Dr. Frank's What's-it

hey,
cant wait to get my hands on it. ive been waiting for mtx to go on tour since your last american one (the Brownies NYC show was, without question, the best show ive ever been to in my entire life)...then I go abroad for six months to study at the University of Bologna in Italy, and you go on your solo tour. NOT FAIR.

Anyhow, my friend picked up a copy at the Boston show, which im anxiously waiting to hear upon my return. and if ben weasel digs it, you're gold.

nick

ps shameless plugging time..my blog's at: http://3rdrate.livejournal.com, lots of amusing stuff including how i got a cute british girl with a killer accent while in Italy. enjoy, and keep up the writing.

whoops - http://www.livejournal.com/users/3rdrate/ ... i dont pay often enough.
nick

What's funny is that the abbreviated, mumbled, no-power, hand-held tape recorder versions of early Ben Weasel songs would still sell well, if Ben wasn't too embarrassed to get them out there.

Maybe he could put those up as free mp3s.

Frank,
8 Little Songs Rule! I feel as frustrated as Ben does when I hear you're songs and guitar playing. Hopefully, you've checked out my review in your squawkaboutsongs email address? Keep up the good work!!

I have some abbreviated, mumbled, no-power, hand-held-tape-recorder versions of myself doing Screeching Weasel songs that I once thought I could put out as a covers EP, back before I knew anything about anything at all.

Bill, I did receive your els review (which was excellent, by the way.) That goes for everyone else who sent thoughtful, detailed reviews of els that I haven't yet responded to. Oh, and thanks for sending that picture, too. (That doesn't go for everyone, only the others who sent pictures like Bill did. Well, I mean, obviously.)

I've been getting a bit behind on the correspondence-- I'm slowly working through the reviews and feedback, but my inbox is more than I can manage even when I haven't been asking for it. If it keeps up, I may consider doing this song-feedback thing as a kind of message board. I like the idea, though I really don't want to be a board monitor. As you can see, I can barely keep up with the blog and comments as it is.

For what it's worth, it looks as though we're going to start recording on July 19. I'm pretty sure we're going to do "Jill," probably pretty much as is, unless anyone has any bright ideas. Chuck Prophet recorded a version of it with full-on honky-tonk band treatment (unreleased, sadly) and I couldn't hope to compete with that. We've been playing around with a band version of "Big Strange Beautiful Hammer," but it's very much in the air whether it'll end up acoustic or electrified. "London" is on the list-- with that, we're aiming at pretty much the same thing with real drums. Lots of other decisions haven't been made yet, but "The Boyfriend Box" and "Institutionalized Misogyny" are still candidates.

This wouldn't be a bad place to post suggestions, if anyone's got any. Just a thought.

I vote for all of the above! What about "You're Impossible, Baby"? I love that song.

I'm curious...is "lies" in London a noun or a verb?

Lynn,

I like "Impossible," and I still want to do something with it. But it slipped off the A-list because there are other pure acoustic, more or less funny ones, and because it hasn't seemed to "click" when I do it live. From the feedback I've been getting, those who like it like it a lot, but otherwise it's the least-mentioned. (Comparing the love object to a religion is a great idea, and a certain sort of person responds to it I guess-- but most seem to say "very nice, dear. Next!" )

We've narrowed down the list of candidates to 20 (out of 60 or 70 possibilities.) The hardest part will be choosing which to get rid of out of those. We're aiming at a 14 song album, so 6 will have to go. Plus, there are a couple brand new ones that I like a lot, so maybe more than 6 will have to go. My problem is that I love them all way too much. But you can't have a 25 song album. Not on our budget you can't, anyway. And it's not a good idea to overstay your welcome in any case.

In "London," "lies" is ambiguous and can be read either way depending on where you are in the time-line of the unarticulated backstory. I suppose I'm obscuring the issue with information, but there you are.

