- Title: Complete IPECAC
- Artist: IPECAC
- Timespan: 1988-1990
- Theme: every single note
- Length: 380:57
- Tracks: 85
- Lyrics: 55
- MP3s: 84 play all locally
- Rating: (none) rate this album
Track List
- Piston Alley
- Trek (1)
- Intro Chatter
- Trek (2)
- Better Drumsticks
- The Corps of the Matter
- Fake Reggae
- Apostrophe Song
- Share, Peace, and Love
- Trek (3)
- Share, Peace, and Love (2)
- Outro Chatter
- Chug-a-lug a Slug
- One Last Note
- Ants-covered Chocolate
- Six Strings in Sync
- Hallogen
- Cacaphony and Euphony
- Tune Drops
- Cacaphony 2
- The Challenge
- Apostrophe Song (2)
- Trek (4)
- Chatter
- Coup d'Etat
- Petrify
- Hallogen (2)
- Cacaphony and Euphony (2)
- Kim Edition Interview
- Good Earth Sequel
- My Familiar
- Recumbency
- Fortify
- Dead Air
- Sungreen
- Third Take
- The Broken Swing
- Grabatune
- All This is True
- Grapejuice
- Vacacaca
- Major Alto
- Hallogen (3)
- Share, Peace, and Love (3)
- Five Through Night
- Loogie Woogie
- Kiss the Devil
- Medea
- Merry Xmas
- Numb
- Lepercity
- Catharsis
- Repetitive Rap
- My Familiar (2)
- Numb (2)
- Sungreen (2)
- Share, Peace, and Love (4)
- Five Through Night (2)
- Medea (2)
- Lepercity (2)
- My Familiar (3)
- Tunes from the Bottle
- Mean Machine
- Go
- Anchovy Rock
- Thirteenth Night
- Schnell
- Numb (3)
- How Ya Is'n
- Maybe
- Three Pointer
- Downpour
- Ammonia Song
- Panorama
- Dissonance Song
- Demian (with Luke)
- Jon Solo (1)
- Jon Solo (2)
- Thirteenth Night (test)
- Thirteenth Night (with Luke)
- Fish Time
- Three Pointer (2)
- Downpour (2)
- Homeboy Rap
Notes
This "box set" contains every known IPECAC recording. Even the between-song chatter has been preserved.
There have been three editions so far.
The first edition was assembled in December 1994 and consisted of three cassettes. It omitted "The Challenge", most of the between-song chatter, and most of the extras. As far as I know, nobody ever listened to it except me.
The second edition was created on 2002-07-11. It fit on five CDs. It added the missing songs and expanded the liner notes and credits.
The third and current edition is what you see on this website. It doesn't exist on CD yet, and is constantly evolving as I find more material and insights as to recording dates. Since I still don't know all the exact dates for the songs, it might be a while before I finalize the song for this edition and put it on CD.
Songs
Piston Alley
- Apostrophe track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 1
- recorded: 1988-06-??
- length: 3:38
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, percussion, talking
- Jon Friesen - percussion, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the earliest IPECAC recording. Atypically, Jon doesn't play sax on it; he sticks to percussion (no pun intended). Our playing is very sloppy and repetitive, but there's a solid energy here.
The recording is sped up, so it sounds like Scat-Trav (1988-era Trex). When I was transcribing the lyrics, I had to guess who said what.
Lyrics to "Piston Alley":
[spoken intro] TRAV: okay, this one... oh, does it have a name? here, test... JON: no, it's basically mass improvisation, man TRAV: i thought so ???: it's ... [practice?] JON: let's call it um, uh, "piston alley" TRAV: what? JON: "piston alley" ???: ... [operation?] TRAV: ok, wait, make sure that works JON: ready TRAV: we're ready! wait, here's, here's i have to do a drum solo at the beginning ready? 1, 2, 3... oh you can't start that ... not the drum part... JON: well that, that way... you don't want it at all TRAV: all right well, ready, here's the, here's the beginning [spoken outro] JON: it's time to go TRAV: wooh! was that crazy or what? JON: that was interesting TRAV: uh, who gets the tape? JON: ??? TRAV: you gonna let your parents hear the tape? JON: ???
Trek (1)
- Apostrophe track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 2
- recorded: 1988-06-0?
- other names: Trek, Stop All Time
- length: 2:10
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, percussion, talking | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, percussion
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is our earliest recorded version of "Trek", from back when I called it "Stop All Time". The talking in the beginning ("this is our second take") suggests that there was one earlier version, which we probably recorded over. It sounds like we sped it up using a dictaphone.
According to "Trek Chatter" (on Kim 13), we may have recorded this (and possibly "Piston Alley") at Jon's house about a week before my piano-only version, which was recorded on 1988-06-16. However, the percussion and screaming were usually things we did at my house, so I'm not sure.
As for the song itself, well, it's only a small part of the "Trek" suite. The performance is peppy, but sloppy. The sound quality is crummy (as is the case with most IPECAC). However, at least you finally get to hear Jon playing the sax!
Lyrics to "Trek (1)":
TRAV: this is our second take [scat] wow again ??? one more time and here it is [shrieking]
Intro Chatter
- Gourmet track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 3
- recorded: 1988-06-??
- length: 0:22
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Introductory chatter. It was part test, part joke. Like most of IPECAC.
Lyrics to "Intro Chatter":
TRAV: can you hear us out there? can you hear us? let me - let me hear you say "no". hey, I hear myself, and it doesn't echo. but I'm there. that's all that counts. this is Travis Emmitt. this, this, this, this, this, this... is a ffff... oh. hear that? comic relief!
Trek (2)
- Gourmet track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 4
- recorded: 1988-06-??
- other names: Trek
- length: 11:33
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, shrieks | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, percussion
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the definitive version of "Trek". It's the first recording which contains all three sections: "God's Name", "Stop All Time", and "No Bull". I wrote out all the music by hand; it tooks me a few days to compose.
The first part ("God's Name") is painfully slow. Things pick up in the middle ("Stop All Time"). The last part ("No Bull") is okay; nothing special. Occasional bursts of static interrupt; I think the tape got damaged at some point.
But hey, I spent forever writing the thing, so we had to play it, right? Not only once, but three times (four if you count the short version on Apostrophe).
I'm pretty sure this was recorded after 1988-06-16, which is when I recorded my piano-only version of "Trek".
Also, although the tape cover says I played cornet, it sounds a lot deeper, more like a mellophone. Since I'm not sure, I'll trust the tape cover for now.
Better Drumsticks
- Gourmet track 3
- Best of IPECAC track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 5
- IPECAC Picks track 1
- recorded: 1988-06-??
- length: 3:24
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, vocals, tupperware | wrote: lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, vocals | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Jon wrote the music, and I wrote the lyrics (which make fun of complainers). It's a sloppy shambles. For some reason we liked it enough to put it on Best of IPECAC as-is.
Jon's sleeve notes for the Kim Edition of Best of IPECAC:
Better Drumsticks (Jazz/Fusion riff)
This song demonstrates a special effect which involves speeding up the tape. You will notice the almost superhumanly fast tempo as well as the abnormally high pitch. The vocals were not accelerated, however.
I don't remember why we called it "Better Drumsticks". Maybe the implication was that if we got better drumsticks, we'd play more pointless percussion jams?
Jon and I traded off vocals in the second verse, which was kinda a neat effect. It was often hard to coax him to sing.
Lyrics to "Better Drumsticks":
VERSE: you want chivalry you lose women's rights you want faster days you get slower nights you want stonger arms you get longer fights you want more attention you get brighter lights you want smaller taxes we have larger debts you want fewer missiles they make stronger threats you want easy lives you'll have more regrets you want impossible dreams so that's what you get CHORUS: if you want a quick drug you'll get a life-long low if you want a quick drug you'll get a life-long low wooh BRIDGE: it's, it's so true you want chivalry you lost women's rights you want chivalry VERSE: you want chivalry you lose women's rights you want faster days you get slower nights you want stonger arms you'll get longer fights you want more attention you get brighter lights you want smaller taxes we have larger debts you want fewer missiles they make stronger threats you want easy lives you'll have more regrets you want impossible dreams so that's what you get CHORUS: if you want a quick drug you'll get a life-long low if you want a quick drug you'll get a life-long low END: wooh yeah look at him go
The Corps of the Matter
- Gourmet track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 6
- recorded: 1988-06-??
- length: 3:57
- Travis Emmitt - percussion, talking
- Jon Friesen - percussion, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is a silly percussion improv. Jon picked the title. I had trouble pronouncing it. We both had trouble pronouncing our drum parts.
Lyrics to "The Corps of the Matter":
[spoken intro] TRAV: this is, hey, wooh! it's in stereo JON: it is? oh that's good TRAV: yeah, and it's our... JON: oh, are we in the right spot, oh? we might we recording over a good song TRAV: hmmm. we're in the right spot JON: oh, what tape is this? i mean, what tape are we recording on? TRAV: we're recording on the right tape JON: ok TRAV: ok, ready? this is our drum feature JON: ok TRAV: this is our drum feature and what do we call it? JON: uh, the corps of the matter, as in drum corps, you know TRAV: the corps of the manor JON: the corps of the matter ok, ready? TRAV: start us, jon [music starts] TRAV: wooh! yeah! hit it
Fake Reggae
- Gourmet track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 7
- recorded: 1988-06-??
- length: 3:41
- Travis Emmitt - percussion, talking
- Jon Friesen - percussion, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Not the most original title. It doesn't even have anything to do with the song, which is just percussion.
The only cool thing about this song is the ending. You can tell Jon and I were having a lot of fun! The glee in our voices tells you exactly why we were doing IPECAC, and why I have persisted in making [silly, noisy] music my entire life.
Lyrics to "Fake Reggae":
[intro chatter] TRAV: i think we need a break after this 1... this is our second one and it's called "fake reggae" JON: [???] TRAV: yeah. ready? start it [music starts] ???: wooh! yeah! TRAV: 1,2,3 [outro chatter] JON: wooh! yee-haw! TRAV: we gotta hear that!
Apostrophe Song
- Gourmet track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 8
- recorded: 1988-06-??
- other names: Apostrophe Theme Song, The Apostrophe Song, The Apostraphe Song, Apostrophe
- length: 3:02
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, vocals | wrote: lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, casio, vocals | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Jon wrote the music, and I wrote the lyrics (which originally appeared on Trex's "Five Dollar Drummer").
This was supposed to be our theme song. I wrote it before we changed our name to IPECAC. We might have performed it before the name change as well.
I distinctly remember writing the lyrics while sitting in the auditorium of my sister's middle school. I was supposed to be listening to her choir concert or a fashion show or something like that. I was really bored.
Lyrics to "Apostrophe Song":
[spoken intro] TRAV: 1,2,3 1,2,3,4,5 and a half and another half makes six JON: take 8 this is serious in stereo [beat-box] we should be ready [music starts] VERSE: hear us ring see us swing all of us dancing the bong-a-long hear us sing see our zing 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king VERSE: hey don't ding the pots don't ding the pots please don't dent the bowls try to spare the box to spare the box look at the holes CHORUS: 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme 'postrophe crushin' all of the time VERSE: crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' 'postrophe bustin' 'cause we got power 'postrophe bustin' 'cause it's our hour 'postrophe bustin' 'cause we can sing 'postrophe bustin' everything CHORUS: 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
Share, Peace, and Love
- Gourmet track 7
- Complete IPECAC track 9
- started: 1988-01-21
- recorded: 1988-07-??
- other names: Share, Peace, Love
- length: 4:00
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, percussion, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, percussion
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was my first "pop" song for IPECAC. I wrote the lyrics and music. I think we actually recorded this after Jon's version. I flubbed several of the lyrics. The music near the end is even worse.
My original version (with completely different music) was recorded for Trex.
