All arrangements: Paul Rubin and the Combo
Jim Fourniadis (Bass, Vocal)
Leila Haddad (Backing Vocal)
Madi Horstman (Backing Vocal)
Andy Maltz (Guitar)
Paul Rubin (Keys)
Sam Zelda (Drums)
Shampoo! Wet lather rinse repeat!
Norma Elwitt (Clarinet)
Jim Fourniadis (Bass, Backing Vocal)
Andy Maltz (Guitar)
Paul Rubin (Keys, Vocal)
Sam Zelda (Drums, Backing Vocal)
There ain't no doubt about it, I'm a Needle Boy
I got the diabetes, I'm a Needle Boy
I'm just about as useful as a broken toy
Let's not be coy
If I had AIDS, there'd be a war to be won
If I was a junkie, the needle'd be fun
If I had a choice then I would be on the run
From all the sugar's done
There ain't no doubt about it, I'm a Needle Boy
My daily life is full of things I must avoid
Since I found out my warranty is null and void
Am I annoyed
I hear the bomb ticking every night and day
Shooting up recombinant DNA
Deciding on which part of me might rot away
What can I say?
'Mary Tyler Moore'
'Catfish Hunter'
'Totie Fields'
Be sure that you are cheerful, say you feel fine
While magazines and doctors toe the company line
And friends ask stupid questions when you dine
The healthy swine
(The Healthy Swine Dance)
I get a bit bitter maybe you've guessed
Living on courtesy of Banting's Best
My fingertips are hurtin from the sugar test
You guess the rest
There ain't no doubt about it, I'm a Needle Boy
Watchin for the gangrene with ironic joy
I'm just about as healthy as broken toy
I'm a Needle Boy
Here we see Paul Rubin wearing the Needle Blazer with over 1000 real needles.
Pedro Alvarez (Keys, Vocal)
Jim Fourniadis (Bass, Organ)
Ray Sage (Drums)
Sam Zelda (Guitar)
My little Di, she stings like sleet
She's rough weather when you turn up the heat
Like a tornado touchin down
Or a rumble from under the ground
Oh my Di
She's an unsheathed knife
One wrong move
And I'm stuck for life
She's got more mystery than your average date
Just watch and see how things complicate
Sneak around, she just don't care
But cross the line and she's waitin there
Oh my Di
She's a power dive
If I don't pull up in time
I may not survive
My little Di, she stings like sleet
She's more trouble than you're likely to meet
Like danger signals on a nerve
She's probably just what I deserve
My my my
She's a stirred up hive
Watch out near the honey
When the bees arrive (man alive!)
Let me tell you 'bout my little Di
Normal rules just don't apply
She took possession, and now I'm hers
With things progressing from bad to worse
INSTRUMENTAL
My little Di, she stings like sleet
A killer frost and a cold deceit
A chill reception until she's bored
I'm livin under the sword
Oh my Di
She's an unsheathed knife
Sharp as a razor
Now I'm stuck for life
Guest vocalist Pedro Alvarez.
Norma Elwitt (Clarinet)
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Andy Maltz (Guitar)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Sam Zelda (Drums)
Our venal volcano
It's the temple-with-a-view
Suburban religion
On the avenue
The shofar's a french horn
The stained glass by Ben Shahn
The gift shop - the front lawn
The High Holy Day Service yawn
oy
Our venal volcano
All lit up in the dark
Suburban religion
From the electric ark
The two-day-a-year jews
Reform beyond all excuse
Their day workers running loose
While they sing those jewish blues
Jim Fourniadis (Bass, Vocal)
Leila Haddad (Backing Vocal)
Madi Horstman (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Andy Maltz (Guitar)
Sam Zelda (Drums, Guitar)
Early in the summer of sixty-five
Johnny Wilkes Booth took a fateful drive
He rode his Harley and he took his gun
To the drive-in movie just to have some fun
Now Johnny hid by the refreshment stand
The radio was playing his favorite band
When Lincoln sent his men to get a snack
John Wilkes Booth pulled a sneak attack
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Wipeout at the drive-in show
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Johnny's got a gun it's time to go
There in the lincoln, Abe was cool as ice
Wearing 3-D glasses, watching Vincent Price
But his life would end because of Johnny's stunt
Before he could even yell "Down in front!"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Johnny's gun said "Time to go"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Folks at the drive-in never finished the show
(INSTRUMENTAL)
Now hard-luck Johnny's headed for harm
Cornered on the gas tank at Garrett's farm
The news will say, after the bullet hits,
"Psycho Gunman Blown To Bits"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
The crowd heard Johnny's cry
"Sic Semper Tyranus!
And tell my mama I said goodbye"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Was it caused by rock and roll?
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Johnny found fame and lost his soul
Guest vocalist Madi Horstman.
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Andy Maltz (Guitar, Vocal)
Sam Zelda (Drums, Backing Vocal)
Jesus Jr! His grandpa is the Lord
Jesus Jr! He drives a big white ford
Jesus Jr! He takes his dad's advice
Jesus Jr! The Country Western Christ
Well he was born in Tennessee
Not somewhere out in Galilee
His dad got his at Calvary
And his mom works at the grocery
Jesus Jr! His grandpa is the Lord
Jesus Jr! He drives a big white ford
Jesus Jr! His grandma Mary's joy
Father, Son and the Holy good old boy
Well Junior takes his name in vain
When folks abuse the passing lane
And at his favorite bar on Main
The only thing he'll raise is cain
Jesus Jr! His grandpa is the Lord
Jesus Jr! He drives a big white ford
Jesus Jr! At least he's not a jew
10-4 Satan, his rig is passin you
Now if his wheels get stuck in mud
He'll part that shoulder like the flood
And when he drives on Easter, bud
His left-hand signal's dripping blood
Jesus Jr! His grandpa is the Lord
Jesus Jr! got mudguards on his big white ford
Jesus Jr! He takes his dad's advice
Jesus Jr! The Country Western Christ
Jesus Jr! The Country Western Christ
Jim Fourniadis (Sulu, McCoy)
Robert Ierardi (Kirk)
Marie Jamille (Uhura)
Andy Maltz (Spock)
Paul Rubin (Landrey)
Mark Rudolph (Scotty)
Sam Zelda (Chekov)
(OPENER MUSIC)
SULU: (VOICEOVER) Navigator's log Stardate 37-68.4: (sigh) Another day,
another planet, another adventure. And only 4 days til payday.
KIRK: Report Mr. Sulu.
SULU: Assuming standard orbit, Captain.
KIRK: Uhura, open a hailing frequency to the Femyoodian High Council.
UHURA: I have the Minister, Captain.
MINISTER: (broken up) Kirk! You've got to help us! We're in real trouble
here! I can't get the..(crash) Jim, please!
KIRK: Minister! Uhura, get him back!
UHURA: All I get is static, Captain.
KIRK: Spock, Bones, come with me. Scotty, you have the com!
SCOTT: Aye Cap'n.
(They exit - long pause)
SCOTT: Mr. Sulu, have you located the Cap'n on the planet?
SULU: Aye sir.
UHURA: Incoming message from the Captain.
KIRK: (on Intercom) We have arrived in the Council Chamber. There's
no one in sight. We'll keep you informed. Kirk out.
(Pause)
CHEKOV: (Sotto) Sulu.
SULU: (Sotto) What?
CHEKOV: (Sotto) Crazy Eights?
SULU: (Sotto) You always win Crazy Eights.
(Pause)
CHEKOV: Go Fish?
SULU: (Sighs) Alright. Got any fives?
CHEKOV: Go Fish. Got any eights? Any ones?
SULU: Go fish.
UHURA: Mr. Scott, I have subspace interference.
SCOTT: Squelch it.
SULU: Got any twos?
CHEKOV: Go Fish. Got any seexes? I win. (No response) What?
What ees the matter?
SULU: (After a pause) Forget it.
(Pause)
CHEKOV: I'm hungry.
(Pause)
SULU: Coming up on perihelion, three, two, one, mark.
(Pause)
SCOTT: I've got to check...engineering, Mr. Sulu, you have the com.
(SCOTT exits)
CHEKOV: I say Wodka.
UHURA: I say Scotch!
SULU: That's not fair, you picked Scotch yesterday.
UHURA: And I MAY pick it tomorrow. Now pay if you want to play.
SULU: All right, Acting Captain Sulu picks...Bourbon. Here's my bet.
Chekov, you hold the money.
(Pause)
SULU: Chekov, how about locating the Captain on the planet.
CHEKOV: Nah!
(Snore from LANDREY)
SULU: Hey, Landrey, wake up.
CHEKOV: I'm still hungry.
UHURA: Child, you're always hungry.
(Pause)
CHEKOV: Mr. Sulu, I'm reading a force 10 hurricane on the planet.
SULU: Don't tell me. The Captain, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy are..
CHEKOV + SULU: Located in the eye of the hurricane. (SULU sighs)
CHEKOV: And now the hurricane has wanished!
SULU: No kidding, knobhead.
(Pause - SCOTT reenters)
SCOTT: (Too loud) THANK YOU MR. SULU!
SULU: Aye aye Mr. Scott. (sniffs SCOTT's breath - Sotto) Ahh..Scotch.
You're the winner, Uhura.
UHURA: (Sotto) Pay up Chekov.
CHEKOV: Okay, okay....Say Uhura, play some Crazy Eights?
UHURA: (Icy) I'm on duty, mister.
(Pause - SCOTT hums tune - Pause - Snore from LANDREY)
SCOTT: Wake up Mr. Landrey, will you Sulu?
SULU: LANDREY!
LANDREY: Huh..?
(Pause)
CHEKOV: I'll...uh..be right back.
SULU: Get me some chips.
UHURA: Pavel honey, will you get me a coffee?
SCOTT: Make that two coffees, Chekov.
CHEKOV: Awww, why do I always have to....
(CHEKOV exits)
SCOTT: (Under his breath) She was only a milkman's daughter....
(LANDREY snores) MR. LANDREY!!
(LANDREY falls off his chair)
LANDREY: Sorry sir, this is my second shift in a row.
SCOTT: Blasted starfleet scheduling...
(CHEKOV returns with snacks)
CHEKOV: Okay, one coffee, one here, and the cheeps...
LANDREY: Say, Chekov, do you have any more Rigelian speedballs?
CHEKOV: Ask Nurse Chapel.
(Pause - Munching)
SULU: What is that you're eating?
CHEKOV: A nalistnicki.
SULU: I'm sorry I asked.
SCOTT: I forgot....something....Mr. Sulu, you have the com.
(SCOTT exits)
CHEKOV: What - again? He's going to need a new liver.
(Pause)
SULU: Chekov, how about locating the Captain on the planet.
CHEKOV: Locate this, "Acting Keptin"!
(Pause)
CHEKOV: Say, how come you keep getting the com?
SULU: How come you can't pronounce the letter 'V'?
CHEKOV: Wery funny!
(Laughter from the crew - Pause)
SULU: Phaser Mumbledy-peg?
CHEKOV: Why won't anyone play Crazy Eights?
SULU: Phaser Mumbledy-peg or nothing. Come on, get the anti-matter
shielding.
CHEKOV: Okay, but this time let's only set it on stun.
SULU: Chicken!
(They play)
SULU: Your turn.
(They play)
CHEKOV: Ow! Damn! OH!! (Thud)
SULU: Heh heh, what a loser.
UHURA: Hey Sulu, prop him up, Scotty's coming back.
(SCOTT reenters with difficulty)
SCOTT: THANK YOU MR. SULU!
SULU: Thank you, Mr. Scotch.
(Pause)
UHURA: Incoming message from the Captain.
KIRK: (On intercom) Kirk to Enterprise. Scotty, I need 800 gallons of
blackstrap molasses, and enough flour to cover Mr. Spock from head
to toe.
SCOTT: Blackstrap Molasses?? (Sigh) Aye sir. Coming right up.
(SCOTT exits)
CHEKOV: (Groggy) Blackstrap Molasses. It was inwented in the Ukraine.