10-4

I've been reading the blog for a while, and I'd like to comment I'm a fan, whether I agree or not with every post doesn't matter. But that's not what this post is about anyway, it's about "Eight Little Songs + other good unreleased songs". I have to say as a fan for so long it's an incredible addition to my collection. It doesn't play like demos, and even though I know the point isn't to talk about arrangements I'm still impressed. As a four track and then later 8 track owner, I have to say I can never make my own songs sound this polished. Maybe that's cause I own one Microphone... that looks cooler than it sounds... I used to own more. Damn that youthful defiance to equipment... and money. Anyway I was planning to make a long email about the CD but this might be a better place. Or I might run out of gas soon and make a better review later when it's not 3 AM and I'm listening to the CD itself. But I like it. And I have to agree with some other posters that as a songwriter and a guitar player Dr. Frank causes me to hold this bar of standards that is perhaps beyond my ability. Although I've never considered myself a person of low self esteem, nor a person who takes many people's opinions into consideration, nor a person who cares much about comparing myself to others, I honestly think Dr. Frank (that would be you) is an influential songwriter in my book. Again back to the CD. I have a hard time intellectualizing over lyrics. I suppose it has to do with that concept that an artist could be laughing at those who read too much into their work. And the opposite end where I see a piece of art that is supposed to be a statement of the violent world we live in, and i just see three unused toilet bowls. It's a hard thing to do. But here I go (as you can see I can talk a lot in posts). So I have trouble talking about specific songs so i won't go at length, or try not to. I think I like Institutionalized Mysogyny because most of us know people who take their left wing stance too far (or maybe not everyone but as one with a degree in Sociology I sure did, especially when i did take the course in feminism, indeed... i didn't quite get what i'd like to out of it). A song I do ponder about a lot is "Big, Strange, Beautiful Hammer" even though I might be right on. At first listening I thought it was a metaphor for life, but it wasn't long before I easily could see it as a description of sex, maybe even first time... I could be perverted and off, I could be right on and everyone goes "well duh!" (which happened when i realized what "Deep Down" was really about) but either way it's my observation. Anyway I do love all the songs. But I also know there were some songs live that stood out maybe more. I don't know why, and I'm certainly not saying they are better. But I really liked "I'm sorry for freaking out on the phone last night", the song comparing ones girlfriend to food, and also "Could You Tell Mary" . The chord progression in that song seemed like it would be perfect for Love Is Dead era style MTX, maybe it was written around then? Or I'm completely off. But either way, that's all i have in me to say right now. I'd love to intellctualize more about said music but I got no juice in me at 3 am. Goodnight.

Also one more thing. I think it's time MTX did a two cd Concept album. Don't just narrow it down to 20!
Chach

Thanks, Chach. Believe me, the double album idea has been discussed (e.g. "hey, we could just do a double album." "What, are you insane?" "Not necessarily...") It's hard enough to pay for, and to get people to buy, one CD.

"If you see Mary" is a much-loved song, no doubt about it. You're right: a version of it first surfaced as a "Revenge is Sweet"-era demo, though it has gone through many changes since then. At that time, we could never get it to come out right as a band song, and we had so many others that we just set it aside. Producer Kevin Army was always a little down on it: we often have arguments about whether a given song is too much of a novelty song (as opposed to just enough of a novelty song) and this song is a prime example. There's still a chance it will end up being recorded for this album, if I can figure out an arrangement that works. There is pressure from the band, from what public there is, as well that exerted by my own vanity and reluctance to let any song be left behind. So maybe it could happen.

"I'm sorry for freaking out on the phone last night" is one of those 20 songs we've been rehearsing. Country-ish tunes are tricky, because you can blow it if it comes off like a stylistic parody or if you're so inept that it sounds like you don't know how to play: the style can detract from the song if it's so hamhanded that it becomes obtrusive. That's the main consideration. Most of my country-influenced songs never make on to albums for that reason. If we can pull it off, I think it's one of the most relatable of the new tunes.

"Hammer" is hard to pin down. That's part of the point. It is a metaphor for life. And it is about love, like all songs. It's kind of about sex, too. And kind of about God. And being alive, and life presupposing death... (Not too ambitious, here, am I?) But not really, or exactly. One young lady emailed to say it was the most beautiful song about a penis that she had ever heard. Well, it's not really quite about that either.

As to your point about equipment, so to speak, it's easy to sound like you can play the guitar when you have infinite time and the patience to punch yourself in and out over and over and over. That's my secret.

Heh. "Hammer" is about Shiva The Destroyer.

