Showing posts with label Assume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Assume. Show all posts
Thursday, August 6, 2020
From LU's Personal Camcorder
If you pay attention, you know that Metallica's And Justice for All album is one of my favorites and that it was on the tour in support of that album when I saw Metallica for the first time. You also probably remember that I have confessed that I don't remember that concert. I remember the lights going down for The Cult, who were opening the show, and that the spotlight then went to Matt Sorum who started playing this amazing tom pattern to introduce the first tune. I don't remember anything else.
No, I was not drunk.
I also remember that after the concert, a guy who used to live across the street from me, Steve D, asked me to give one of his friends a ride home. His friend turned out to be Scott Golden, who I cite as being the first singer in my first band, which was started in the summer of 1989 in 3904 Studios with James on guitar, Ken on guitar, and John on bass. We called ourselves "Assume" and it was an exciting time in my life. To read more about Assume, click the Assume label.
But back to Metallica.
I truly wish I could remember more about that concert on that June night in 1989. It makes me seriously wish that I had kept track of all the concerts I attended in a single notebook with my initial impression of
what I had seen the night before. Oh well...
Anyways, enjoy this video.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Call and Respond
This was the call for ideas:
The reference to "finding a bassist who would actually come to rehearsal was a struggle in the early days" is a blind swipe at the first bassist in the first band I was ever in - Assume - in the summer of 1989. The reference to "two guitars" is a salute to Kenny Schmitt and James Goodrich for the hours the three of us spent trying to hammer out tunes.
I used to think I was "good" at documenting my drumming, but I have come to believe I could have been better at it. I should have started a spiral notebook to document every time I jammed with a guitarist or took my drums to someone else's house for a jam session or took my drums to Saint Pius X in Cedar Rapids when I played in a group called "The Disciples of Soul." Doing that would have built a list to reflect upon, especially now when I can't go to Cedar Rapids and jam with RPM (Randy Paul Mark) in Randy's basement. I miss jamming "Cortez" with them. Skip to the 4:15 point in the video below:
This was my answer:
The reference to "finding a bassist who would actually come to rehearsal was a struggle in the early days" is a blind swipe at the first bassist in the first band I was ever in - Assume - in the summer of 1989. The reference to "two guitars" is a salute to Kenny Schmitt and James Goodrich for the hours the three of us spent trying to hammer out tunes.
I used to think I was "good" at documenting my drumming, but I have come to believe I could have been better at it. I should have started a spiral notebook to document every time I jammed with a guitarist or took my drums to someone else's house for a jam session or took my drums to Saint Pius X in Cedar Rapids when I played in a group called "The Disciples of Soul." Doing that would have built a list to reflect upon, especially now when I can't go to Cedar Rapids and jam with RPM (Randy Paul Mark) in Randy's basement. I miss jamming "Cortez" with them. Skip to the 4:15 point in the video below:
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
SB Coming to D!
Sebastian Bach is going to play Skid Row's 1989 Debut Album In Full and the tour includes a stop in Dubuque, IA, at the Q Casino on Saturday, September 21, 2019. One thing to note is who Bach has touring with him:
And here are the tour dates in the Midwest:
Bobby Jarzombek is a MONSTER drummer! I will definitely start looking for videos after the tour begins for videos to confirm that he is still slaying on the drums. I know of him from his days in Riot. It was Scott Golden, who was the lead singer in my first band Assume (later renamed to Azalea) who introduced them to me. I listened to Thundersteel many times 'back in the day' and then, in 1990, I purchased The Privilege of Power on cassette - I embedded both albums below.
In summary, if I end up seeing Sebastian Bach, I will be very happy because I will see Jarzombek as well.
The tour will run from August 30 to November 2 and will feature a backing band of Sebastian Bach guitarist and vocalist Brent Woods, Fates Warning drummer Bobby Jarzombek, and UFO bassist Rob DeLuca.
And here are the tour dates in the Midwest:
Sep. 13 – Harrison, OH – The Blue Note
Sep. 14 – Flint, MI – The Machine Shop
Sep. 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
Sep. 18 – Kansasville, WI – 1175
Sep. 19 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
Sep. 20 – Lombard, IL – Brauer House
Sep. 21 – Dubuque, IA – Q Casino - this is on a UNI football game Saturday
Sep. 22 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
Bobby Jarzombek is a MONSTER drummer! I will definitely start looking for videos after the tour begins for videos to confirm that he is still slaying on the drums. I know of him from his days in Riot. It was Scott Golden, who was the lead singer in my first band Assume (later renamed to Azalea) who introduced them to me. I listened to Thundersteel many times 'back in the day' and then, in 1990, I purchased The Privilege of Power on cassette - I embedded both albums below.
