WHAT'S THAT @#$&*@! NOISE COMING FROM THE GARAGE?! Our Humble Author Drops An Album

Awhile back, Rolling Stone posted an article about the Garage Band app, installed as standard on all iPhones, as a compositional and recording tool in current popular music.  I haven’t posted any writing in quite awhile—my blog output has slowed from a torrent to a trickle to nothing-- but I’ve been busy musically, busy indeed, and some of my business has, indeed, been with the Garage Band app.  As many or most of youse know, I play in a couple of bands, but you may not know that I also have been dabbling with Garage Band in some fun ways over the last couple of years.  And so: the RS article prompted me to gather up some of my GB concoctions and offer them up as a package—an album, if I may be so bold.  What's That @#$&*@! Noise Coming From The Garage? is a collection of songs I have recorded using Garage Band (with one exception) since the summer of 2017.  Most of these have been done in one sitting or session, and most contain fluffled lyrics, muffed chords, random extraneous noises, and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic indiscretions aplenty, but also, hopefully, some bits that are kinda nice, alright.  Just click the link above to find a file with the album (divided into "sides" if you wanna think of it as a piece of vinyl and / or consume smaller helpings...).

All but the first song (Believer’s Blues) are covers.  Most of you know that my own repertoire is mostly covers (my bands play a larger percentage of originals) and most of you have probably heard my spiel about covers, but in case not here it is: Kurt Vonnegut once said that he wouldn’t mind being placed in the “Science Fiction” drawer if so many people didn’t mistake that drawer for a urinal, and I feel the same way about playing in “cover bands.”  Someone (was it you?) once said to me that a good cover of a song either does the song differently or does it better than the original version.  While that isn’t really the whole conversation about covers, it’s a good way to start.  To the “different or better” question, I would also add some other ideas to consider as one contemplates cover versions of songs: first, how a given song stands up to cover-age is a test of the song itself— if people can have engaging musical conversations with the song, bend it their own way, make it say something new, cast it in a different light, then it’s probably a good song in and of itself, whoever is playing it.   Cover versions are also a kind of crucible or benchmark test for musicians—a successful or unsuccessful cover version can say a lot of different things about a performer.  Finally, I’d say that musicians’ decisions about what songs they cover and how they cover them constitutes a legitimate musical artistic vehicle and art form—whether or not those musicians write songs of their own—  giving “cover bands” and “cover guys” like me every bit as much musical legitimacy as people playing “original” material.  I have played in “cover bands” for many years.  Yeah, I’ve written or co-written a few songs which aren’t half bad, but I ain’t no Bob Dylan and have no delusions about this fact.  However, I sure as hell know a great song when I hear one, and take pride in my ability (and in my bands’ abilities) to have a musical conversation with a great song—to recast it using different tempos, harmonic structures, instrumentations, and stylistic approaches, and also to respect its primary melodic, harmonic, and lyrical ideas.  I also bet almost any other musician or band you’d wanna hear could lay out dozens of covers which would render you, dear listener, speechless and which would also lend you powerful insight into that musician’s musical heritage and passions and would probably also inspire you to check out some things you’ve never listened to.  And so: as a musician who spends much of my own musical time as a player / performer covering songs of other people, I hereby offer this album as a defense, indeed a celebration, of the role of cover songs in this world which, post-Beatles / Bob Dylan, places a distinctly higher value on musicians who write their own songs than those who cover other people’s songs

Most of the tracks employ a GB drummer generated rhythm track and some multitraclk recording of guitars, voices, and bass.  A few (Heart Shaped Box, Louisiana 1927, and Atlantic City from Side 1, and Midnight Special and Good Riddance on Side 2) are just me and a guitar, like at a bar.  On all tracks except #10 (the collection’s second reading of Randy Newman’s Lousiana 1927) all instruments (guitars and basses) and voices are me except the GB generated drummer.  On #10, the main guitar, drum, and keyboard parts are done by my good friend Johnse Holt, while I sing and noodle a bit on the acoustic guitar at the end.  Every time I do anything with Johnse I get better as a musician and I am honored, privileged, and deeply humbled by and grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with him in his magical basement space.

