River of Time

For the Black and Blue 2009 Christmas Single, we ended up recording a re-roast of an old Munson chestnut called “River of Time.”

Matt wrote and recorded this song solo with the TASCAM four track, way back in the first year of the band’s existence – no one really knows exactly when, because Matt mostly kept it under wraps. Why? Matt never seemed happy with his creation. To the contrary, over the years he seemed slightly embarrassed whenever I mentioned it.

I suspect it was the lyrics that really bothered him. It was kind of a stream-of-consciousness blank verse thing, a bit resigned and philosophical, with loads of nonsensical lines and disconnected phrases. Possibly the Michael Stipe influence was too overt. While admittedly not a GREAT song, I always found the music charming, and used to bug Matt to dust it off and finish it.

So flash forward to 2009. While racking my brain for a Christmas song idea on Thursday December 10, I hit upon the notion of rewriting “River of Time” with Christmas lyrics. I was fighting a cold and felt miserable, but Matt was due to arrive in town for a recording session, so I put on my songwriting hat, and later that afternoon I had a clutch of verses ready to try out.

As it turned out we didn’t turn our attention to the song until the weekend. When we did, I dropped a couple of hints and Munson guessed what I was up to pretty fast. Frankly, I am surprised that we ended up recording it, but we didn’t really have any other promising concepts. So, after some perfunctory editing and arranging, we emerged from my garage with a new Christmas song. The recording turned out pretty decent too. Not amazing, but workmanlike and fairly entertaining.

A few days later, I experienced a sudden insight which may reveal another angle to Matt’s distaste for the song.

My big insight into “River of Time” was that the rhythm seemed similar to one of my own songs “Above You,” which was written and recorded right around the same time.

Don once pointed out that my songs often have a quasi-shuffle rhythm to them (not very well suited for radio play), and that “Above You” was a perfect example. After recording Matt’s old song, I could suddenly see a kinship between the two, at least in terms of rhythm.

So, maybe after all these years I can figure out when Matt created “River of Time!”

It would seem to me that all the pieces were in place by early December 1992 for Matt to write and record “River of Time:”
• By Halloween, Matt had acquired his Ovation acoustic guitar which sounds to have been used on the recording of “River of Time.”
• By the first of December, Matt and I had recorded “Above You,” which Matt mixed down and played for his coworkers over the loudspeakers at the Wherehouse, where the track was reportedly praised. Matt had not been familiar with “Above You” prior to the recording – and in fact that song was not actually completed until the day of the recording. The rhythm of “River of Time” may have been inspired or subconsciously influenced by “Above You.”
• Sometime during Autumn 1992, and possibly as late as the band fight in mid-late December, the band had rehearsed “Penthouse Pauper,” which contained elements that Matt has cited as influencing the lyrics in “River of Time,” specifically the use of the word “pauper.”
• The TASCAM seems to have been in Matt’s possession for most of December 1992, and then sporadically with me during late December and early-mid January. Matt may have taken it home to record vocal overdubs during our “Month of Recording” in December/January. He also did a solo Ovation guitar overdub for Better Off Alone during the “Month of Recording.”
To me, the most likely scenario involves a December writing/recording session for River of Time by Matt at his Brentwood apartment, probably during early-mid December.

So now, I have refined my best guesses at session dates for the three known Munson solo TASCAM recordings from 1992-3:

Trials and Tribulations – late September to mid October (after the “Drive My Yaunch” songwriting session in September, but before Matt’s Ovation guitar acquisition in late October). Probably a follow-up from the songwriting session and recorded while I was in the Sierras doing dam research.
Even When You’re Gone – late October to November or early December (after acquisition of the Ovation, but while this song still retained currency – after the fifth of December concert we basically stopped playing the song). Possibly inspired by the Ovation purchase.
River of Time – December. Probably spurred by the “Above You” recording session. Could also have been January. It may make sense to lump “River of Time” with the “Month of Recording.” Seems doubtful that he would have done it later, when we started getting near another band breakup.

So here is the revised list of Classic Stickmen recordings from the late 1992 period:

Trials and Tribulations TASCAM session – Sep/Oct 1992
Halloween concert video – 31 Oct 1992
Even When You’re Gone TASCAM session – c. Nov 1992
Comic Quest practice tape – c. late Nov 1992
Above You TASCAM session – 1 Dec 1992
December 5 video – 5 Dec 1992
Harvey Mudd video – c. mid-Dec 1992
You’ve Got the Look TASCAM session (lost) – late Dec 1992
Month of Recording TASCAM sessions – late Dec 1992 – mid Jan 1993
Don’s Wedding Reception video (lost) – c. Jan 1993

Classic Parenting

Memory Lane

Classic!

I Played a bunch of old Stickmen songs today, which I don't do very often. Just me and my Martin acoustic.

I'm a better musician now, and most of the songs turned out quite fun, for having been fairly beaten to death last decade. But I forgot the rhythm of "You Never Win," which I never thought possible!

Anarchy Plus Fifteen

15-year anniversary of the Great Halloween Disaster of 1994. Actually, we played two shows: one on October 29 (the worst live rock-and-roll train wreck I have ever known), and another on Halloween proper, which actually went OK, but nobody remembers that.