Lyrics to "Share, Peace, and Love":
[spoken intro] TRAV: this is my version of "share, peace, and love" i wrote it on january 28th 1988 january 21st, and we've played this today [music starts] JON: wooh! yeah! TRAV: here we go, 1,2,3 VERSE: i just wanna have a good time i don't wanna know what is mine why can't the world just learn to share? it would eliminate war and make life so fair just think of a world full of peace all those confrontations would cease no more bombs would rake the earth no more children dead at birth CHORUS: we gotta share, make peace, and love we can't rely on aid from god above we need to talk, laugh, and sing but most of all we gotta learn to be free VERSE: instead of locking armies we'd lock lips each day we'd [mumble] take a million pleasure trips we'd kiss and hug for the rest of our lives who says we can't have four or five wives? the fear of death would soon be unfelt and the leaders' iron hearts would soon melt the shadow of war would be lifted from us all and we'd tear down with our hands that very last wall CHORUS: we gotta share, make peace, and love we can't rely on aid from god above we need to talk, laugh, and sing but most of all we gotta learn to be free VERSE: we'd be united, yet liberated emancipated, yes, all that and free we'd live together, sleep together so many things we'd see we'd leave [???] no enemies this far along and then we'd join everyone to sing my worldwide, worldwide, worldwide [song] CHORUS: we gotta share, make peace, and love we can't rely on aid from god above we need to talk, laugh, and sing but most of all we gotta learn to be free END: wooh! wooh! that's the style 'postrophe kickin' one more time gotta share, make peace, and love [???] [outro chatter] TRAV: look at him go a full 25 miles an hour
Trek (3)
- Gourmet track 8
- Complete IPECAC track 10
- recorded: 1988-07-??
- length: 6:44
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, percussion, talking | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, percussion, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the second full recording of "Trek". I don't remember why we put both versions on the same album. We probably recorded them a few weekends apart. I think this second version has overdubs, unlike the first one.
The intro is pretty painful. So's the first section, with all the instruments out of tune with each other. The "fast" middle part doesn't change tempo like it did in the previous version. The third part seems the best; there's more harmony. However, even that has lots of tuning problems.
Overall, this version is pretty lame. My grunting noises don't help.
Lyrics to "Trek (3)":
[spoken intro] TRAV: all right this is Travis and i'm here to say this is "Trek" no, but it's Travis, not Trek is this on? JON: uh, we're recording, so i'm gonna hit a tuning note ??? TRAV: 1, trek trek trek 1,2,3,4 [music starts] TRAV: hit it! ??? 1,2,3,4
Share, Peace, and Love (2)
- Gourmet track 9
- Complete IPECAC track 11
- recorded: 1988-07-??
- length: 4:14
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, percussion | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - percussion, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Somehow I got Jon to sing his own version of "Share, Peace, and Love". You can barely hear him. Fortunately. (He had a lot of trouble sticking to the tempo and pitch).
We might have recorded this one first. I'm not sure, though.
It didn't appear on our original version of Gourmet. I added it years later when I found it on an old tape.
Lyrics to "Share, Peace, and Love (2)":
[spoken intro] TRAV: this is jon's, wait JON: no, no, no TRAV: this is jon's way of singing "share, peace, and love" JON: i'm not singing! TRAV: jon's version JON: are we/you recording? TRAV: i'm recording this is jon singing and if he doesn't sing, i'm gonna play the trumpet JON: oh, god, ultimatum TRAV: 1,2,3,4 [music starts] VERSE: i just wanna have a good time i don't wanna know what is mine why can't the world just learn to share? it would eliminate war and make life so fair just think of a world full of peace all those confrontations would cease no more bombs would rake the earth no more children dead at birth CHORUS: ??? love we can't rely on aid from god above we need to talk, laugh, and sing but most of all we gotta learn to be free VERSE: instead of locking armies we'd lock lips each day we'd take a million pleasure trips we'd kiss and hug for the rest of our lives who says we can't have four or five wives? the fear of death would soon be unfelt and the leaders' iron hearts would soon melt the shadow of war would be lifted from us all and we'd tear down with our hands that very last wall CHORUS: we ??? peace, and love we can't rely on aid from god above we need to talk, laugh, and sing but most of all we gotta learn to be free VERSE: we'd be united, yet liberated emancipated and free we'd live together and sleep together so many things we'd see we'd love each other, one another no enemies this far along and then we'd join everyone to sing my worldwide song CHORUS: we gotta share, make love and peace and love we can't rely on aid from god above we need to talk, laugh, and sing but most of all we gotta learn to be free ??? [scat] what are you doing ???
Outro Chatter
- Gourmet track 10
- Complete IPECAC track 12
- recorded: 1988-07-??
- length: 1:10
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- Jon Friesen - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
More babbling. This is hilarious if you slow it down to half speed; it sounds like we're drunk! At normal speed, well, at least it ends quickly!
Lyrics to "Outro Chatter":
JON: yeah TRAV: which we haven't even written yet JON: right, but i'm working on it jonathon friesen and travis emmitt TRAV: yeah, ho!!! JON: ok, uh... TRAV: anything else? piano, piano JON: oh, piano TRAV: no JON: yeah TRAV: no, we haven't JON: hey, i've done keyboard too i'm a keyboardist too jonathon friesen but i'm not a bass player, basically TRAV: or a trumpet player JON: right, uh, but the piano, well, that's true, that's true TRAV: we haven't played piano JON: right right ok, no piano but if there is piano it will be travis emmitt or jonathon friesen TRAV: oh and you know the little voices, uh, the... JON: oh yeah done by our special technician, travis emmitt TRAV: but the voices are of two people JON: right TRAV: and those are mainly travis emmitt and jon friesen so this is sort of one-sided if, i mean the two people that get all the credit for this are... JON: travis emmitt TRAV: and jonathon friesen JON: but actually the whole minds of operation are sam cubic and sarah johnson thank you just kidding jonathon friesen and travis emmitt TRAV: i don't get that one JON: never mind; shut up! ok, you know it's one big happy family TRAV: one yeah, huge, you know, monsterous JON: two person good bye
Chug-a-lug a Slug
- Induces Vomitting track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 13
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 4:51
- Travis Emmitt - sax
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
One Last Note
- Induces Vomitting track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 14
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 0:17
- Travis Emmitt - sax, talking
- Jon Friesen - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is mercifully short. I think Jon was eager for me to put down his sax.
Lyrics to "One Last Note":
[spoken] JON: ok, want to listen to it? TRAV: no, no, one last note one last [???]
Ants-covered Chocolate
- Induces Vomitting track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 15
- IPECAC Picks track 2
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 7:49
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The Trav-on-sax thing wasn't working, so we moved back to our proper roles. This time, we decided to try to make something tuneful and rhythmic. We sketched out a rough idea and then kicked into a long disco-y jam.
Despite the long, atonal intro, and sloppiness, there are parts in the jam that are really funky. I liked this song enough to later propose it as the opening track of an instrumental best-of album (which we never created).
This ended up being one of my favorite IPECAC songs from 1988.
Six Strings in Sync
- Induces Vomitting track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 16
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 5:49
- Travis Emmitt - acoustic guitar, cornet, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax, Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the first IPECAC song to use a guitar. It's pretty horrid. Jon played keyboard while I fumbled along on acoustic guitar and cornet.
Stick to keyboards, Trav!
Hallogen
- Induces Vomitting track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 17
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 6:31
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, sax, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
We must've rehearsed this a couple times; it sounds too tight to be completely improvised. It's IPECAC at our funkiest. We liked this song enough to record it two more times later (on Best of IPECAC and Here and Now).
You can tell Jon was getting really good at sax. As for my cornet (or mellophone) playing, well... Ummm... I'm pretty sure I played sax in here too. The keyboard was on auto-pilot.
Lyrics to "Hallogen":
TRAV: wooh yeah rockin' funky woah JON: ??? TRAV: funky
Cacaphony and Euphony
- Induces Vomitting track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 18
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- other names: Junkie
- length: 5:53
- Travis Emmitt - sax, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is a simple duet with me and Jon on sax. I played the lower, repetitive part and Jon played the melody and solos. Credit for any nice bits should go to Jon. The honking is my contribution.
Near the end, Jon stopped playing our song and broke out into solos. At the time, I thought he was creating them on the spot. Years later, after I got into jazz, I realized Jon had been quoting famous solos.
Jon called this song "Junkie" on his Best of IPECAC tape cover. Perhaps that was a reference to Charlie Parker or John Coltrane? Or maybe he just thought it was disposable.
Lyrics to "Cacaphony and Euphony":
JON: 1 2 3 4 TRAV: yeah JON: ???
Tune Drops
- Induces Vomitting track 7
- Complete IPECAC track 19
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 5:03
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This starts off slow and dirge-like and gradually speeds up. Unfortunately, nothing cool ever happens. It just gets faster. That's it. No cool solos, no cool harmonies. No rhythms other than the canned keyboard drums. Just... faster. And faster. And then at the end it abruptly slows back down to a crawl.
The best thing about it is the title.
Lyrics to "Tune Drops":
TRAV: hit it
Cacaphony 2
- Induces Vomitting track 8
- Complete IPECAC track 20
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 2:34
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Horrid. What were we thinking??? Thankfully, it's very short.
Lyrics to "Cacaphony 2":
TRAV: uno dos tres quatro
The Challenge
- Induces Vomitting track 9
- Complete IPECAC track 21
- recorded: 1988-08-28
- length: 14:12
- Travis Emmitt - sax, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Lyrics to "The Challenge":
TRAV: here we go it's jon versus travis in the saxophone duel called "The Challenge" travis said "i can take first charge" jon said "no you can't" since there's only two chairs jon and me, that's one and two if you know what that makes, two um, only two chairs so travis definitely wants first chair and here it is it will last probably hours and days ok, ready JON: we will first the first event that we'll challenge with is the single note let's see TRAV: see we're gonna see who can have the best - who has the best tone quality and remember that travis has been playing the saxophone much longer than jessica so here we go he has far more experience this should be decisive JON: pick a note pick a note TRAV: this one JON: uh, that one [mumbled] oh that one [playing] TRAV: you didn't say vibrato JON: what? i need tone quality [???] TRAV: ok JON: that's [???] that's person number one that's one note that's person number one jazz tone TRAV: jazz tone JON: you be the judge now, now we're going to try multiple notes pick anything i'm gonna play like the [sings] pick any, any little TRAV: just a short little JON: or [sing] TRAV: this person number one ok i get another try JON: ok, person A gets another try hey you can play [sings] TRAV: ok, here's [???] JON: i have to play that same thing TRAV: i think we're out of tune JON: uh, ok TRAV: third try ok now, it's long songs jon's gonna play his piece that he's making up, improvision, right now JON: improvision? uh, well, i, let's see let me play let me play the solo let me play the, you know, the herbie hancock solo TRAV: and now here's travis oh, excuse me person number 1 ok excuse me, that was jessica here we go JON: you're gonna break the tape now, uh, we are now gonna do scales pick a scale, any scale, c major scale, g major scale g minor scale, any scale you want TRAV: this one JON: ok that skill good luck here we go TRAV: person number 1 JON: ok, that's b minor scale TRAV: [???] JON: ok now we're going to do chromatic scales as low as you can go to as high as you can go [???] TRAV: ok JON: [???] TRAV: i'm ready JON: ok, you decide now who is better TRAV: wait, this is the last thing the grand finale jon, you can play anything you want JON: all right TRAV: make it up now, in this key gimme a key TRAV: a minor JON: ok now let's have an audience appreciation thing ok, who votes for person b? TRAV: who is person b? JON: ok, how about person a? yay yay TRAV: i am, i'm person a JON: i know yay yay TRAV: yay! person a again, last words, here is person a JON: ok person b, i mean person a was disqualified for playing while person b was doing his thing TRAV: but just to show that we are real sportsman-like we are going to play a tune together that we entitle "Tune of the Challenge" 1, 2, wait, 1, 2, ready go ready? come on come on 1, 2 um JON: you decide TRAV: you decide JON: [???] person a was disqualifed TRAV: ten times ok here it is again JON: here what is again? no, no! TRAV: jon will tell a story tell a story JON: once upon a time a warrior died the end how much tape are we [???] over TRAV: very little here's jon's gonna tell a story and i'll do the melody to it JON: once upon a time wait a minute let me do the once upon a time bit i'll tell you when to come in once upon a time a warrior died the end now you can come in TRAV: tell the story seriously JON: once upon a time a warrior lived the end TRAV: seriously JON: once upon a time a warrior died but then came to life again the end TRAV: serious JON: once upon a time a warrior lived, died, lived, then met a maiden, lived happily ever after the end once upon a time a resurrected warrior met a maiden, got married, lived happily ever after and then got an ulcer from high taxes the end once upon a time ipecac got together one person was travis the mighty keyboard player part time drummer and guitarist and uh cacaphone player now, another member was jonathon being, being about ten times handsomer than travis he was - just kidding on that last part uh, he was the full time saxophone player part time keyboard player uh, drummer, harmonicist computer programmer one day they were at a concert the groupies, the groupies were going wild so then travis started playing the saxophone the vomit, the vomit rolled down the aisles and everybody drow--, and everybody drowned in it except for jonathon and travis who got ten million dollars in commercial rights TRAV: what? JON: and then left the end la la la... TRAV: going out [???] JON: good, does that mean you have to stop? TRAV: no JON: oh darn TRAV: [???] JON: no, play softer please [scat] oh trav, what a racket travis great why must you, travis TRAV: one last note JON: oh god TRAV: the last riff of the day
Apostrophe Song (2)
- Best of IPECAC track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 22
- IPECAC Picks track 3
- recorded: 1988-09-10
- length: 2:50
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, vocals | wrote: lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, Casio CT-310, vocals | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is our remake of "Apostrophe Song" (on Gourmet). It's a lot leaner and tighter than the original. Jon's solo is pretty cool; you can tell he'd improved tons over the past couple months.