Many thanks to Johnse, and to my wife Liz, my daughter Alex, and my son Arron for enduring the much noise and time involved with my music making, to my parents and grandfather for The Gift, to current and past bandmates Patrick, Jen, Stephen, Michael, Jimmy, Clem, Jamie, Holly, Carol, and Mike and Irene for all the wonderful playing which truly makes my life worth living, and to Mark for all of his personal and artistic support and counsel.  No words are adequate to describe my indebtedness and gratefulness to these people.

Below the second set of pics (of my wife's gorgeous Martin which I am allowed to play) are some brief notes on the individual tracks.

Many thanks for listening and reading.

Peace, Love, and Rock and Roll.

mk

SIDE 1

1. Believer’s  Blues (Mark Maxwell- Mike Kruse)

The only original here kicks it off.  My friend Mark and I wrote this now nearly 20 years ago- yikes.  Other than that, methinks it speaks for itself.

2. I Wouldn’t Wanna Be Like You (Alan Parsons)

A 70’s classic rock-pop tune from Mr. Parsons, who worked with George Martin on Beatles records then produced Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.  If you remember this song, you’re about my age.

3.  Guilty (Randy Newman)

Took me years to be able to sing this song without breaking down at the lyric “You know I just can’t stand myself.”  Lotta sadness here—my kinda song.  Phew.

4. Heart Shaped Box (Kurt Cobain / Nirvana)

This and the next 2 are just me and the guitar like at a bar.  Still hurts to think about Kurt.

5. Louisiana 1927 (Randy Newman)

Also just me and a guitar like at a bar.  This is one of 2 quite different settings of this song I've put on this album. In both cases, the vocal is inspired by Sonny Landreth's reading of this Newman classic on the tribute album Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman.  See side 2 track 5 for another setting laid out by the esteemed Johnse Holt.

6. Atlantic City (Bruce Springsteen)

Been playing this one for a long time.  Murder ballad.  The Boss.  Voice and guitar, like at the bar.  Kinda like it meself.

7. Jumping Jack (Mick Jagger- Keith Richards)

Garage Banding back up here with drums, bass, and multi-tracked guitars.  My ragged GB rip at Jagger-Richards.

SIDE 2
1. Toxic (Britney Spears)

Never thought you’d hear me covering B. Spears, huh?  Well some friends (thanks Holy and Lester!) stuck this song of hers at the end of another CD they burned for me as kind of a joke, I think, but mebbe not...???  In any case, I found its desperation utterly arresting.  Lotsa folks have covered this song in lotsa different ways.  Here’s my way.

2. Midnight Special (Huddie Leadbetter)

This is a pretty straightforward reading of the Leadbelly classic, just me and the guitar, like at the bar.  Love to sing this song.  Also check out Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart's version if you wanna have your heart ripped out.

3. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out (Otis Redding)

Many people know this song from Clapton’s rendition on Unplugged, and my reading here is certainly based on that version.  I’ve always said that Clapton is an over-rated guitarist but and under-rated singer and his unplugged cover kinda shows that, methinks, if you’re interested in checking it out.  The song is originally written and sung by the great, late but immortal Otis Redding. 

4. Stand By Me (Ben E. King)

My friend and Tuesday night bandmate Michael Rowe set this R and B standard to a different groove and swapped an A minor chord into the middle of the change instead of a C and now we have something kinda cool and a bit different. This is me doing it by meself, but I’m grateful to Michael for the arrangement and for bringing me onboard to the gig I’d been prepping for my whole life.

5. Louisiana 1927 with Johnse Holt (Randy Newman)

This version has a vocal similar to the Sonny Landreth-inspired take on track #04, but Johnse’s setting, built around a baritone guitar hooked up to accordion and other sounds over a simple drum beat, is much richer and more elegant than my guitar hacking on side 1 track 4.

6. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)

Almost everyone has covered this, so why should I be an exception?  My reading hails from, among other places, the late great Michael Hedges’s (saw him do it live in college—way cool) and U2's covers of the Dylan classic.

7. Good Riddance (Billie Joe Armstrong / Green Day)

A pretty straightforward offering, not far from Billie Joe’s original—just me and a guitar "like at the bar!"  I play it at the bar sometimes on Tuesday nights.  I don’t always finish with this song, but it is a closer: if I play it, I’m done.  Thanks for listening.  G’night...