I can't wait to get the CD. Here is my little diatribe on my opinion of the evolution of MTX. The flexibility that MTX is now showing in their music is awesome. When I first started buying MTX CDs, I thought it was all pure skate-boarding punk ("Everyone's Entitled to Their Own Opinion".) Then I thought it was all going to be about intellectualism, philosphy and sarcasm set to a punk beat (Making Things With Light). Suddenly out of nowhere came (Milk Milk Lemonade) which just made me sit back and say "DAMN!!! I thought all that Frank could do was write amazing lyrics and play power chords" ) That album had blazin' guitar work! I was then thrown another curve from "Our Bodis Our Selves", It was toned down and very thoughtful, ("Swallow Everything was outstanding".) Then there was a period where there was a few albums that had the same style ("And the Women..., Love Is Dead, "Alternate is..." and Revenge is Sweet") with a few retroes harking back to the first and most "punk" album ("Big Black Bugs... and Night Shift...") Then came "Alcatraz". This was the album that I said "Okay, if this doesn't get a video or some airplay then the station programmers for radio and MTV, VH-1 etc... are retarded. I thought for sure that "Naomi" was going to be a hit. Well, it didn't and "Naomi" wasn't. Instead, we got Dave Matthews, N-Sync, Brittney and rap (crap). I next grabbed up the "Showbusiness Is My Life" CD and loved it. The country style of "Bitter Homes and Gardens" and the Jimmy Buffet-esque "Two Martini's From Now" REALLY started showing that Frank/MTX could pretty much do whatever style music they chose. I was disappointed in the "And the Women....Special Addition" because I thought the finished products were sooooooo much better than the acoustic demos, but it was still a nice collectible CD. I was COMPLETELY thrown for a loop by "Miracle of Shame". At first I hated the organ (still don't like it, but can tune it out), but then grew to love the whole CD. "Stephanies" is perhaps the best production-qulaity MTX song ever, not the best song, but the best recording and editing quality song. Then I fell in love with "Leave the Thinking to the Smart People". I am suspecting the new CD will be a bit more like "Miracle....", but with the broad range of Frank/MTX, I believe he can record these songs in any style he wants and still have them come out absolutely marvelous. I don't think the songs would fit well in a "Now We Are 21" punk beat, but a countrified song or two would be cool as well as a couple of upbeat ones "maybe a bit faster than "Naomi or Ask Beth", but slower than "Pig-Latin". One thing I would absolutely love to see though is Frank showing some of the guitar skill that was so prevalent on "Milk Milk Leomande". I don't mean two minute long hair-metal solos, but something to just make us just sit back and say "WOW", which is the reaction I had after the first time I heard "Milk Milk Leomande" and about the third or fourth time I heard "Miracle of Shame". I know it's a tall order but maybe something with a string-section accompaniment or string and brass? Another simpler but equally cool idea would be to go all out on one of the "country-like" songs and have a fiddle, harmonica and (gulp) banjo. (have you ever picked a banjo, Frank?) Anyway, you asked for some feedback and ideas, so there's mine along with my experience of the MTX. I hope this helps, for better or worse! --C--Out!

My 8 Little Songs review/suggestions. Thanks for getting the CD to me so quickly, Frank!

1.Institutionalized Misogyny –This song is near perfect, maybe a deeper and fuller sounding acoustic guitar, backup guitar or acoustic bass would sound good. I don’t think that any drums are needed with this song (sorry Jym).

2.The Boyfriend Box –This song is pretty cool, it sounds kind of circa de 1950-something. I think this song could work well as a modern 50s-esque song if the 50's theme was taken into the song even further.

3.Jill – er…uh….um…..One for the cutting room floor……sorry

4.Big, Strange Beautiful Hammer –This song is awesome the way it is, but I could also envision as a song that rocks maybe in the line of “Swallow Everything” or “I Believe In You”. It would be cool to have 2 versions of this song on a 2 CD set. I know you said that it wasn’t about a penis, but I see where that one lady could have seen it that way. I myself would have thought that too, had you not said it wasn’t. In fact I think I like this song so much that I’m going to nick-name my Johnson “Big Beautiful Hammer” ;) grin.

5.You’re Impossible Baby –I can’t really say anything positive or negative about this song. It kind of left me impressionless.

6.London –Ben was right, this song kicks ass. Personally I would LOVE to hear this song performed with a string and woodwind section and perhaps even a real set of bagpipes to replace the synthesizer. I think you have a hit on your hands here!!

