This piece starts off with Meryl Mathews and I sitting in her car at the Hicksville train station on Saint Paddy’s day 1996. The conversation was being recorded on a boom box that was used for some of the spy trip dialogue Nick DiMauro and I took back in 1994. As the composition progresses, other spontaneous boom box recordings show up. Some of them are from Paul Michael Barkan’s self thrown 36th birthday party of 1994.
About two minutes into the work, a suspended horn section takes place. This was constructed by Jim Dexter. Later on I overdubbed some more horn like sounds making it as overbearingly grandiose as possible. Later, Jim’s voice can be heard in a few spots: “Bored”, and singing “I heard the clarion call” which is a sample from his beautiful song “Border Town”. I kept hearing this phrase through out much of the making of this CD, so it’s no surprise that it ended up on it.
This work is the missing link between the 1992 instrumental “Scraps” and the It’s Out There Feeding On Itself track “27 b Stroke 6”. It was also influenced by some Charles Mingus recordings my sister lent to me. I mixed it in one take, mid April 1996, originally connected with “Smokey Lee Webster’s Rise To Musical Failure” (hence the Smokey Lee "pen outtake around the six minute mark.)
For me, this particular time in my life was surely one of the happiest. I had Meryl’s car to drive around in, a few extra bucks for food, access to Bob Ball’s CD burner /computer room with the Sound Archeology™ process at my fingers and no one around for days to mess with the mix of this piece while it was up on the board. Total bliss.
lyrics
SCRAPMINGUS (Let To His Own Devices)
JT : A pen is green it writes like an octopus. It's perfect tune for St. Paddy's Day. Ya got those color condoms. Green. Green ones. Leprechaun things. Ya know?
MM : Lepre-condom?
JYT : Ha ha, that's it! I knew you could come up with something!
MM: Ha, ha, ha...
JT : Isn't that funny? That's… You know how much money you would make today if you had those?
MM : Ha, Ha, Ha…
JT : Here's a Lepre-condom.
MM : Lepre-condoms.
JIm Dexter : Bored.
INTERLUDE
ND : Wowwwwwwww!
A drunken Sonic Underground crew sings : The first Star Trek Theme…
Jim Dexter (over Fantasies Are Safer backup vocals) :
I heard the clarion call. I heard the clarion call.
I heard the clarion call. I heard the clarion call.
I heard the clarion call.
Smokey Lee Webster :
See?
I’m making a play about a mouse and a pig
and a tree and a house and a wig
I’ve got this thing inside me
I think I cannot hide me
Bayyybe!
What cha gonna do with the pen?
Now that the world has come to an end
What cha gonna do with the pen?
Now that the world has come to an end
I got the answer Oh, I got the answer
Take a pen, make it green
Make in the world.
Take a pen and make it green
and spread the boys and girls
Take a pen and make it green
Spread around the world
Take a pen and make it green today
JT : Theory Red Cap Nif Umbrella lost his uncle's shoe in the desert wind.
Anthony Pomes : Sister Moo Moo bought a yellow lantern and whooshed it pass his face.
INTERLUDE
Meryl playing the tambourine frantically….
JT : Oh…. Would you stop doing that?
Marci Geller : Goddamn! Jesus Christ!
Meryl : I'm having fun!
Jim Dexter : Jesus Christ! Mary and Joseph! Easter Bunny!
Marci : Ha, Ha!
Jim Dexter : Anything!
Marci : Find a quiet toy! God!
Meryl : A quiet toy. You all sing it's not that fun!
Marci : Clap your hands.
MM : No.
Marci : Clap your knees.
MM : Not as much fun.
Kerry : Clap your knees.
Marci : Clap your breasts. Do whatever you want.
Marci : Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha…
Gian : Clap your breasts?
Marci : Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…
Kerry : It doesn't make any noise?
Meryl : Show us how.
JT : Waiting around was a key objective on this planet. Just waiting around doing nothing. But talking into a tape machine for future recordings. So this way I at least as one person in the entire planet could laugh for at least an instant about how pointless everything seems to be
when you have sixteen or what is it twenty nine children injured by some freakin' mad man who just walks into the place and shoots up all these little kids.
(sings) : Go Figya!
If there's a God, there must be a really, really good explanation.
And ah, I guess I'm gonna find out what that is someday hopefully.
Smokey Lee Webster : OH MY GOD! HE'S LEFT TO HIS OWN DEVICES!
- SMALL RECAP OF JAZZY THEME -
WHEN THE CIRCLE'S BROKEN #1
Keep your child safe from harm
When it’s sleeping
Teach your child right from wrong
When it’s sleeping
Open a box at xmas
Set it free to kiss the morning air
You’ve been scared to face the child
Fighting over there
But when the circle’s broken
And the change begins
And the change becomes realer than it’s ever been
Take a look at that child
And the troubles you share
And know in your heart you can change it
Know in your heart you can change it
BREAK THE MOLD!
Small minds
Small thoughts
Our lives make up the bigger picture
Some see one spot
Until they face the trigger
Until they face the trigger
Ahhh...break the mold
How much longer?
Till they’re sleeping?
In Adrian Snood’s songs, soulful vocals and slow-moving alt-pop swirl together to create something distinctly moving. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 1, 2023