In summary, if I end up seeing Sebastian Bach, I will be very happy because I will see Jarzombek as well.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Serve The M - no, the Other M.
I also saw this video the other day. It says to serve the Music, not Me about how a drummer can serve himself, not the music. I admit this is something I face when I play drums at Saint Thomas More. I tend to embellish the rhythms I play so that I don't get bored playing straight 4/4 time with snare on 2 and 4 or, in 3/4, with snare on 2 and 3, or, in 6/8, with snare on 3 and 6. My interest in balancing 'overplaying' with 'boring drumming' is why I watched this video:
After I did a little more digging, I found this video by Brandon Khoo.
I like his style.
For my own growth as a drummer, I listen to my self playing drums. Nowadays, I use my cell phone to record Mass so I can listen to what I sounded like whenever I want to do so. This is not a new practice / method for me. I've always done this - recording myself playing drums - dating back to before I was even in a band in my parent's basement. When I would practice drums, I'd use a boom box and cassettes, which I still have in the sump pump storage room. I also recorded rehearsals and performances with Assume, various practice sessions in that basement, Old Stew, and Free Beer / Corporate Prisoner on cassettes. Later, when I played in Lou's Classic Ride, I used a micro recorder that I borrowed from a former co-worker. Eventually, I transitioned to using my cell phone instead of cassette tapes to create recordings of Uncle Rico the Band and auditions with other Ideal Bands.
Why? Am I obsessed with my own drumming?
No.
I do this because I do want to be able to serve the Music, not Me, when I play drums.
It doesn't really matter when I've played drums - from playing alone or with other musicians. I want to grow as a drummer. I don't want to play the same beat that every other drummer in the world plays. I felt that way the other night when I was practicing on the Yamaha electronic drums. As I played along with the pre-programmed tunes in the brain of the Yamaha set, I focused on the patterns that repeat - think verse, chorus, verse, chorus - in an endless loop. I intentionally tried to play "insane" patterns - that served Me, not the Music - during some of the cycles. I did that to foster creativity. After a cycle of playing an "insane" pattern, I would revert to playing a beat that served the Music, not Me. I actually found that being able to dial back the "insane" pattern to be a challenge during the "sane" pattern cycles. I plan to explore that challenge in future practice sessions. Of all the videos on the "All Videos of Me Playing Drums" page, I think this one - where I achieve the balance I crave. I play soft during the verse so that the drums are felt, not overbearing. I then have a hint at flashy during the "I've been waiting..." part of the song. During Brian's solo, I'm intentionally playing soft again.
Damn, I love the way we played that tune. Brian's guitar playing is spot-on, Matthew's bass locks in with my pattern, and Joe? Well, he belts out the lyrics with emotion.
Editor's Note: For videos, see https://prhmusic.blogspot.com/p/videos-of-me-playing-drums.html
After I did a little more digging, I found this video by Brandon Khoo.
I like his style.
For my own growth as a drummer, I listen to my self playing drums. Nowadays, I use my cell phone to record Mass so I can listen to what I sounded like whenever I want to do so. This is not a new practice / method for me. I've always done this - recording myself playing drums - dating back to before I was even in a band in my parent's basement. When I would practice drums, I'd use a boom box and cassettes, which I still have in the sump pump storage room. I also recorded rehearsals and performances with Assume, various practice sessions in that basement, Old Stew, and Free Beer / Corporate Prisoner on cassettes. Later, when I played in Lou's Classic Ride, I used a micro recorder that I borrowed from a former co-worker. Eventually, I transitioned to using my cell phone instead of cassette tapes to create recordings of Uncle Rico the Band and auditions with other Ideal Bands.
Why? Am I obsessed with my own drumming?
No.
I do this because I do want to be able to serve the Music, not Me, when I play drums.