7.Monkey – I found this song amusing. I could see it being a faster song or a “joke-ballad”. I like it in the same way I liked “God Bless America”. Both are very humorous

8.Democracy, Whiskey, Sexy- I can see this song being more full of energy and more of an in-your-face type song, maybe the more intelligent chest thumping Dr. Frank equivalent to Springsteen’s “Born In the USA”. The Iraqi’s may not see democracy, whiskey, sexy as a good thing but American’s do and would gladly trumpet it.

About that "Monkey," which is the real sleeper on this collection: I recommend loosening its spine and jawline by a notch or two. Think the chugging pace & devil-may-care snarl of "Lovin' Cup" on the verses, with the percussion-violence of "Sway" on the quick chord changes in the B section, and a big drum-build on the A-seventh business. Rollicking pianos! Slide electric guitar! And an extended outro & fade, fucking around with "Valentine's Day." OK, maybe not that last bit. But there's an inverse gruff & tender love song in here, and it wants loud electric sloppiness.

(*Disclaimer -- I don't own any MTX records yet, so I'm full of shit).

"Institutionalized Misogyny" is fine as is. So, maybe, is my favorite song, "Hammer," though it would be curious to see what some electric guitar & drums would do to it. Whatever you do on it, though, please keep the lead vocal, or some facsimile thereof. It's a heart-stopper. And, if you ever need some fruity-ass Beach Boys-ripoff BVs.....

I'm not sure if it was intended, but I think "Jill" works great interpreted as a message left on Jill's answering machine (regarding her not leaving a message on the narrator's machine).

If I were in control I'd lead into the song (at least live, if not on the record) with a short guitar interpretation of that meandering tune that substitutes for a beep on some of today's answering machines.

Regardless, it's my favorite tune of the bunch. I love the suppressed anger in the regular repetition of her name.

Frank,

I wanted to ask you about the two songs you contributed to the Smugglers last record, "Rosie". "Coffee, Tea, or Me" sounds like it was written for Grant. It fits his stage personality perfectly. If I didn't know better, I'd never guess that it was written by someone else.

While "She's another Thing" really doesn't sound like anything the Smugglers have done before. I find it much easier to imagine MTX playing that song. Did you write those songs specifically for Grant?

Lynn, "Coffee, Tea, or Me?" and "She's Another Thing" were among the songs I wrote in 98-99, part of the batch of demos from which the Alcatraz songs were selected. I had sent a few of these tunes to Mel of the Phantom Surfers because he was looking for material for the new Go Nuts album ("Four topics, Frank: snacks, gorillas, superheroes, girls.") They ended up recording "Cupcake" (which they retitled "Bombay") which killed two categories with one stone. Grant heard about it and asked if I had any more, I sent him a tape, and they chose those two.

I didn't write either of them with the Smugglers in mind, but Grant really has made "Coffee, Tea, or Me?" his own. I'd do it a bit differently if I were to record it myself (which I may do one of these days) but I love the Smugglers' take on it, and I get a real kick out of seeing them play it live. Hearing one of your own little compositions interpreted by a great rock and roll band (and the Smugs are indeed one of the best) is incomparably cool. "She's Another Thing" is more of a faux-country kind of deal, which is how I do it when I play it solo. I don't blame them for not attempting the yodeling (which I always feel a little sheepish about when I try) but I would dearly love to hear them do it.

Dave: you're right about the lyrics of "Jill." They are indeed a message left on an answering machine in response to a real or imagined hang-up. I actually had thought of using an answering machine "leave a message" tone sound effect at the beginning of the tune, but my thinking was that that's laying it on a bit too thick. Though I like any excuse for a sound effect. You know me. That said, I have to admit I'm not with-it enough to know the meandering tune you're talking about. I and all my friends are still in the Rockford Files era when it comes to answering machine tech.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words about the song

Matt, you should be a producer. The Stones-ish epic super-orchestrated production approach was Kevin Army's vision for this song when he first heard it, as well. It would be a lot of fun, and a delightful absurdity, to do it. Sadly, though, it's looking like "Monkey" isn't going to make the cut this time around-- it's a tough one, but we only have the funds to record a limited number of songs, and this song doesn't really seem to come across (to the majority of listeners who are less sensitive than you and me, and thus unable to see its brilliance) without a great deal of explanation. (Speaking of which, an mp3 of the live intro, as delivered at one of the recent NY shows, can still be found here: www.knockknockrecords.com/frank, if it's of interest. I still reserve the right to subject the public to "Monkey" in the future.