Jon's sleeve notes for the Kim Edition of Best of IPECAC:
The Apostraphe Song (Band Theme)
For those of you who are confused, it might help to realize that IPECAC was originally called APOSTRAPHE. This is a fairly early song.
Nice spelling, Jon!
Lyrics to "Apostrophe Song (2)":
INTRO: in june 1988 the group apostrophe was formed VERSE: hear us ring, see us swing all of us dancing the bong-a-long hear us sing, see our zing 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king hey don't ding the pots please don't dent the bowls try to spare the box look at the holes CHORUS: 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme 'postrophe crushin' all of the time VERSE: crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' and bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' etc. crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' crushin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' bustin' 'postrophe bustin' 'cause we got power 'postrophe bustin' 'cause it's our hour 'postrophe bustin' as we sing 'postrophe bustin' everything CHORUS: 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing 'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme 'postrophe crushin' all of the time
Trek (4)
- Best of IPECAC track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 23
- recorded: 1988-09-10
- length: 11:49
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, tupperware
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the final version of "Trek". The rhythm and tuning are more together than in earlier versions. It also feels faster. Unfortunately, the mix is wimpy and sterile; it seems too serious.
The third section starts off super-sloppy but gradually comes together. My cornet playing sucks, but Jon sounds great.
Jon's sleeve notes for the Kim Edition of Best of IPECAC:
Trek (Keyboard Feature)
This song has three movements. It is one of their oldest and best songs. At the end it breaks directly into their next song which is...
Chatter
- Best of IPECAC track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 24
- recorded: 1988-09-10
- length: 0:51
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- Jon Friesen - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Benign between-song chatter.
NOTE: This was excluded from the Kim Edition.
Lyrics to "Chatter":
TRAV: in july 1988 apostrophe played a couple more songs but in august 1988 they changed their name to ipecac the spirit of the wonderful band of apostrophe lives on in the immortal beings composing ipecac, and today ipecac plays still this is the best of -- JON: ipecac TRAV: the best of ipecac, recorded september 10th 1988 coming up is a song world-wide known, at least in our world, as "better drumsticks".
Coup d'Etat
- Best of IPECAC track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 25
- recorded: 1988-09-10
- length: 5:34
- Travis Emmitt - percussion, vocals | wrote: lyrics
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was my percussion-heavy political song. I wanted it to sound tribal and dark. It has a few false starts. Don't most coups? It also has lots of bloody imagery.
We probably played this in one take (with no overdubs). This means Jon played the keyboard while I sang and banged on pots and pans.
This was a remake of a Trex song. Only the words are the same; the music is completely different.
NOTE: This was excluded from the Kim Edition.
Lyrics to "Coup d'Etat":
INTRO: you start it, go 1,2,3,4 ahhh i don't know, it does that sometimes when you overload 1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2,1,ready go VERSE: cheated workers, records fake [???] 1,2 cheated workers, records fake burglaries, bills they take arguments, fists awake riots start, tensions break mass revolts, lives at stake weapons drawn, muzzles shake first bloodshed, bullets rake cops called in, big mistake waves of blood, fakes caked stores ablaze, children baked massive battles, huge outbreak towns erupt, cities quake allies part, friendships break [???] missiles snake bombs are dropped, holes they make [???] fire [???] [???] fire [???] human flesh, stench like steak human flesh CHORUS: coup d'etat, overtake coup d'etat, overtake... VERSE: cheated workers, records fake burglaries, bills they take arguments, fists awake riots start, tensions break hey, mass revolts, lives at stake weapons drawn, muzzles shake first bloodshed, bullets rake cops called in, big mistake waves of blood, fakes caked stores ablaze, children baked massive battles, huge outbreak towns erupt, cities quake allies part, friendships break rockets launch, missiles snake rockets launch, missiles snake bombs are dropped, holes they make human flesh, stench like steak CHORUS: coup d'etat, overtake coup d'etat, overtake... all this death, for what sake? coup d'etat, overtake coup d'etat, overtake... END: a different people rules another leader falls all in an endless cycle an eternal waterfall
Petrify
- Best of IPECAC track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 26
- recorded: 1988-09-10
- length: 1:31
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310
- Jon Friesen - sax | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Jon wrote this short piece. We played it by the numbers. No improvisation.
Jon's sleeve notes for the Kim Edition:
Petrify (Short and Weird)
This is a brand new song that can only be found on this album!!! Wow!
Hallogen (2)
- Best of IPECAC track 7
- Complete IPECAC track 27
- recorded: 1988-09-10
- length: 3:29
- Travis Emmitt - mellophone, cornet, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax, tupperware
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
We really liked this song's funkiness, but didn't know how to solo over it. It sounds empty. We were trying to do it all in one take (no overdubs), and wanted to avoid using my keyboard's canned basslines. Since my mellophone was the bass part, that meant I couldn't play anything else. Jon had to keep soloing on top. I think if we had allowed ourselves some overdubs, we could have done a cool version of this song.
Jon's comments (from 1988 tape to Kim):
Hallogen (Mass Improv)
There are two types of IPECAC songs: mass improvisationals and written songs. The best ones are written down, but this mass improve was included to provide a well rounded view of the group.
NOTE: The Kim Edition omits the talking in the beginning.
Lyrics to "Hallogen (2)":
this is before we run out of tape this is until we run out of tape
Cacaphony and Euphony (2)
- Best of IPECAC track 8
- Complete IPECAC track 28
- recorded: 1988-09-10
- length: 2:18
- Travis Emmitt - sax, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Nice grammar, Trav. Nice playing, IPECAC. This is horrible. Zero energy, zero ideas. I think Jon was tired of recording (it had been a long day) and my messing with his sax wasn't helping things.
Jon's sleeve notes for the Kim Edition of Best of IPECAC (on which it doesn't actually appear):
Junkie (Structured mass improv)
This song is basically one long solo alternating between the two musicians, while the other plays a jazz funk background.
Lyrics to "Cacaphony and Euphony (2)":
TRAV: this is ipecac, the best of ipecac we are here to show how good we can play and now we have cacaphony and euphony this is our funky version and this one is almost 10 times better than the other one here it is: ca-caphectomy and eu-- uno, tres one uno, tres uno, tres [start playing] TRAV: [???] record JON: back to keyboard [???] recording TRAV: dad, dad, look!
Kim Edition Interview
- Best of IPECAC track 9
- Complete IPECAC track 29
- recorded: 1988-??-?? (approximate)
- length: 11:15
- Travis Emmitt - talking, Casio CT-310
- Jon Friesen - talking, Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This "interview" was included at the end of the Kim Edition (which wasn't re-discovered until 2007). It's energetic, juvenile, and occasionally funny, in that geeky IPECAC sort of way.
First, I interviewed Jon and then we swapped roles. The references to Here and Now imply that that album was either underway or completed by the time we recorded this.
Lyrics to "Kim Edition Interview":
TRAV: (panting) i have caught up with jonathon friesen we're jogging along together here's jonathon friesen; say hello jon JON: (panting) hi, hello TRAV: and he is a member of the band ipecac and jon i have an idea JON: can i stop? TRAV: yeah JON: or are you gonna go on chasing after this gotta keep on going all right hurry hurry ah okay TRAV: all right, he collapsed very low constitution ok jon JON: ok TRAV: here, let's sit down on this fire hydrant ok JON: wait, ??? dog again i think it's doing something TRAV: oh man got my leg ok jon JON: ok yo ok TRAV: right JON: ok TRAV: jon JON: yeah TRAV: i am reporter mahr koos JON: ok TRAV: mahr koos as in m a h r k o o s have you heard of me? JON: ah oh yeah i listen to you all the time TRAV: yeah? on what channel JON: uh, wgay TRAV: no, that's wfag, sorry very close now i have to ask you oh how much time to you have JON: i have about 15 minutes TRAV: ok, do you really mind talking to me? JON: oh no, no TRAV: ok let me ask you some questions JON: sure TRAV: number one JON: ok, yo TRAV: why did did that say did? did you join the band ipacoc? oh JON: ipecac TRAV: ipecac, sorry, read it wrong JON: well actually, i didn't really join it there are only 2 people and so we kind of came together and made the group ipecac so you can't really join it it's just like you make it, you don't join it since there are only 2 people TRAV: ok have you had any recording experience before you joined the group ipecac JON: yes, i was once a member of the rather obscure group laser you probably haven't heard of us we were kind of a rock spoof group TRAV: in fact, i have not heard of you JON: really? i'm not surprised it was in my shady past but you know it provided the um TRAV: (barking) JON: calm down get back, get back ok, it provided me the TRAV: (meowing) JON: the musical experience that i needed to join this group and bring it to a level of perfection that is unprecedented among this size of a group TRAV: nice speech but from now on can you just answer yes or no? JON: certainly TRAV: ok, do you have any idols in this world JON: uh, yeah TRAV: do you want to expand on that? JON: yes TRAV: ok, expand JON: yes TRAV: all right, cancel my last request for yes or no expand on it JON: ok, i was going to easter island, and TRAV: (meowing) JON: shut up cat i was taking a vacation on easter island you know, with those huge huge statues they have lots of little replicas and i bought one those are idols so i do have a few idols in this world TRAV: ok name three things you love about america JON: about america? uh, it's easy enough to pronounce america, gosh, america well the national america sounds okay but it's impossible to sing it's hard enough to play so that's a problem with it but three things i love well it's easy to pronounce starts with an a which makes it sound a-okay the word america what is the third thing good about the word america TRAV: um well if you turn it around JON: oh yeah TRAV: you can also pronounce it amoreeka JON: certainly, yeah i think i had a girlfriend named that TRAV: yeah, amorekee it reminds me of a very glorious woman doesn't it JON: she was my cleaning lady TRAV: yeah, that's what it means in pig-ipecacian JON: not exactly but TRAV: not glorious, stoic women there we go JON: yeah i guess but this was not a stoic woman she was a cleaning lady TRAV: um close enough, yeah, very close ok name 3 things you totally hate about america or you wish you could change JON: about the country or the word? TRAV: either one JON: ok well the country has that difficult national anthem that's a problem also there isn't enough originality after all, travis and i are probably the last living truly original human beings on the earth as i said in my very famous book "travis and me" TRAV: "and i" or is it "me"? JON: it's "and me" it shows a little cultural background TRAV: yeah slang JON: yeah well, though, slang is not a good word for it but i guess so, yeah TRAV: oh well what are 2 other things you hate about it? JON: i already gave 2; you want 4 things? TRAV: no just one more JON: ok there you go: math well there aren't good enough radio announcers they don't know their math and i hate it when that happens TRAV: oh JON: also, the wires are very low quality TRAV: yeah well actually this microphone is made in taiwan and [noise] yeah the wires aren't always that high quality the sort of tend to just fade out and [noise] and eventually they just get back together JON: oh my god i've just figured out the meaning of life TRAV: what is it? JON: this will revolutionize living everywhere everybody will be happy i now know how the universe works i have the opportunity to broadcast it i may forget it soon but here goes [noise] in a beer can TRAV: my god, that's fantastic can i quote you on that? JON: certainly TRAV: all right, one more question before i leave JON: certainly TRAV: because you time is definitely limited JON: yeah, i've got to get back to my jogging anyways i'm getting shin splints TRAV: all right, one last question how... and the second degree? JON: (laughing) well, um TRAV: oh, i'm sorry, i accidentally hit record off JON: well, in answer to your question though what makes the ??? i think the ??? enriching values of it certainly adds more self-actualization to the individual TRAV: oh god that is so poetic JON: i've got to get back to my jogging though TRAV: all right JON: hey, watch out for that car TRAV: (screaming) JON: uh, welcome to wfag now to follow up with our interview last week with jonathon friesen TRAV: [animal noises] JON: we have here travis emmitt, the other and now the only member of ipecac the other member was the late jonathon friesen now travis, how did ipecac start? TRAV: well, generally, jon, i'm sorry, let me get my cup off my head shawn? shawn hackman, is that your name? JON: shawn bartley hackman died along with jon friesen TRAV: oh that was terrible shawn hackman you were a friend of mark koos, weren't you? JON: yes TRAV: the indian reporter? JON: the name is shawn bartley, though TRAV: yeah, the lonely rabbi [burp] JON: please answer the question TRAV: all right, what was the question? JON: how did ipecac start? TRAV: um, i think these people back in the 18th century took this medicine that made you throw up and they put it in a bottle and they called it ipecac which means in greece medicine that makes you throw up JON: i see TRAV: and in greek it also means medicine that makes you vomit they're not very professional in greece JON: so what made you name your group after this medicine TRAV: oh you want me to expand why didn't you say that some interviews just want you to say yes or no [burp] i'm sorry, man i shouldn't have put the