 Vox AC 30 with my blue American Strat.
I played the bass part because rob didn¹t like the song.
11.Up Ain't Worth the Down
Every rock band should have a 'lust for Life' Iggy Pop-type song.
This is mine. I got the lyric from watching a DVD on The Clash and
Joe Strummer was talking about doing meth and said the up wasn¹t
worth the down and I had my title!
Musician notes: Recorded live in London -only over-dubs are the
harp solo and kenny¹s vocal.
12.Gone in Nine
Not really sure where this one came from. I think the bridge was
kinda a Nirvana thing and the verse was kinda Kinks , and I liked
the bass part that Rob played.
Musician notes: Steve plays the guitar line and Howard does a great
solo on the tag. Howie playing his Tele through his Fender Bblues
Junior. Not sure what Stevie is playing.
13.List of Things
This is my George Harrison post Beatle years tribute. I wrote this
right after George died and I really listened to nothing but George
for about two months and I just became a bigger and bigger fan of
his guitar playing. I always liked it. I mean he was in The Beatles,
the greatest band of all time, but the depth of his playing is not
always evident to the non seeking ear. You have to go underneath
the veneer of the song to get it. Anyway I tried my best, I would
have liked to have had Jeff Lynn produce this song, but I think
he was busy that day. Maybe next time!
Musician notes: Rob plays his best bass part on the cd, I think,
right in time with Kenny, spaces in all the right places, great
movement, sterling performance really! Steve B sings the harmony
on this one and after the thankless job of trying to harmonize with
me for the last 20 years seems to have mastered the task! This job
has now be taken over by Kenny Susan for which he should be paid
much more money! I played the slide part on my blue Strat through
the Vox.
14.Down
So this is my Beatle type number, and I always have at least three
or four floating around at any given time. I am always trying to
write a song as good as a Beatle song. It's just really, really,
hard! But it keeps me writing anyway, and I may write one that's
worthy one of these days.
Musician notes: I played the bass I was trying for a 'Radio free
Europe' feel and the guitar line was played on my 63 Strat through
the Twin and direct inject into the board. Harry Gale does the back
grounds - kind of a Dave Edmunds thing and Howie plays a kinda James
Honeyman Scott part on the tag!
15.Guinness
My shameless attempt to get into a international beer commercial.
But I really do love Guinness so I don¹t feel like too big
a whore!
Musician notes: Steve plays the Rickenbacker 12 string which is
always a great sound. Rob and Kenny sing like birds on the backgrounds.
16. Meet My Maker
I was really thinking of Lou Reed on this song, lot of street imagery
along with the faith in something bigger than yourself no matter
what it is. And once again, I just liked the track and the sound
of the guitars on this one. It's better not to think too much about
it, sometimes or you'll freeze up and do nothing!
Musician notes: Steve came up with the scary guitar part in the
verse, Kenny sings his ass off, I play the bass and the Carole King
keyboard part along with a Strat through a Twin. Howie plays his
best solo on the record in my opinion, on the altro, lots of energy
and nice melodic bits - once again his Tele through the Blues Junior.
That's all she wrote.......
And we still left off about 10 songs that did not make the cut
this time! Maybe on the box set!
Cheers ,Danny Sorentino
|