It doesn't really matter when I've played drums - from playing alone or with other musicians. I want to grow as a drummer. I don't want to play the same beat that every other drummer in the world plays. I felt that way the other night when I was practicing on the Yamaha electronic drums. As I played along with the pre-programmed tunes in the brain of the Yamaha set, I focused on the patterns that repeat - think verse, chorus, verse, chorus - in an endless loop. I intentionally tried to play "insane" patterns - that served Me, not the Music - during some of the cycles. I did that to foster creativity. After a cycle of playing an "insane" pattern, I would revert to playing a beat that served the Music, not Me. I actually found that being able to dial back the "insane" pattern to be a challenge during the "sane" pattern cycles. I plan to explore that challenge in future practice sessions. Of all the videos on the "All Videos of Me Playing Drums" page, I think this one - where I achieve the balance I crave. I play soft during the verse so that the drums are felt, not overbearing. I then have a hint at flashy during the "I've been waiting..." part of the song. During Brian's solo, I'm intentionally playing soft again.
Damn, I love the way we played that tune. Brian's guitar playing is spot-on, Matthew's bass locks in with my pattern, and Joe? Well, he belts out the lyrics with emotion.
Editor's Note: For videos, see https://prhmusic.blogspot.com/p/videos-of-me-playing-drums.html
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Speechless
I don't believe the people (I can't write "musicians" with a straight face) in this video actually thought their performances were worthy of being heard by other people.
Then I think about Assume, my basement band from 1989. I heard "Rock You Like a Hurricane" on the radio the other day with Alex sitting next to me. I said, "My first band couldn't play this song." He looked at me and said, "It's easy." All I could do was smirk and say, "Yeah, we sucked." My point is that the video above makes me never want to post any recordings of Assume on this blog, even when the cassette to MP3 conversion is complete.
Then I think about Assume, my basement band from 1989. I heard "Rock You Like a Hurricane" on the radio the other day with Alex sitting next to me. I said, "My first band couldn't play this song." He looked at me and said, "It's easy." All I could do was smirk and say, "Yeah, we sucked." My point is that the video above makes me never want to post any recordings of Assume on this blog, even when the cassette to MP3 conversion is complete.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Not Built for PC
This was made with 2 guys in my basement in 2006. All improv and hilarious. We switch instruments on grocery store. I'm on guitar. It's kind of a joke on the world that I'm releasing this stuff. It's not built for public consumption.
Josh on drums
Joe on vocals
Christ on guitar
This is what it would be like if I released Assume or Old Stew recordings.
Josh on drums
Joe on vocals
Christ on guitar
This is what it would be like if I released Assume or Old Stew recordings.
Monday, August 7, 2017
Most Definitely
Yes, I was on vacation from work (and this blog) from Saturday, July 29th until arriving home back in North Liberty yesterday. I most definitely had a good vacation and, at the same time, I am glad to be back at work.
At work, I have a lot to complete between today and next Tuesday, August 15th. I need to get my disaster recovery project 'ready' for the IT Audit on Wednesday, August 16th.
Actually, that day is going to be nuts. We are getting up "early" to take the kids' things to UNI. I will help unload the big stuff and then return home in time for the IT Audit meeting at 4 PM. It's going to be nuts.
Of all the things that I did or thought or found out during vacation, the most emotional was reconnecting with Ken Schmitt. I talked to Tim, his cousin, at Karen's class reunion on Saturday night. I had not been able to find him on Facebook and I didn't have an email address or physical address for him. Thus, I asked Tim about him at the reunion. Tim is Ken's Facebook friend and pulled up his page. I sent him a "Friend Request" which he accepted and now we've messaged each other. As you may or may not recall, Ken was the guitarist in Assume, my first basement band. He moved from Cedar Rapids in 1994 - the last time I remember speaking to him was in my basement in our first house in North Liberty. I missed talking to him and am really happy that we've reconnected.
At work, I have a lot to complete between today and next Tuesday, August 15th. I need to get my disaster recovery project 'ready' for the IT Audit on Wednesday, August 16th.
Actually, that day is going to be nuts. We are getting up "early" to take the kids' things to UNI. I will help unload the big stuff and then return home in time for the IT Audit meeting at 4 PM. It's going to be nuts.