(Moans from all - Pause)
CHEKOV: I'm going to triangulate the captain's position.
SULU: You're not going to use Spock's computer, are you?
CHEKOV: Why not? I'm as smart as that pompous half-breed..(beeps)
SULU: Yeah, that's what you say, but remember what happened last time.
(Computer beeps)
UHURA: Remember last time.
CHEKOV: (IN A FRENZY) I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! (The Computer breaks)
Oh...damn........Sulu, do you think......
SULU: You'll have to tell Mr. Spock YOURSELF.
SCOTT: (Door sounds - he's REALLY drunk) Sulu, get ready to transport
the molasses on my signal. (Belch) TRANSPOOT AWAY!
(Pause - Snore from LANDREY)
SULU: I'm reading a runaway power source on the planet, and it looks
like it's going to blow.
SCOTT: Well laddies, I've earned my pay for the week. (Empties a bottle
and tosses it) I CAN LICK ANYONE ON THIS BRIDGE! (No response) ANYONE!
C'mon Sulu...C'mon, ACTING CAPTAIN SULU! Are you AFRAID?
SULU: I'm not afraid of you, you drunken highlands motorhead...
(KIRK, SPOCK and McCOY enter)
KIRK: Secure from general quarters Mr. Scott.
SCOTT: Aye aye sir. (mutters)
McCOY: Well if you ask me it still doesn't add up. Why base a culture
on a folktale? It's nonsensical! And then what do YOU do? You let
that Vulcan gourmand loose on an innocent planet!
KIRK: Oh, I don't know, Bones, it seemed to be...the logical choice.
SPOCK: Yes, and the dessert WAS fascinating.
(KIRK and McCOY laugh)
SCOTT: Ya wee ballock...Aauughhh!!
(SCOTT falls over)
KIRK: (fading out) Mr. Scott? Scotty? Bones, take a look at him. He's
unconscious.....
(END MUSIC)
Shannon Daley (Backing Vocal)
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Madi Horstman (Backing Vocal)
Laurie Kilmartin (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Keys)
Ray Sage (Drums)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Words can be tough, you're never sure
If what you say is too obscure
But here is a song, the lyrics are dumber
Instead of words it's just got a number
908-4-6553
908-4-6553
This is all you will hear from me
It might be the number of the tears I cried
Or the days a week or the knocks you tried
Or the ways to leave or the stars above
Or the number of chapters in the book of love
908-4-6553
908-4-6553
The loneliest number that you'll ever see
It could be the number of a telephone
In the secret vault of Al Capone
It could be the total that died in the war
Or Imelda's bill at the Florsheim store
908-4-6553
908-4-6553
Madonna's Social Security
It might even be your weight on Saturn's moon
Or the number of twists in a moth's cocoon
It might be base twelve for the speed of sound
It might have no meaning that can be found
908-4-6553
908-4-6553 - The license plate on a Mercury
908-4-6553 - Rolls off the tongue so easily
908-4-6553 - The world's largest late library fee
908-4-6553 - What does it mean to you and me
908-4-6553 - The number of waves in the deep blue sea
908-4-6553 - Tell me where the decimal point should be
908-4-6553 - The year they set Charlie Manson free
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ray Sage (Congas/Percussion)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Sam Zelda (Drums)
I want a Needle Girl who's tops with shots
Some sweet girl who can't eat sweets
I need a Needle Girl - We'll make some tots
Guaranteed to have the diabeets
The sugar really can distract
From moments you would like to share
But we could share hypoglycemic attacks
Needle Girl - No pump or jet
Disposable needles by the cart
I need a Needle Girl and I'll be set
If she knows every food exchange by heart
We'll eat right, and Walk For The Cure
Sell raffle tickets for a cheesy cruise
Get Medic-Alert tags in His & Hers
Needle Girl - One who's sick
Alcohol towelettes by her bed
Give me that Needle Girl and I won't kick
If she uses Eli Lilly or Squibb instead
We'll do the daily diabetic dance
She'll take the insult out of insulin
We'll swim to the Isles Of Langerhans
Needle Girl - For intensive care
Blood sugar's rising when she's kissed
And she can needle me and I can needle her
About how we've made up for desserts we missed
Out-of-print 7" with NEEDLE BOY, NEEDLE GIRL, MY LITTLE DI and INSULIN.
Jim Fourniadis (Bass, Helium)
Madi Horstman (Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Backing Vocal)
Ray Sage (Helium)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Helium)
Sam Zelda (Drums)
Prancer coughed a hairball and Blitzen has the mange
And then there's Chuck and Marty - The rental reindeer he arranged
His sleigh is small and tacky - His suit is ragged too
But still he'll get those toys out - Jeez, what else does he do?
What's that sound like a demonic attack
A fat man wedged in the chimney stack
He's screaming because the soot's in his cuts
Ho Ho Dammit - It's Santa Klutz
Ho Ho Dammit - It's Santa Klutz
He's really out of practice - It's tough just to survive
But that's what comes of working one day in three sixty-five
Imagine what a monday - What a schedule he keeps
He's worked to death on one day and drunk for forty weeks
At the North Pole behind his back
The elves agree he's a tired hack
His heart's afloat in a sea of guts
Ho Ho Dammit - It's Santa Klutz
Ho Ho Dammit - It's Santa Klutz
That time you got a sweater when you'd asked for a toy
Was just because he'd lost the list he'd made for every girl and boy
Sometimes he knocks off shingles or sets off an alarm
One time he flew into a lake and nearly bought the farm
What's St. Knucklehead gonna do
If you forget to open the flue
Stuck there thinking he must be nuts
Ho Ho Dammit - It's Santa Klutz
Ho Ho Dammit - It's Santa Klutz
"Once I crushed some native huts"
Ho Ho Dammit - It's Santa Klutz
Shannon Daley (Backing Vocal)
Lisa Dove (Cello)
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Laurie Kilmartin (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ray Sage (Drums, Congas/Percussion)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Last night I had the strangest dream - It seemed so real to me
I dreamt that I was on a bus alone as far as I could see
Except the seat in front of me - Where, looking dapper at age 55
Sat Joseph 'Buster' Keaton - We were going for a drive
I was on a bus with Buster - I still can't tell you why
I was sitting right behind him and trying to catch his eye
I asked how he was doing - I know I called him sir
We talked about his silent films and how much fun they were
But when I mentioned Big Joe Roberts - He took my arm to say
"Joe grabbed so hard with his big hands that it still hurts today"
I was on a bus with Buster - I still can't tell you why
I was sitting talking to him as the miles rolled on by
What could it mean, this stupid dream - What was my mind trying to say
The busride seemed completely real but it's meaning just drifts away
But I can still remember all of my meeting with the man
And so I'm thankful for the time I heard about Joe Robert's hands
I was on that bus with Buster - I still can't tell you why
On a dark green nauga bus seat as we rode into the sky
Joseph "Buster" Keaton, looking dapper at age 55.
Here we see Buster Keaton and "Big Joe" Roberts.
A bus.
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ray Sage (Drums)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Pinball Wizard in 7 Seconds was originally written to be part of Vital Music's "Tommy in Seven Minutes", but didn't make it on the record.
Shannon Daley (Backing Vocal)
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Laurie Kilmartin (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Backing Vocal, Keys)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Sam Zelda (Drums)
I'm not a lover - I'm sure not a hunk
But I get lonely and all of that junk
I hope for romance - I'd like things to click
I got a little problem
Love makes me sick
My stomach's twitchin' - Composure goes out
I lose my reason and I'm full of doubt
I sweat my shirt through - My tongue's getting thick
I got a little problem
Love makes me sick - Love makes me sick
Love makes me sick - Love's making me tense
Love makes me sick - I'm on the defense
Love makes me sick - It's true
And I'm so sick of lovin you
I don't know why my adrenaline flows
I'm such a jerk when I'm led by the nose
I'm acting suave when my neck gets a crick
You know my little problem
Love makes me sick - Love makes me sick - Love makes me sick
Though I'm excited I wish that I weren't
I play with fire and know I'll get burnt
Then I'll stop trying and that does the trick
It's just that little problem
Love makes me sick - Love makes me sick
Love makes me sick - Love makes me sick
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Sam Zelda (Drums)
After you - after you - after you Alphonse
After you - after you - after you Alphonse
No, be my guest I must insist
My courtesy you can't resist
I'll stand back as you pass on through
Then rush to get ahead of you
Those jokers who are so polite
Pretending that you're always right
Would stab you in the heart so long
As they could show it's you that's wrong
It's deeds not words that I respect
So don't try that politeness drek
Just say up front who is a jerk
And you can save us both some work
Shannon Daley (Backing Vocal)
Lisa Dove (Cello)
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Kymie Hwang (Cantonese)
Laurie Kilmartin (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Backing Vocal, Keys)
Ray Sage (Drums, Percussion)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
When we last left the Monkey, he was journeying to the west
On the road with the Holy Priest - Listen now, I'll tell you the rest
Born from a stone - 500 years old - He learned 72 transformations
He fights off demons to help the Priest as they travel across the nation
Long live the Monkey King
Hear his monkey laugh
With his fiery eyes and his iron staff
The Emperor of Heaven fears his wrath
He has two friends who aren't much help when demons are defiant
Pig, a liar who likes to snooze and Sand, a glum blue giant
But if a mountain looms ahead and spirits cause delay
Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand are there to save the day
The White Bone Lady and Red Boy too - They think that they can win
By eating the flesh of the priest although he's the chosen of KUAN-YIN
But Monkey's more than a match for them - We knew it all along
He'll save the land and end up a god - But that is another song
Shannon Daley (Backing Vocal)
Jim Fourniadis (Vocal)
Laurie Kilmartin (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Backing Vocal)
Ray Sage (Drums)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Bass)
Your nuts roasting on the subway seat
All the people looking grim
Rushing about, putting merchants to rout
These folks would trample Tiny Tim (So don't slip as)
You go rushing on the grimy ice
Don't let slush get in your shoe
And don't forget, when you're tired and you're wet
Merry Christmas - Fuck You
See the windows with the sales displays
Stuff that flashes through the night
Been up so long, since the seasons were wrong
And sickly trees bound up with lights (Everybody)
Knows that people just don't give a damn
What each other think or do
So let me say, in a big city way
Merry Christmas - Fuck You
The Mass Media Bureau (MMB) regulates the television and radio stations in the United States. The Bureau issues broadcast licenses specifying the community of license, the channel and operating power of the station. The conditions of the license ensure that the broadcast will be picked up without interference. If problems arise, the Bureau investigates and resolves the problems. MMB can fine a station or take its license if it finds that a broadcaster is violating FCC rules. FCC rules generally do not govern the selection of programming that is broadcast. The main exceptions are that broadcasters may not broadcast obscene programming; they may broadcast indecent programming only when there is a strong probability that no children are in the audience.
Callers reporting indecent or obscene material on broadcast radio are encouraged to file a written complaint with the Mass Media Bureau. Information about the law and instructions for filing a complaint are available via mail, fax, or email. Ask for MMB Bulletin on FCC Enforcement of Prohibition Against Obscene and Indecent Broadcasts.
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Sam Zelda (Drums)
Don't say a word against science and expect me to agree
I would have checked out in '88 without the thing that set me free
It's the juice that gives a boost - Insulin
It's the thing that makes me sing - Insulin
The best hormone I've ever known - It makes me feel secure
I used to make it myself, but now I buy it at the store
It's the mix, the morning fix - Insulin
It's the fact my islets lacked - Insulin
It's the goo I need to do - Insulin
It's alright when I'm a sight - Insulin
A bottle of throttle - I shoot it in the gut
Produced by some E. coli and there to save my butt
It's the way I play today - Insulin
In the end a trusted friend - Insulin
It's the drink I need to think - Insulin
The sauce it took once my goose was cooked - Insulin
Jim Fourniadis (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ray Sage (Drums)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
If there's one thing that pisses me off it's BIG UMBRELLAS. You know when you're walking down the street on a rainy day and the sidewalk's crowded and some urban suit-wearing scumbag comes walking towards you with one of those BIG UMBRELLAS. I mean a BIG UMBRELLA. It might have brightly colored panels, or a wood handle or a corporate product logo or even a strap that wraps around the end, but mostly it's a BIG UMBRELLA. We're talking 3 to 4 feet wide.
