Liner Notes

Sammy and the Snake Charmer’s Union’s CD The Monkey Speaks his mind is done being recorded. Now comes the more monotonous job of mixing and mastering the CD. Thanks for doing this for me Jon.

I use Jon because he has a fresh pair of ears and no preconceived ideas about the songs. He can go wild with effects and playing with the sounds we recorded. I’ve heard what he did with Moustashe’s Cd Trailer Daze, and George’s bare bones CD Goin’ Native. Jon is a master of thinking outside the box with glorious results.

I’ll be doing my own artwork for my CD. In fact the artwork created is the same as the header on my blog. The cover and name came first. The Blog second.

The liner notes or the words on the inside of the cd, is where I’m having my problems. The thank you’s are tough because I don’t want to leave anyone out. I’m bound to and will sheepishly apologize. I’ve dedicated the album to the three “Gs” George Ozier, Greg Ozier, and Garrie Carlen. All three of them had a major effect on my musical upbringing. I describe it in detail on the CD. I thank all the musicians who played and gave up their time to play on my wacky collection of songs. Easy. Thanking the people I trusted to listen to it and give me their opinion or just plain giving them a sneak peek. Thanking the people who inspired the songs. My old bands, and bands that I know and inspire me. Either through their friendship and support with the making of the CD. Also just friends who have helped me through the past few troubling years. Now that I see the sunshine more than the clouds they have become even more important to me and I don’t want them to think I don’t love and appreciate them and will never take them for granted.

Here is the problem: Part of me want’s to finish the notes with a message to those others who helped inspire an album full of happiness, inside jokes and love songs. The song ”The Monkey Speaks His Mind” is the only dark song on the record but I’ve always loved the old New Orleans talking blues and it’s views on man. Some of the views turned out to be prophetic.

“Here’s another thing a monkey won’t do, Go out at night and get all in a stew, And take a gun, or a club, or a knife, and take another monkey’s life.” ~ The Monkey Speaks His Mind.

Do I put that last twist of the knife and dedicate Bob Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street” to the crappy people I’ve known through out my whole ordeal?

I was thinking about doing it something like this:

I dedicate Bob Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street” to the uncaring, lying, cheating, and stealing ex, her heartless children,unchristian Ministers, band members who never returned the loyalty given to them, a decade of fair-weather friends who chose to follow the wrong friend. To the liars,back stabbers,both literally and figuratively, and their families who never showed compassion or apologized for the acts. The parents of a few families in Jewett, IL who are clueless and have over blown egos. To the women who made their ex-boyfirends jealous by using me, for texting the guy next to us while I was taking them out, for using me as their door mat, and for those who never considered the feelings of others. Listen to this CD and know it was also inspired as a fuck you to all of you. The love, jokes, and happiness on this album is an answer to all of you. You deserted me when I was down but you failed to realize I wasn’t out. I’m stronger, smarter, and a better man than all of you.

I didn’t record the Bob Dylan song because I wanted to put as much effort into making something for you as you did in reaching out a helping hand when I needed it, which is none. I can look my self in the mirror. Can you?

Now a few months ago I realized I was still trying to get back at these people. The hate I had for them even fueled my happiness. Kind of like “screw you I’m happy in spite of you.” I don’t want to feel that way. I want to be happy because I am happy. I thought I had reached that point. I let it go remember? But writing these liner notes made me want to dredge up the last word on the subject. I must not have let it all go. I feel like I have. I don’t get angry, I’m understanding by seeing things from other’s point of view. Somewhere getting deeper inside me is that angry man who wants to get in each person’s face and tell them how it felt. I’m still not too good to mention to them they didn’t text or call when I needed them. But through it I saw who my real friends are, met some great new friends, dated women I always found attractive but never said a word to because I was married. I’ve rekindled a friendship that is blossoming into something more. Without the pain would I have appreciated the love, kindness, and just the fact she likes ME?

I would really like some feedback on this. I’m torn. I’m not sure I want such a negative thing on my CD. It’s like a bad tattoo, It follows you forever. But part of me wants them to know they helped me make such an album. The CD is good. Real good. Much better than even I expected. There are some wacky songs on there. I did listen to a little too much Zappa in my younger years. But there are also more than a handful of love songs, lust songs, and songs about cars and story songs. There are some gems. each song had a person or a situation in mind. Soul Leech Records, the Co-Op record company I use, demands that your songs be honest no matter the style. It is an honest album, filled with my thoughts and loves and sense of humor.

Things are going great with B.B. the woman I’ve been seeing. I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like but when we do get together it’s always a wonderful time. Her eyes haunt me.

It also looks like The Bombshells project is a go. I have the complete band together (knock on wood) and we will start putting this musical project together soon. I’ll have to make a complete blog about this project. I’ve been too windy already.

Tattoos did someone say? Well once again I’m in the mood to start finishing these sleeves. I’ve been walking around for years half-finished. Not Dave’s fault but mine. Come Check out his new studio Living Color Tattoo. I go in at 11:00 Monday morning. Come by and chat while I set and cry because it hurts. Someone come and hold my hand!

Once again, help a brother out and give me some feed back on this liner note thing. Speaking of Bob Dylan he said “You really don’t know a person till you’ve walked a mile in their shoes, then it really doesn’t matter because you are a mile away and you have their shoes.”

Here is the song I didn’t record for those assholes. The lyrics are way too true… I couldn’t find Dylan’s but Simply Red did a nice version. Plus you have lyrics if you ant to sing along. they fade out out on the best line but you’ll have read it anyway. Enjoy!

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