microphone down there in the first place JON: gosh, that's gross TRAV: is there something wrong? do you find that humorous? back in june 1988 jonathon friesen, the late jonathon friesen oh how i miss him joined with me to create the band apostrophe which was named apostrophe because we wanted to call it and so then in august 1988 shorter after my trip to duck, north carolina i decided to change the name to ipecac mostly because [noise] and that's just about it JON: i see okay some small technical difficulties i hope you don't mind now what are the culturally enriching, socially conscious messages behind your music i mean, how do you expect the listener to actualize himself in accordance with social morals in this present day and age TRAV: well the groups out there named poison and they are sort of bad and polluting they have a lot of bad languages in them and bad images negative images about america ipecac is here to give you more negative images but it sort of makes you the other images these are more trivial yeah, trivial, travis, you know, very close JON: well thank you you had a song about grape juice stains in a carpet can you sing a few bars of that TRAV: all right i don't really sing that well this is my off-week JON: it's the death i'm sure that really disrupted your TRAV: yeah, ues, definitely [with music] grape juice oh grape juice on the ??? in a puddle in the floor mother screaming bloody murder and then she points to the door yeah JON: well, that was certainly exciting TRAV: i know, how many people do you know that can sing chords JON: yeah, that's true, and where did that music come from? it just kinda beamed into you TRAV: i've been practicing i can just like go [with music] wah wah wah there's that note that's sort of out of tune but i can't help that it comes out of my nose JON: that's actually very incredible i'm very impressed now TRAV: actually most of the ipecac songs on induces vomitting where a capello like the drums, like here [fake and keyboard drums] see, i do that through my nose and the crack between my teeth most of the songs on induces vomitting were a capello that's why they're so bad i mean i'm very sorry JON: this just in jonathon friesen is still alive your reaction TRAV: oh my god JON: he survived by tangling his nose hairs with the truck's radiator he was dragged for several reaction your reaction TRAV: oh my god JON: you don't get his life insurance either your reaction TRAV: oh god da-- JON: ok, thank you for listening to that news flash now back to travis what are your plans now that jonathon friesen is still alive? here and now TRAV: uh, i think we're gonna make an album and since he's alive here and now i think we're gonna call the album "here and now" here spelled with an h e r e very creative, isn't it? JON: yes, well i'm sure the public with be waiting excitingly for that don't forget to look out not only for their latest album "best of ipecac" but also for their upcoming album "here and now" thank you for listening TRAV: ok, on the next side we're gonna have something very different jon doesn't know what we're gonna do yet but i wrote this play and it's called the serious melancholic sequel and it's a sequel to the good earth if you guys up there have read this you will get this tape before you get the other tapes and i have a lot of other tapes waiting since june and there is no hurry, ha ha ha ha ha all right, we're gonna begin this on the next side so you can fast-forward or if you want to listen to just dead air for the next 5 minutes whatever suits you [a couple minutes pass] you like listening to dead air, don't you?
Good Earth Sequel
- Best of IPECAC track 10
- Complete IPECAC track 30
- recorded: 1988-??-?? (approximate)
- length: 12:15
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- Jon Friesen - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Jon and I included this on the second side of the Kim Edition tape.
It's a very silly interpretation of The Serious Melancholic Sequal, which was one of my sequels to The Good Earth. It's pretty horrible, and is here for completeness only.
Jon's reference to Fake Reverb implies that this was recorded after 1988-09-24.
Lyrics to "Good Earth Sequel":
TRAV: ok, just do the narrative JON: it is two years after the chinese communist revolution of 1949 so I suppose it's 1951 TRAV: oh, my stomach! doctor! i need a doctor! JON: quiet! it's my turn don't interrupt now, as i was saying the communists control this particular region where the story takes place TRAV: done? okay help! i need a doctor! JON: wang! fight it! you've got to do it, for me! quick, fetch your father doctor tang! TRAV: money; you need money and we don't have money so let me die just like o-lan i'm getting old, and have to die some time why not now? he's losing it he can't take much more i say we leave him alone JON: let him die? that's barbaric! maybe in russia or europe but not in my house! TRAV: speak clearly your house?! your house?!!! ha ha ha ha ha not quite, honey you aren't even related to wang he's my father; i'm his son! if anyone is to talk about running this house, it has to be me! JON: you're forgetting something, boy: this is as much my house now as it is yours in fact, it's equally belonging to the poor fool it belongs to the party now, not wang's sons TRAV: enough, woman! i've had enough...uh...badgering today i've got work to do JON: thank god for communism! as long as it deals with people like that beast, i don't mind sharing the house with half the village TRAV: where he? where wang? TRAV: right in here, good sir save him if you can, and may your children follow mao, and your grandchildren follow mao... TRAV: uh, awwwight JON: pear blossom, sir TRAV: dovely name for a dovely girl JON: that's so typical of men i hate it! i hate them! well, actually... TRAV: stop your babbling and get in here! JON: oh! will he be all right? TRAV: yes, he'll be fine, just a little gas pain he's awwwight now so i'd better be going TRAV: oahhh...oahhh... thank you doctor tang JON: the fee? TRAV: no fee, dove this is socialism now you mustn't pay the government to keep its own workers alive! now good day JON: goodbye, grand sir, and thank you TRAV: don't thank me, thank mao JON: oh, wang! you made it! TRAV: my doll, my love... i need your strength... JON: good night, wang lung, my friend it is approximately three weeks later wang lung's strength is ebbing... TRAV: my soul wishes not to linger in this world my body cannot continue many more days yet my heart yearns to stay with you in this house long ago... JON: not another lecture, is it friend? TRAV: i have not the energy to debate with you whether you should or shouldn't listen to me it is your decision long ago, when my father and i toiled over our tiny plot of earth with our own two calloused hands, not once did we falter in our labor [cough] not once did we allow [cough] the land to be oh, i'm sorry, some phlegm came up please, daughter JON: [coughing] TRAV: i hope it's not catching not once did we falter in our labor, not once did we allow [cough] oh, there, it's gone want me to continue, dear daughter JON: yes TRAV: don't cry, i'll be all right JON: [crying] i can't help it TRAV: not once did we -- shut up daughter not once did we falter in our labor not once did we allow the land to be neglected as it lies now our very lives depending upon the land for food and status when our crops grew well we profitted we were able to buy an ox to pull a plow by i know it's sad, daughter, but please do not cry and still we had to dig and wade in the earth like swine, though we took a special pride in that to us, there was [screaming] some phlegm, i'm sorry JON: [crying] TRAV: don't worry, daughter, i shall not perish until my time to perish is here to us there was nothing like the pay off for a hard season's labor eventually, when i got myself a wife, o-lan my work became a little less strenuous for she helped with most of the labor though by this time, my father was unable to work JON: [crying] TRAV: for the next few years, we went through hardship after hardship and blessing after blessing and soon, oh god, i'm dizzy we were the wealthiest family in the city that was hard work and it paid off nowadays, though, no matter how hard you try and how many sacrifices you make and if you're reading this or not, it doesn't matter it says the same thing no matter if you ready it forwards or backwards or if you listen to the tape you achieve nothing... JON: that's not true, father if you listen to the tape backwards, it sounds different TRAV: [coughing] i'm sorry, i'll be all right JON: you are helping the state, the country, the people TRAV: yes, the people! the people who sit on their butts all day in a store while i am sweating in the fields! i am feeding the penniless slaves and beggars of the town, yes but also i am feeding men like my uncle, and his wife, the blubber-butt of the earth who did nothing but count the money i earned for their own uses they're all parasites the system's a parasite and i am the most unwilling host these people will take equal responsibility to work under socialism JON: sadly, wang lung died shortly afterwards TRAV: but not the actor JON: but not the actor - hey, hey, get outa here! TRAV: later! JON: anyways, the two elder brothers, elder and younger forgetting about the new concept of communism immediately began arguing over who was to acquire the property and leadership over the house of wang younger, come here we must talk i must run this house you will help me TRAV: you stutter too much hold on there, papers-boy you stutter you-you-you stutter too much you stutter too much JON: newsflash; wang lung is still alive TRAV: oh my god! [stuttering and rapping] hold on there, papers-boy you-you you who's to say you are the fit man to determine the ways of our harvests? you have no experience in grain sales you have to pay ten silver for a pound of rice! JON: this just in: wang lung is still alive! he apparently kept himself alive by tangling his nosehairs with the radiator of the truck you reaction TRAV: what color what the cat JON: hey, you, settle down no one but the state will run this house and if you TRAV: h-h-hey you, h-h-hey you JON: leave my house, dung wee! we'll settle this matter by ourselves without you or the darn state's interference TRAV: yet i understand his reasons for supporting communism for all his life he's been a worker, never with wealth or responsibilty he doesn't expect more, and is satisfied with being equal to everyone else but we, who, by the way, are rapidly growing old grew up most of our lives on our father's success and mounting fortune communism lowered our individual wealth so it's understandable that we resent this system JON: [at same time] number one: no one talks like that in real life number one: no one talks like that in real life [operatic singing] number one: no one talks like that in real life and, number two: well, maybe you might be right but the system isn't - TRAV: the system isn't suited for our past ways of life, i understand but we have to learn to accept that change of course, there are many, many rich land owners who have had to give up there hard-earned positions due to the new system and those land-owners would definitely listen to dumb things such as this which would have such a poor portrayal of chinese culture but still, there are many times more poor people whose self respects and maybe even lives have been saved by the same changes it is a just system, though apparently unbeneficial to ourselves would you rather be robbed blind by bandits it would risk our lives, our very lives, our incredibly very very lives or our very very that's an adverb by the way, very, no it's not, it's an adjective or have our wealth shared among the needy as it is now it is for a much better cause, period JON: ridiculous! you are sounding exactly like a communist sermon-preacher it's about time i heard one; thank you exits a little while later, dung wee and jung du run in TRAV: younger, it's settled, i convinced him. JON: see, he must have convinced his brother to let him be the so-called ruler of the house neither one of them follows the system; they're both traitorous! TRAV: no way! i explained to my brother that - JON: ere wis or yolder other? TRAV: silence JON: silence; ere wis or yolder other? TRAV: i-in his room don't harm me i'm a frail old man JON: fifty is not frail, child my grandfather is ninety-four and still fighting in the army BOTH: against these nationalists? JON: yes, of course, twit wait here ile i et or other enters elders room dragging out elder come with me exclamation point all three follow him outside end of brackets from her room, pear blossom hears two gunshots, a desparate yell and then another gunshot she rushes out to find the dead bodies of dung and her two brothers with jung standing over them, holding a gun she screams there is a fourth gunshot TRAV: the final end JON: oh shut up TRAV: this, this, no i say it JON: is fake reverb TRAV: no, no, look BOTH: [alternating words] this is for people namely my father who either have not read the book and are not familiar with the chinese communist revolution comma or just don't get the preceding story period even if you are completely familiar with communist china and my writing style comma you might want to read this scene one colon housecall started with wang wanglung feeling he needed a doctor period while the lord of the house lay on his his supposed supposed death bed doctor pear blossom and the younger brother debate about katy's topic the doctor finally comes recountance and declares that wang lung is going to be okay scene 2 recountance if that's a word contains the most expressive period part of the play: wang lung's tale of childhood, hard work, and criticism of the communist system the third and final scene comma living lungless is probably possibly the most important first the brothers start arguing after wang dies lie about about who's who's to rule the house gradually, the discussion turns one-sided; the younger brother analyzes the positive sides of communism, while the elder just agrees the two are mistaken for nationalists, and, leader jung du in truth i got bored and killed them off but it adds a touch of realism to the story TRAV: that was sad JON: that was pathetic TRAV: that was my play JON: that was, yeah TRAV: it was chewed up and [pbbbt] spit out we're gonna take a break
My Familiar
- Fake Reverb track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 31
- recorded: 1988-09-24
- other names: Smooth Syrum
- length: 4:01
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
For such as simple orchestration (me on keyboards, Jon on sax, no drums, no overdubs), we got a surprisingly rock-ish feel out of this song. We ended up recording it twice more.