Of all the things that I did or thought or found out during vacation, the most emotional was reconnecting with Ken Schmitt. I talked to Tim, his cousin, at Karen's class reunion on Saturday night. I had not been able to find him on Facebook and I didn't have an email address or physical address for him. Thus, I asked Tim about him at the reunion. Tim is Ken's Facebook friend and pulled up his page. I sent him a "Friend Request" which he accepted and now we've messaged each other. As you may or may not recall, Ken was the guitarist in Assume, my first basement band. He moved from Cedar Rapids in 1994 - the last time I remember speaking to him was in my basement in our first house in North Liberty. I missed talking to him and am really happy that we've reconnected.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Get Me Some Justice
This may be embedded elsewhere, but I really don't care.
The drummer for one of the bands on Thursday night (the Flotsam & Jetsam concert @ Gabes Oasis) had a "Master of Puppets" t-shirt. After the show, I went up to him, with my "And Justice for All" t-shirt on, and said I preferred "Justice" but I liked "Master" as well. He said, "Really?" I said yes. I then briefly said that when "Justice" came out in summer 1989, I was playing with a rhythm guitarist in my basement and it was a great example of what a drummer and a rhythm guitarist should sound like. After I had said this to him, as I was walking away, I realized that the summer I was actually thinking of was 1993, which is when Ken Schmitt and I were rehearsing in 3904 Studios (the basement of where my dad still lives!), not 1989. In 1993, Ken was writing really good originals, like "Poor Musician Swingin'" and "I Made It Up" (both of which are available on a cassette called "Ken and I Volume II" that no one can purchase because I haven't converted the cassette to MP3.
Back to the point, I suppose it is true that Ken and I did have some good jams in the summer of 1989 because he was a member of that band (Assume) and, somewhere, there's a long instrumental jam that we played while James went to the music store to get a guitar string. That said, 1993 was really when he had developed as a guitarist and was studying "Guitar World" magazine to learn.
The drummer for one of the bands on Thursday night (the Flotsam & Jetsam concert @ Gabes Oasis) had a "Master of Puppets" t-shirt. After the show, I went up to him, with my "And Justice for All" t-shirt on, and said I preferred "Justice" but I liked "Master" as well. He said, "Really?" I said yes. I then briefly said that when "Justice" came out in summer 1989, I was playing with a rhythm guitarist in my basement and it was a great example of what a drummer and a rhythm guitarist should sound like. After I had said this to him, as I was walking away, I realized that the summer I was actually thinking of was 1993, which is when Ken Schmitt and I were rehearsing in 3904 Studios (the basement of where my dad still lives!), not 1989. In 1993, Ken was writing really good originals, like "Poor Musician Swingin'" and "I Made It Up" (both of which are available on a cassette called "Ken and I Volume II" that no one can purchase because I haven't converted the cassette to MP3.
Back to the point, I suppose it is true that Ken and I did have some good jams in the summer of 1989 because he was a member of that band (Assume) and, somewhere, there's a long instrumental jam that we played while James went to the music store to get a guitar string. That said, 1993 was really when he had developed as a guitarist and was studying "Guitar World" magazine to learn.
Friday, June 24, 2016
More Justice
I happened to come across this. It made me realize I remember NOTHING about this concert from when I was 19 years, 6 months, 2 weeks, 2 days old. The only reason I remember that I was there that night is is because I saw a friend of mine, Steve Devereaux, who asked me if I could give his friend, Scott, a ride home. It had been a couple of years, hell, maybe a decade, since I had seen Steve. He was a year older than me and lived in the house across the street from me on Red Bud Road. He had gone to a different elementary school and then we ended up at the same high school. I recall seeing him in the hallways in high school, we were not buddies.
Looking back on the situation, I really had no reason to help him. There was no compelling reason to do so, but I did. Scott lived in Marion and having never met Scott before, I agreed to give him a ride home. I am 99% sure I went to the concert with Serbi, but he lived in Palo, which was on the opposite side of the world, compared to Marion. Maybe I drove him home first and then went to Marion (it would be less of a "go around your elbow to get to your ass" itinerary going that route). I really just do not remember. More about Scott in a moment.
I can say that I don't think I had a drop of booze that night, which makes me even more disgusted that I can't recall details of that concert. I mean, this is Metallica, M E T A L L I C A and this was my first time seeing them in concert! I vaguely remember the Cult opened for them and that I found out later that Matt Sorum, who went on to play with Guns-n-Roses & Velvet Revolver, was the Cult's drummer when I saw them that night.
