Day 7-6/14/07

Tell The Truth...

J- We finished what we came up here to do, record Slow Stride in a peaceful, focused environment. The week flew by. I can't help to think of the little wren and her babies that Laura was watching all week, because we looked in the nest this morning and they were gone. The nest showed no sign of distress, so we know they weren't munched up by a snake or something. They just ran their course and went on their way. Laugh if you will (and you should), but it's kinda metaphoric. It's simple and blatant, but sometimes that's the way it is, and we look for so deep an interpretation that the evident, natural explanations fly out right from under our noses...

What the hell am I talking about???? I don't know. It has been an amazing week, and we are lucky to be able to do this. VERY LUCKY! We know this. Scott was playing this rare, out of print Otis Redding album, Tell The Truth, that he got from Germany. Amazing album. We heard that album 20 times beginning to end, and worth every note to do so. (There's no hidden interpretation here, that' just a badass album, from a badass man) We listened to Chocolate City, Funkadelic's first album with Bootsy Collins killing it. And, we watched that first disc of Flight of the Concords every night. That was the fuel for Slow Stride: Otis Redding, Funkadelic, and Flight of the Concords! And I challenge anyone to see how Slow Stride comes from that!!! I, personally, don't have an inkling, but it does somehow make sense. You figure it out.

So onto the thank you's...

Scott, you are a scholar and a gentleman and son of a bitch with a ridiculously hilarious sense of humor. Thank you for...well, how can I say thank you any better than...well...Bette Midler's iconic song from your favorite movie Beaches, "I can fly higher than a beagle, if you are a the wind beneath my wings!" ahahahaha! (Yeah I know it's "eagle" and not "beagle", but a flying beagle would be pretty inspirational too. I mean I don't know if it inspires patriotism, but dammit, it bloody well should, Brit!)

Julio, drummer-drummer, who is a brother to me! Thanks for the beats and for letting us record the drums at JYJ Studios with you. You remind me so much of J.Mascis in that Baltimore show we saw some years ago. Yeah, that and the fact that my mom thinks you look like Bleeding Gums Murphy from The Simpsons!!!

Joan Nelson, thank you for opening your home and your heart to us for this project. I know that the soul of the Grove will shine through this album.

...& thank you to Jeanie and Taylor Nelson, and all Nelsons for that matter. You made us feel like part of the family! Uncle Rick is the real McGuiver! Thank you as well to Dave Reis, sound expert and rugby badass! Kevin Perkins kept the home front in check. Mom & Dad Askins, Mom & Dad Lopez, Mom & Dad Cruz, our family and friends. And most of all THANK YOU to anyone who read this triffle, and spent some time with us. We hope you all enjoy the new album as much as we enjoyed making it. God Bless.

CALAHONEY