If we use "...Misogyny" it will be that particular recording, though I'll probably redo the vox with a real mic and remix it. It's still on the A-list, by the way.

We're still struggling with "...Hammer." Right now we've been playing it as a full-band electric arrangement, slightly faster (but only barely) and with the object of a kind of loose, sloppy but coherent Byrds meets Big Star kind of feel. I see great possibilities in electrifying the song, but I don't want to lose the immediacy of the demo. I like the vocal too, bum notes and all. For me the decision of where to go on it comes down to if we can bring anything more to the song this way, or whether it's better pretty much as is, as an acoustic thing.

You know I'd love to be able to credit: "Fruity-ass BVs by Matt Welch. Mr. Welch appears courtesy of Reason on-line."

I reckoned I should keep my post quite short, but I'd like to say that Jill is a stunning song, one of the best new songs I've heard in a long time. I like the way every time you say Jill it's so punched out (definately in want of a better phrase..) and it sounds so bitter. It's just superb.

I also love You're Impossible, Baby, mostly just beacause it's really easy to listen to. It reminds me slightly of You Alone, which I also love, so I'm bound to like it.

Having said that, though, all eight songs are really fantastic.

Julia x

Just yesterday I pulled out ‘Milk Milk Lemonade’ from my case-to-disc mismatched pile of music. In all honesty; I was looking for Weston’s ‘Real Life Story of a Teenage Rebellion’, but the Milk Milk Lemonade disc was in the case (sandwiched between GG’s “Born in the Basement” and Neil Young’s “Tonight’s the Night”, oddly enough.). I was more than happy to grab it and take it with me for an auto rock-out session to run some errands.

The thing is- I’ve been listening to Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg, Uncle Tupelo… some random others for quite a few years now. All in that vein. I’ve only been to a handful of shows in the past few years. Life just gets to where you can’t catch up to it sometimes.

Anyhow, the Lemonade album was still playing in my old Buick as pulled up to City Hall this morning (yea, one of those jobs…) and while I should have been working on housing data and putting the finishing touches on an area master plan- I found myself trying to see what MTX was up to these days.

From about 1992 to 1998 I made everyone around me sick to death of MTX. There are those few bands that pretty much sum up an entire period of your life, or at least you remember a stretch of your life through your favorite band at the time. I’m sure that’s pretty common among the masses. Anyway, through those years it was you and all your various band mates.

Point being: Somehow-in a flash of micro-enlightenment- I’ve come across these blog-works here and my hours are wasting away. But I’ve learned a lot, and caught up on a whole lot more.

I can’t claim to have been keeping track of everything going on with the band and your music- or even the massive amount of bands on Lookout! I’ve never heard of these days. But as far as being just another song goes… “Democracy, Whiskey, Sexy” is an amazing work. It’s your work, after all, but I wanted to tell you that the all-acoustic intro and gradual build up with electric is a gigantic part of what makes me love the song. It’s not over bearing and I’m even torn on whether I would like it if it built up stronger before the end. I’m not sure. When your voice goes gets nimble-quick on “whiskey” and moves oddly-tune lower on “sexy” and the electric can be heard in spurts and double-strikes over the line before fading away again- well, it just sounds fantastic.

I suppose it all depends on what the rest of the album will sound like.

At times, the lingering electric long hanging notes overheard through the last half of the song remind me of smooth HAM Radio static. I’m not sure how constructive this all is. I’m thinking that I may be biased towards that song-spanning acoustic-to-electric musical trickery. I’ve always liked it.

As always though, your words are amazing. So amazing that i suppose I don’t regret getting the “…and the women who love them” (woman/knife)silhouette tattooed on my arm when I was a young(er?) and stupid(er?). ("You fool! you put her heart on the right side of her chest... aww, nuts.")

I’m driving across the country next month to graduate school and I know I’ll be putting the MTX cds on the passenger seat- along with your eight songs here. Some of the road weary thoughts I’ll be having are something akin to; am I the only person to pull into the parking lot at a Bob Dylan show blasting “Christine Bactine”?