And this rat-bastard idiot - this moron who hasn't yet worked out the mathematics of a city sidewalk is happily taking up half the available space and crowding the remaining people into the street or the shopfront.
I mean, maybe you can use a BIG UMBRELLA at the beach, or on a golf course. I wouldn't mind if a BIG UMBRELLA was providing shade for a one-piece chipped circular white table complete with Cinzano ashtray. Hell, maybe in Indiana people can use an umbrella that keeps not only their shoulders dry, but also a foot on either side of them, but this here -- this is a city.
A city with a population, all trying to walk on the sidewalk. Is it because they have such fat heads that these people need umbrellas large enough to protect a combination washer/dryer, or is it some obscure form of personality-envy? Who in their right mind would choose to look like a Dr. Seuss character? These BIG UMBRELLA people are probably responsible for colorization and everything else that's bad in the world!
Can't we pass a law to ban these BIG UMBRELLAS? We need a BIG-UMBRELLA-AMENDMENT so that offenders can be jailed and beaten savagely. Torquemada had the right idea -- Stuff those umbrellas down their throats and OPEN THEM UP
Gordon Radford (Keys)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
The Irving Caesar Singers (Bar crowd)
Sitting on a park bench - Eyeing little girls with bad intent
Hey Aqualung
Snot is running down his nose - Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes
Hey Hey Hey Aqualung
Drying in the cold sun - Watching as the frilly panties run
Chill out Aqualung
Feeling like a dead duck - Spitting out pieces of his broken luck
Hey Aqualunger
Feeling alone - The army's way up the road
Flamenco a la mode and a cup of tea
Aqualung my friend - Don't you start away uneasy
You poor old sock, you see it's only me
Do you still remember - December's frosti-freeze
When the ice that clings onto your beard
With itsy bitsy teeny weeny screaming agony
And you swatch your rattling last breaths
With dipsy doodle sounds
And the flowers bloom like magnets on the fridge
Sitting on a park bench - Eyeing little girls with bad intent
Hey Aqualung
Snot is running down his nose - KFC fingers smearing shabby clothes
Shop the Gap Aqualung
Drying in the cold sun - Watching as the frilly panties run
Hey - Pedophilia's not funny Aqualung
Feeling like some cold duck - Spitting out pieces of his broken luck
Have a nice day Aqualung
Oh oh oh - that's Aqualounge
Pedro Alvarez (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Marti J. Cooney (Backing Vocal)
Jamila Cowie (Steel Drum)
Laurie Kilmartin (Backing Vocal)
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Backing Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Backing Vocal)
David Wilson (Backing Vocal)
I've come up with a daring plan for our economy
The work would make good jobs and be a spur to industry
With drills and high explosives it'd be a piece of cake
Let's sink Pennsylvania and then put in a lake
Lets sink Pennsylvania and then put in a lake
It'd make a bunch of beaches for all the tourists' sake
We'd have a riviera just north of Baltimore
On old Lake Pennsylvania -- the country's newest shore
It's close to the Atlantic, there's not much to tear down
We'd move Philly to South Jersey and then let Pittsburgh drown
I know folks would be angry, but soon they would agree
When they eat tuna netted where Altoona used to be
Lets sink Pennsylvania and then put in a lake
Although the Pennsylvania Dutch are bound to bellyache
Just hanging off Lake Erie and too large to ignore
It's old Lake Pennsylvania -- with Scranton out the door
Both New York and Ohio and West Virginia too
Could add new ports and lush resorts to soak the well-to-do
The region's ecosystem could sure use the relief
With civil war memorials turned into coral reefs
Lets sink Pennsylvania and then put in a lake
It might just happen anyway the next time there's a quake
Sure, we'd lose some livestock, but as I said before
We'd get Lake Pennsylvania -- with waterslides galore
There's flooding in the bible, and that is good advice
Holland does it often; Hell, Johnstown tried it twice
And if it proves successful and works the way we think
Then Kansas or New Mexico could be the next to sink
Lets sink Pennsylvania and then put in a lake
We could always dry it out if we've made a mistake
We'd leave the Alleghenys for islands and what's more
We'd get Lake Pennsylvania -- Lake Pennsylvania
We'd get Lake Pennsylvania -- the country's newest shore
Like some new Atlantis that we learned how to make
Lets sink Pennsylvania and then put in a lake
Marti J. Cooney (Vocal)
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Louis, Louis -- oh my -- I really must go
Louis, Louis -- oh baby -- It is imperative that I go
A lovely young girl is awaiting me
So I'll arrange passage across the sea
To see her, I would even sail alone would ever actually make it home
Louis, Louis -- oh dear -- I really must go
Louis, Louis -- oh honey -- I certainly must depart
For the duration of three days at sea
I will muse on the lady obsessively
Afloat, I will sense her everywhere
Seeming to smell the rose that she affects to wear in her hair
Louis, Louis -- yes yes -- I really must go
Louis, Louis -- no no -- My egress is imminent
The signs will all indicate that I am in Jamaica's waters
And soon I will be in the company of my enamorata
Being properly forward, and after much embracing of her
I would explain that I will not ever leave her for another seafaring venture
Louis, Louis -- oh oh oh oh -- I really must go
Louis, Louis -- oh my -- look at the time!
Louis, Louis -- Shake it shake it yeah -- My time is really up
Louis, Louis -- oh baby -- I really must go
Pedro Alvarez (Vocal)
Laurie Kilmartin (Vocal)
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Vocal)
David Wilson (Vocal)
Wanna pop some corn
Wanna pop some corn
Wanna, hey?
Wanna, hey?
Wanna pop some corn
Marti J. Cooney (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Laurie Kilmartin (Backing Vocal)
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Hot stuff gets colder - there is no doubt
Thermodynamics just evening out
The same thing goes for you and me
We're suffering from High Entropy
Our love was so hot when we started in
But the highs got lower then the lows wore thin
And now we can see what's going to be
You and me and High Entropy
High Entropy -- The degradation of all matter and energy
High Entropy -- To an ultimate state of inert uniformity
Once there was movement in our love affair
But we've grown static cause we just don't care
Inertia's killing you and me
With a case of High Entropy
Love gets old like a dying star
The fuel runs out and then there you are
No potential energy
Stuck here with High Entropy
CHORUS
You could give me chapter and verse
About the heat death of the universe
But that hot air would fail to be
Descriptive of High Entropy
When two known quantities fail to spark
When there's no way to get out of "Park"
When all that's left is misery
Baby that's High Entropy
Special guest vocalist Marti J. Cooney
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Keys, Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Scot Weiss (Vocal)
You see their posters up on posts
Their fliers on the curb
Some angry young garage-band tryin'
To get their music heard
They'll have a name that makes you grin
Derivative at best
They'll play their music so damn loud
You'll feel it in your chest
You'll know they've hit the big time
A smallish one, at least
When some mag has the Scratch'n'Hear
That has their band's release
(Scratch'n'Hear)
But first they'll find some local clubs
And play for half a dozen
Members of the other bands
That showed up with their cousin
And if they start to fight too much
They'll go out and record
In studios as tiny as
The price they can afford
They'll think they've hit the big time
A smallish one, at least
When some mag has the Scratch'n'Hear
That has their band's release
(Scratch'n'Hear)
And in the end a demo tape
They'll try in vain to sell
And learn the way the music biz
Can lead you into hell
And when they've finally grown too old
To flout their artful youth
They'll pull out that old Scratch'n'Hear
And so avoid the truth
They thought they'd hit the big time
A smallish one, at least
When some mag had the Scratch'n'Hear
That had their band's release
(When black plastic comes alive
Like a floppy '45
It has grooves, but I'm afraid
The needle bounces when it's played
Scratch'n'Hear)
All arrangements: Paul Rubin and the Combo
Marti J. Cooney (Backing Vocal)
Alexandra Finger (Backing Vocal)
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Duncan Pflaster (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Vocal)
An old cowpoke went riding out
One dark and windy day,
He had a tickle in his throat
That wouldn't go away,
And then he started sniffling
His eyes were tearing too
His head was like to burst apart
It was so full of goo.
He'd popped the echinacea
And he'd gargled with the salt
His buddies at the bunkhouse
Acted like it was his fault
A bolt of fear shot through him as
He knew what this must mean,
For he felt the riders comin' hard
And he knew that they were green
Drippee-yi-ya, drippee-yi-yo,
Ghost riders up the nose.
The ghostly riders keeping herd
On steers all made of mulch
They had to get their mucus doggies
Down his nasal gulch
To meet the phlegm that's drivin' north
From deep within his lung
And as they pass they'll leave their mark
Like hoofprints on his tongue
His crumpled tissue tumbleweeds
Went rolling down the street
Then he remembered words he'd heard
From ole Post-nasal Pete:
"You starve a cold now bucko,
But a fever you should feed,
Get rest, drink plenty of fluids,
Or you'll have a snot stampede."
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
Look there in your rear-view mirror
Trying to make you feel inferior
Is it mini-bus or hippopotamus
A surrealistic design
They sit high with windows tinted
Gleaming chrome at which you squinted
Tires that by their size seem to jeopardise
Both your safety and mine
SUVs, they S-U-C-K
SUVs, they S-U-C-K
At a frightening clip
When their tires strip
Watch as they swerve and tip
In the Showroom, big and Glossy
On the Road, those pigs are Bossy
With their heavy load, think they own the road
Think that they are The One
They were made for rougher terrain
In the city they're a huge pain
And their drivers all feel so powerful
As they give it the gun
They're all owned by new-aged yuppies
Baby bankers, X-Game puppies
And they drive around, screwing up our town
Much too wide for the street
Let's outlaw them with a referendum
It'd be easy, who'd defend them?
We'd take back the roads from those SU Toads
Wouldn't that be a treat?
Now, the Sports Utility vehicle is fine in it's proper setting, but what
are these oversized plushy hummer wannabees doing on the streets of New
York City? Is Fifth Avenue a steep grade? Need your kayak when you're
going to Central Park? Why remind people of cars from puppet animation shows?
Why cross the line between vehicular and testicular? Just buy a station wagon.
