"Best Of" committee

[CB Johnny]

I was biased towards that as I am a fast typer and the banter was short enough.

Honestly, I don't think I'll mind solid paraphrasing but I'd be lying if I didn't prefer transcript. I'm grateful for either.

[richegreen]

So we're each doing two songs? Okay, I'll take When I Was Your Age (a song I've been dying to see live for YEARS) and Good Enough For Now (even though they didn't play it at any of the shows *I* went to, I still plan on using that in my wedding in October). To the best of my knowledge, Al never actually told any stories about the former, so I'd like to be proven wrong.

[CB Johnny]

You can take on more than two if you feel ambitious for sure.

[Margarita]

I'm in the middle of scripting the Truck Drivin' Songs and what I realized is that it will be so much fun to do the same with "You Don't Love Me Anymore", because before playing it Al says a lot of funny stuff about Jon and Steve leaving the stage. So, if nobody claims that song by the time I finish those two songs I've already chosen - sign me up for "You Don't Love Me Anymore"!

[ergalthema]

Just thought I'd mention that I have started and will continue working on these. With 40 performances of Twine Ball, it will take me a while. So far, I've listened to about 2 a day, but I'm not sure how consistent I'll be with that.

I've been going reverse-chronological... not that it makes a difference. I'm thinking that the best performances will be somewhere in the middle - after the bugs were worked out, but before it became too routine. Not saying that's a rule, but that's the impression I'm getting from a sampling of shows throughout the tour.

[CB Johnny]

Al's Homeboy is switching his song from Velvet Elvis to Party At The Leper Colony

[ergalthema]

Thought I'd post a sample of my notes to get feedback before I get too far into this.

I like working on two songs, so I'm at least getting a little variety and not getting quite so burnt-out as I listen through.

I'm using a 1-10 scale for my own sake, trying to take everything about the performance into account - accuracy, energy, audio mix/balance, audience noises (can be good or distracting), etc. - but I'm not factoring the banter into the rating I give the song. It's also a little tricky to know how to compare them all before I've heard them all, but I'm trying to keep that in mind.

Sorry, the banter is not verbatim. That's the most tedious part for me. I'm not using correct grammar (sometimes natural speech doesn't either), and I'll actually be getting worse about it as I go along - just a quick note about what was said, unless he says something that isn't said at most of the other shows. I'll be sure to point out anything out of the ordinary. But a lot of these are almost the same. If someone really wants them all perfectly transcribed, someone else will need to do it.

Sometimes a performance will be really good with great energy, but there will be one flub. So, I'll have to dock it a point or so. So far, I've only given one 10/10 - Twine Ball in Oakland (but I've only worked my way back to episode 59). I found nothing technically wrong with that recording, but there might be another 10/10 that has even better energy or something special. By the time I'm done, there might be a few that are "best" for different reasons.

So, my formatting is:
[date] [city, state]
[timecode the banter/song starts] [rating out of 10] [banter]
[notes]

---------------------------------------------------
THE BIGGEST BALL OF TWINE IN MINNESOTA

6/10 Green Bay, WI
18:23 8/10: “Story, maybe more an anecdote, more like random musings, parable, cautionary tale… no, a story, about the BBOTIM”
* 3 whole days and “gnats”

6/9 Clear Lake, IA
13:00 7/10 “Story about America, more specifically about a twine ball, not the biggest in the world by group working in harmony to break a world record, shallow, stupid people. One man, rugged American, individual named Francis A. Johnson. Might not be the biggest in the world, but BBOTIM”
* guitar a little loud, vocals a little low

6/6 Fargo, ND
25:30 7/10 “Story about America, specifically a twine ball, not the biggest in the world, but BBOTIM”
* Last chance “das” station, brand “sue” instamatic
* Fermata at Fargo North Dakotaaaaaaaa
“been waiting all tour to do that”

6/2 Enoch, AL
“Hello Enoch and/or Edmonton. When I first had the idea for the tour for hardcore fans, book agent knows nice theaters, but I said I’d love to play a casino that looks like a hollowed-out barn. Dreams do come true. Let’s hear it for Emo, it amazes me how he can ride the bus with us every night without violating any of the terms of our agreement. He’s found a loophole.”
7:00 8/10 “Story about a twine ball, not the biggest in the world, that twine ball is stupid. Not even the biggest in North America… boring. It’s about the BBOTIM”
* “holed” out of the driveway
* a little pitchy at times

5/29 Seattle, WA
30:00 8/10 “Story about America, specifically a twine ball. Not the biggest in the world, a group of people working in harmony, that’s stupid. By one man, rugged American, true individual Mr. Francis A. Johnson. May not be the biggest in the world, but it’s the BBOTIM” (good delivery)
* joined together in one common “plot”
* nice build to bridge - oh, what on earth…
* particularly good vocals from “we all just stared at the ball for a while” to the end
* slight drum flub at end

