1) "Jack and Coke" - a barroom blues rock tune about stupid stuff my friends and I would do in college, like mix caffeine and booze, in conspicuous quantities, thinking we were going to end up somewhere other than exactly where we were already.
Drums: Jason Edwards. Bass: Jesse Gallaway. Guitars: Chuck and Jesse. Inspiration and collaboration by Sander Coxe.
2) "That'll Do Ya" - a riff that fell out, as many do, while watching the tube and noodling around. Thought I might have just copied a Stones lick, but it turned out I hadn't. "A little dab'll do ya," some of you may remember, was an advertising jingle for Brylcreem men's hair gel. Sticky fingers, all right...
Drums: Jason and William Sage, Bass: Jesse, Guitars: Chuck, Organ: Peter Adams, Sax: Cliff Colon, Vocals: Chuck, Tyler and Emily Jarms
3) "Can't Find My Blues" - a friend was having that experience we've all had where everything from your household is in boxes, some maybe dubiously labeled, when it occurred to me it might be nice if certain things just stayed mislaid.
Drums: William, Bass: Jesse, Guitar and Dobro: Chuck, Organ: Peter
4) "Jade Oak" - was the code name of a cyber incident at one of my old jobs, and for reasons that are now lost to me, became an idea for a song about hidden dangers. A song that I then used as a frame to create a bit of a jam. Lyrical assistance and inspiration from Katherine McDaniel and David Rice.
Drums: William and Jason, Bass: Jesse, Guitars: Chuck and Martin Budde, Keys: Peter Adams, Sax: Cliff Colon, Backing Vocals: Emily.
5) "Who Knows?" Inspired by the book "Fooled by Randomness" by Nassim Taleb, which points out much more of life is happenstance than we like to accept. A plea to embrace uncertainty and rest in faith, not control.
Drums: William, Bass: Jesse, Guitars and Vocals: Chuck
6) "American Poet" - A song about John Prine (and the company in which I think he should be held). I don't think there's a better metaphor in all of songwriting than "naked as the eyes of a clown," and that's just one of John Prine's gifts. A musician whose performances rested much more heaviily on humanity than flash, something to which I can relate...
Drums: William, Bass: Jesse, Piano: Peter, Guitars: Chuck, Backing Vocals: Emily
7) "Ghosts" - originally started as a soft, slow tune, it turned into a rocker thanks to the good energy zipping around the studio when we cut this. I love those old 60s Power Pop songs! The album's first single...
Drums: Jason and William, Bass: Jesse, Guitars and Electric Sitar: Chuck, Vocals: Emily
8) "25 Decembers" - written for my kids, with whom time on earth we have to spend together is the most precious and most perfect thing, especially now that they're adulting. Also for Jimmy Buffet, born on 25th December 1946. A lot of fun with Tyler putting together the rhythm track using household objects. Thanks so much to Tiger for the gorgeous vocal part; hope we didn't bury it too deep in the mix.
Drums and programming: Tyler; Guitars, keyboards and a mallet on the ottoman: Chuck; Vocals: Tiger Zane.
9) "O River" - as noted elsewhere, a song for Neil Bernstein, lost in the Potomac River. Creative assistance from Sandra Bishop and Seanie Blue. And a big hand to my 38-watt Dr. Z amp and the D'Angelico DLX-175 guitar for the "kerrangs" and to Creative Commons for the shofar and thunder.
Drums: Jason, Bass: Jesse, Guitars: Chuck, Organ: Peter.
10) "Cold, Rain and Snow," the classic bluegrass tune, oft-covered by the Grateful Dead (and their progeny), here remodeled a bit with a disco beat and bluegrass instruments, plus some original lyrical modifications (have to give you a "Glomar" answer to the question of whether they're autobiographical or not). Thanks to Jesse for giving it a go on the mandolin and to Martin Budde for the fabulous flatpicking!
Drums: Jason, Bass and Mandolin: Jesse, Guitars: Martin and Chuck, Dobro: Chuck
