© 2003 Mike Taranto
As a writer, there are very few things more satisfying than having a close friend ask after first hearing one of your songs, "Is everything all right?" It is satisfying because the song has prompted him to ask the very same question that inspired me to write it.
Nietzsche observed that we should be careful casting out our inner demons, lest we cast out the best part of ourselves. This can be true only if we first acknowledge their presence to begin with.
These are the first lyrics I wrote inspired by the events of 9/11/01. The title comes directly from the script of one of my all time favorite films, "Lawrence Of Arabia."
This is the first of several tracks that were recorded live at our studio on 99th St. and Broadway. This was by no means a "high tech" recording studio. As a matter of fact it was little more than a glorified basement. Yet for those of us, who built it up, rehearsed, wrote and recorded there, there was something very "musical " about the place.
I had previously recorded this song with a full band in a very different recording environment. Despite the polish of that recording, I felt that a live acoustic version offered the best way to express the song.
This is the oldest track on the record. We first started working on this track in the mid 90's in a studio in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. I was lucky enough to get to work with and become friends with Bass player Ivan Elias. We have redone a lot on this track since then, but Ivan's work has remained untouched. I point this out because shortly thereafter, Ivan was diagnosed with end stage cancer. Looking back on that session, I am still amazed that he was able to play the way he did with the pain he must have been dealing with. It goes beyond any kind of tribute to his skill or anything on his resume. When I went to visit him in hospital he told me that he felt really good about the work he had done and looked forward to hearing the finished project. I still feel really good about the work he did. It is a bittersweet thing knowing I can share one of Ivan's final sessions with everyone but him.
This track was also recorded live at 99th Street. This song features my first "accidental" acoustic guitar solo. While listening to the play back, I was messing around with some second guitar parts not intending to put anything down. Well believe it or not, along comes the middle of the song and I notice I'm in "record "mode. At that point it was either lose the whole track or play a guitar solo until I could get close enough to push the stop button. Needless to say, the rest is "on the record."
It can be a very difficult thing to go into a recording studio without a serious plan of how you are going to get everything done in the time that you're allotted. It can also be very difficult to try an express yourself in an inflexible environment. Balancing these types of concepts is what making a record is all about. When we recorded the drums for this track, we decided that because this was a rather intricate song I should play a, "reference" guitar track along with the drums to cue the changes. One of the best things about making this cd was getting to improvise with people like George Recile. Talented musicians inspire those they play with and George is one of the best. When we got to the end of the rehearsed part of the song for some reason we both weren't finished. Our engineer let the tape roll recording the improvisation that would become track # 7, reference guitar and all.
The most intricate of all the songs recorded at 99th street. The whole track was recorded by using one Tascam CDRW700 cd burner and one Sony Walkman. I have described how I did it to a few mystified engineers. I think I may have had almost as much fun explaining my recording technique, as I did actually recording the song.
Fifteen years of bartending have left me enamored with two words, "Last Call." When my friend Marcus suggested I use that to name my band, I thought it sounded right. The musicians who first performed live with me as "The Last Call" recorded this song. Since then, there have been several line-ups known as "The Last Call" and there is a now a new one all set to perform live in support of this cd.
This is another song that has seen several different versions. Once again it felt best to do this at 99th Street as a live acoustic performance.
I have always considered myself more of a songwriter than a guitar player so it may seem odd to close out the record with an instrumental. I first picked up the guitar in March of 1988. I bought a used Fender acoustic for $115.00 on 48th Street in New York City. I called my friend Tony Zajkowski (vocals on "Who But They") and asked him to tell me what notes the strings were supposed to be tuned to. Since then, I don't ever remember going more than a day or two without playing. It was the only thing I ever felt really right doing.
After 9/11/01 there was no reason to play. Ten days later, I found myself back in the studio on 99th Street. Most times, being in a studio all by myself is a wonderful thing. On that day with the grief and the loss still fresh, all I was able to do, was be alone. Still unable to play, I called my friend Joel, and asked him to drop by and bring his guitar. He and I have been playing on and off together for as long as I've been playing. For some reason (maybe I was just passing time until he arrived) I set up microphones and ball parked some levels. He came in, sat down, and I rolled tape. What is on this cd is the first three minutes and thirty-nine seconds of our conversation. This song may not represent the best playing or the most intricate composition we have ever done. For me, it is about friends, both present and departed. It is about sorrow and about healing. It is about Love.
It is music.