When you're cut off once too often
By those four-wheel-driving coffins
With their sporty names, and their bogus claims
You will know the drill
Find a SUV and tail it
At a red light, go and nail it
They'll call you a jerk, they'll need bodywork
You will just have the thrill
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
My cabbie is a madman
A lunatic who drives a car
My cabbie is a madman
Has no idea of where we are
He seemed alright to me at first
How could I know I'd meet the worst
His cab was nice and fairly clean
Then we drove off in his death machine
My cabbie is a madman
I'm sorry that we ever talked
My cabbie is a madman
I'm wishing now that I had walked
He's hard to understand at best
Discussing why he feels depressed
Deodorizers make me gag
He wipes the window with an old rag
My cabbie is a madman
He hits a bump, I lose some coin
My cabbie is a madman
My knee is smashed into my groin
He stopped to yell at another hack
I tried to shrink down in the back
He drove his car just like Ben-Hur
The streets went flashing by in a blur
My cabbie is a madman
I'm forced to do the pothole dance
My cabbie is a madman
His last name is all consonants
My cabbie is a madman
He's cursing in his native tongue
My cabbie is a madman
He's coughing like he's lost a lung
My cabbie is a madman
He's swerving, veering, stopping cold
My cabbie is a madman
The white ones, 70 years old
My cabbie is a madman
If he's too fast, he's just insane
My cabbie is a madman
But if he's slow, I'll call him lame
Marti J. Cooney (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Alexandra Finger (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Keys)
Moanday's child is moaning low
Tombsday's child is soon to go
Winceday's child will shy away
Thugsday's child is mean today
Fraudday's child will run a scam
Satyrday's, too soon a man
Sinday's child profanes the word
As all the days give you the bird
Marti J. Cooney (Backing Vocal)
Alexandra Finger (Backing Vocal)
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Duncan Pflaster (Backing Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
I have a problem
It concerns the way my thinking works
I'm musically suggestible
It's just one of my many quirks
I hear a note or two, and that song's in my head
It just takes a phrase
And I hum for days
I can't clear my mind
My head's full of song
And before long
I start to unwind
I usually can track down
The source of what I'm humming
But every now and then
There's one I don't see coming
I've found there's one song that just lives inside my mind
Hey Bungalow Bill
What did you kill
It plays in my head
When there's no song to fill
There's Bungalow Bill
And I wish I were dead
It's quite a pleasant song
I'm not complaining any
But why does this one song
Reside instead of many
Why not some hardcore rock or classical refrain
Hey Bungalow Bill
Until I feel ill
And I start to twitch
Then what can I do
But let it play through
Now ain't that a bitch
Since I can't get my mind
To stop from humming Bungalow
I'll try the next best thing
And set my sights somewhat below
I'll just get all of you to hum along with me
Hey Bungalow Bill
What did you kill
Come sing it with me
And, once we are through
You'll be miserable too
And I'll have company
Marti J. Cooney (Vocal)
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
So we got this email from a record label
From a small record company located in Messina, Italy
They said they liked our style and they sent along a song
And asked if we would learn it and play it and send it back to them
And then they would put it onto their new compilation CD
And we'd be pop stars in Italy
So guess what we did - I think you can guess
She sings of love - or she sings of lunch
But it's italian - authentic italian
They'll love it in Italy - they'll cheer it in Roma
Not that I understand a single word
It's an odd experience really, doing this foreign song
Me, I blame the internet for getting us out to Italy
Do these italians even understand that what we're doing here is novelty music?
I mean, humor is extremely culture-specific
I've been thinking, maybe they think we're some famous band
Is the word "combo" italian for "pearl jam"? Aren't computers wonderful?
So here we go - with the italian again
Vic Damone take note - it's all very continental
Next we'll try oriental - or maybe esperanto
As long as its on a CD - basically, we'll do anything
Look, we'll do disco - or christian rock
So give us a call - ciao for now
Mark Mazzye (Drums)
Kris Parrish (Vocal, Bass)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar)
I'm a little teapot short and stout
Here is my handle here is my spout
When I get all steamed up then I shout
Tip me over and pour me out
Are you a Metalhead or a serious Rock & Roller with a family of your own?
Have you had your fill of Barney, and those insipid songs that every child
is taught to sing? What chance does your little rock god have to learn the
songs that have ruled an entire planet? Haven't you wished you could listen
to all your favorite songs with your child now, before they're all grown up?
WELL NOW YOU CAN!
The itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
That's right! Rubin Brothers Audio is proud to present METAL JUNIOR! The
world's best loved children's songs sung to some of the baddest music from
the world's meanest metal bands! You'll get music from AC/DC, Aerosmith,
Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Danzig, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest,
Metallica, Rotgutter, Slade, Tesla, Percy Faith, Whitesnake and of course Led Zeppelin!
Ee I ee I oh! Old MacDonald had a farm,
And on his farm he had some chicks, Ee i ee i oh!
With a cluck-cluck here, And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck, Everywhere a cluck-cluck-cluck
All lyrics are guaranteed safe and child-friendly, and all music is guaranteed
to KICK BUTT! This is a children's album that you can play for your friends!
Your youngster will rock on 'til naptime with METAL JUNIOR!
'Round and 'round the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun
Pop! Goes the weasel.
And if you order today. We'll include our children's collection of Southern Rock.
That's right, the south will rise again and get ready for pre-school with
SOUTHERN ROCK JUNIOR!
Lord, Mary had a rambling lamb
Had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
That lamb was sure to go
You'll get Lynrd Skynrd doing Ring Around the Rosie, the Marshall Tucker Band
On Top of Old Smokie, and Black Oak Arkansas with A Tisket A Tasket. But that's
not all. We'll even send you our new collection PUNK JUNIOR! The songs that
cheesed off our parents with lyrics that your five-year old can sing for grandma.
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, his name is my name, too!
Whenever we go out, the people always shout
There goes John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt!
So remember, that's METAL JUNIOR, SOUTHERN ROCK JUNIOR and PUNK JUNIOR!
And you can rock the treehouse! Available at all finer outlet stores.
Burns (Drums)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Bass)
We're a novelty band, for cryin out loud! We have yet to turn a profit, and except for my nephews, god love 'em, we have no fans to speak of. But it amuses us to keep making funny music. Oh and our album covers parody famous rock album covers. No one seemed to mind, no one even noticed, until CAFEPRESS.COM sent us a warning.
Suddenly, we had violated the beatles' copyright. VIOLATED THE GOD-DAMNED BEATLES'S COPYRIGHT!!
The 14 CDs we sold last year somehow interfered with their profit-making margin, and we were told to cease and desist. Parody doesn't count when you're selling something. How about that.
Well, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MY BARKING ASS!! The only beatles with any musical chops are dead now, and Michael Jackson owns the rights to their music anyway.
What, will our feeble attempt at bringing the Sgt. Peppers album cover to mind prevent that sick overdressed pop music has-been from sucking every last red cent out of the moldering corpse of rock and roll?
They say that there's no such thing as bad publicity, but if you can't use your album cover, then it's NO PUBLICITY. What are you supposed to do? Put out a blank white album? No wait, THE BEATLES OWN THAT TOO! They own the color white. And between Yellow Submarine and Maxwell's Silver Hammer, It's a good thing Carl Perkins wrote Blue Suede Shoes before the Beatles got an injunction.
Since when does doing a parody of a song hurt the original? It reminds people of the song. You end up humming the original after hearing the parody. Sometimes you go out and buy the source material after you've been reminded. Remember OUR LOVE'S IN JEOPARDY? Weird Al's parody nearly doubled it's shelf life!
And say - isn't the whole idea of music really a copyright infringement of some neanderthal bastard named Ook? Ever since he first made that rhythmic grunting sound, he owns music. Oh wait - he didn't have a lawyer yet. So he doesn't get any of the gravy. Too bad, Ook.
And as for us, we're the Band that got Banned - Banned by the Man.
Burns (Drums)
Marti J. Cooney (Vocal)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Keys)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Bass)
Remember back during the Crime Show Wars. It was just after the turn of the millenium, Cop shows got so popular they spun off others Until there were too damned many of 'em Law & Orders, there were more and more and more Those grisly new yorkers being streetwise And if you liked the gooeyer stuff There were all those CSIs
Law & Order: Traffic Patrol | Tough guys and asphalt |
CSI: Los Alamos | Lizards and cobalt |
Law & Order: Court Reporters | Shorthand for days |
CSI: Salem | Witches and auto da fe's |
Law & Order: Patent Attorney | A filing cabinet |
CSI: Piscataway | Have you had it yet? |
I couldn't tell the difference between CSI: Minneapolis and CSI: St. Paul And Law & Order: Teacher's Lounge was one long shot Of an empty lounge and the hall Manhattan got rezoned as one huge set For filming Law & Order scenes And The Who got hired as the network house band To do all of the CSI themes
CSI: Mayberry | With coroner Opie |
Law & Order: Squeegee Guys | Begging while soapy |
CSI: Mohegan Sun | Indian gaming |
Law & Order: Sigfried and Roy | Lions for taming |
CSI: Columbine | Ran a week, went flat |
Law & Order: Fast Food Trainee | You want fries with that? |
Soon there were so many cop shows So much legality and crime You had to tivo two sets at once And watch them three at a time The people finally had enough And put a stop to what they saw They hung McGruff in effegy And they passed the Jack Webb law - prohibiting
Law & Order: Stoolies | Mooks tellin' lies |
CSI: Cabbage Patch | Felt and button eyes |
Law & Order: Janitors | Lysol and a mop |
CSI: Jim's Apartment | Just a place to flop |
Law & Order: Meter Maids | Handing out the tickets |
CSI: SRO Hotel | Bedbugs and rickets |
Law & Order: Mannequins | No movement 'less they fall |
CSI: Disneyland | It's a small world after all |
Law & Order: Photo Clerk | Film done in a rush |
CSI: Airline Toilet | Don't forget to flush |
Law & Order: Songwriter | Writing songs like this |
CSI: Subway Tunnel | Smells a bit like piss |
Burns (Drums)
Paul Rubin (Vocal, Keys)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Bass)
There were three men came out of the west
You've heard their tale I think
They tortured and killed John Barleycorn
And then went for a drink
They thought they had gotten away with the crime
That I'd let my brother's murder lie
My name, you see, is Barleycorn
Sam Barleycorn, P.I.
I heard late one thursday, as smog rolled in
That John had breathed his last
The coroner had quite a tale to tell
Once the autopsy was past
A scythe had been used to cut him at the knees
And then he was bound to a cart
Then rolled, tied and ground between two stones
But that wasn't the gruesome part
The perps used a pitchfork, and crabtree sticks
First they made an unholy vow
They cut little Johnny skin from bone
Said a farmhand in custody now
I staked out a club called The Nut Brown Bowl
Where the killers spent their nights
And long about six, who should show up there
But the three I had in my sites
I ordered a brandy and turned to the first
He smelled of cheap cologne
I told him my name and the bar cleared out
Leaving him and me alone
He reached for his gat as I reached for mine
It was done before it began
And so I had finished the first of three
As the others turned and ran
And back in the alley behind the bar
Where the gunsels lay in wait
I came out blazing with gun in hand
And so finished up our date
I knew that Lieutenant McNulty would hear
So I gave him a call on the horn
And told him I'd just done his job for him
And avenged John Barleycorn
Burns (Drums)
Paul Rubin (Vocal)
Ed Strelecky (Guitar, Bass)
My dear children, young and old, each character in this tale is represented differently by our combo: Peter is represented by punk; the Roommate by reggae; the Bag of White Powder by surf; the Cop by the drums; Wolf, a recovering addict, by death metal; the Fly by a sort of Hendrix-influenced-acid-rock fusion; and the Burrito by the Champs; and now, dear children, here is our story.
Early one morning, Peter came out the door of his east village walk-up and headed towards Tompkins Square Park. He was going to get breakfast at the local burrito joint. Peter's roommate followed quickly out the door. He was glad to catch up with Peter, because he hoped that Peter would buy him some breakfast. Now, buzzing around in the morning sun was a big black fly. When it saw the roommate, it flew down and dive-bombed him repeatedly. "What's the problem with this fly, man?" said the roommate. If the fly had been able to speak, it would have made a comment on the roommate's personal hygiene. On they went, with Peter trying to avoid conversation with the annoying roomie, and the fly trying to start one. Suddenly something caught Peter's eye. He noticed a bag of white powder sitting on the sidewalk. "Now, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but you never know what might be in that bag." said Peter, and walked on by. The roommate disagreed, and stealthily crept toward the bag looking this way and that.
No sooner had the roommate picked up the bag than Wolf, a local, came hurrying up. Wolf had been on his way to the methadone clinic when he had lost that very same bag. He asked Peter and his roommate if they had seen it. Peter payed no attention to Wolf. New Yorkers soon learn to ignore scary people and tourists alike. Peter left his roommate trying to act nonchalant with Wolf and hurried on down the street to the restaurant. Once there, Peter ordered a super vegetarian burrito, hold the guacamole. Outside, Wolf was trying to go through the roommate's pockets. Soon, a scuffle ensued, and the bag of white powder flew into the air. Wolf, in a frenzy to get his bag back, and keep it from the roommate and any prying eyes, leapt up and swallowed the bag whole!
