Escobar in the Heartland

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Greybeard
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2011/06/20 11:04:01 (permalink)

Escobar in the Heartland

Here's a new one that is actually over 30 years old. It's a long, dark, sweltering song that was sparked by a long, strange, sweltering road trip through pre-Reagan America. When I first wrote it, I did an error-filled one-take recording of it on my trusty AKAI 4000 and filed it. The tape degraded over the years and all I had left of the song was the sardonic post-adolescent angst of the lyrics, which--to me, anyway--still have power. So I decided to revive the thing and give it the full one-man-band treatment--to reconnect with the ghost of my jaded youth.

I've tried to keep as much of the original style and feel as possible. It's all me--there are no unindicted co-conspirators to blame.

Any echoes of My Old Kentucky Home, The Star-Spangled Banner and Home on the Range are purely intentional.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10718994
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    philz
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/20 13:00:21 (permalink)
    >The tape degraded over the years... <  Yeah, been there, done that

    Interesting tune there Michael.  I thought it was cool how you incorporated those classic lyrics into your song, and I could feel the angst (though that's a bunch of years decades back for me).  The tune had a nice feel sort of rock leaning punk to my ears.  I liked it.
    #2
    lhansen
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/21 12:02:40 (permalink)
    What a song!! Enough quirkiness in here that could easily bring me back as far as the 60's. Really nice to hear music like this.


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    geeare1
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/21 12:33:30 (permalink)
    Hi Michael,

    Cool song! Love all the song snippets and vocal asides.

    Nice arrangement and mix, too.

    -gr

    'There's two kinds of music: good and bad. I like both.' - Duke Ellington

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    jamesg1213
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/22 03:04:57 (permalink)
    Really like this Michael. Lyrics are excellent (''your pupils grow bigger all day'' - love that ), and the backing vocals are wonderful, especially the 'hey' Don't hear enough songs like this anymore - shame.

     
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    Greybeard
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/23 11:38:25 (permalink)
    Philz:  Thanks for the kind words.  I was hopeful that the musically literate folks who hang out here would appreciate the allusions I've played with.  As for my "angst", it has waxed and waned over the years decades, but it's on the boil again these days.  "Rock leaning punk":  I like it.

    Larry:  The '60's just won't go away, will they?  Hopeless idealism still bubbles up in some of us ancients who managed to survive the rise of pragmatism and compromise--even if the only way we can safely express it is in song.  Thanks for listening.

    Gary:  Glad you enjoyed it.  Your thought about the arrangement and mix was much appreciated.  I mixed this on new monitors (JBL LSR4328's), the first project for which I've used them exclusively, and I'm still learning their idiosyncrasies.  Thanks for posting.

    James:  Two members of the esteemed Slow Marching Band chiming in on the merits of my tune!  Very cool.  I just hope my voice does those lyrics justice.
    #6
    Janet
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/23 16:40:17 (permalink)
    I had to read the words to see if I really did hear 'where the cantaloupe lays.'  :)  This is great...great to see that teenage angst turn into something entertaining. 
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    Greybeard
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/26 14:21:40 (permalink)
    Thanks, Janet, for the encouraging words, and for finding amusement in my twisted homage to "Home on the Range"
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    kennywtelejazz
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    Re:Escobar in the Heartland 2011/06/27 09:14:28 (permalink)
    Michael,
    I did enjoy this song very much
    your  tune is like traveling in a time machine that's set to epic life situations
    you put out some great energy , and gave the song some very inventive mini arrangements as the song cycles through the various lyrics & story's
    there is a lot of power in taking emotionally charged  subjects & making fun of them w the music & lyrics

    Kenny

                       
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