I released the Giant Chicken CD in Oct 2006 to support the tour I did with Pat MacDonald. You can hear all of the songs in the player below, though they're slightly lower quality than the ones you can Order on iTunes or buy on CD. Click the first song and the player will stream the whole CD in order (as long as you keep this window open, even in the background), or you can click on any individual song to jump to that specific one.
Some of the people who donated their enormous talents to this CD include Merel Bregante (drummer for Loggins and Messina), Andy Waldeck, Alex Radus, Maria Woodford, and a veritable treasure trove of Madison Wisconsin musical royalty including Lou Berryman, Biff Blumfumgagne, Dave Stoler, Sean Michael Dargan, Michael Brenneis, Rachel Cavan, and Jacob Mills.
Release Notes
OK, on we go with the song-by-song stuff...
1) I Suppose There's a Hole In My Life (Rock, Singer/Songwriter)
This was recorded at Sean Dargan's studio with Michael Brenneis on drums, me on rhythm guitar, Sean Dargan on bass and lead guitar. I sing both vocal tracks.
We recorded the basic tracks on a Tuesday I think, and I only had the 1st verse, 2nd verse, and chorus written. We recorded it anyway. The next morning I came back to the studio to record the vocals and I took fifteen minutes or so to write the third verse. Sean leant me his rhyming dictionary, pretty funny.
This song was inspired by this guy I saw in a MacDonald's having lunch with his kids. I was having lunch with my kids too. He had tattoos all up and down his arms. I didn't. Some might say that's about all we had in common, but I'd beg to differ. OK, that's all for now.
2) The Whipporwill (Folk, Singer/Songwriter)
Also recorded at Sean's studio, but this was solo, just turned on the mics and let her go. I think we did three or for cuts at it and liked this one best. I love the guitar sound Sean got on this track. Apparently this song is the reason the CD is in the WORT-FM library listed under "Folk" so the DJs can find it. Umm. "What the world needs now is another folk singer..." -Cracker
3) Friday Night At The Ice Cream Stand (Acoustic Rock)
This was recorded at Merel Bregante's studio in Austin Texas with Andy Waldeck on bass, Maria Woodford on Mandolin, Alex Radus on guitar, me on guitar and vocals. Merel whipped up a drum machine beat... we never replaced it.
This song was inspired by the ice cream stand in Buena Vista Colorado... which of course had none of the specific images I used except there were a lot of people there and it was Friday.
4) Overgrown Piano (Jazz, Folk)
This one was recorded mostly in Madison at Sean's place but the bass line by Andy Waldeck was actually recorded in Austin at Merel's place. The wonderful Dave Stoler is on piano, Michael Brenneis on drums. I'm on guitar and vocals. The Austin sessions had a bunch of other guitar parts and stuff but once I heard Dave's piano I scrapped all the other stuff. He did it in one take except for two overdubs at the beginning and end. Freaking genius. I knew he'd be great on this song, and by sheer coincidence I met up with him backstage at the Donald Fagen concert in Chicago.
I wrote the lyrics for this song on the bus ride home from New York City one day... it's an ode to Manhattan mostly... I love Manhattan, just walking around. I'll never forget walking up 16th Street at 9pm with a business plan under one arm, talking on my cellphone on my way to an investor meeting. Still makes my heart pound just thinking about it, man, what an energy that place has.
5) Giant Chicken (Rock, Americana)
We recorded this all at Sean's place. I play all the guitars on this one, Sean's on bass, Michael Brenneis on drums. I love the lead guitar, it's ridiculous... completely unhinged... I could probably never recreate it.
Jacob Mills and Sean and I sing backup vocals on this too. Lyrically, this is my most wonderfully scathing political commentary ever I think. And it makes for funny photographs. This is sort of a skewed recollection of those yearly childhood visits to Gatlinburg Tennessee, gateway to the Smoky Mountains. God bless american commerce.
6) Old John Wagner (Folk, Singer/Songwriter)
This was recorded in Appleton Wisconsin at my friend Chris Aaron's house. I wrote this song after being invited to the Steel Bridge Songfest, just a few weeks before the festival. I remember pulling over on the highway between Milwaukee and Madison to write the words down. It's just me with a guitar, two microphones. Chris applied some digital magic, but for the most part it's just one take, live.
7) Palmer Johnson Yacht (Acoustic Rock, Singer/Songwriter)
We recorded this in Madison at Sean's place. Lou Berryman stopped over to play accordion on it, she's so cool. Michael Brenneis on drums, Sean on bass. Sean also plays mandolin on this track. Jacob Mills sings the low connecting harmony. I'm singing a bunch and playing guitar.
This was the song I wrote at the Steel Bridge Songfest that gained so much attention while I was there and I played it on the mainstage on Saturday night just before Jackson Browne played. He then autographed the lyric sheet for me, pretty cool. A bunch of people have told me they want to cover this song.
8) She's Made For Sunshine (Rock, Pop, Indie)
Recorded at Sean's place, Sean on bass, Michael on drums, me on guitars, vocals, and hand claps. The oscillating hammond organ sound and backwards guitar sound are by me on Sean's Strat through an effects box. This was the last of the songs I wrote at SBSFII. The morning I wrote this I walked downstairs to the breakfast area in the Holiday Motel and announced "I'm going to write a love song today." which is weird for me, I don't write many love songs. Love is cool.
9) Hello Mr. Banker
Recorded at Sean's place in Madison again, Sean on bass and lead guitar, me on vocals and rhythm guitar, Michael on bass. Sean added another vocal, and the wonderful Rachel Caven came in to sing the third verse. As you may have guessed, I wrote this when we were about to get a loan for $350K for a house out east which quite freaked me out and I had a panic attack and backed out.
It's the only song with a fade out, so it fit well at the end of the CD.
Here's all the CD Art...
Front Cover:
Back Panel and spines:
Inside Tray card... back of cover:
CD Art:
Inside Back Tray, behind the CD:
That's all for now...