And now, this was how things stood. Peter was waiting for his burrito and watching the crazed Wolf. Wolf was too jazzed to go away now and starting harrassing his roommate out on the sidewalk. Peter figured that he should help out his roommate or he would never get his half of the rent. Then Peter came up with a daring idea. Buying an order of refried beans, Peter went out to the sidewalk where Wolf was circling his roommate. He hurled the beans at Wolf and they lodged in his already dirty hair. Although the lunatic didn't notice the beans, the fly sure did! It changed course, and circled around Wolf's head. The buzzing of the fly caught the attention of Wolf, who tried desperately to swat it, and Peter and his roommate slipped into the burrito joint.
Wolf now noticed that he was alone on the street and looked around wildly for the others. Then he saw them in the restaurant and came charging in after them, but he hadn't noticed the Cop who was finishing his taco grande over by the window. "Is there some problem here?" asked the Cop. But Wolf kept flailing his arms wildly, trying to get rid of the fly. Peter, up at the counter, said, "I saw that guy swallow a bag of white powder a minute ago." And so the Cop hauled Wolf off to the station, and Peter and his roommate followed along to watch.
Imagine the procession. Bringing up the rear, came Peter, happily munching on his burrito. In front of Peter, playing hacky-sac, was his roommate. He grumbled, "This is all very well, dude, but I never got anything to eat." Then came the Cop leading Wolf in handcuffs, and buzzing around Wolf's head, the fly, still trying to get at the beans. And if you use your imagination, you can almost see the little bag of white powder dissolving inside Wolf's stomach.
SODOM AND GORILLA - The Story
The OVERTURE opens on the small southern town of Dayton, Tennessee in 1925. The town has set up a trial to test the Tennessee Anti-Evolution Act, and welcomes William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution of the case (BRYAN'S COMIN). Clarence Darrow and his big-city lawyers arrive to handle the defense, and the trial begins under the jaundiced eye of newspaperman H.L. Mencken (REPORT TO THE SUN). During the breaks in the trial, Bryan takes advantage of the eager crowds to sell Florida real estate (CORAL GABLES), while his son languishes in the great man's shadow (WHY'D HE NAME ME JUNIOR?). After a few days' silence, Bryan puts the defense on the run with an impassioned speech (BRYAN SPEAKS) and the town becomes a frenzy of pop culture and confused religious beliefs as the first act curtain falls (SODOM AND GORILLA).
Act two opens with Mrs. Bryan explaining her life with "The Great Commoner" to the defendant, John Scopes (ALMOST FIRST FAMILY BLUES). Scopes longs for a less frantic summer (KATYDID), while the court bailiff gives some views of his own (DARWIN WAS NO IRISHMAN). Finally, Bryan goes under Darrow's cross-examination, to disastrous effect. Rocked by the setback, Bryan and his wife try to come to terms with the situation (DUET), and the trial grinds to a halt, as does Bryan. All that remains is the big finale (THE MONKEY TRIAL).
SODOM AND GORILLA premiered at Theatre 22
in New York City, January 1984.
Book and Lyrics by Paul Rubin
Music by Paul Rubin & Paul Kreshka
THE CAST
Bryan - Paul Rubin
Mencken - Paul Kreshka
Scopes - Doug Overtoom
Bryan Jr. - Craig Bland
Bailiff - Jeffrey Logan
Mrs. Bryan - Janet Farrow
Clara Mae - Carol Dearman
Lulu Bell - Julann Rosa
THE BAND FOR THIS RECORDING
Paul Kreshka - Piano, Bass, Mandolin, Drums, Percussion
Jeffrey Logan - Guitar, Bongos
Sunni Farrington - Clarinet
Doug Overtoom - Banjo
Neil Lifton - Percussion
Audio produced by Neil Lifton & Paul Rubin
Audio engineered by Mike Friese
Audio mixed by Lifton / Rubin / Friese
Audio recorded at Roxy Recorders, NYC 1984
(Chorus) Bryan's comin' to save the day
And make those heathens pay
It's our very own judgment day
Now Bryan's on the way
(Mencken) What ever happened to silent night?
(Chorus) Bryan's comin' to save the day
And make those heathens pay
It's our very own judgment day
Now Bryan's on the way
I see his train, it's headed for the station
It can't be very much longer now
The crowd is waitin' in anticipation
William Jennings is comin' to town
Who else but God could hear us when we called him
And send his good right arm for our cause?
We adore you, we're prayin' for you
A modern Moses, bringing the laws
Bryan's comin' to save the day
And make those heathens pay
It's our very own judgment day
Bryan's here today
His train's in, his train's in, no time to delay!
(Bryan) People of Dayton, you who are believers
Thank you for welcoming me to your town
Together with my wife and my son, Junior
We aim to put these atheists down
There is no doubt about the coming trial
It is a struggle to the death
I take a solemn vow upon the bible
To fight the devil till my last breath
(Chorus) Bryan's comin' to save the day
And make those heathens pay
It's our very own judgment day
Bryan's here today
(Bryan) Wait! Here is the very proof we've been awaiting
That folks are here to see sinners cower
The Evening Sun has sent their best man: Mencken!
To tell the tale of God's greatest hour
Well, Mr. Mencken, I am glad to see you
Just let me say now, right from the start
You have the finest talent as a writer
And I mean that, straight from the heart.
(Mencken) Well, Mr. Bryan, Thanks you very much sir
From you a compliment rates very high
You have the finest
Shirt I've ever seen there
Compared to mine, it's so dignified
(Chorus) Bryan's comin' to save the day
And make those heathens pay
It's our very own judgment day
Now Bryan's here today
(Mencken) But now I'd like to introduce the council
That will oppose you in this great trial
What they lack in popular support here
I'd like to think they make up with style
(Darrow, Malone, Mencken) Down with all those sheltering psalms
They're out of date you see
They're out date you see
Psalms won't make all your troubles abate
Lord's in Heaven and the law runs the state
Coast to coast the country will be learning
What publicity we will be earning
When we prove that all those sheltering psalms
Are only poetry
(Mencken) I stood by and watched
The peasants all pack
Into the court
Like sardines in a can
All eager to see
Darrow struck dead
By the wrath of the Lord
And the temperature in
The courtroom remains
One hundred degrees
The women are cute
And quite charming indeed
As for the men
I won't say a word
Every last scoundrel in sight's a Christian
Even including the Dayton town Jew
I can see what Judea was like back in thirty A.D.
No wonder they bumped off the son of Joseph
Bryan, that moth-eaten God
Just sits catching flys
And biding his time
That man is as soaked
In the ways of the Lord
As most of his peers
Have been in booze
There, asleep in his chair
This tin-pot pope
Of the Coca-cola belt
Has sat for three days
In a fundamentalist haze
The incarnate hope
Of the wild primate horde
But soon as he hits the streets
He lights like a lamp
The anthropoid rabble all reach for his touch
They throw him great feasts: he roars, then he eats
He's the only man who can strut sitting down
As for Raulston, the judge
He has them read prayers
Before court begins
He read the good book
Every night as a child
He's known on the bench
As part-judge, and part-priest
Ever since I've arrived
This town has been like
A sideshow at night
And I'm proud to say
In the past three days
I've been converted to fundamentalism
Three times
(Bryan) Wouldn't you like to see a dolphin?
Spend your afternoons just golfin?
Sleep out on the warm beach sand
Wake up with a heavenly tan?
It's there, why wait?
Come to the Sunshine State
All the streets are lined with Palm Trees
Waving in the lazy breeze
Can't you almost feel that endless summer?
And the waves that wash that golden wonder?
Can't you feel pink beach sands
(Menken) As they go down your trunks?
(Bryan) Leave your troubles and we'll go there
There is nothing to compare
To the luscious fruits and red ripe berries
And the many colorful canaries
That inhabit the Palm Trees
By the calm seas
In Coral Gables
Spoke of in fables
A land of rest, for none but the best
Fertile earth and flaming sky
Coral Gables
Surely it's the twinkle in the corner of God's eye
Can't you feel the ocean breezes
Where the weather always pleases?
There's flamingoes, parrots too
Flying through the ocean view
You'll swim and play
And sun, day after sunny day
There is room to spare and then some
Every man gets his own kingdom
And the air is filled with voices singing
Hear the music filled with joy just ringing
See the alligators
(Mencken) Waiting on your lawn
(Bryan) This is Mother Nature's back yard
Where the livings never hard
You can plant your own Garden of Eden
And grow all the food you'll ever feed on
You can swim out at night
(Mencken) When the undertow grabs you just right in
(Bryan) Coral Gables
(Mencken) Undeveloped swamp
(Bryan) Spoke of in fables
(Mencken) Weather's always damp
(Bryan) A land of rest
(Mencken) You can be
(Bryan) For none but the best
(Mencken) Washed out to sea
(Bryan) Fertile earth and flaming sky
(Mencken) Bible beatin' bogs
(Bryan) Coral Gables
(Mencken) Going to the dogs
(Bryan) Surely it's the twinkle
In the corner of God's eye
In Coral Gables
Spoke of in fables
A land of rest, for none but the best
Fertile earth and flaming sky
Coral Gables
Surely it's the twinkle in the corner of God's eye
(Junior) Why'd he name me Junior?
I hated that name
We don't look like each other
And we don't dress the same
When I was ten years old
I thought that Junior had class
But now it makes me feel like
I'm wearing short pants
I'm always turning my head
When they call for him
He wouldn't open my mail
If my name was Jim
He did his name proud
There was none to compare
And then he named me Junior
It just isn't fair
(Junior) It's been four days since the trial began
And all of us here in the Bryan clan
Have been waiting for the man with the fan
To give us the word and show his great plan
The Darrow boys have shown us their stuff
You've sat in silence while things got rough
And now we're begging you
We've had enough
Speak to us Daddy
Even if it's off the cuff
(Bryan) Ladies and Gentlemen of the court
And the council from the north
Let me point out some mistakes
In the theory you put forth
I've listened patiently to this evolutionary claim
The facts are simple, the case is clear
Allow me to explain
You know that I have fought for God
Throughout my long career
Given the choice that we present
The answer should be clear
Christianity's under a scientifical attack
If we let Darwin in the front door
Christ goes out the back
You say there are 8,000 different one-cells to be found
And also 25 hundred different sponges floatin' 'round
As for the one-cells, I won't argue
I don't want a fight
And as for some folks I have met
The sponges part seems right
I've come to this lovely town
To set the record straight
I'm bringing you the Holy Word
Before it is too late
Christianity's under a scientifical attack
If we let Darwin in the front door
Christ goes out the back
You say that man's a mammal
But don't say what that denotes
It means that you group humans
With the pigs and cows and goats
And if you claim that we're the same
As all those mammals then
It seems to me that you've put Daniel
Back in the lion's den
I doubt there's evolution
In that blessed world beyond
And if you search inside your soul
You'll know which side you're on
Christianity's under a scientifical attack
If we let Darwin in the front door
Christ goes out the back
Don't let him go out the back
Don't let him go out the back
Don't let him go out the back
(Offstage) Darwin, Dar-ar-arwin
Darwin come and me wan go home
Dar, isa dar-isa dar-isa dar-isa dar-isa Darwin
Darwin come and me wan go home
Darwin's in Dayton thanks to Darrow
The councilor wants the world to know
But here in Dayton all of the people
Want Darrow to pack up and go
I've figured out the explanation
Why all the yokels cringe in fright
They're afraid we'll rewrite the bible
Once we prove that Darwin's right (Darwin's right)
Was the forbidden fruit a banana?
Did Cain and Abel swing from the trees?
The coat of colors, was it a fur one?
Were the apostles chimpanzees?
The bible says the Lord is my Shepherd
Tell me, where do we draw the line?
When Jesus sat down with his disciples
Was the last supper feeding time?
Did Moses get an eleventh commandment
That said, 'Thou shalt not monkey around'?
Was Sodom's sister city Gorilla?
That must have been a swinging town (swinging town)
La la la la la la banana?
La la la la swing from the trees?
La la la la la la la fur coat?
La la la la chimpanzees?