I hope your recording goes well. I’ll try to give a shorter account of my thoughts on the other 7 songs when I listen to them.

Cheers, Zak

It appears the tune is not as universally recognized as I thought. Nevertheless, here's a sample I found:

http://www.geeklife.com/files/mp3/machinebeep.mp3

Usually only the first 3 or 4 seconds of the tune are heard, but if there are a lot of messages on the machine (the tune is playing while the tape rewinds to the beginning, I believe), it will go on and on.

ok, again... for 'Democracy, Whiskey, Sexy'; I realized it's 'The Who' meets 'simon and garfunkel' with Franks head.

Don't respond to this, as you're busy, but: I hope on DemoWhiskSex you make it LOUD LOUD LOUD, and you add all kinds of loudening layers on those chords (distorted organ, bagpipe-bass, cello, whatever). And I want a WHAP-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-BAP snare kick-in, after which there's so much deranged guitar that you don't feel certain about much, yet somehow you maintain those weirdo non-violent vocals.

I was Eastern Oregon this weekend, hiking through some beautiful mountains to a place called The Blue Hole, and I couldn't drive Eight Little Songs out of my mind. Not that I was trying too hard....

I may be too late to offer any contribution being that all the plans for the next mtx album look pretty much set by now. I just received the album at the top of the week though, and I don't have any friends that are mtx fans. More than anything, it feels good to get all these thoughts about the album out from bouncing around my brain with no relief.
I think Institutionalized Misogyny is just the greatest anything ever. I honestly can't imagine it any other way but acoustic. Plus that little riff that comes in at 1:21 I hear in a few mtx songs and it just makes me smile like the same way when I see a clever reference in a film or an inside joke.
I think The Boyfriend Box deserves an upgrade. If any one of these little songs should get the band treatment, it's this one. It's probably because of all the layers it already has. I was expecting this cd to be nothing but an acoustic guitar and tape recorder. So it was a nice surprise to hear this.
The lyrics and form of Jill looks like something that would be read in a coffeehouse with drums and snapping and all that stuff. I don't know if a kind of beatnik sound would sound too satirical and take away from the song though. It's a very odd song, heh. But I’m drawn to it like a cute creepy girl in the classroom nobody talks to.
I'll be honest; I don't understand the lyrics to Hammer at all, haha. So I don't have much to say about it. But I love to hum along with it so I’m not surprised with all this talk about giving it the band treatment. Some drums and bass seem well deserved.
You're Impossible is my other favorite song on this. The "cute little religion" verse is really clever. I don't know if it was intended but I sense a little island music vibe through it. It sounds really good. If the band was feeling quite daring, this might even make a good reggae kinda tune. and spoken word is so much fun to hear in songs.
I was just reading that London may be getting a kind of "grand" facelift. Before I imagined Monkey earning that, but given its playful lyrics, it may seem too goofy. London sounds like a more serious tune so I understand choosing that. I find myself more attached to Monkey primarily because I heard what exactly that song is about.
Finally, D,W,S. Well it's the tune that had me instantly ordering the album. Im kinda afraid to pick apart what I like about the song because I don't want to embarrassingly label it with the wrong meaning. Let’s just say I found it provocative and funny at the same time, but most importantly without an ounce of preaching.

well thats it. phew, I feel much better. Now I gotta introduce my friends on campus next semester to mtx so I have someone to talk to when the final product is released.

I've had ELS for about a week and a half, but because of lack-of-time, it wasn't much more than background music until this past weekend, when I actually could give it a deserved listen.
Fortunately(or unfortunately) it ended up being the ONLY thing I listened to all weekend long. I'm sure it made an appearance in every CD player I owned as it went with me practically everywhere.
I had a nasty scare yesterday, while listening to it in the car, when during the second verse of "London" it started skipping like mad. I pulled the CD out(while driving a busy road in Modesto) to find glue from the little plastic envelope stuck on the CD surface. Somehow, I managed to wipe it clean while not crashing into Gallo Winery(though I nearly ended up in their front lawn).
I have no suggestions, only compliments.
Addicting is probably the best adjective I can use to describe this. I look forward to hearing these songs(and every other un-released Dr. Frank tunes) in different arrangements and live and all that. Just please, keep doing what you're doing, Frank, because your faithful fans like it.