The original title was "Smooth Syrum". Perhaps it was intended as our post-Apostrophe theme song? We later renamed it "My Familiar" (on Catharsis).
Recumbency
- Fake Reverb track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 32
- recorded: 1988-09-24
- length: 4:59
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This song is half reggae choppiness, half canon-esque sappy glop.
Yeah, these liner notes are getting less and less formal as I proceed through the albums. Oh well. So much for preserving IPECAC's dignity.
Snort!
Fortify
- Fake Reverb track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 33
- recorded: 1988-09-24
- length: 9:25
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Relentless, funky disco-jam. Nice solos by Jon. This is my favorite song on Fake Reverb.
It goes on a little too long, though. You can only get so many minutes out of the same canned drum beat and bassline before monotonotonotony sets in.
Lyrics to "Fortify":
TRAV: hit it wooh JON: yeah, hit it
Dead Air
- Fake Reverb track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 34
- recorded: 1988-09-24
- length: 4:10
- Travis Emmitt - sax, cornet
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Sungreen
- Here and Now track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 35
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- length: 3:03
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Dumb lyrics. I think they had to do with racism. Or nuclear holocaust. Or something like that. I don't remember. Like I said, pretty dumb.
The music is very simple too. I was trying to get poppier (and less jazzy).
I've seen two "Sun Green" references recently. One was a girl in the movie "Broken Flowers". The other is a Neil Young song from 2002. Does any of that matter? Not really.
Dumb song.
Lyrics to "Sungreen":
VERSE: sun green, sun red sun blue, sun yellow sun orange, sun black sun white, sun purple CHORUS: you are my sun; you light up my life you shine on me from near or from far the sight of you it cheers me up no matter what color you are you are my sun; you light up my life you shine on me from near or from far the sight of you it cheers me up no matter what color you are VERSE: sun blue, sun purple sun black, sun white sun ???, sun purple sun green, sun ??? sun blue, sun yellow sun black, sun white sun orange, sun purple CHORUS: you are my sun; you light up my life you shine on me from near or from far the sight of you it cheers me up no matter what color you are you are my sun; you light up my life
Third Take
- Here and Now track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 36
- IPECAC Picks track 4
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- length: 4:24
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This upbeat instrumental jazz-rock-funk was my proof that I could "rock" on keyboards. The mix is gritty and the performances, though a little off in bits, are energetic. I really dig this. I wish we had done more songs like this.
I liked this so much that I remade it almost 2 decades later (see "Third Take 2" on Mouseculine).
The Broken Swing
- Here and Now track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 37
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- length: 1:47
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310
- Jon Friesen - sax
- Unknown | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This came from a practice book that Jon or I had. I have no idea who wrote it. It's really boring. Playing other people's music is not my cup of grapejuice.
Grabatune
- Here and Now track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 38
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- length: 1:32
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310
- Jon Friesen - sax
- Unknown | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is another song from a practice book. Zzzz.
All This is True
- Here and Now track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 39
- IPECAC Picks track 5
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- other names: Believe It or Not
- length: 5:37
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, vocals
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was our first rap. It was completely improvised. It was fun to record, and still enjoyable to hear (at least for me).
We added bits of the lyrics to "How Ya Is'n", which later made its way to the Anchovies. So these silly, improvised lyrics got a lot of mileage!
Lyrics to "All This is True":
INTRO: this is a rap, rap, rap, rap, rap, rap hit it! hit it! VERSE: i was walking on the street i was walking on the street and who did i meet? i was looking at my feet i saw a little ant standing by the side of the road by him was a rabbit beside him was a big fat toad CHORUS: yeah, yeah all this is true VERSE: i was walking on the street and who did i meet? i was looking at my feet and i saw a - i saw a what? let hear it, y'all i saw an ant by the side of the road beside him was a rabbit and a big fat toad he looked at me and asked me my name and i said "who are you to speak to me in this silly game?" CHORUS: it's a rap VERSE: so i asked him to my house and see if he did he came instead with a friend of his the friend was the toad; he brought his brother too his brother was another ant that lived at the zoo CHORUS: all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true VERSE: so i took him home and we ate a big dinner he certainly didn't get thinner he looked sort of round more like a beetle so i said CHORUS: all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true VERSE: he left, finally i asked him to the door and he said he would go after me so i said, "how about stay for dinner" and he said "i... get thinner" so i said "you already ate dinner you're not looking thinner you're looking rather fat it's time you sat down and sat" CHORUS: all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true VERSE: last verse i wished him good look and i told him goodbye i asked him to tell me if his name was mister fly he said "no, you need some glasses to to see" he said "i'm an ant can't you tell by i don't have no wings" i was walking down the street looking at my feet so who did i meet? i said: "all this is true" i saw an ant by the side of the road beside him sat a rabbit and a toad i asked them to my house for dinner and then dessert after that they left, they left sing it again: CHORUS: all this is true all this is true all this is true all this is true
Grapejuice
- Here and Now track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 40
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- length: 5:18
- Travis Emmitt - acoustic guitar, vocals | wrote: lyrics
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Trav on guitar. Jon on keyboard. Ugh, right? Well, it's not that bad. It's surprisingly tight.
The lyrics are the best part about this song. I had written them several months earlier (see "Poetry Medley"). They might have been based on an actual event, but are certainly exaggerated.
Lyrics to "Grapejuice":
VERSE: my shoes have grapejuice on them there's a puddle of it on the floor mother is screaming bloody murder and then she points to the door CHORUS: hey, didn't you know grapejuice stains carpet? VERSE: and dad comes home i'm still outside too cold to talk and about to cry CHORUS: he says: "hey, you better learn how to grow up soon" VERSE: he goes inside and leaves me here he greets my mom with "honey dear" CHORUS: they say: "hey, what's he doing out there on the porch?" VERSE: i'm wondering what shall i do? i feel a breeze without a coat i'm surely here to freeze CHORUS: hey, you should've thought of it earlier VERSE: my tears are ice my hands are dead my fingers have lost their healthy red CHORUS: hey, tough break, kiddo VERSE: i try the door it's locked, oh no forecasters they're calling for six feet of snow CHORUS: hey now, they're not always right, now are they? VERSE: i have hope after all dad opens the door so i rush in i clean up the mess i am forgiven CHORUS: one more solo and then we're through here's the solo now; let's go and i'm saying VERSE: dad opens the door so i rush in i clean up the mess so i am forgiven CHORUS: hey, now how is that for a happy ending?
Vacacaca
- Here and Now track 7
- Complete IPECAC track 41
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- length: 3:00
- Travis Emmitt - sax, talking
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Trav on sax, Jon on keyboards. Why did we keep doing this to ourselves? And the listeners - don't forget the poor listeners!
At least we named it appropriately.
Lyrics to "Vacacaca":
???
Major Alto
- Here and Now track 8
- Complete IPECAC track 42
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- other names: Mahor Alto
- length: 3:01
- Travis Emmitt - percussion, talking
- Jon Friesen - percussion
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Clankity clank! Hey folks, we've regressed to the Gourmet stage. This was our last encounter with pots-and-pans percussion. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Lyrics to "Major Alto":
1 2 ??? whoo ???
Hallogen (3)
- Here and Now track 9
- Complete IPECAC track 43
- recorded: 1988-10-??
- length: 1:32
- Travis Emmitt - cornet
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This final version of "Hallogen" starts and cuts off abruptly. I think we recorded over most of it. It's not particularly special.
Share, Peace, and Love (3)
- Leaping Leper Limousine track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 44
- recorded: 1988-11-15
- length: 4:21
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, piano | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is an instrumental version of "Share, Peace, and Love" (from Gourmet). It's the first song I remember recording at Jon's house, and the first which uses a piano.
Five Through Night
- Leaping Leper Limousine track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 45
- recorded: 1988-11-15
- length: 4:09
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, piano | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was named after a story that I had started. I think I wrote the music on 1998-11-15. It's a simple instrumental, built around a bass line. We recorded a new version of it for Best of IPECAC 2.
The date "Nov. 15, 1988" is written next to this song on the tape cover for Leaping Leper Limousine. I don't know if that means the song was written or recorded on that day. Since I had pre-written "Medea" but had the 19th written next to it, I'm guessing that we actually recorded "Five Through Night" on the 15th. That was a Tuesday, however; we didn't normally record on school nights. Weird.
Loogie Woogie
- Leaping Leper Limousine track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 46
- recorded: 1988-11-15
- length: 3:46
- Travis Emmitt - piano, scat singing
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310, sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is a simple boogie-woogie. I played the piano part, which was pretty standard. Jon noodled around on keyboard, and later overdubbed a sax part. I may have overdubbed a second piano part, but I don't know.
I don't know how much of the writing was ours and how much came from a practice book. The tape cover says "theme decomposed by Travis and Jon". You can interpret that either way.
The best part of the song is the end. It's a chaotic free-for-all, containing more energy than the rest of the song (and perhaps all the other songs on the album combined).
This could have been recorded on either the 15th (Tuesday) or 19th (Saturday). I'm not sure. For symmetry, I'm gonna guess the 15th, so that the first 3 songs of the albums are on the 15th and the last 3 are on the 19th. Nice and neat.
Kiss the Devil
- Leaping Leper Limousine track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 47
- IPECAC Picks track 6
- recorded: 1988-11-19
- length: 5:54
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, piano, vocals | wrote: lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, fake electric guitar, vocals | wrote: lyrics
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The buzzing is from a signal generator which was Jon's idea for a "poor-man's electric guitar". Jon wrote the lyrics that he sang, and I wrote mine. We had different music in our sections too. The song feels schizo... like it's possessed by something (ha ha ha).
I think "Mayflower of death" was a reference to a computer game Jon had written. In his game, a Mayflower was a colonizing space ship. As for the "death", well, maybe it had guns or something?
It's funny that Jon flubbed "leaping leper limousine" both times. We later named the album after that line. If he hadn't flubbed it, would we still have named the album after it? I guess we'll never know.
It sounds like I played 2 piano parts. Unless I sprouted a demonic third hand for this song.
Lyrics to "Kiss the Devil":
TRAV,JON: [intoning] JON: kiss the devil kiss the devil kiss the devil kiss the devil kiss the devil ow kiss the devil gotta lick my guitar bite an iron bar sick satan's my mama turtle pus instead of caviar chewing eyeball super-skin schwa burning caesar alive flame-skinned wah wah kiss the devil, kiss the devil lucifer emaciates gotta do my slime 'cause i gotta hall-pass to hell take it, travis cool tossed nicotine leaping leper limousine flyby no-go flow blow zoo-goo ow grapple gray diddly squat oozing romeo mailman row your boat mayflower of death kiss the devil, kiss the devil lucifer emaciates gotta do my slime 'cause i gotta hall-pass to hell take it, jon TRAV: i need a church to sing at i need a pew to sit at i need a preacher to look at i need a church to sing at i need a pew to sit at i need a preacher to look at i need a book to read i'm gonna sing now i'm gonna sing on the second time ooh ??? [???] remember that i need a church to sing at i need a pew to sit at i need a preacher to look at i need a book to read oh holy satan how, how i believe in oh holy satan gateway to sin last time i need a church to sing at a pew to sit at a preacher to look at a book to read i need a church to sing at i need a pew to sit at i need a preacher to look at a book to read a church to sing at a pew to sit at a preacher to look at a book to read a church to sing at a pew to sit at a preacher ??? oh holy satan how, how i believe in oh holy satan gateway to sin kiss the devil kiss the devil lucifer and heavy metal heavy metal back to you, jon JON: kiss the devil gotta lick my guitar bite an iron bar sick satan's my mama turtle pus instead of caviar chewing eyeball super-skin schwa burning caesar alive flame-skinned wah wah kiss the devil, kiss the devil lucifer emaciates gotta do my slime 'cause i've gotta hall-pass to hell take it, travis TRAV: last time ??? JON: cool tossed nicotine leaping leper limousine flyby no-go flow blow zoo-goo grapple gray diddly squat oozing romeo mailman row your boat mayflower of death kiss the devil, kiss the devil lucifer emaciates gotta do my slime 'cause i gotta hall-pass to hell guitar solo fade out on the guitar solo we're fading ??? kiss the devil kiss the devil kiss the devil ??? fade out kiss the devil you can stop any time kiss the devil ???
