IPECAC - Fake Reverb 2 (February-June 1989)

Fake Reverb 2 was an improvement over Best of IPECAC 2. Every song was pre-written, yet most had room for improvisation. Our focus was on polishing the writing and performances rather than exploring production techniques.

Even so, the recordings still sounded "sterile" compared to our old tupperware jams. We longed to return to a "live" feel. This inspired us to create a new band with our friends: the Master Anchovies.

Once we started writing and transcribing new and old songs for the Anchovies, IPECAC effectively went on "hiatus". Fake Reverb 2 was our last full album.

Here's a journal entry I wrote on 1989-10-09:

October 9, 1989. Two days after Homecoming. This morning Jon and I did not get together to record anything. Today's Monday, if you care.

IPECAC is in a state of nonexistance, or at least a state of Virginia. No; don't laugh. It's *not* funny.

Fake Reverb 2 contains the following songs up to now:

1. "Tunes from the Bottle" is a good song. I can't sing, but the lyrics are okay and the music is great.
2. "Mean Machine" is Jon's variation of "Stray Cat Strut". Some of Jon's songs are totally unoriginal. This is one of them, though it does possess an okay melody.
3. "Go" is my "jazz" song which isn't close to jazz.
4. "Anchovy Rock" is the funk/rock song that I play with the Master Anchovies.
5. The "13th Night" Soundtrack Song sounded much better on the movie than on this album. I'm sure Luke had *nothing* to do with it.
6. The excerpt from the Ethan Frome Soundtrack ["Schnell"] is one of my later songs. It is a very solid piece; it doesn't go anywhere, though.
7. The remake of "Numb" is slightly more reggae in feel. It has a rap for a bridge, which would have worked okay had Jon played the sax instead of trying to sing. But hey - look who's talking.
8. "Hey Jon - How Ya Is'n" is Jon's rap song. I'm very proud of the bass line; I wrote it. Also, the keyboard solo towards the end is pretty good for an improv.
9. The last song, "Maybe", is a tribute to my cousin Kim. "Maybe someday, Kimmi, you'll write me back" is just one of the lyrics. Maybe Maybe is the best song on the album, but Maybe I just think so because it's the one freshest in my mind. I'm sure I thought "Go" was awesome, at one point.

I haven't done much composing over the summer. I wrote a fairly original piano piece, however. [ I think this was "Filler" which appeared on Tripecac's College Collage ]

No more lessons with Art Wheeler. I gave Kevin Brady a copy of some of my songs, and he said he liked them. LIAR!!!!!

That's basically it. I'll keep in touch.

So as far as I knew back then, IPECAC was dead. The Anchovies had consumed our musical attention (and free time). Since Jon was getting increasingly disillusioned with the musical abilities of the Anchovies, it looked like our days of collaboration were coming to an end.

Luckily, a few months later (in January 1990), Jon and I got together had one final session: Live at Carnegie Hall.