On Eight Little Songs: I must say I'm impressed doc. This collection of eight songs on a homemade cd-r is some of the best stuff you've written. It always impresses me how your work continues to evolve musically AND continue to make music that's fun to listen to. The harmonies and intertwining parts on this album continue to amaze me on every listen.
This is one of those albums that gets better each time through because you notice more and more complexities as you become familiar with the superficial aspects of the song (those that give it it's initial appeal).
I look forward to the new mtx album, but I am so glad I put down the the 8 bucks for this EP. Hail to dr. frank, a true musician, someone who makes me want to keep playing music, and one of the few people who can write a political song I don't hate.

The weather is here, wish you were beautiful, Frank. To be perfectly frank, though, you are beautiful and the weather is here, in Tucson. Getting out of the van isn't so bad, when you don't wear black jeans. I'm nat asking that you take them off, but next time you come to the desert, you might want to try a short sleve shirt and speedos...tucked in of course. Anyway, Thanks again for the mini tour and for the sweet sweet demo. I like it a lot plus two.

I knew this cd would be good. I was right.

i'm sorry becouse i'm not good in english( i'm a fucking spanish) and i'd like to know the words of that incredible cupcake that sings the go nuts .Please if anyone can help me i'll be very grateful
.Thanks a lot and congratulations for writing such a hit

I really enjoy "els" as a glimpse into the songwriting and recording process (in the same way that your blogging about recording sessions makes for great reading). The structure of being a recorded musician is usually tilted toward erecting barriers between the audience and the performer, not the other way around. The inclusive atmosphere so evident here is something that's drawn me to "punk" music in general and MTX and Dr. Frank in particular over the years. Thanks, Frank!

If I were to pick my favorites from this demo they would be "Hammer", which is just about perfect (I even think you get away with the spoken word "Yes it is" bit, but just barely...) and "London", which feels more like a really good demo of a really great MTX song.

The rest is without exception good, though I agree that "Monkey" needs some instrumentation to achieve its full force. While I'm armchair quarterbacking, the "with a shoe" line in "D,W,S" sounds a little forced. And "America was streaming from my eyes" is a bit cliche. But really, that's about the most criticism I can muster.

I got stuck in traffic running across town to pick up a prescription (fallout from the great grocery store strike of 2003) and listened to this CD about 6 times through the other night. Well, I lie. I listened to the full CD about 4 times, and to "Big, Strange, Beautiful Hammer" about 20 times. This record is good enough to make me forget about being stuck in rush hour L.A. traffic, which is high praise in my book.

addendum: No presidency is perfect, but our current administration has done much good for many around the world. This poem should not be used as a tool to undermine President Bush, because I and many others think he is doing a good job considering all that has happened since 9 - 11. The troubles we face in this world concerning armed conflict centers around the sad truth that people breed war deep within their hearts. With that said, I give you, "Spare Me."

Spare Me

Spare me your frequent bowing and the prayers you
claim are for peace
While behind our backs you despise us and you dream of
revenge in your sleep
Spare me your Koran reading and your efforts to obey
the five pillars
For Allah has never been master of, those who hate and
murder

Spare me your frequent chanting and the wisdom you
claim brings peace
While your exalted state of mind allows you to commit
war crimes, with bodies littering the streets
Spare me your enlightenment and how you think you are
one with creation
For Shang-Ti called you to love, yet your deeds prove
your damnation

Spare me your chorus singing and the sermons that
speak of peace
While your prisons stay full from the vicims you kill
and survivors can only weep
Spare me your Holy Scriptures, for it has not changed
your ways
For Jehovah called you to love your neighbor, but this
you have never obeyed

Spare me your political speaches and the treaties you
claim produce peace
For the very same hands, push daggers in men, in order
to stop their heart beat
Spare me your laws and vast learning and how you think
it will make us unite
For peace will never be possible, when people desire
to fight

Spare me.....
By, William M. Cooper
coopr2000@yahoo.com

What a great cd! To see you bring it to life was the best!

Loved it.
Come to Australia soon hey?

Hey Frank! saw you perform live and acoustic in Venlo last night, and it was absolutely great! Listened to your eight little songs this morning, and it was fabulous, really! It was nice talking to you after the show, and I hope you have a great time in the Netherlands the next few days! Take care