Think of the problems priests would have then
Ministers and rabbis too
All the little children would want to
Go to Sunday school at the zoo
Would they repaint the Sistine Chapel?
Would the Pieta be redone?
If the savior just had some chest hair
Half the battle would be won (would be done)
Was the forbidden fruit a banana?
Did Cain and Abel swing from the trees?
The coat of colors, was it a fur one?
Were the apostles chimpanzees?
Chimpanzees .
(Mrs. Bryan) I'm telling you I've got those almost first family blues
You can probably tell I've got those almost first family blues
I got them from the top of my head
Down to my also-ran shoes
Well three times Bill run for the presidency
And three times he lose
I say three times he run for the big one
And three times he lose
Wednesday we were front page
And Thursday we weren't in the news
Well three times he got the nomination
You know it filled us all with elation
Three times we packed up everything for that move to D.C.
But after each electorate session
His speech was a concession
'Stead of Pennsylvania Avenue
We're stuck down in Miami
And that old Secretary of State job
Seemed like a booby prize to me
Well, first McKinley did it to him
You know that made Billy howl
Well then McKinley did it to him again
All my man did was scowl
But when it went to Taft the third time
William J. threw in the towel
Now help me out, girls
I'm telling you I've got those almost first family blues
You can probably tell I've got those almost first family blues
I got them from the top of my well coiffed head
Down to my also-ran shoes
(Scopes) Oh, it's long after midnight
And far till the dawn
And the night is growing long
All the moths flash white
'Gainst the darkened sky
To the tune of the katydid's song
There's a quiet feeling inside of my chest
Like this moment could last for a year
And the night sky's filled
With a thousand sounds
But it's katydid that I hear
Oh, it fills my soul
With an embers glow
That I felt when I was a kid
When life was simple
And I could hear
A lullaby from katydid
It's a peace you can't find
In those city nights
When the 'lectric lights hide the stars
Where the trolley's buzz
Makes cacophony
With the crystal sets and the cars
On a country night
Sitting on a porch
In a rocking chair or a swing
Hear the sad sweet song
Of the katydid
And remember back as she sings
Oh, it fills my soul
With an embers glow
That I felt when I was a kid
When life was simple
And I could hear
A lullaby from katydid
Oh, it fills my soul
With an embers glow
That I felt when I was a kid
When life was simple
And I could hear
A lullaby from katydid
(Rice) They can argue about the bible
Until they're blue in their faces
But I have faith in the word of God
That no evolution replaces
Darwin was no Irishman
On that point I'm resolved
I'm sure no one from the County Clare
Has ever evolved
If the good Lord had meant for man
To evolve from them protozoa
Why weren't there just a hundred pairs
Of those one-cells on board with Noah?
Our story's got spectacle
And theirs is nickel and dime
I'd rather work down from God
Than work my way up from slime
If they'd just ignore evolution
It wouldn't seem so inviting
Folks won't waste their time listening to
Evil talk, unless it's exciting
Who cares how we got on Earth
Would it help if we knew?
We'd still have the Teapot Dome
And Prohibition too
They can't argue about the bible
And Darwin until the Rapture
But all that they can expect from Kelso's
A fundamentalist fracture
Darwin was no Irishman
On that point we're absolved
I'm sure no one from the emerald isle
Has ever evolved
(Bryan) All through my life I've fought for what I knew was right for people
For my ideals I've fought a long and verbal war
Three times the people voted for the other candidate, and
Now here I am in Dayton losing number four
I've reached a point in my life
When I should stop the race
Why did I volunteer, then
To come and fight this case?
The things I grew up knowing now seem full of contradictions
And I am not as young as back in ninety-four
My health is failing me, should I turn in my resignation?
Maybe some younger man should lead this Holy war
I've reached a point in my life
When I should stop the race
Why did I volunteer, then
To come and fight this case?
And then there's William Jr., I've neglected him and Mary
I know that they were always there from day to day
But still my calling asks the most that any man can give it
The road to God has always been the hardest way
The chance to show up Darrow
Is still within my grasp
This final speech can put me
Back into the public eye at last
(Mrs. Bryan) William, you know I've never
Meddled in your affairs
But, after hearing your points
And listening to theirs
I'm worried that we'll lose even if we could win this case
You know the middle path is
The one that's common sense
All this fanaticism
Leads to intolerance
I'm worried that we'll lose even if we should win this case
Can you go on in walking
The narrow path you stride?
Can you control the rising
Fundamental tide?
I'm worried that we'll lose even if we could win this case
(Duet)
Don't clutch tight
To pride
Hold me, Bill
I'm on your side
(Scopes) Get on your feet and do the Monkey Trial
Cause evolution's all the rage
You can do it in the audience
And on the stage
It was religion versus science
In a court for all to see
So when you do the Monkey Trial
You're making history
(Mencken) They do the Monkey Trial on beaches
And also on the ships at sea
The step is every dancer's answer
To witty repartee
It puts the fever in your fetlocks
It is the jive that gels
From Nome to Rome, and in your home
The Monkey Trial sells
(Rice, Mrs. Brian, Junior) When William Jennings came to Dayton
He vowed that he would win the case
But when the trial finally finished
It looked like we were second place
But when he went and died in Dayton
He finally clinched the game
For he had won a martyrdom
And, posthumously, fame
(Chorus) Well, evolutionists can do it
When the folks here make them tense
And fundamentalists can do it
In the biblical sense
Cause the footwork is frenetic
And the style is serene
No Catholic Mass or backroom jazz
But somewhere in between
(The Defense) Get on your feet and do the Monkey Trial
As the twenties slip away
You'll see that science is triumphant
Through Mr. Bryan won the day
A house divided is soon conquered
As fundamentalists seem to be
We'll make a deal of the appeal
In four part harmony
(Bryan) When I got up to Heaven
Where all the weekends are so wild
I found that Gabriel's new theme song
Was the Monkey Trial
Well it's going to the top now
Of those charts in Kingdom Come
Cause Jesus plays the lead guitar
And Darwin's on the drums
(All) Get on your feet and do the Monkey Trial
Cause evolution's all the rage
You can do it in the audience
And on the stage
Well, it started in the courtroom
Of Dayton Tennessee
So now we've done the Monkey Trial
We've just made history
Made history
Made history
Written by: Paul Rubin
Well Abraham L was a lesson man
He was tall as surfboard and twice as tan
He made his first board by the time he was nine
Split fine redwoods so it looked real fine
He waxed it down and he worked all day
Then he hit the surf and he was on his way
Surfin' to the library
Surfin' to the library
Shooting the curl ?
The book's due today ?
With the spray in his beard and the sun in his hat
He would fly over waves in a minute flat
With his betty broken in, he would go man go
With the beach bunnies caught in his undertow
And all the grommies, they were shouting then
"There's young Lincoln hanging ten"
Surfin' to the library
Surfin' to the library
Shooting the curl ?
The book's due today ?
L-I-B-R-A-R-Y ...
He was his mother's pride and joy
He was an honest surfer boy
Still a child, but oh so wise
Honest surfers don't tell lies
Would he steal your fuel, call you fool, be uncool
The way he hugged a wave, ride the ?trave?, misbehave
Will he ?stake your punk?, get you drunk, fix the hunk
Will he keep it clean, make the scene, lead the team
He was his mother's pride and joy
He was an honest surfer boy
Still a child, but oh so wise
Honest surfers don't tell lies
Never will ever be, a surfer true as he
???
Would he scratch your board, crash your Ford, curse the Lord
Will he ???, save your dad, stuff like that
He was his mother's pride and joy
He was an honest surfer boy
Still a child, but oh so wise
Honest surfers don't tell lies
I dig this surfer lady
We met down on the sand
But when I try to tell her
Things get out of hand
She drives the hotheads crazy
She makes them all see red
With that polka-dot bikini
And that bonnet on her head
Mary Todd
Sweet Mary Todd
Although they say she's wild
And she won't care for me
I'm not afraid to court her
And treat her tenderly
But every time I speak up
I feel like I'm on trial
But Mary, what can I do
To see your surfer smile
Mary Todd
Sweet Mary Todd
I don't know why I hesitate
And I cannot reply
I know whatever I can think
I've never been this shy
I took a job in last night
We'd just been to the Hop
She looked good in my woodie
With a surfboard stuck on top
I couldn't find the right words
So we just watched the night
I found the words I needed
On romantic summer nights
Mary Todd
Sweet Mary Todd
That's a cool cap, daddy
Hey Abe, what kind of hat is that?
It's a stove pipe
A stove pipe
Hey, didja hear that everybody?
A stove pipe!
Stove pipe!
Stove pipe!
Stove pipe!
Alright you kids, move it along.
The nation's kids have made their choice
Spoken with one surfer's voice
We stuffed our ballots in the sand
To help ??? to face the land
Pack 'em up Mary Todd
He's got his baggies and stove pipe hat in reach
He's moving into the White House on the beach
Step in style, beyond belief, we made him our Kahuna Chief
Innauguration will be fun, with drinking lots for everyone
Pack 'em up, Mary Todd
He's got his baggies and stove pipe hat in reach
He's moving into the White House on the beach
Surf trophies on the wall
And luaus on the lawn
Where Mary and the Prez
Will live ?
He'll move right in and when that's done
He'll legislate some summer fun
And then he'll tell us what to do
From Yuma Beach to Malibu
Pack 'em up, Mary Todd
He's got his baggies and stove pipe hat in reach
He's moving into the White House on the beach
He's got his baggies and stove pipe hat in reach
He's moving into the White House on the beach
He's got his baggies and stove pipe hat in reach
He's moving into the White House on the beach
Four score and seven summers ago
Our daddy has brought forth a hip new nation
Dedicated to the proposition that all surfers are created cool
Now we are engaged in a crazy band battle
Testing whether this whole scene will long endure
But we can't dedicate, we can't consecrate, we can't dig this beach
The hot doggers who wiped out before have dug it far more
The kids on the B-side will little note nor long remember what we sang here
But the melody will linger on
It is for us, the kings of the beach, to be true to our country
And always play fair
So that fun, on the beach, by the beach, and for the beach
Will not perish from the Earth
"Surf's Up!"
Glory, glory, Hallelujah
Glory, glory, Hallelujah
Glory, glory, Hallelujah, his truth is surfing
"Hey everybody, there's a monster double feature playing tonight at Ford's Drive-In Theater"
On
Jim Fourniadis (Bass, Vocal)
Leila Haddad (Backing Vocal)
Madi Horstman (Vocal, Backing Vocal)
Andy Maltz (Guitar)
Sam Zelda (Drums, Guitar)
Early in the summer of sixty-five
Johnny Wilkes Booth took a fateful drive
He rode his Harley and he took his gun
To the drive-in movie just to have some fun
Now Johnny hid by the refreshment stand
The radio was playing his favorite band
When Lincoln sent his men to get a snack
John Wilkes Booth pulled a sneak attack
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Wipeout at the drive-in show
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Johnny's got a gun it's time to go
There in the lincoln, Abe was cool as ice
Wearing 3-D glasses, watching Vincent Price
But his life would end because of Johnny's stunt
Before he could even yell "Down in front!"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Johnny's gun said "Time to go"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Folks at the drive-in never finished the show
(INSTRUMENTAL)
Now hard-luck Johnny's headed for harm
Cornered on the gas tank at Garrett's farm
The news will say, after the bullet hits,
"Psycho Gunman Blown To Bits"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
The crowd heard Johnny's cry
"Sic Semper Tyranus!
And tell my mama I said goodbye"
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Was it caused by rock and roll?
Fords Theatre Wipeout
Johnny found fame and lost his soul
An angry letter that followed the playing of "Needle Boy" on the Doctor Demento show:
An more upbeat letter:
Make someone else angry! Request a Cab City Combo song on the Dr. Demento show.
“We're a Novelty Band!”