Medea
- Leaping Leper Limousine track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 48
- IPECAC Picks track 7
- recorded: 1988-11-19
- length: 6:20
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310 (drums), piano | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was a simple jazz ditty that I had written previously. The title came from a play we had recently read for English class. We both liked this a lot, and later re-recorded it for Best of IPECAC 2.
Lyrics to "Medea":
JON: yeah wooh yeah all right fade out
Merry Xmas
- Leaping Leper Limousine track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 49
- recorded: 1988-11-19
- length: 1:48
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310, sax, fake electric guitar, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was IPECAC's first and only Christmas song. It starts off as "Joy to the World" but then devolves into chaotic buzzing and chanting.
We ended up playing a coulple Christmas carols door-to-door that year (I think), Jon with his sax and me with a keyboard. I'm pretty sure we were pathetic
Lyrics to "Merry Xmas":
[???] retardando we wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas... hey santa claus has much to offer we are cool we're ipecac but we don't care [???] improvising we don't care we're ipecac we do whatever we want [???] we wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas...
Numb
- Catharsis track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 50
- IPECAC Picks track 8
- recorded: 1988-12-23
- length: 3:32
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
"Numb" was yet another attempt on my part to push IPECAC away from jazz and towards pop/rock. You see, I wanted us to be a rock band, and Jon wanted us to be more of a jazz band. I think as long as IPECAC failed to meet either of our expectations, neither of us felt "gypped". "Numb" had nice lyrics, and a solid melody, but it failed to make us rock stars. Sigh.
I liked this song enough to end up recording it four more times: twice for IPECAC (on Best of IPECAC 2 and Fake Reverb 2). and twice as Tripecac (on Archives and College Collage). Unfortunately, none of the versions made me happy.
The panning is extreme. Jon's sax was in one ear, and my keyboard and voice were in the other. I don't know if this was intentional or not.
Lyrics to "Numb":
VERSE A: there was this girl you liked so much you tried so hard that she left you another guy came and took your place and you were left to suffer your world it seemed to collapse and moping in complete and utter ruin you grew a shell about yourself to shield you from the world (and the women) further and deeper you slipped from life's painful reality and into the solace and the universe of your endless, comforting dreams VERSE B: you don't want to feel the world around you you'd rather be numb than feel the pain you don't want to take the blows you're given you'd rather just slippin' away CHORUS: you're numb blood frozen afraid to let your feelings show you're numb blood frozen you'd rather hide than take the blows VERSE B: your heart became broken so you froze it you immobilized your blood to numb the hurt and now that your heart is hardened you try to set yourself from the world CHORUS: you're numb a turtle hiding safe beneath your shell you're numb and miserable you dug your hole; but it went to hell [repeat]
Lepercity
- Catharsis track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 51
- recorded: 1988-12-23
- length: 3:33
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, cornet, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was a silly story about lepers. We were on a leper kick. We had just finished Leaping Leper Limousine. We had also written and filmed a play about leprousy. What's with all the leper references? Well, I guess we thought it was funny.
The music is frantic. Lots of honking, shrieking, and staccato. The sax is way too loud. Yuck.
Lyrics to "Lepercity":
INTRO: jesus christ, you got us into this mess hey! VERSE: driving down a long black highway under the sizzling desert sun windows rolled up to keep out the heat engine sputtering, almost gone CHORUS: and we've just begun we've just begun we've just begun we've just begun hey VERSE: a tiny town lies north of us we can barely make it there we end up walking the last few miles we reach the town with no fanfare hey CHORUS: we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun and yeah BRIDGE: putta dem a down here putta dem a down there putta dem down skin and putta dem down hair hit it 1,2 putta dem a down here putta dem a down there droppin' down skin just dropping' down hair wooh! here we go i'm the rappa' putta dem a down here putta dem a down there just a droppin' down skin just a droppin' down hair just a droppin' down legs just a droppin' down toes just a droppin' down ears just a droppin' down nose just a droppin' down hair just a droppin' down feet just a droppin' down elbows just a droppin' down knees just a droppin' down arms just a droppin' down legs just a droppin' down hearts 'cause we feel no pain hey, hey, hey this is a rap and we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun lepercity wooh wooh wooh
Catharsis
- Catharsis track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 52
- recorded: 1988-12-23
- length: 2:51
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, percussion, vocals
- Jon Friesen - sax, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was a complete impov. It's manic, both musically and lyrically. We recorded the keyboard with mics instead of plugging directly in, which gives it a distant sound. The percussion is really annoying.
Lyrics to "Catharsis":
TRAV: 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 hit it, hit it hey jon, how are you doing? JON: i'm doing okay, trav; and you? TRAV: well, i'm okay so how do you like this album? JON: oh man, it's really gnarley, real bench TRAV: huh, really? i have an idea JON: let's jam! TRAV: yeah, let's jam! when? now! TRAV: oh well can't get all the notes right all the time JON: yeah, if we do we'll get put on some hit list TRAV: right [???] JON: groovy dude TRAV: yeah, schwa BOTH: ceasar schwa TRAV: hey, play something for us, jon JON: what do you want to hear? TRAV: just go ahead, now hey jon, you ever see that sexy girl JON: sure did not TRAV: oh man, you're a nerd JON: so am i TRAV: neat-o JON: jeans-e dude TRAV: yeah, jeans-e JON: 1,2,3 catharsis TRAV: catharsis wrong one wrong one the tape isn't even hooked up
Repetitive Rap
- Catharsis track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 53
- IPECAC Picks track 9
- recorded: 1988-12-23
- length: 2:09
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, percussion, vocals
- Jon Friesen - vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was half making fun of sample-heavy rap music, and half trying to emulate it. Rap was a compromise between my desire to rock and Jon's desire to play jazz.
Jon sang (basically) the same line over and over, and then I joined him about half way through. We then overdubbed vocal sound effects later. Real macho, guys!
Lyrics to "Repetitive Rap":
JON: this is a repetitive rap yeah, this is a repetitive rap i say this is a repetitive rap this is a repetitive rap this is a very repetitive rap [etc.] TRAV: this is a repetitive rap this is a repetitive rap... JON: repetitive rap repetitive rap... we're saying the same thing over and over again in a rap this is a repetitive rap... this is a bad rap ??? this is a repetitive rap ??? this is not a serious rap ???
My Familiar (2)
- Catharsis track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 54
- IPECAC Picks track 10
- recorded: 1988-12-23
- length: 3:19
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, vocals | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was our second version of "My Familiar", which originally appears on Fake Reverb. I like this version a lot better. It's super-sped up, though.
I sampled the narration and monkey noises for a later Tripecac song: "Millions of Monkeys" (on The Hermit).
Lyrics to "My Familiar (2)":
INTRO: kill the monkey kill the monkey... kill the monkey tonight we must go now OUTRO: and suddenly millions of monkeys swarmed the house, broke and busted in every window, and strangled the poor it was a gruesome sight but a sight worthy to be seen by the naked eye stripped of its... god this is dumb!!!
Numb (2)
- Best of IPECAC 2 track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 55
- recorded: 1989-01-??
- other names: Numb
- length: 5:26
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was our first song with Jon's keyboard, which sounded much more electronic than our earlier efforts. We got to program the rhythms, but everything was looped, and therefore repetitive. We learned over time that repetition favors simplicity. This album is full of "busy" rhythms that repeat endless and become annoying. The synthy sounds don't help. Jon's sax is drowned out by all the keyboard noise, too, which is a shame, because he was the good musician.
For the first song we chose to remake "Numb" (from Catharsis). I re-arranged the song heavily, moving lyrical blocks around like legos. Okay, that simile is about as playful as this song gets. It feels too serious, too labored, too devoid of humor. The only lively bit is the chaotic section near the middle, which was supposed to represent the descent into Hell.
The tape cover says that this is the "January version" of "Numb". I think all the other songs were recorded in February, making "Numb" the odd-ball.
Lyrics to "Numb (2)":
INTRO: this is ipecac numbin' your heart like a turtle hide beneath your shell and here we go VERSE A: there was this girl you liked so much you tried so hard that she left you another guy came and took your place and you were left to suffer VERSE B: you don't want to feel the world around you you'd rather be numb than feel the pain you don't want to take the blows you're given you'd rather just slippin' away [repeat] CHORUS: you're numb, blood frozen afraid to let your feelings show you're numb, blood frozen you'd rather hide than take the blows VERSE A: your world it seemed to collapse and moping in complete and utter ruin you grew a shell about yourself to shield you from the world and the women VERSE B: your heart became broken so you froze it you immobilized your blood to numb the hurt and now that your heart is hardened you try to set yourself from the world [repeat] CHORUS: you're numb, blood frozen afraid to let your feelings show you're numb, blood frozen you'd rather hide than take the blows BRIDGE: further, further, here we go further, further, here we go VERSE A: further and deeper you slipped from life's painful reality and into the solace and the universe of your endless, comforting dreams VERSE B: your heart became broken so you froze it you immobilized your blood to numb the hurt and now that your heart is hardened you try to set yourself from the world you don't want to feel the world around you you'd rather be numb than feel the pain you don't want to take the blows you're given you'd rather just slippin' away CHORUS: you're numb, a turtle hiding safe beneath your shell you're numb, and miserable you dug your hole; but it went to hell [repeat] here we go END: you're numb, you're numb you're numb, you're numb you're numb
Sungreen (2)
- Best of IPECAC 2 track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 56
- recorded: 1989-02-10
- length: 3:05
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, clapping?, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Here we got a little simpler, musically a least. Unfortunately, the lyrics are still dumb, and there's very little humor. You can still barely hear Jon's sax above the heavy-handed synths.
And what's with the clapping? Was that our attempt to liven things up? Ugh.
Lyrics to "Sungreen (2)":
CHORUS: you are my sun; you light up my life you shine on me from near or from far the sight of you it cheers me up no matter what color you are you are my sun; you shine on my life you cheer me up VERSE: sun green, sun red sun blue, sun yellow sun black, sun white sun orange, sun purple hit it, jon BRIDGE: there's a sun out there with your name on it victim of the holocaust that's about to come in the near future that's why this song is called "sungreen" and no matter what the color of the sun i will always be there to shine on your path CHORUS: i am the sun i shine on your path you are my sun; you light up my life you shine on me from near or from far the sight of you it cheers me up no matter what color you are you are my sun
Share, Peace, and Love (4)
- Best of IPECAC 2 track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 57
- recorded: 1989-02-10
- length: 4:36
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, clapping?
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the second instrumental remake of "Share, Peace, and Love"; the first was on Leaping Leper Limousine. It gets the Best of IPECAC 2 treatment, which means busy rhythms, annoying synth sounds, barely-audible sax, and annoying clapping. On the bright side, at least this is an instrumental, and the solos are pretty decent.
Five Through Night (2)
- Best of IPECAC 2 track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 58
- recorded: 1989-02-11
- length: 3:05
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is another overly synthetic-sounding remake, again with very little sax poking through. At least this one's instrumental. Also, the drums are simpler. Perhaps we were learning that more is not necessarily better?
Since these drums are much simpler than those of the previous song ("Share, Peace, and Love"), I'm guessing that this was recorded the next day (on the 11th).
Medea (2)
- Best of IPECAC 2 track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 59
- recorded: 1989-02-11
- length: 5:16
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
We tried to gentle things up by remaking one of our lighter, jazzier numbers: "Medea" (from Leaping Leper Limousine). You still can barely hear the sax, but at least the drums are simple and we stuck with "conventional" sounding keyboard patches. Even so, it still sounds annoyingly synthetic.
Gradually, over the next year or so, we learned how to get Jon's keyboard to sound decent for us, but during these early songs it was really annoying to hear our nice songs get the life synthesized out of them. "Medea" is a sweet little song, and Jon's keyboard killed it!
