My latest single, Here’s One for the Big Guys Upstairs is now available everywhere that music streams, including Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and wherever else.
Written and recorded sometime in 1996 (unfortunately this 1/4″ reel was not dated), Here’s One for the Big Guys Upstairs sits on the tape between one of the first versions of Hangman Jubilation (from the Maypops’ Spirits of Agnew) and a song that is also being published for the first time on vault I, Pig, Mr. & Mrs. (formerly). With the hard-edged, angular Kiss Me Screaming debut in the rearview mirror, I was now in a period of decisvely not overwriting songs. Really just working with familiar, pleasant chordal and melodic structures anchored in guitar strumming patterns. It seemed too easy – criminally easy! Which is exactly what I meant by the lyrics “Above my head a light bulb, why not crime – it’s easy and it does pay.” So, in my youthful, extraordinarily naive mind, writing hits was as easy as writing very simply. No measure of luck, timing, location, circumstance in my analysis; I could write hits from the comfort of not trying that hard and the big guys upstairs would surely recognize my expertise. And writing hits was my Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. While the market and the technology have transformed the business of music in ways I could never have foreseen, the odds of success – actually writing and/or recording a hit – have always been and remain vanishingly small, “struck by lightning” odds (no shit, Sherlock). This ambitious young man was undettered by such details. Belief in my exceptional destiny at the top of the charts was unshakeable.
(Insert paragraph here from the universe in which I wrote a hit, lived like a benevolent but feared king, and died a hero).
In fairness to my youthful delusional ambition, Here’s One for the Big Guys Upstairs remains a song and recording that I have a lot of affection for. As with any band, Kiss Me Screaming had a diversity of musical viewpoints, yet the cohering throughlines of influence across the members were strong. When Big Guys was recorded, both guitarist Brian Delaney and I were ingesting quite a bit of Neil Young, which I’m guessing is somewhat obvious when you listen. What I truly love about Brian’s playing here is how he marries Young’s ragged style with a brilliant electric 12-string solo that harkens back to early 70s guitar pop, the source of which I can’t quite put my finger on. Brian had a 1965 Fender 12-string that lit the tape up like fireworks (at least it did when in Brian’s hands) that will feature prominently in other recordings in the vault.
Next out of the gate (within the next month, In shaa Allah) will be the full vault I album, which I am truly excited to share with you all! Eid Mubarak!