The most offbeat and longest-running musical project of my career(!) was with the New York Novelty Rock band, Cab City Combo. Although we've never actually broken up, it's been years since anything new has been recorded and released. The Combo was the brainchild of Paul Rubin and over the years many friends and acquaintances played sessions with the band. The project was strictly a recording affair; no gigs were ever played and for that reason I always looked at the group (especially in the early days) as if it were The Beatles during the Magical Mystery Tour period. Cab City didn't have to concern itself with the limitations of the stage and was therefore able to use people, instruments, noises, and studio tricks that worked as a one-off in the studio, but would've been hard to reproduce live. Unlike many of my other musical projects I was restrained by a guy functioning as the producer of his own music so I had to come up with cool little parts and riffs (if they weren't already part of the song) and function as part of an ensemble. It was a continuously fun and interesting challenge and I'm ALL about the challenge! It also afforded more trips to the recording studio and I've have always LOVED being in the studio. I can't remember ever having a bad time recording back in those days. We were lucky because we worked with 3 very sympathetic engineers over the span of our career: Jim Fourniadis, Greg Talenfeld, and Gary Knox. They always went the extra mile to indulge Paul's whims and offered invaluable assistance to get the production to really POP. It certainly helped that they are all boss musicians in addition to being studio wizards. Jim was actually a member of The Combo for the first couple of sessions.
When I was a kid, The Dr. Demento show was on the radio every Sunday night and for 2-3 hours he would play a dazzling assortment of weird and funny stuff. (Kind of sounds like 1930s but we're talking early 70s) I used to do homework while well-known, goofy gems like They're Coming to Take Me Away, Transfusion, Lil Red Riding Hood and Shaving Cream, the song that won many of the top 10 countdowns on the show in those days, played in the background. I think the family bought 1 or 2 KTEL novelty compilations but I don't remember them getting a lot of attention. Not only was I also discovering rock and roll and more interested in that, but there was something cool about hearing the funny stuff in the context of a radio format. The songs seemed to lose some of their zip on an LP because I knew what was coming. I didn't think about the whole concept of Novelty again until the early 90s when I was asked by friends if I wanted to play guitar in the Cab City project. I didn't know Paul at that point, but we did the first session and it was a whole lot of fun. Since Paul was doing Novelty Rock I didn't think of it as a huge departure from what any of us were playing anyhow and historically this has always been true. Sam the Sham and the Pharohs are considered by many to be a fine rock n' roll band as are a host of other bands who recorded songs that are considered novelty-esque, like The Champs with Tequila and The Kingsmen with Louie Louie. Cab City was kind of carrying on in the same tradition, but Paul's influences included people like Martin Mull, The Bonzo Dog Band, Frank Zappa, Steve Martin and other twisted luminaries from the 1970s, while Cab City was always a Novelty Project, that definition could be pretty broad at times. Even though the line-up changed for the next session a year or two later, I stayed on and kept doing it.for eleven years. Paul and I had a pretty good working relationship and as time went on our approach to the project changed to something more like Tommy Tedesco or The Wrecking Crew because Rotgutter, the power trio band I was in at the time, became the core of Cab City. As a band we were already super-tight and that allowed all of the Combo recordings to proceed very quickly and smoothly. Dr. Demento actually played The Combo on his show a few times and Paul had a map going on how many people in how many of the US states bought the CDs. While Cab City was never a threat to Weird Al's popularity, it was a nice little project and over the years I was able to put down some really cool and varied guitar on a wide range of music. The sessions were totally fun and part of an era that is rapidly disappearing. Today musicians can avoid recording studios and put their music together on laptops and hardly anyone works with tape. Most of the studios we recorded in over the years are gone now, but it was always an education and a blast to be in that environment putting a project together with like-minded people and friends.
The Combo did get some love over the years, including a nice letter and encouragement from Jello Biafra, punk icon and leader of the Dead Kennedys. Because there was always a veneer of punk rock music and sensibilities in Cab City I was convinced that Paul had aspirations to be a punk rock star! Because most of the musicians in The Combo were capable and comfortable doing that and because punk rock is usually humorously irreverent, the combination worked and it appealed to fans of both styles of music. Even when the music didn't sound like punk, there was usually a twisted, misanthropic attitude to the lyrics that sounded like PUNK ROCK or NEW YORK. The SUV Song is a good example - musically it's such a pleasant-sounding song and I was going for a very Caribbean guitar thing. Lyrically it was a different story and that juxtaposition and the sing-a-long chorus made it one of The Combo's more accessible numbers. Two kids in England liked it so much they made a video for the song. [Ed: Not two kids in England, ONE kid in California, Paul's nephew Max.]
Some of my other favorite Cab City tracks in the above player illustrate the range of different styles involved in the band and what I did guitar-wise. Paul wasn't a taskmaster by any stretch of the imagination; he actually let the band have quite a bit of room to come up with their own stuff. But he did have certain ideas about what he wanted and didn't like. This kind of relationship was good for me as it always forced me to focus and try to see outside my own musical parameters. All of the musicians involved had played with each other in some capacity or knew each other so that made it easy to get the music together and record it quickly. Songs like Monkey King, High Entropy and Insulin were pretty close to being POP numbers. Monkey King always felt like a Broadway show tune meets the aforementioned Beatles Magical Mystery Tour-era to me, I don't know why. Insulin has a phased kind of George Harrison/Eric Clapton "Badge" era thing going on and I do remember Paul having a lot of input into how that solo sounded. What's funny is that although I was playing through an MXR Phase 90, I didn't have it turned on, but it sounds like it was. I'm also playing a Rickenbacker 6-string for the strumming part, which is the only time I've ever used a Rickenbacker guitar in my life. I've never owned one and the one I used (which was really boss!) belonged to the guy who owned the studio. After You Alphonse, which is the comedy gag of more than 1 person trying to get through the door simultaneously, is probably Cab City's most obvious punk number. Less than a minute long, the guitar approach is: Just PLAY FAST. High Entropy reminds me of Chris Spedding and the couple of years of hanging out with him certainly influenced the cool, laid back riffing on this song, which was sung by Marti J. Cooney, a lady who contributed many fine vocalizations to The Combo over the years. So did Laurie Kilmartin and Maddie Horstman, who does the lead vocals on the next song, Santa Klutz, which was typical of the goofy fun we had making these songs. 4 of us huffed helium out of balloons to make the elf voices and I can still remember us standing around the mic trying to get it right without making each other crack up. Same was true of Lake Pennsylvania, which was a real biatch to record, especially THE SINGING NIXONS vocal parts. The music was real easy and there was also a steel drum added by Jamila Cowie. Cab City usually had special guests come in and contribute and they always performed well. Banned by the Man was surely one of the finest guitar moments of my Novelty career. I took Jimmy Page's DADGAD tuning and used it on an acoustic and couple of electrics to create an Indo/Persian feel for Paul's rant on copyright laws. Since The Beatles figure heavily in the rant, I felt that the almost sitar-esque quality of the music worked well. I forget if we planned that or not. I also played bass on the track and used an Echoplex to get the delay/echo effect. Later on I developed this piece further and I think it will show up in it's entirety on this blog someday. If you wish you can download other Cab City stuff here.
Cab City Combo released two full-length CDs; compilations of all of the sessions we did over the years and they are STILL FOR SALE! It's interesting how during the band's career and since it was shelved, so much of the music business and New York City has changed. In that way listening to these songs for me is a snapshot of a special time in my life. I'm not a fan of any modern novelty music and probably never will be and the fact that I wasn't a fan even when we were recording allowed me the freedom to just come up with ideas that would fit the songs and vision Paul was trying to put across. All of the other people involved in the core band over the years were total pros, and many are still involved in the music business in some capacity. My first attempt at a jazz song occurred with The Combo and it's kind of funny that is where I am now - playing music that I originally did as a parody for a Novelty band. The Combo's parody stuff was really brilliant and someday maybe it will find it's way on here. If you want to know why it isn't, listen to Banned By the Man. Perhaps The Combo will do another session in the future, but even if it doesn't, there is a bunch of great stuff I was happy to be a part of and am pleasantly surprised when I hear it now. I'm not one of those people who dwells on the past or listens to all the music I've done on a regular basis, but every once it awhile it's a nice trip down memory lane and a way of measuring where I am, where I've been, and where I'm going.
The Dr. Demento Show | Syndicated |
Cab City Combo on The Dr. Demento Show
Dr. Demento 6/26/1994 |
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The Friendly Persuasion Show | Internet 9/11/2000 |
Power Salad's Cream Cheese Library | Internet |