At least that's how I felt (and feel); Jon might actually have liked the production. I personally think my cheesy Casio CT-310's canned rhythms had more warmth, which encouraged more spontaneity.
Lepercity (2)
- Best of IPECAC 2 track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 60
- recorded: 1989-02-11
- length: 4:26
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This song was mechanic and dumb to begin with, so I don't feel bad about killing it with Jon's keyboard. It starts out pretty awful, but then a surprising thing happens... It crescendoes into an intense keyboard and sax cacaphony which actually rocks! The energy only lasts half a minute or so, but it's inspiring when it happens.
We were finally managing to squeeze decent sounds of Jon's setup.
Lyrics to "Lepercity (2)":
INTRO: jesus christ, you got us into this mess hey! this is lepercity here we go VERSE: driving down a long black highway under the sizzling desert sun windows rolled up to keep out the heat engine sputtering, almost gone CHORUS: we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun lepercity VERSE: a tiny town lies north of us we can barely make it there we end up walking the last few miles and we reach the town with no fanfare CHORUS: we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun hey we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun and we've just begun we've just begun lepercity hey hey hey hit it, jon
My Familiar (3)
- Best of IPECAC 2 track 7
- Complete IPECAC track 61
- recorded: 1989-02-11
- length: 4:09
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was our third and final remake of "My Familiar" (from Fake Reverb). The keyboard drums are annoying and you can barely hear Jon's sax, but the rhythms were simple and the instruments not too synthy.
For some reason, the song sounds empty, particular after the dense chaos of "Lepercity". Overdubs might have helped flesh things out a bit.
Tunes from the Bottle
- Fake Reverb 2 track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 62
- IPECAC Picks track 11
- recorded: 1989-02-1?
- length: 2:28
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, mellophone, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax
- Art Wheeler | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
We open the album with a sad story of alcoholism and gambling. Heavy topics for IPECAC! Hey, I couldn't help it; whenever I finished songs in those years, I brought them to IPECAC, and later the Anchovies. I put my solo efforts on halt during those times. So the heavy lyrics had to go somewhere, and IPECAC was my default outlet.
Meanwhile, my writing and playing had been improving over the months since the last album. I was taking jazz piano lessons and playing semi-regularly with the Anchovies. The music felt relatively full and natural, but my arrangement for this song left no room for improvisation, so it never gets very intense.
On an aborted album cover (where I called the band "Usupers"), I saw that my piano teacher, Art Wheeler had helped me write some of the music for this song. I don't remember which bits he contributed.
The "Usupers" cover was dated 1989-02-17. This suggests that at least one version of the song had been recorded before then, but I'm not certain. I'll guess for now that it was the IPECAC version although it could have been an early solo version. I know for sure that I recorded my Trex version (included on Wino Three Girls) on 1989-04-11.
Lyrics to "Tunes from the Bottle":
VERSE: i was walking home late one evening stumbled on a dead man lying in the gutter his face was gaunt; he had died of hunger stuck in his hand was an empty bottle CHORUS: there was a man, a man and his bottle they shared their emptiness, shared their sorrows now I see that dead man's bottle songs of sorrow, tunes from the bottle VERSE: it tells the story of a middle-class man who had potential but no ambition he quit his job and picked up gambling, found success in acquisition CHORUS: there was a man, a man and his bottle they shared their secrets, shared their sorrows now I hold that dead man's bottle i hear songs or sorrow, the tunes from the bottle VERSE: on new year's eve he got so wasted, bet all he owned on twenty-one would have been rich if his luck persisted but he pushed too far - the dealer won VERSE: eventually, he turned to drinking drink to escape, drink to forget the rest of his life he slept with his bottle he died in his sleep, choked with regret CHORUS: there was a man, a man and his bottle they shared their dreams, shared their sorrows all he had was his empty bottle all i have is this empty bottle
Mean Machine
- Fake Reverb 2 track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 63
- recorded: 1989-04-13
- length: 3:20
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, mellophone
- Jon Friesen - sax | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Jon wrote this song. To me, its chord progression is a cliche. Did my songs sound like cliches to his ears too? How about to your ears? Does "Mean Machine" sound like a cliche? Do my songs?
Chord progressions aside, the solos are pretty nice. Jon was sounding like a real jazz musician by this point. He also probably got to practice this song a few times before I came over, which helped him plan his solos and boost his confidence.
Maybe Jon's motivation for writing songs was not to create an original structure but rather to give him/us something over which to improvise comfortably. That would be consistent with his method for contributing for the Master Anchovies: instead of writing new songs, he'd transcribe and arrange some of his favorite jazz standards.
Go
- Fake Reverb 2 track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 64
- recorded: 1989-04-13
- length: 4:37
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Here come the busy drums again. I guess we hadn't learned our lesson yet. Sorry! Well, at least the bass line is simple.
There's no much to say about this song. The chorus is the only good bit. The rest is clunky, at least in this version. I recorded a solo version for Trex (on Five Dollar Drummer) but I don't think it's any better.
The music accelerates at the end. I don't know why. I wish the bells weren't so loud. Ugh. Next!
Anchovy Rock
- Fake Reverb 2 track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 65
- recorded: 1989-04-13
- length: 2:53
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was (or became) the theme song for the Master Anchovies. I'm pretty sure I wrote the majority of it, except maybe for the sax part. I don't think any of the other Anchovies had any hand in the writing.
I'm pretty sure Jon and I recorded this after the Anchovies had been playing it a while. We were trying to create a "solid" (and therefore definitive) version of the song. At the same time, we might have been trying to prove to ourselves (and the Anchovies) that IPECAC was better than the Anchovies at their own game. I did the same sort of thing when I recorded my solo version years later on College Collection.
This song became a calibration mechanism. We knew the music by heart, so it let us test different instrumentations and recording setups.
It was a fun song to play, and I like this version's steady rock beat, but I think I prefer real drums to the keyboard's fake ones. Also, there tended to be a lot more energy when we played this song live (with the Anchovies).
Thirteenth Night
- Fake Reverb 2 track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 66
- IPECAC Picks track 12
- recorded: 1989-06-09
- length: 3:32
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000
- Jon Friesen - sax | wrote: music
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Jon wrote this music for an English class project with me and Luke Marshall. It was the background music for the closing credits of our sequel to the Shakespeare play "Twelfth Night"
The music is atonal, but memorable. It was hard to play (lots of wide fingerings), but I came to really enjoy listening to it. This was the last song that Jon wrote for IPECAC (or the Anchovies) and it was, in my opinion, his best by far.
This particular recording is a short version that Jon and I recorded by ourselves. As we did with "Anchovy Rock", we were trying to create a "cleaner" version of the song than the one we had recorded with Luke (on "Extras"). Yes, it's cleaner, but it also feels a bit empty; I prefer the full version.
Schnell
- Fake Reverb 2 track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 67
- recorded: 1989-06-09
- length: 2:47
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was a very simple piano tune that I named (partly) after my cousin (Kim Snell), whom Jon and I were mailing at the time. It's a nice tune to practice, but we never got a good recording of it. I think the keyboard drums detract from it in a big way.
Originally, this was part of an "Ethan Frome" soundtrack, which I had written for an English project. I don't remember the other parts of the soundtrack, and doubt that any recordings exist (unless Jon has them).
Numb (3)
- Fake Reverb 2 track 7
- Complete IPECAC track 68
- recorded: 1989-06-09
- other names: Numb
- length: 3:35
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was IPECAC's third and final version of "Numb". The singing sounds dead, exhausted. My voice sounds hoarse, which is strange because the preceding songs had been instrumentals; maybe it was a tough key or maybe I had too much candy the night before?
On the bright side, the music is less annoying than the Best of IPECAC 2 version. Jon's sax playing matches nicely with the backwards keyboard sound, and the synthy drums are low in the mix. There's also a bridge with a rap to spice things up and some playful harmonies at the end.
Lyrics to "Numb (3)":
VERSE A: there was this girl you liked so much you tried so hard that she left you another guy came and took your place and you were left to suffer VERSE B: you don't want to feel the world around you you'd rather be numb than feel the pain you don't want to take the blows you're given you'd rather just slippin' away CHORUS: you're numb blood frozen afraid to let your feelings show you're numb blood frozen you'd rather hide than take the blows VERSE A: your world it seemed to collapse and moping in complete and utter ruin you grew a shell about yourself to shield you from the world (and the women) VERSE B: your heart became broken so you froze it you immobilized your blood to numb the hurt and now that your heart is hardened you try to set yourself from the world CHORUS: you're numb a turtle hiding safe beneath your shell you're numb and miserable you dug your hole; but it went to hell BRIDGE: you were new at the game and open to pain you felt a great loss your grief's been the boss you're numbing your mind but deep inside you know it's wrong you've hidden too long hit it jon hit it jon hit it jon hit it jon trav on the keyboard trav on the keyboard number 1 trav on the keyboard trav on the keyboard VERSE A: further and deeper you slipped from life's painful reality and into the solace and the universe of your endless, comforting dreams VERSE B: you don't want to feel the world around you you'd rather be numb than feel the pain you don't want to take the blows you're given you'd rather just slippin' away CHORUS: you're numb blood frozen afraid to let your feelings show you're numb blood frozen you'd rather hide than take the blows you're numb a turtle hiding safe beneath your shell
How Ya Is'n
- Fake Reverb 2 track 8
- Complete IPECAC track 69
- IPECAC Picks track 13
- recorded: 1989-06-09
- length: 5:35
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, vocals
- Jon Friesen - sax, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Jon wrote most of the lyrics. Other bits were improvised, and there's a quote from "All This is True".
Musically, it's very simple, just drums and a heavy bassline. There's occasional sax (during the chorus) and keyboard (during solos) but for the most part we were focused on the vocals. The only weird bit is at the end, where Jon launches into an incredibly adventurous sax solo and then the rest of the music gets abruptly shoved into the background.
We liked this song so much we brought it to the Anchovies. It was a favorite from day one.
Lyrics to "How Ya Is'n":
TRAV: cruisin' down the street I got to the place where the weirdos hang out - I got my mace (ready) for an incident 'cause you never know what a blind quadroplegic morphodite might show (you) i kept my distance from the darkest alley where the schitzofrentic ninjas were having a rally i heard a noise and I spun around but couldn't see who made that sound CHORUS: how you is'n, jon? how you is'n? how you is'n, jon, jon? how you is'n? TRAV: suddenly I saw what I really had feared worse than kleptomaniacs, he really was weird behind him was a trail of arms and legs he stuck out his tongue to show his underarms he said "you got a nice tan but I got a nice blue that's right, I'm a leper, you can be a leper too" i said, "god you're slimy" and walked my own way the guy was gross enough to finish my day CHORUS: how you is'n, jon? how you is'n, jon? TRAV: i kept on walking so i could find my friend Jon the leper had disappeared; I hoped he was gone i went to Jon's place and he was waiting for me i was glad to be there, with a capital "e" i said, "Hey Jon, what's shaking?" "cooling. What's up?" i said "girlies!" "well, I guess i better get ready, huh?" CHORUS: how you is'n, how ya is'n? hey jon, how you is'n? TRAV: jon your rappin' could use a little practice if you only rhymed, then you couldn't miss but first a little solo, so take the mic and practice your rap while i take a hike JON: uh, well, this is my first rap and i'm kinda having, well, a bit of trouble i'm trying to rhyme well exactly what am i supposed to do anyways? oh let me start over TRAV: jon, try to keep the rhymin' in your head your rhyming capabilities are just about dead well just give it one more shot i have a feeling you will improve a lot CHORUS: just is'n how you is'n? how you bein'? how you is'n? how you is'n? jon, try to keep the rhythm in your head now here you go now here you go now here you go now here you go JON: this is my first rap; i don't know what do say maybe there, i'll think of something say there's only a second to thing of something to say it's hard to hear, hard to think of something to say let me think of something to say i think i will use another word to sing my dad always said i really couldn't sing i hope he hears this and hears me sing oh forget it! TRAV: oh, poor poor jon oh oh, poor poor jon oh, poor poor jon oh, poor poor jon! try once more and say something new my jaws are healed but i need something to do so maybe i'll try a little keyboard here and then you can rap for me to hear JON: i saw an ant by the side of the road beside him was a rabbit and a toad i talked to him and he asked me my name i said, "who are you to --" TRAV: jon jon jon, better stick with the sax your rapping, i'm afraid, is really suck-tack so take your sax, get ready to go because we're about to fade out on a sax solo ha ha, ha ha, ha ha...