The funny thing about Scott is that he eventually became the lead singer for Assume, the first band I was in. The crazy thing is that I never heard him sing. EVER. He worked at Menard's and would say at band practice that he needed to buy a microphone. Fast forward to 1998, when I worked at QDS, I met Gail, his dad. I mentioned to Gail that his son had been the lead singer in the first band I was ever in. The look on Gail's face was priceless - I chuckle when I see it in my mind. "He sang? I never knew that."
So, while I don't know what tunes Metallica played on that night, I have to believe I liked the concert. After all, "And Justice for All" has never wavered in being my all-time favorite Metallica album. It's so odd to me that this year - November 5, 2016 - will mark 10,000 days since I saw Metallica in concert for the first time. Since then, of course, I've seen them 3 additional times:
I did find out that they played these songs the next night in Bonner Springs, KS:
Looking back on the situation, I really had no reason to help him. There was no compelling reason to do so, but I did. Scott lived in Marion and having never met Scott before, I agreed to give him a ride home. I am 99% sure I went to the concert with Serbi, but he lived in Palo, which was on the opposite side of the world, compared to Marion. Maybe I drove him home first and then went to Marion (it would be less of a "go around your elbow to get to your ass" itinerary going that route). I really just do not remember. More about Scott in a moment.
I can say that I don't think I had a drop of booze that night, which makes me even more disgusted that I can't recall details of that concert. I mean, this is Metallica, M E T A L L I C A and this was my first time seeing them in concert! I vaguely remember the Cult opened for them and that I found out later that Matt Sorum, who went on to play with Guns-n-Roses & Velvet Revolver, was the Cult's drummer when I saw them that night.
The funny thing about Scott is that he eventually became the lead singer for Assume, the first band I was in. The crazy thing is that I never heard him sing. EVER. He worked at Menard's and would say at band practice that he needed to buy a microphone. Fast forward to 1998, when I worked at QDS, I met Gail, his dad. I mentioned to Gail that his son had been the lead singer in the first band I was ever in. The look on Gail's face was priceless - I chuckle when I see it in my mind. "He sang? I never knew that."
So, while I don't know what tunes Metallica played on that night, I have to believe I liked the concert. After all, "And Justice for All" has never wavered in being my all-time favorite Metallica album. It's so odd to me that this year - November 5, 2016 - will mark 10,000 days since I saw Metallica in concert for the first time. Since then, of course, I've seen them 3 additional times:
- November 1991 at the Five Seasons Center (the same venue I saw them play in 1989) in Cedar Rapids
- January 1993 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City
- August 2003 at the Mark in Moline, IL
I did find out that they played these songs the next night in Bonner Springs, KS:
- Blackened
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
- Harvester of Sorrow
- The Four Horsemen
- The Thing That Should Not Be
- Bass Solo
- Master of Puppets
- Fade to Black
- Seek & Destroy
- ...And Justice for All
Encore:
- Creeping Death
- One
- Guitar Solo
- Battery
Encore 2:
- Last Caress (Misfits cover)
- Am I Evil? (Diamond Head cover)
- Whiplash
Encore 3:
- Breadfan (Budgie cover)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
40 Years of KISS & "National" Press Bullcrap
A couple of music things today. First, it is the 40th anniversary of KISS' first show. From their humble beginnings of playing in front of 10 people for $50 to now, when they charge at least $50 a ticket person, KISS has achieved what hundreds of bands will not come close to achieving. Some bands spend months in a basement and never play a gig (thinking of summer 1989 with Assume).
Moving on, I've been to a festival in Memphis, TN, twice - once in 2003, once in 2007. This is the press credentials section for the festival on their website:http://www.memphisinmay.org/mediacredentialrequests
It's a bunch of crap.
The third bullet wipes out dailyvault.com and my attendance. There should be some sort of first come, first granted clause. I guarantee you that I, someone who writes for an independent site, am not going to approach my review like someone from a national site. As an independent writer, I am a fan of the bands that play the festival. I'm not forced to go - I want to be there. Those writers that are assigned to cover the event or forced to go will simply write a meaningless review that has no credibility. I've read those reviews over and over. For a long time, there was a concert reviewer that covered heavy metal concerts in the area. Without fail, she would criticize the bands that played. She would complain about the volume, about the acoustics of the arena, and the actual song titles? She couldn't be bothered to mention them correctly five out of ten times. Thus, attending a music festival should be based upon previous articles published, whether on the Internet or in print. It should be based upon your portfolio and if you are a first-time writer, sorry, denied. I have no idea how many press credential requests are submitted, but it seems to me, the attitude of this festival is that they have been burned previously by amateur writers just looking to get in to a show for free. They ruin it for the rest of us.
