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Tabacco / DiMauro - Fancy Monsters

by John Tabacco

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1.
Aluminum Pennies 03:39
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ALUMINUM PENNIES What goes out comes in through the middle What goes out comes in through the middle What goes out comes in through the middle ooooh.... ooooh HEY! You think you’re cool Collecting aluminum pennies from the pool You think you’re keen Collecting aluminum pennies made you mean Collecting aluminum pennies Collecting aluminum dimes Collecting aluminum nickels I can see right through your lies...oh What goes out comes in through the middle What goes out comes in through the middle What goes out comes in through the middle ooooh.... ooooh You think you’re smart Collecting aluminum pennies in the dark - You once were swell Collecting aluminum pennies made you hell!!! Collecting aluminum pennies Collecting aluminum dimes Collecting aluminum nickels I can see right through your eyes...oh What goes out comes in through the middle What goes out comes in through the middle What goes out comes in through the middle ooooh.... ooooh Friend you cannot buy a brand new life with a book of shiny treasures That’s just a wives tale that’s wrapped around your ass And friend you should never try to disguise your disease Won’t you please hide me Won’t you please sign me Don’t you still like me? - What? Anthony Pomes: I only drive this taxi because I’m a virgin I live inside with my raccoon… You think you’re neat Collecting Aluminum Pennies with your feet (“With your feet? That’s disgusting!”) You think you’re hot Collecting Aluminum Pennies made you not! Collecting aluminum pennies Collecting aluminum lives Collecting aluminum nipples I can see right through your... Eyesssssssssssssssss OH! What goes out comes in through the middle ooooh.... oooooh What goes out comes in through the middle ooooh.... oooooh What goes out comes in through the middle ooooh.... oooooh ooooh.... ooooooooh
2.
Nacho Collector 04:09 video
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NACHO COLLECTOR I’m a nacho collector and I do it real well Some folks would say I’m insane I’m a nacho collector so they can all go to hell Jesus still loves me the same And when things go wrong I just sing this song ‘cause I’m a : Nacho collector - errrr A nacho collector Collector of cheese A nacho collector - errr So get off my back if you please! She’s a nacho collector She’s a beautiful thing She’s got big cheese balls for eyes She’s a nacho collector with a Barbie™ doll string Pull it and see what she buys And when she’s over drawn she helps me sing this songgggggggg! ‘Cause we’re a... Nacho collector - errrr A nacho collector Collector of cheese A nacho collector - errr A nacho collector Collector of cheese Well sheeple we gotta be free They’re coming with rayguns and cheesecloth for the bumblebees Sheeple get down on your knees The robots will come and find you! Ms. Nacho: Ooo..That’s pretty...I want one of them they’re shiny.. Give it to me now. I want one. Well robots don’t want us free They come from a place with holes built from a rubber tree They want you down on your knees And they know just where to find you! Ms. Nacho:“Go daddy go! And when we’re over- drawn We can sell our lawnnnnnnnn!’ ‘cause we’re a Nacho collector - errrr A nacho collector Collector of cheese - Nacho collector - errrr A nacho collector Collector of cheese Well sheeple we gotta be free They’re coming with rayguns and cheesecloth for the bumblebees Sheeple get down on your knees The robots will come and find you! We like cheese!
3.
Keeps On Turning 03:40
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KEEPS ON TURNING Some are born so proud yet easy to sell their dignity Some are lost and found A twist of the fate brings you closer to me Walk without a sound and you'll see an eternity Some are sacred, some are naked Throw the dice and you'll see what I mean People always come and people always go But the world don't care it just keeps on turning Sometimes it’s a yes and sometimes it’s no But the world don't care it just keeps on turning Yeah Brother stole a car Sister lost her virginity Mother licks her scars Father splits with the nun from the farm... People always come and people always go But the world don't care it just keeps on turning Sometimes it’s a yes and sometimes it’s no But the world don't care it just keeps on turning Yeah Life can move real fast and life can move real slow But the world don't care it just keeps on turning Yeah…
4.
Same Ole' Feeling 04:43
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SAME ‘OLE FEELIN’ Distant traveler holds his rings near and dreams of a welcome home Hears the thunder, skies unfolding, but still he is all alone Seasons come Season’s gone but he keeps hangin’ on driven by the glow of her face And this story has no ending It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again When his faith seems like it’s fading It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again Sun is setting in her shadow A love that has long been gone Stars dividing, radar’s calling but no shoulder to cry on Reasons come Reasons gone but she keeps hangin’ on Dreaming of the taste of his kiss And this story has no ending It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again When her faith seems like it’s fading It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again in her heart she feels alone It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again so far away from his home... They’re alone Journey’s end is near She’ll be livin’ out every minute Holding him as long as she can But this story has no ending It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again When their faith seems like it’s fading It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again It’s the same ole’ feelin’ again It’s the same ole’ feelin’... Again....