The best part, of course, was the seven-foot glowing sarcophagus that rose up out of the fog after the first song, and opened to reveal Matt, microphone in hand, dressed as Batman. Matt appeared only on the video monitor at the beginning of the concert, singing live via closed-circuit TV on our opening number "Evil Under the Ground."

The video monitor content then switched over to "Yitch-Vision," which was my big contribution to the atmospherics. It was mostly footage of nuclear tests and scenes from "Carrie" synchronized to our signature song "Spontaneous Human Combustion."

All of this trickery was executed by Rich Amtower, who was mixing the show and also joined us briefly on keyboards (much to his disadvantage)! I took the stage dressed as Zorro, but for some reason added a bright, battery powered light inside my mouth, which produced a strange effect when I sang, but did nothing for my guitar playing.

Vic, resplendent in horns and red paint, played a bass guitar heavily modified to appear as a giant skull, spinal column, and pelvis. Don, lacking an actual costume, steadily emitted articles of clothing from behind the drums into the audience between songs, with the inevitable end result. Meaning Janet broke up with him when she saw the videotape.

I came into possession of the sarcophagus - created by Victor especially for the show - when Vic's parents moved to Montana. Amazingly, the sarcophagus was still in their garage. It is now in my garage, and I will never be browbeaten into disposing of it. An amazing, glowing, cumbersome artifact of an unforgettable, nay, unforgivable night.

Interesting Stones Tidbit

Brian Jones Death Revisited.

Munson Gets "Back On Road", Just Like Song

I spent the weekend in Chicago, and it was loads of fun! I will try to upload some pictures shortly, though plenty can be found on my facebook profile.

It was a really amazing trip! I left friday afternoon, and arrived late friday night. Got up nice and early and had a good workout at the hotel gym. I headed out to a fantastic local eatery, then took a trip to the top of the sears tower. Or Willis tower, as they call it now. I then took a 2.5 hour double decker bus tour of the entire city. I saw a bunch of places I had visited as a kid, and a few I hadn't. Also saw a ton of locations from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. So cool!!

Then it was off to the Cubs game at Wrigley field to see them murder the Mets, 11 to 4. Nice! A train ride took me back, and included a lap on the famou "L" of Chicago.

I spent the evening sipping Margaritas and updating my facebook profile from the lobby bar at the W Hotel, only to wake up early the next morning for another work out and breakfast with some local friends.

I pushed off at about noon, only to arrive back in Columbus six hours later. Along the way I stopped at a roadside produce stand, and picked up a lotto ticket at a farm town I passed through on the final leg.

Overall, an amazing weekend!

now if we could just finish that album!!

The Second Time Around You Made My Queezy.

Not much to report here out in Ohio, other than the fact that we've been gypped once again. Witness:




More good news is that Bill recently sent me the "Pee Pearl-It Squirt Bird" Lucky Lager bottle cap VIA TXT! Which I think officially propels us into the 21st century, and allows us to count ourselves as "cool kids". Still researching that last bit, but early results indicate a true positive.

I have done a first draft of my Potbellie flyer. Yes, the wheels of change spin slowly in Ohio also, but hey, at least they are spinning. I hope to submit my flyer along with a couple of the CD's to the manager by next week.

carry on.

Swamp Update

Actually spending time in the swamp, playing the guitar.

Rest In Peace, Rich Grinnell

Another sad piece of news to report today. This evening, Rich lost his battle with Cancer. His wife has put together a website that chronicles his last few weeks, and the brutality of the hard war he fought against his own body. Truly, an emotional rollercoaster that I've never witness so close at hand. It's a really heart-wrenching read, and I feel great empathy for those close to Rich, and a great deal of sorrow for the passing of the man himself.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/richardgrinnell/journal

Since this blog is about the Stickmen, it's only fair to discuss Rich in that context. I think the long and the short of it is that the band NEVER would have happened were it not for Rich. If there is one single common denominator that brought the band together, it was the Comic Quest, the comic book store owned by Rich and Lisa back in the day. That was our hang out, our meeting ground, and ultimately our practice studio.

Thinking back, I can recall the countless hours we spent there writing songs, playing music, planning our next adventure/gig, or whatever. NONE of that would be possible without Rich and the store. I may have never even met the rest of the band members were it not for Comic Quest. A debt of deep gratitude is owed, and I don't think it can ever be repaid. Maybe we should dedicate the Black and Blue album to Rich's memory.

Sad days indeed. Rich is the first person I've known in my adult life that I have seen pass. I knew a girl in my freshman year of high school who died shortly thereafter, but I didn't know her all that well. We just hung out once or twice. But this is different. Rich played a huge role in my young adult years, and even though I haven't spoken to him in years and years, it's still very sad to think that he is no longer of this earth.

Rich Grinnell, you will be missed!

World Domination, Step Two

Not really a big update, but Rome wasn't built in a day. I called the Pot Bellie today and asked to speak to Rob, the manager, only he was gone for the day! oh no! I did leave my number with the girl who answered the phone, but you know how those things go. I figure if I don't hear back from him by monday, I will give it another shot.

So, progress, though not much!!