Moving on, I've been to a festival in Memphis, TN, twice - once in 2003, once in 2007. This is the press credentials section for the festival on their website:http://www.memphisinmay.org/mediacredentialrequests
It's a bunch of crap.
The third bullet wipes out dailyvault.com and my attendance. There should be some sort of first come, first granted clause. I guarantee you that I, someone who writes for an independent site, am not going to approach my review like someone from a national site. As an independent writer, I am a fan of the bands that play the festival. I'm not forced to go - I want to be there. Those writers that are assigned to cover the event or forced to go will simply write a meaningless review that has no credibility. I've read those reviews over and over. For a long time, there was a concert reviewer that covered heavy metal concerts in the area. Without fail, she would criticize the bands that played. She would complain about the volume, about the acoustics of the arena, and the actual song titles? She couldn't be bothered to mention them correctly five out of ten times. Thus, attending a music festival should be based upon previous articles published, whether on the Internet or in print. It should be based upon your portfolio and if you are a first-time writer, sorry, denied. I have no idea how many press credential requests are submitted, but it seems to me, the attitude of this festival is that they have been burned previously by amateur writers just looking to get in to a show for free. They ruin it for the rest of us.
Friday, May 25, 2012
More Trips Down the Memory Garden
Converted a few more cassettes today. Some in a series called "Life Tape" featured bands I had not listened to the last time I listened to the tape. My "Life Tape" series came as the successor to the "College Tape" series. I used to have an answering machine that used cassettes. I would transfer messages from the answering machine tape to a separate cassette and then fill in the rest of the tape with the songs I listened to at the time. In hindsight, it was like an audio diary. I can hear voices of people I haven't seen or thought about for over 20 years.
But today it was listening to Life Tapes from 1995, 1996, and 1998. I'm sure there are others. The difference between a College Tape and a Life Tape is that a Life Tape has no answering machine messages because that machine was replaced with a micro cassette machine and after then a machine with no external storage like a cassette. You press the Play button and the message plays. Like those College Tapes, the Life Tapes are an audio diary of what music and what bands I liked at the time. A lot of the bands are no longer together and that's too bad.
What I'm converting now is a 60 minute cassette called "Assume's Greatest Moments Vol. I" and what a trip. There's the first song I ever *EVER* played with James, the first time James and I *EVER* played with Ken and, unfortunately, the last time Assume rehearsed, which was late August 1989 when it was just James, Ken, and I butchering Whitesnake's "Slide It In" with desparately out of tune guitars. James' guitar string breaks towards the end and it's up to Ken and I (yes, the same Ken from the other day) to bring the song home.
There's also the hilarious time James and I tried to play "The Shortest Straw." It was, at the time, the fastest I had ever tried to play. I stopped and complained that it was too fast and that it hurt to play. The always sympathetic James snarls, "Well play it any way! No pain no gain!"
Isn't that the way it is in life? No pain, no gain.
But today it was listening to Life Tapes from 1995, 1996, and 1998. I'm sure there are others. The difference between a College Tape and a Life Tape is that a Life Tape has no answering machine messages because that machine was replaced with a micro cassette machine and after then a machine with no external storage like a cassette. You press the Play button and the message plays. Like those College Tapes, the Life Tapes are an audio diary of what music and what bands I liked at the time. A lot of the bands are no longer together and that's too bad.
What I'm converting now is a 60 minute cassette called "Assume's Greatest Moments Vol. I" and what a trip. There's the first song I ever *EVER* played with James, the first time James and I *EVER* played with Ken and, unfortunately, the last time Assume rehearsed, which was late August 1989 when it was just James, Ken, and I butchering Whitesnake's "Slide It In" with desparately out of tune guitars. James' guitar string breaks towards the end and it's up to Ken and I (yes, the same Ken from the other day) to bring the song home.
There's also the hilarious time James and I tried to play "The Shortest Straw." It was, at the time, the fastest I had ever tried to play. I stopped and complained that it was too fast and that it hurt to play. The always sympathetic James snarls, "Well play it any way! No pain no gain!"
Isn't that the way it is in life? No pain, no gain.
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