Maybe
- Fake Reverb 2 track 9
- Complete IPECAC track 70
- recorded: 1989-06-09
- length: 3:40
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, vocals | wrote: music, lyrics
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
In the late 1980s I sent lots of letters and tapes to my cousin Kim. I wrote this song for her, and then later brought it to IPECAC. I later recorded this as Tripecac on Archives.
This version benefits from a steady, deep bassline and Jon's soulful sax playing. On the other hand, the drums are still cheesy, the harpsichord sounds are annoying, my singing is often out of tune, and the tape gets mangled in the middle. I had pre-written my solos, which was sort of cheating, and kind of drained the life out of them. Jon's wailing sax towards the end makes up for it, though.
Lyrics to "Maybe":
CHORUS: maybe, maybe someday, kimmi, you'll write me back maybe, maybe someday, kimmi, you'll write me back VERSE: i mail you letters, and you mail me not now how much patience have i got? i'm writing every single night it's just not right TRANSITION: i pray and i hope against hope that you will write me oh i know it's been a long time but still i trust that CHORUS: maybe, maybe someday, kimmi, you'll write me back maybe, maybe someday, kimmi, you'll write me back VERSE: you say you're too busy to write to me now that's one thing i cannot believe i probably have as much free time as you and i've sent you 300 pages TRANSITION: i pray and hope against hope that you will write me oh i know it's been a long time but still i trust that CHORUS: maybe, maybe someday, kimmi, you'll write me back maybe, maybe someday, kimmi, you'll write me back BRIDGE: i send you all these notes and what do you do? you don't even write me back what's happening with you? hit it, jon VERSE: now every day when i get home from school i'm looking around for a letter from you and even after seven months have passed i'd think you'd write me at last TRANSITION: i pray and i hope against hope that you will write me oh i know it's been a long time but still i trust that CHORUS: maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe
Three Pointer
- Live at Carnegie Hall track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 71
- IPECAC Picks track 14
- recorded: 1990-01-??
- length: 4:41
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This kicked off our final recording session. Our idea was to sound "live". The distortion is horrible, yet somehow I love this song. It's the closest we ever came to "rock", which had been my dream.
Downpour
- Live at Carnegie Hall track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 72
- IPECAC Picks track 15
- recorded: 1990-01-??
- length: 6:57
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is my favorite IPECAC song. It's slow and mellow, but the solos are outstanding (for us at least).
Lyrics to "Downpour":
carnegie hall is proud to have: ipecac
Ammonia Song
- Live at Carnegie Hall track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 73
- IPECAC Picks track 16
- recorded: 1990-01-??
- length: 4:21
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, talking
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
We pretended that we were being backed up by a band called "Ammonia". This was supposed to explain the overdubs. We were trying to convince our listeners that we were a real band.
I like the relentless bass line. My solos are only decent, but Jon's sax work is great!
Lyrics to "Ammonia Song":
ladies and gentlemen bourgeoisie carnegie hall is proud to present the rock group "ammonia" with puke on the drums vomit on the sax and old mister ralph on the keyboards what an entourage: ammonia! and here they are, ladies and gentlemen: ipecac!
Panorama
- Live at Carnegie Hall track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 74
- IPECAC Picks track 17
- recorded: 1990-01-??
- length: 6:21
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000 | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was our only pre-written song on Live at Carnegie Hall; the rest were developed in the studio.
Unfortunately, the production is pretty bad in bits. The volume drops off near the beginning, and one of the keyboard overdubs is too high in the mix (and with no reverb). I also flubbed the bridge a bit by playing in the wrong octave. I still like it, though. It ends well, and finishes off Live at Carnegie Hall smoothly.
Dissonance Song
- Extras track 1
- Complete IPECAC track 75
- recorded: 1989-0?-??
- length: 7:04
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I'm not sure when we recorded this, since it wasn't part of any set of sessions. It might have been our first recording with Jon's keyboard (predating Best of IPECAC 2). It also could have been a warm-up for Live at Carnegie Hall... or anything in between. Since the drums were wisely kept simple, I'm guessing it came after Best of IPECAC 2 (which had crazy drums).
Musically, it was just an exercise. There's no melody or developed chord progression. Also, Jon's first note was a dud (which was rare for him at that point), which suggests that we hadn't rehearsed at all. Or maybe Jon was being intentionally atonal? Doesn't matter, really.
Despite the noodling and intentional jarring, this is actually a pretty soothing listen. I like the relentless bassline and metronomic drums in the first section. It was trancy, probably the closest IPECAC got to electronica or acid jazz.
The second section is a little less elegant, but it still floats by without getting cheesy or super-grating.
The short "Christmas in Cancun" reference near the beginning suggests that this was recorded around the time I wrote that song (late 1989).
Lyrics to "Dissonance Song":
??? fade out, fade out ???
Demian (with Luke)
- Extras track 2
- Complete IPECAC track 76
- recorded: 1989-0?-??
- length: 4:54
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, clapping, talking | wrote: music
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- Luke Marshall - Yamaha DX21, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
We recorded this with Luke Marshall for an English project. I wrote the music, Jon and Luke recorded it with me, and then the class wrote and sang the lyrics in class.
I ended up remaking this as Tripecac's (on College Collection). I like my version better, probably because it has lyrics and all the parts are in time.
The clapping was to keep Luke in time; he had trouble matching tempos back then.
Lyrics to "Demian (with Luke)":
LUKE: ready ??? TRAV: stop JON: he he he he he we'll think of a better ending later
Jon Solo (1)
- Extras track 3
- Complete IPECAC track 77
- recorded: 1989-0?-??
- length: 2:22
- Jon Friesen - Casio HT-6000, sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was filler on one of the later IPECAC tapes. I think Jon played all the parts, because I don't remember being involved in any of it. This may have been from his solo album (I Am Not Spock).
Jon Solo (2)
- Extras track 4
- Complete IPECAC track 78
- recorded: 1989-0?-??
- length: 6:33
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- Jon Friesen - Casio HT-6000, sax, vocals, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is another weird recording from Jon, found on the back of an IPECAC tape. I don't think I had anything to do with its recording, though I hear my voice in the background. Very strange.
At the end Jon talks about "Thirteenth Night". I think he was explaining how we should play it. This suggests that his solo songs were recorded right before we did "Thirteenth Night".
Lyrics to "Jon Solo (2)":
TRAV: have fun need some [chord changes???] what do you need [???] JON: only Jon [???] TRAV: when are you gonna play right? how come you're not playing it? JON: what? TRAV: how come you're not playing? JON: because no one else says [???] the whole thing appropriated [???] TRAV: what is? JON: what? TRAV: what's [???] oh you mean [???] JON: playing my guitar doesn't want to play coup d'etat he says go too far jon doesn't know what the hell he's doing anyway i think i should just stick around focus saxophone rule all right, this is my as-yet unnamed rhythmically dissonant, otherwise boring song uh, i'm going to be talking on the fourth track explaining what chords i'm about to go through since this is all improvised [chord?] progression this is c, by the way
Thirteenth Night (test)
- Extras track 5
- Complete IPECAC track 79
- recorded: 1989-05-07
- length: 1:08
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000
- Jon Friesen - sax | wrote: music
- Luke Marshall - Yamaha DX21
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was from a test of the opening credits for the "Thirteenth Night" soundtrack. The song itself was playing in the background (on my parents' stereo, downstairs); we captured it with mics.
This excerpt is probably directly from the full soundtrack.
Thirteenth Night (with Luke)
- Extras track 6
- Complete IPECAC track 80
- recorded: 1989-05-07
- length: 7:39
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000, mellophone, vocals
- Jon Friesen - sax, vocals | wrote: music
- Luke Marshall - Yamaha DX21
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was the soundtrack to a movie that Jon, Luke, and I recorded for English class. It was a sequel to Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" play. Jon wrote the music. We later re-recorded it for IPECAC.
I really like this song. Luke played pretty well on it, too, much better than he did on "Demian".
According to the video, we started pre-production on 1989-05-08, which was a Monday. It's likely that we recorded the music on the previous day, which was Sunday 1989-05-07.
Lyrics to "Thirteenth Night (with Luke)":
ALL: thirteenth, thirteenth, thirteenth, thirteenth night
Fish Time
- Extras track 7
- Complete IPECAC track 81
- recorded: 1989-1?-??
- length: 5:20
- Travis Emmitt - Casio CT-310, drums, talking
- Jon Friesen - Casio CT-310, sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
We wrote this for the Master Anchovies. This was our demo version. We used Allen or Anand's drums, which were left in my basement from a practice. Since there is only one sax part and two keyboard parts, I'm pretty sure Jon played one of the keyboard parts while I played drums.
There were three parts to the song. The first and third were hectic jazz/funk. The middle section was reggae. I think the Anchovies ended up only playing the middle bit; the other parts were too hard.
The first Anchovies version of this song was recorded 1989-12-21, so I'm guessing that Jon and I recorded this demo in the Fall of 1989.
Lyrics to "Fish Time":
??? JON: yeah jon whoo TRAV: all right jon woah jon
Three Pointer (2)
- Extras track 8
- Complete IPECAC track 82
- recorded: 1990-01-??
- length: 4:34
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000
- Jon Friesen - sax
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was our first mix of "Three Pointer" (from Live at Carnegie Hall). We really overdid the distortion on this one. You can barely hear the drums or any high notes in the keyboard. On the plus side, it sounds even more live, even more convincing.
Downpour (2)
- Extras track 9
- Complete IPECAC track 83
- recorded: 1990-01-??
- length: 6:34
- Travis Emmitt - Casio HT-6000
- Jon Friesen - sax, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was an alternative mix of "Downpour" (from Live at Carnegie Hall). I'm not sure if it came before or after the album version. There's a badly overdubbed keyboard bit which starts off too loud and ruins the illusion of a live performance. Other than that, I think it's identical.
Lyrics to "Downpour (2)":
carnegie hall is proud to have: ipecac
Homeboy Rap
- Extras track 10
- Complete IPECAC track 84
- recorded: 1990-06-15
- length: 0:46
- Travis Emmitt - vocals
- Jon Friesen - drums
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is an excerpt from the second video that Jon and I made for my cousin Kim. The first video was mailed on or before 1989-11-13. This one was recorded on "Friday the 15th", which was probably 1990-06-15. (Clues include the shorts, the green lawn, the drum set, and references to girlfriends.)
Most of the video is boring, annoying, and/or offensive but the musical bits might be of interest to IPECAC fans.
Allen or Anand had left his drums at my house. Since Jon and I were filming in the same room as the drums, we kept gravitating towards them.
This excerpt is really short. I'm pretty sure that Jon is on the drums, but I won't know for sure until I watch the video again.
Lyrics to "Homeboy Rap":
stop yo, yo, homeboy yo, yo yeah, yeah, yeah homeboy, what's up talking to kim every night on the phone [???] homeboy, homeboy homeboy, homeboy here's jon homeboy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 homeboy what's up?
Whiteboy Rap
- Extras track 11
- Complete IPECAC track 85
- recorded: 1990-06-15
- length: 2:56
- Travis Emmitt - drum, vocals
- Jon Friesen - vocals
This is the second, longer excerpt from the video Jon and I made for Kim.
We were mimicking stand-up comedians, who were fixated with racial issues back then (this was the early 1990s). We took things to an absurd level. The humor might be thin, but I really like Jon's sax solo and the live drums. Also, it's neat hearing us improvise vocals on the fly.
Eventually Jon remembered that we were supposed to be making a video for my cousin (or perhaps he got tired of the metaphor). At some point, he put a big innertube around me to keep me from drumming (which didn't work); the "I know what to do" bit at the end was right before he walked to the video camera and shut it off.
Lyrics to "Whiteboy Rap":
TRAV: left, brother, left JON: yo man, you ain't got no style TRAV: left, brother left, brother JON: yo i'm [???] and i know how to rap but my drummer's a white boy and he really sucks TRAV: oh yeah ... JON: sax solo no, forget it TRAV: jon's on the sax looking really sexy all he's missing is a little bit of -- oh yeah, we're rhyming really good black boy rhythm, in the neighborhood with a tripod, jon you better get ready with the tripod i'm not gonna hold this mic all the time hold this mic all the time please, please jon, go get the tripod we got the rhythm we got the soul but buddy we're white we're white as gold here's jon again JON: i'm carrying a big tire and i look a little stupid but i don't [???] travis act of mercy this is an act of mercy no i know what to do