[recorded 12-21-05]
If you’ve heard On the Beach (Basement Tapes Vol. 4) you may find it inconceivable that the whole “sex with a whale carcass” concept could be taken any further, yet here it is: Rotting Blowhole Blues (On the Beach Part 2) picks up where the original left off, and may even be more musically inventive than its predecessor (great vocals!). But of course it’s the lyrics that really get me every time—HEE-larious! Also likely to be the last bootleg tapes entry for 2005. 2006 here we come!
It's Time
[recorded 1-8-06]
The night this was recorded, the batteries in my little tape recorder (see also Basement Tapes Vol. 1 Intro) were running low and hence the fidelity of what I got recorded is a little lower than usual. However, this take of It’s Time is so goddamned good that I had to put it up here anyway. Infectious!
Tuna
[recorded
1-12-06]
Yet another meandering track of weird talk* interlaced with musical inspiration, this time on Tuna-esque themes. Tuna offers insight into our artistic process and, as Emily notes just as the track ends, it is “a great sing-along song”—so don’t be bashful!
*Historical note: At the
head of the track, Carl mentions that he has been spending all his time on the
fuckin’ computer, which refers to the excellent work he has been doing on
revamping the Telepathic Dumpster website of late. Kudos to Webmasta Carl!
The Bumblebee Song
[recorded
1-12-06]
I guess getting ourselves into an alternative tuning (in preparation for the second set of our Fox & Firkin show on Jan. 14, 2006) put us into a creative mood this particular rehearsal, because here’s yet another spontaneously created family friendly favorite from Telepathic Dumpster!
[recorded 1-19-06]
Carl’s sequel to Tuna from the previous rehearsal (see earlier this volume), including a brief snippet of the eponymous chorus right at the end of the track. Enjoy!
[recorded 1-19-06]
A
short improvisational jam with a great bass line and a compelling lyrical
concept.
Tom Petty Sucks
[recorded 1-19-06]
The concept of taking other rock musicians to task for their politics is not new—think of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s famous musical lambasting of Neil Young in Sweet Home Alabama, or U2’s Rattle and Hum-era attempt to “steal back” Helter Skelter from Charles Manson—but I think Tom Petty Sucks has a particular relevance for those who cling (as I once did) to T.P. as a sort of ragged, truth-telling subcultural icon. What’s more, aside from its larger political ramifications, this track has also gone over very well at recent live performances and is great fun to play, as I think this recording shows.
[recorded 1-19-06]
I’ve been listening to this one alot lately, both on my computer and in my head. Big Spider is one of our most exciting new songs, another great creation by the Master of Rock. In fact, Josh tells me that there might eventually be lyrics for this one, as it is based upon a real-life incident involving a law enforcement official.
Rubber Chicken (early version)
[recorded 2-1-06]
While this may not be the version of Rubber Chicken we will ultimately canonize by world-premiering it at the famous COLLEEN”S BIRTHDAY SHOW at the Black Forest on March 10, 2006, this track really gets cooking into a great little jam that stands on its own merits, and hence I could not resist including it here.
[recorded 2-8-06]
As you will hear at the beginning of the track, there has been some pressure from the band’s management, Toastmelon Productions, to develop this song for live performance—and we deliver! This is a sample of the version we will likely start playing in public very soon, and this particular take actually consists of two different moments from the same rehearsal that I have edited together (via a cross-fade) using my audio editing software.
New York
[recorded 2-8-06]
Another up-and-coming song likely to be heard at T. Dumpster shows in the not-too-distant future. A slighly rough take, but what the hell, the Basement Tapes wouldn’t be “cutting edge” if I held shit like this back.
[recorded 2-25-06]
Well, luckily for us, On the Beach simply refuses to go away (see also On The Beach in Basement Tapes Vol. 4 and Rotting Blowhole Blues in this volume) and now it appears that the song is evolving into a groovier, tighter version that might actually see the light of stage quite soon. This track was recorded at a recent 3-piece jam (sans Carl) and is such an exciting step forward for the whole On The Beach concept that I couldn’t resist making it available to you here.