5.
The Weight Of Nature 04:24
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THE WEIGHT OF NATURE IS CALLING I've spent my whole life just driftin' A broken promise was a re-occurring theme Now inner rhythms are shifting I'm not sure why but I know it's time The weight of nature is calling I've waited all of my life to be here The weight of nature is falling into my arms tonight The feeling is clear Turn off the midnight patroller A deeper voice is waking me from this dream Some truer angle informer is telling me You are free The weight of nature is calling I've waited all of my life to be here The weight of nature is falling into my arms tonight The feeling is clear The weight of nature is calling The fate of nature is calling I miss the days when I would fool around Those times when innocence meant more than just the latest fashion - Open the pages of the lost & found I've got no reservations left to keep me waiting (The weight of nature is calling...) The weight of nature is calling I've waited all of my life to be here The fate of nature is falling into my arms tonight The feeling is clear The weight of nature is calling in my head I hear it The weight of nature is calling in my head I hear it The weight of nature is calling in my head I hear it The weight of nature is calling in my head I hear it
6.
Ya Gotta Re-type It 05:46
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YA GOTTA RE-TYPE IT Muzak intro vamp playing from a cheap ceiling speaker over dialog... Johnson & Brooks enter the Slip Code™ lavatory mumbling worriedly about their impending meeting with “The Boss”. A “lunch boy” is at one of the standing stalls taking a whiz. Brooks: Oh god... Johnson: Yeah I don’t know what the heck his problem is. Brooks: Do you have any idea why he likes to hold meetings in the bathroom? Johnson: I’m gettin’ scared. I don’t know what he wants...(mumble) Brooks: (mumbling) Shhhh, quiet here he comes. The lavatory door swings open. Enters “The Boss” (Toilet sounds fill the tiled ambiance.) The Boss: Boys, I’m gonna kick it to ya free style. Now we’re going down and we’re going down fast. Now Slip Code™ used to kick ass up and down the entire length of this ship but now, not one of our shows can get arrested. I need a hit on my desk in the next three minutes and fifty seven seconds. Johnson: (stuttering) What about like X-Files™ meets 90201? The Boss: No son. That’s yesterday’s papers. We want cutting edge here. Lunch Boy: How ‘bout a show called “Alien Love Boat”? The Boss: Slammin’! Who is that kid? Johnson: Ahh, he’s the lunch boy sir. The Boss: Ahh well not anymore son. Say, what size desk do you wear? Brooks and Johnson (excitedly): Whoa, Whoa...Now ...now.. Brooks: Now Johnson and I can have something steaming in your hands... Johnson: Teach it! Brooks: In two minutes and fifty seven seconds! The Boss: Show me the magic proper boys. I don’t wanna have to give you the glad axe. He used to work the underground A stoolie for the heat She used be his lost and found a darling of the street Romantic couple finds the winning ticket and goes crazy on the town... Maybe this premise needs a fresher angle but the dead line is right now Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah yeah Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah yeah Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah Before it’s too darn late for me to change their fate Now maybe there’s this alien who abducts the lead He corrupts the internet and plants a demon seed Romantic couple stumbles on to secrets where the mother-ship resides They save the world with little trepidation but the demon child survives Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah yeah Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah yeah Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah Before it’s too darn late Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah yeah Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah yeah Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah Before it’s too darn late for us to change their fate Ya gotta re-type it yeah yeah yeah yeah Ya gotta re-type it yeah!!! Now here’s a secret you oughta know I got a sequel ready for prime time! It’s kind of cheesy but it’s got a flow Lots of sex and whole lot of cheap crime Romantic couple needs a happy ending to forget about their lives And these writers need their bread and butter So they’ll play it safe one more time! Before it’s too darn late for you to change your fate
7.
Once Again 05:48