Cab City Combo on Cream Cheese Library 10/11/2001Understanding Blues - Dan HartWhen You're Hot You're Hot - Jerry Reed Bang The Moe Slowly - Duck's Breath Mystery Theater Please Squeeze My Knees Louise - Barnes & Barnes Bruces (live Drury Lane version) - Monty Python Shoehorn with Teeth - They Might Be Giants She Loves You (Cockney version) - Peter Sellers Blimey - Mel Blanc Pork Jam (Cartoon Network "Groovies") - Michael Kohler Prince Nez - Squirrel Nut Zippers Satan Takes a Holiday - "Irving Garner" Penguin on the Telly - Tony Goldmark The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - The Clams You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) - The Beatles Oongawa - Johnny Parker and the Zirkons Zabadak - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich Help I'm A Rock (It Can't Happen Here) - The Mothers of Invention Mantis from Atlantis - Power Salad Shoppin' for Clothes - The Coasters Bender Roboto - the great Luke Ski 4th Amendment - Rob Paravonian Desperate Dan - Hotlegs My White Bicycle - Tomorrow My Melancholy Baby - "Irving Garner" I Want Candy - The Strangeloves Swan's Splashdown - Perrey & Kingsley Coffee - National Lampoon Radio Hour NRL (Nursery Rhyme Lawyer) - Throwing Toasters Coca-Cola commercial - Los Bravos Louis, Louis - Cab City Combo Ide B The First - The Scaffold Metal Head - Blotto Cab City Combo on Cream Cheese Library 10/25/2001Power Salad's Cream Cheese Library playlist 10/25/01The Radio Is Broken - Frank Zappa - The Man from Utopia Burgers, Fries, and Eternal Damnation - Hot Waffles - Breakfast of Champions Om (opening incantation) - John Coltrane - Om Drinking with the Devil - Barnes & Barnes - Loozanteen Hot Dogs in the Sink - Power Salad - unreleased Penguin on the Telly - Tony Goldmark - Masterpiece Weirder Girls Girls Girls pt. 1 - The Coasters - Atco 45 Beer Barrel Polka - Andre Popp and His Orchestra - Delirium in Hi-Fi Pictures of Matchstick Men - The Status Quo - Cadet Concept 45 Scissor Man - Primus - Rhinoplasty Over at the Frankenstein Place - "Rocky Horror Picture Show" - Ode LP It's Halloween - The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World You're Old - Dan Hart - The Life of Dan Moulty - The Barbarians - Nuggets (compilation) The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati - Possum - Dr. Demento's Delights On A Bus with Buster - Cab City Combo - Pork Side of the Moon Three Little Pigniks - The Caps - White Star 45 Three Little Bops - Stan Freberg/Shorty Rogers - WB cartoon Nature Trail to Hell -"Weird Al" Yankovic - In 3-D Let Me Off the Leash - Grant Livingston - Let Me Off the Leash Greenhouse Party - Power Salad - unreleased Getting Better - Big Daddy - Sgt. Pepper's Time To Change - The Brady Bunch - Paramount 45 Look Out, There's a Monster Coming - The Bonzo Dog Band - Gorilla I'm The Creature - Wild Man Jr. - Rhino Brothers' Greatest FLOPS Coffee - National Lampoon - National Lampoon Radio Hour The Roach Coach (Industrial Catering) - Power Salad - unreleased |
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The Keg of Good Times | Internet |
Showy Sho Shosho | Internet |
The "I Still Get Demented" Radio Show | Internet 5/12/2003 |
DFSX Radio | Internet |
Welcome to Weirdsville | Internet |
NeverEndingWonder Radio | Internet |
Whole-Wheat Radio | Internet |
1: Music With Moskowitz | KSER 90.7, Everett, Wa |
2: Nerd Rock | KBCS 91.3, Bellevue-Seattle, Wa |
3: Cannibal Free Radio | KTEC 89.5, Klamath Falls, Or |
Cab City Combo on Cannibal Free Radio, January 15, 1999Reverend Horton Heat: Rock The JointThey Might Be Giants: Dr. Worm Faust & Lewis: The Doctor Song Space Ghost: Never Trust A Monkey Dave Seville: Witch Doctor Da Yoopers: Diarrhea Baby Ray: Curl Bob Rivers: Whitewater Monty Python: Medical Love Song National Lampoon: Alternative Child Space Ghost: Minkey Boodle Robert Schimmel: If You Buy This... Barnes & Barnes: Boogie Woogie Amputee Bob Rivers: Wrong Foot Amputated Bloodhound Gang: She Ain't Got No Legs National Lampoon: Jimmy Dugan Story The Four Postmen: I've Got A Tan Steve Martin: Cat Handcuffs Cab City Combo: Needle Boy Those Darn Accordians: Deathbed Confession Space Ghost: I Love You Baby Reverend Billy C. Wirtz: Song For Judy The Dead Alewives: Headache Ogden Edsel: Dead Puppies Animaniacs: The Senses Tom Lehrer: Masochism Tango The Simpsons: We Do Da Yoopers: 3 Months Late Dead Alewives: Dungeons & Dragons Junior's Army: Doctor Doctor "Weird" All Yankovich: Callin' In Sick Today Faust & Lewis: I'm Schizophrenic Lester McFwap's C.O.V: Amateur Morticians Cab City Combo: Monkey King |
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4: Uncle Al - Hippie's Graveyard | KFJC 89.7, Cupertino, Ca KKUP 91.5 |
5: All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of Musical Madness | KBCH, Long Beach, Ca |
All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of Musical Madness, January 15, 1999
Buffet 9/4/1999 |
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6: Oldies And Oddities-You-Can-Eat Buffet of Musical Madness | KKSM 92.3, San Diego, Ca |
Cab City Combo on Oldies and OdditiesOldies and Oddities 4/20/2002:
ROCKET MAN- William Shatner Oldies and Oddities 6/1/2002:
Radio Show ID- The Bran Flakes Oldies and Oddities 6/8/2002:
HAMBONE- Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford Oldies and Oddities 10/11/2002:
HELLO, I LOVE YOU- Enoch Light Oldies and Oddities 12/08/2002:
PENGUIN ON THE TELLY- Tony Goldmark Oldies and Oddities 12/22/2002:
STAR WARS HOLDIAY SPECIAL INTRODUCTION- Oldies and Oddities 12/29/2002:
IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA- Ray Conniff Oldies and Oddities 4/19/2003:
ROCK MUSIC LYRICS- Dr. Dobson and Susan Baker |
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7 | KUNV 91.5, Las Vegas, NV |
8: Oddity Rock Radio | KWCR 88.1, Ogden, Ut |
9 | KGLT 91.1, Bozeman, Mt |
10: Radio 1190 | KVCU 1190, Boulder, Co |
11: Over The Edge | KBUK 104.9, La Grange, Tx |
12: Nummy Muffin Cocoa Butter | KVRX 91.7, Austin, Tx |
Cab City Combo on Nummy Muffin Cocoa ButterNummy Muffin 6/14/1999:
MST3K - Theme Nummy Muffin 7/26/1999:
NMCB - Theme Nummy Muffin 9/11/1999:
MST3K - NMCB |
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13: Jon and Zach Show | KJEM 93.3, Fayetteville, Ar |
14: Who Nose? | KRNU 90.3, Lincoln, Ne |
Cab City Combo on Who Nose?Playlist for Who Nose? 12/13/1997:
Brave Combo by Brave Combo Playlist for Who Nose? 1/17/1998:
Buck BcCock by Drumfounded Playlist for Who Nose? 1/24/1998:
Merchandising the Wright Brothers by Bob Newhart |
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15: The Annoying Hour | KTEQ 91.3, Rapid City, SD |
Cab City Combo on The Annoying Hour11/21/2002:
Plastic Jesus by Jello Biafra Mojo Nixon 12/5/2002:
Richard Simmons by Lewis Black |
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16: Shockwave | KFAI 90.3, Minneapolis, Mn |
17: Insanity On The Airwaves | KLFM 91.1, Appleton, Wi |
18: Madness Network | KNUR 89.3, Chicago, Il WOUI 88.9, Chicago, Il |
18: The Chad Mitchell Show | WONC 89.1, Naperville-Chicago, Il |
19: The Padded Cell Motel | WDUK 99.3, Havana, Il |
Cab City Combo on Groove Time/Padded Cell Motel, May 30, 1998Subject: Space Debris (Leftover outer space & alien songs from "Close Encounters of the Groovy Kine", plus Star Trek songs that I couldn't fit into the "Star Struck: The Redundant Generation" marathon). Playlist furnished by Art Brazier, Jr. a/k/a Mr. Arthur (Off His Rocker)
• Star Drek (from Dr. Demento's 25th Anniversary Collection)--Bobby Pickett and Peter Ferrara |
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20: Saturday Morning Comedy Show | WBGZ 1570, Alton, Il |
21 | WIBV 1260, Belleville, Il |
22: St. Louis Brain Sandwich Show | KDHX 88.1, St. Louis, Mo |
22 | KTRS 550, St. Louis, Mo |
23: The Bob and Tom Show | WFBQ 94.7, Indianapolis, In |
24 | WFBE 95.1, Flint, Mi WRFF 88.3, Flint, Mi |
25: The Chad Mitchell Show | WDRQ 93.1, Detroit, Mi |
26: The Loonatarium | WONB 94.9, Ada, Oh |
27: Bubbles in the Think Tank | WAIF 88.3, Cincinnati, Oh |
28: The Comedy Zone | WNTE 89.5, Mansfield, Pa |
29: The Mr. Mark Show | WMUH 91.7, Allentown, Pa |
30: Friggin' Here | WITR 89.7, Rochester, NY |
Cab City Combo on Friggin' Here
Friggin' Here 12/6/1997 |
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31: Music To Go To The Dump By | WDEV 96.1, Waterbury, Vt |
32: Comedy 101 | WPCR 91.7, Plymouth, NH |
Cab City Combo on Comedy 101Comedy 101 11/12/1998
2nu by Spaz attack Comedy 101 3/4/1999
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor by Lonnie Donegan Comedy 101 11/18/99
Ape call by Nervous Norvus Comedy 101 9/14/2000
I'm my own grandpa by Ray Stevens Comedy 101 11/30/2000
Ape call by Nervous Norvus Comedy 101 12/21/2000
Santa Claus is watching you by Ray Stevens Comedy 101 6/28/2001
Prisoners of their hairdos- Christine Lavin Comedy 101 11/15/2001
Germs- Weird Al Yankovic Comedy 101 3/14/2002
Canyons of your mind- The Bonzo Dog Doodah Band Comedy 101 4/25/2002
It's great to be unemployed- The Ziggens Comedy 101 9/5/2002
I hate Email- The Geektones Comedy 101 12/12/2002
Another puff- Jerry Reed Comedy 101 1/9/2003
Uncle Hiram and the homemade beer- Dick Feller Comedy 101 7/17/2003
Dance of the hours- Spike Jones Comedy 101 9/11/2003
Deep deep trouble- The Simpsons (Bart) Comedy 101 6/3/2004
The Fish People of Berodenon- Ogden Edsl Comedy 101 9/29/2005
Computer Date- Bananas At Large Comedy 101 11/3/2005
You need feet- Bernard Bresslaw Comedy 101 12/22/2005
Christmas Is Almost Here- Arrogant Worms Comedy 101 3/2/2006
I Like Them Big and Stupid- Julie Brown |
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33: Pagan Potpourri | WBCQ 7.415, Kennebunk, Me |
34: Coffee and Cartoons | WJUL 91.5, Lowell, Ma |
35 | WMBR 88.1, Cambridge, Ma |
36 | WSAM 106.3, West Hartford, Ct |
37: The Reality Break | WXCI 91.7, Danbury, Ct |
38: Dave's Gone By | WGBB-AM 1240, Long Island, NY |
39 | WFMU 91.1, East Orange, NJ |
40: The Pab Sungenis Project | WVLT 92.1, Vineland, NJ |
Cab City Combo on The Pab Sungenis ProjectPab Sungenis 7/23/2000
THE FIBS -- Herpes Pab Sungenis 10/15/2000Pab Sungenis 2/11/2001
LEONARD NIMOY -- Put A Little Love In Your Heart Pab Sungenis 9/16/2001
RUSTY WARREN -- Bounce Your Boobies Pab Sungenis 11/04/2001
BEATLES -- You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) Pab Sungenis 12/13/2002
ALLAN SHERMAN -- The 12 Gifts Of Christmas Pab Sungenis 2/14/2003
10cc -- Lovers' Anonymous Pab Sungenis 2/20/2004
LOGAN WHITEHURST & THE JR. SCIENCE CLUB -- Me and the Snowman Pab Sungenis 2/11/2005
CAST OF "WICKED" -- What Is This Feeling? |
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41: Crazy College | WVUD 91.3, Newark, De |
42: The KML Show | WIYY ROCK98, Baltimore, MD |
43: The Jeff and Jeff Show | WRXL, Richmond, Va |
44: Laugh Tracks | WXDU, Durham, NC |
Cab City Combo on Laugh Tracks
Laugh Tracks 2/18/2006 |
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45 | WDCC 90.5, Sanford, NC |
46 | WZLS 96.5, Asherville, NC |
47: How To Recognize Different Types of Trees From Quite A Long Way Away | WTPL 610, Greeneville, TN |
Cab City Combo on How To Recognize Different Types of Trees From Quite A Long Way AwayHow to Recognize 4/17/2003:
Bless Me Barbie - Carol Ponder |
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48: Bizarro 88 | WRAS 88.5, Atlanta, Ga |
49: Nummy Muffin Cocoa Butter | WVUA 90.1, Tuscaloosa, Al |
Cab City Combo on Nummy Muffin Cocoa ButterNummy Muffin 6/14/1999:
MST3K - Theme Nummy Muffin 7/26/1999:
NMCB - Theme Nummy Muffin 9/11/1999:
MST3K - NMCB |
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50: The Big Fat Show | WCPR 97.9, Gulfport, MS |
51: Make Me Laugh | WTAN 1340, Clearwater, Fl |
52: Robin's Nest | CJSW 90.9, Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
Cab City Combo on Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest 9/27/2001:Funk & Lata - Sambadrome. Robin's introTiny Tim - Stairway to Heaven Twang Bang - Everything's Important Two Jew Review -- Whipped The Reduced Shakespeare Company, episode III, - The Histories Steve Goodie - A Day in the Life Kenny Young & the Eggplants - The Cookie Song Kenny Young & the Eggplants - The Kebab Shop Twang Bang - Sex Without Love The Three Stooges - The Alphabet Song Jump 'N The Saddle - Curly Shuffle Cab City Combo - Jesus Jr. Ritt Henn - Chicks Dig Me 'Cuz I Bowl The Cowards - Friggin' Guys Ivor Biggun - The Cockerel Song The Cowards - Friggin' Guys part II Les Barker - Deja Vu Buddy Wasisname & the Other Fellers - Chainsaw Earle Barry Man - Who Put The Bomp (in the bomp bomp bomp) Jim Backus & Friends - Delicious Herbie Man - It's A Funky Thing Leon Redbone - Diddy Wah Diddy Tiny Tim - Hey Jude (cha cha cha version) Ween - Benos Tardes Amigo The Reduced Shakespear Company - A Damn Scottsman Twang Bang - I feel Weird |
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53: Good Company | 99.7, Brisbane, Australia |
54: The Crazy Jay Show | 88.2, Auckland, New Zealand |