5/25 Portland, OR
23:42 9/10 “Story about America, specifically a twine ball. Not the biggest in the world by a group working in harmony, that’s stupid. One man, great American, rugged individual, Francis A. Johnson. Not the biggest in the world, but he did make the BBOTIM”
* very picky here, but a guitar lick seemed like it was a little off
* audience sounds are a little distracting

5/24 Eugene, OR
13:58 8/10 “Story, not a parable, not an anecdote, story about the BBOTIM”
* “beerg” Roy’s Heating & Plumbing
* audience sounds are a little distracting

5/20 Napa, CA
0:20 9/10 “Hello, Napa. Honor to be here. Story about pride, guts, intestinal fortitude, I suppose it’s really about a twine ball. more specific, the BBOTIM”
* Rhubarb pie kind of runs out of breath
* All just stared at the “bowl” for a while

5/19 Oakland, CA
14:22 10/10 “Story about America, specifically a twine ball. not the biggest in the world, by a a group, shallow, stupid, I hate them. No, one man, Francis A. Johnson. Not the biggest in the world, but the BBOTIM”.
* very solid
* particularly nice guitar licks

5/17 Monterey, CA
20:23 8/10 “Story about America, twine ball, about hopes, dreams, guts, what makes america great, mainly a twine ball. Not the biggest in the world, by a group, shallow, stupid, I hate them, I spit on their twine ball. I’m talking about ball made by one man, Francis A. Johnson, he didn’t need your help. Neighbors come out and say ‘Francis - still working on that twine ball?”, he’d say “shut up man”, he wasn’t very nice, but to the point. I’m off topic, should just sing the song. Not the biggest in the world, but the BBOTIM.”
* audience clapping along at the beginning
* Al’s vocals a little low

---------------------------------------------------
NATURE TRAIL TO HELL

6/10 Green Bay, WI
12:30 NTTH 7/10: “Loved horror movies as a kid, Carrie, Shining, Exorcist, 3 Men and a Baby…, Favorite hasn’t been made yet, but if it ever does, I’ve got the song for it.”
* flub after “hacks up”, flub last note

6/6 Fargo, ND
33:30 7/10 “I love horror movies, favorite hasn’t been made yet, but I wrote a song about it. I Believe there’s a pipe organ in the pit, but I have one in my lap.”
* significantly flubbed the end “sorry about that train wreck at the end - my bad” (very good otherwise)

6/2 Enoch, AL
0:20 8/10 (no banter)
* some faster drum fills
* audience scream at false ending

5/31 Calgary, AB
26:00 6/10 “Music is usually the last thing done on a movie. I wrote the theme song to this movie 4 decades before it got made. 1984, so we’re still on schedule.”
* flub when piano comes in, and a few others
* a little pitchy
* can’t hear background vocals
* flubbed end

5/26 Portland, OR
21:50 8/10 “Only song I ever recorded with satanic backwards masking - satan eats cheez wiz. No parental advisory sticker because it wasn’t satanic enough. Soundtrack to a movie that has never been made.”
* slight piano flub before first verse
* mix slightly off in a place or two

5/20 Napa, CA
8:00 7/10 “Emo is one of my oldest friends and frankly I would have invited him on this tour even if he didn’t have those polaroids of me with a goat. I’m familiar with Napa, you guys love pipe organ music. Sit back and enjoy the 45 minute pipe organ solo.”
* Slightly extended organ intro
* mix is more heavily compressed, soundstage is unstable
* vocal mic is out at guitar solo and after for a bit

5/19 Oakland, CA
1:08:00 8.5/10 “From In 3-D, satan eats Cheez Wiz, technically satanic back masking, but no sticker all the cool kids had. Theme song to a movie that hasn’t been made yet, but in a perfect world it will be someday.”
* bass flub at “every scene”
* piano a little intense at times
* guitar tone gets big reverb during the solo

5/17 Monterey, CA
1:15:20 8/10 “In 3-D, this inspired the album title. Theme for the greatest horror movie that hasn’t been made yet.”
* a little loose at the beginning
* Al’s vocals a little low
* reverb a little heavy

[CB Johnny]

love it! thank you!

[ajv2001]

I'm still debating whether or not I'm able to help out in this "committee", hopefully one I finish tracking all of the shows, if there is a song or two left, I can contribute.
But until then, just a thought,
Should there be TWO best ofs? One that has the truly BEST recordings, and then one that has all the greatest versions of the songs that were special or different
Just an idea

[CB Johnny]

at this point it doesn't have to be a definitive sole instance of a song.

A handful of "if you're going to hear this song try the one where this happened, or when that happened, and maybe when this happened" choices are more than fine!