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ONCE AGAIN Swim in any ocean and you will know it the fish ain’t what they used to be The waves didn’t care if it took a million years just to grow it the only thing left is a satellite for TV Then the comets spun the twisters and they kept on screwin Stuff was falling from the sky for days Looks like a new generation for the world is stewin’ just like when we came and the dinos went away It’s all too scary so I hear you say No truer words have ever been spoke Can’t pack your bags and run to catch a train it’s not a pretty picture I’m afraid it’s the end so goodbye my dear friends I’m afraid it’s the end of life as we know it here on earth... Once again..................................... The clouds went black all around and the sun to took a powder as lightening ripped across the looming sky Then the mother-ships landed and the humming got louder And all that I could say was “my oh my!” I doubt that they came for a coke and an order of fries Those prophets saw it comin’ years ago Folks thought that they were all insane How they lived their lives I just don’t know It was not a pretty picture I’m afraid it’s the end So goodbye my dear friends I’m afraid it’s the end and you know it my friends I’m afraid it’s the end of life as we know it - here on earth... Once again Brooks: Ok, so - now he's on this planet with tornadoes and it's very dry. Boss: Yeah, drier than you'll ever be. Johnson: Asteroids are really big now a these days sir. Brooks: Huge! Boss: The only thing that's huge is my hemorrhoids! Say, whatever happened to the story about the nice couple with the lottery and the aliens? Johnson: Yesterday's papers, Sir. Brooks: I'm telling ya it's all rocks these days... Boss:Yes, well your job's on the rocks if you don't get crackin'. Now throw me the toilet paper. Those prophets saw it comin’ years ago Folks thought that they were all insane How they lived their lives I just don’t know It was not a pretty picture I’m afraid it’s the end So goodbye my dear friends I’m afraid it’s the end and you know it my friends I’m afraid it’s the end of life as we know it here on earth... Once again.....................................
8.
Fantasies Are Safer 06:14
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FANTASIES ARE SAFER Just when your thoughts are clear and your goals are all abreast Unexpectedly unfolds a reason to digress It's a falling for a smile It's a winking of an eye It's a body made in heaven But more than that it's just a lie' Cause: FANTASIES ARE SAFER WHEN YOU'RE ALONE IN THE STREETS FANTASIES ARE SAFER IF YA JUST LOOKIN' FOR SWEETS The sheltered thoughts of someone whom you’ve placed up on a shelf Might seem disturbing if your fed up with yourself But a falling for a smile Like a winking of an eye Can be momentary heaven that can later make you cry That’s why: FANTASIES ARE SAFER WHEN YOU'RE ALONE IN THE STREETS FANTASIES ARE SAFER IF YA JUST LOOKIN' FOR SWEETS But sometimes when love is blind it's in your head You give up your precious time but they leave instead And that's why: FANTASIES ARE SAFER (No heavy trips to go through) I said that's why: FANTASIES ARE SAFER (No expectations to lower and let you feeling down) I once cheated a friend She was a true companion Hurt the faith and washed out our family parade And that’s why I say: FANTASIES ARE SAFER WHEN YOU'RE ALONE IN THE STREETS FANTASIES ARE SAFER IF YA JUST LOOKIN' FOR SWEETS.......................”solo” But sometimes when love is blind it's in your brain You give up your precious time but they don’t feel the same And that's why: FANTASIES ARE SAFER (no heavy trips to go through) I said That's why: FANTASIES ARE SAFER (no expectation to lower)
9.
Wherever You Go 04:27
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WHEREVER YOU GO Now she wants me walkin’ on water She thinks that I can heal the blind Miracles are in such short order I tell her that I’m not that kind And even though she doesn’t believe me I spend a fortune buying the news Life seems easy out on the open sea But here’s something that always true Wherever you go your shadow always finds you By now you should know if you don’t look back you’re as good as new We used to take long walks by the water She’d giggle when she touched the tide A Summer house just south of the border Lots of fun with life on the side Now time has ways of sneaking up on you I never saw the hands take their turn All good things have endings right on cue Guess what else I also learned? Wherever you go your shadow always finds you By now you should know if you don’t look back you’re as good as new Nice taking it slow Hangin’ by a wing and prayer when life just doesn’t care... I do And darlin’ you might think that I’m a crazy fool But darlin’ I don’t see no book of golden rules... Wherever you go - your shadow always finds you By now you should know if you don’t look back you’re as good as new - Wherever you go - your shadow always finds you Nice taking it slow - hangin’ by a wing and prayer When life just doesn’t care I do Sometimes it’s not fair ... It’s true
10.
Ordin'airely 04:38
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ORDIN’AIRELY Ordin’airely I wouldn’t come to you It’s quite scary what a man would do Fooled me once and fooled me once again I don’t know how and I really don’t know when it’s true... I’m in love with (you) I didn’t think I didn’t dream that you could leave me Another guy - another dog down the road I couldn’t breathe I couldn’t speak I couldn’t eat Chinese You said that no one’s ever gonna treat me finer Then you left me stranded here at the “Broken Hearts Diner” You didn’t think You didn’t dream that I could love you You didn’t try to figure out the score You didn’t check You didn’t ask but it’s still true I know you had your training down in North Carolina 30 years ago I betcha glad it’s behind ya Ordin’airely, I wouldn’t sing to you. (Hot cross buns, hot cross buns..) Quite contrary, ‘til I heard the news If I told ya once, I told ya twice Then what you did next was not so very nice (but) it’s true, I’m in love with... You didn’t