I know, I know, it’s taken forever. Well, it’s still not done but I’m desperately trying to get the CDs ready to coincide with the release of Cleaning Out The Ashtrays.
Here’s the plan.
Volume 1 – Radio Bremen, 2003.
Volume 2 – Whelan’s, Dublin, 2008.
To be released simultaneously in a simple frugal package (ala Folkways/Blue Note) at a slightly less than normal price (I’m thinking $12.50 instead of the usual $15) to relfect the packaging and nature of the project. These types on decisions are also relevant to the new shop, and future live show sales – light CDs ship less expensively.
The reasoning for two albums is that the Radio Bremen show was VERY quiet, almost like a classical recital, Dublin on the other hand… well, let’s just say that I’m not always the lead singer.
For now – I just spent the whole day listening to myself sing and play guitar. I know I don’t suck but I truly hate this process and I wish there was someone else who could do it. I’m thankful to Mick Glossop for narrowing down the useable material from Dublin but I have found a few surprises and I do disagree with him on few songs, I think (angry LC on Friday wasn’t all bad).
The good news is that the Dublin recordings are much better than I’d hoped. More good news is that there will be no more than five songs which appear on both albums (with RB at 15, and Whelan’s at 20 at the current count) making a total of thirty songs between the two discs.
The bad news is certain songs just didn’t cut it, for all kinds of reasons, technical, accidental, drunk and disorderly (kidding), and me just being not great. But if they had, then we’d need three CDs to fit them on.
I’m thinking that maybe the almost made it tracks could be a freebie giveaway CD for the first buyers. Let me know what you think of this idea.
I do not have the running orders yet – I had to stop listening at 8PM – but a few tracks really stood out and will definitely make the albums –
On RB –
Music IAFL
Famous Blue Raincoat
NYC Sunshine (old arrangement)
What’s wrong with this picture?
The Young Idealists (just written and played very slow)
Forest Fire
At Whelan’s –
Woman in a Bar (thanks heavens I got a good version of this – I was so nervous)
My Other Life
Cut me Down
Vin Ordinaire
Rattlesnakes
Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends
2CV
Lost Weekend
I’m Gone
Perfect Skin (although we may need to use the version where I leave a short gap after If I were a Carpenter, because I made a mess of that (in terms of repeated listening) every night)
Unhappy Song.
There are more, I just don’t want to have to retract. I’m hoping to have a draft one list tomorrow.