know that I could hear what you were sayin’ You didn’t care that your words would burst the clown You never thought, you never dreamt when you were layin’ Always gettin’ tanked up on a two pints Steiner Then he spits up on your ribs, could he be any kinder? He didn’t look, he didn’t see the head lights comin’ Stupid jerk shouldn’t be joggin’ on the shore! I Hit the horn, flashed the lights, but he kept runnin’ But now this little hole is such a welcome reminder ‘Could be sleepin’ with the fishes off that slow boat to China I didn’t think I didn’t dream that you could leave me Another chump walkin’ his dog down the road I didn’t know I didn’t guess I couldn’t foresee Now you got an extra ticket for that big ocean liner Mom will nurse his broken bones and permanent shiner Ordin’airely, I wouldn’t pray for you Prayers can vary when your screws are loose Help me baby try to understand Maybe I’m not your ordinary man It’s true Still in love with...
11.
Lazy Lyla 04:38
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LAZY LYLA Lazy Lyla I wish that I could know what’s in your head This is crazy Lyla I’ll try another avenue instead Could it be a thousand sunsets you are dreaming? Shimmering off a sea of wavy gold You amaze me Lyla Your grace shows all the poems you’ve never told Lazy Lyla Always coloring right over the lines As the world passes by I can see in your eyes a better place than what’s in mine... Lazy Lyla Behold you are the forest for the trees Trace me Lyla I know there’s many worlds in what you see Did you know sometimes I dream about your sunsets? And the ships you sail on seas of wavy gold? It’s so hazy Lyla Or maybe it’s just me that’s getting old. Save me Lyla Sometimes I wish I were where you are The rest of us play never mean what we say You live by truth that’s in the stars... Easy come. Easy go... Think I’m done but I hope you know by now It’s not the when it’s how... Lazy Lyla I wonder if I’ll ever know your name Lazy Lyla It’s time for me to play another game Lazy Lyla Trace me Lyla Save me Lyla
12.
Simple Pleasures 05:32
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SIMPLE PLEASURES Never been one for life’s simple pleasures Never before felt so new Never seen one of life’s golden treasures Until the day I found you But what if you said to me, “Our love won’t least forever” Then I guess I could be one you simple pleasures Always been one for life’s hidden message Always fell down right on cue Always walked though someones’s holy wreckage Until the day I found you And what if I said to you, “Our love could last forever” Would you still hold on to all of life’s simple pleasures Am I the calling that will fill your heart Maybe you’re the ploy to find my truth All I know is he who fights and runs away Lives to die another day (insert melodramatic yet touching instrumental here) Never been one for life’s simple pleasures “Never before” felt so old Always lost in a world of token nevers Can’t wait for life to unfold But what if you said to me, “Our love won’t least forever” Then I guess I could be one you simple pleasures
13.
Downtime 04:29
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DOWN TIME Get on the highway and head for the shore Catch my reflection in the sky I got this feeling I’ve been here before but I don't know why could it be that… Down time headin' 'round again When I try to reach real high someone always moves the sky Down time and I'm found again maybe it's not that tragic... Cokes on the dashboard and sun in our eyes Who could ever want for more? Some say we're children just filled with surprised and laughing like before but I know that... Down time headin' 'round again When I try to reach real high someone always moves the sky Down time and I'm found again - maybe it's not that tragic... Down time headin' 'round again Missed the cradle when it fell Another day is shot to hell Down time and I’m found again Maybe it's not that tragic... Blind ambition got me no where fast Heard the phone ring but I missed my calling Took a new step made it last We're strangers in paradise tonight Down time headin' 'round again When I try to reach real high someone always moves the sky Down time and I'm found again maybe it's not that tragic... down time headin' 'round again Missed the cradle when it fell Another day is shot to hell Down time and I’m found again maybe it's not that tragic... Down time Down time Down time Down time
14.
Goodbye 04:30
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GOODBYE I have fond memories of spring afternoons In winter you were my June Now the birds have all flown away like my heart did And there's nothing else we could say but goodbye... You told me you once loved me so And promised you wouldn't let go Now you are so far away and I miss you And there's nothing else we could say but goodbye... When you said you loved me Dark clouds had gold linings Now it rains and pours through the night I sighed dear when you spoke my name I cried dear, you felt not the same So dark clouds are here to stay with no lining And there's nothing else we could say but goodbye... (First verse spoken real solemn like) When you said you loved me Dark clouds had gold linings Now it rains and pours through the night I sighed dear when you spoke my name I cried dear, you felt not the same So dark clouds are here to stay with no lining And there's nothing else we could say but goodbye... Goodbye
15.
Nacho Collector and Aluminum Pennies Improv. 03:36
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about

Gian DiMauro has a lot of cassette tapes from his childhood. And if you were to delve into the collection of tapes belonging to this half of the Gearhead Freaks you would find most of them to be compilations of music. Many different genres, flavors, styles all seemingly smash into one another, Frank Zappa segues into Steely Dan which then turns into XTC. Maybe it's the Beach Boys that precede a piece from the "Blade Runner" sound track. Or Maybe Monk comes after a Mary Poppins tune and Stravinsky.

"This is how I would like to put together an album - always a surprise to hear what comes next", he would say to himself.

Ironically, some of the songs on these early tapes were written by the other half of the Gearhead Freaks, John Tabacco.
John spent his formative years locked away for days at a time playing all the instruments on his first "sound on sound" efforts utilizing a little Akai 1/4 track reel to reel. Or maybe he was gurgling water while jumping up and down and screaming to get the right effect.
It's this kind of inventiveness, unpredictability and breadth that makes "Not a Pretty Picture" such a unique, fun and sometimes haunting experience.

Yes the album is eclectic.

Sure some of the songs have erratic themes like "Nacho Collector" or "Aluminum Pennies" while others are about aliens or unrequited love, but there is a commonality here.

Each piece is connected in text and texture. The sublime ("Simple Pleasures") gets juxtaposed with the simple ("Good-bye"). The touching ("Lazy Lyla") flows into silly ("Ordin1airely"). The fun ("Downtime") segues into the bittersweet ("Fantasies are Safer")...The more the listener immerses themselves in "Not a Pretty Picture", the more they can see how each song is simply part of a bigger picture. Rock, Jazz, Pop, Zydego, Samba, Parlor: it's all here somewhere and yet all of the pieces are connected coherently with a sound that is uniquely Gearhead Freaks.

Just like Gian's old tapes, it is unpredictable but one thing is for sure - "Not a Pretty Picture" provides tasty morsels for all.

credits

released September 17, 2014

Produced, engineered and mixed by Gian DiMauro and John Tabacco
Recorded at Sonic Underground Studios, Stony Brook, NY
Mastered by Bob Ball and John Tabacco (SA3)
Graphic design, art direction : Gian DiMauro, John Tabacco,
Marci Geller, Jim Dexter
Front cover photo by Sirka Louca
Gearhead Dragons by Farben Fosfeen Art Werks

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John Tabacco image

John Tabacco Stony Brook, New York

John Tabacco is a composer, singer-songwriter, producer, recording engineer, and visual artist.

Like an unfolding musical diary / puzzle, Tabacco’s music and art are constantly being re-worked, juxtaposed and intertwined.

For more info : www.johntabacco.net ... more

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