blueNEWS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7
Early 1999 was a strange time for Blue Meridian. In
February, Manny Rivera announced he was leaving the project to re-locate to Atlanta. That
shook things up a little bit and when some of the dust cleared Gene Samero was doing some
gigs with another band. Dean Pichette was filling the bass shoes at a few shows and we
were auditioning guitarists whenever possible. For that reason Blue Meridians second album
ended up having a few guest musicians. Part of the band was playing musical chairs as
often as their instruments. In the end we really liked how things turned out. Fate
couldn't have dealt us a stronger card. The songs seem somewhat fresher and more diverse
this time around.
One of those esteemed musical guests was local guitar great Brian Chodorcoff. The opening
track on the disc, "Starlite" was the first song he sunk his teeth into in the
studio. The other was "Sugarless". The 2 tracks are the newest of the new
material on the latest disc. I thought it better to deal Brian a set of songs that didn't
have any real established lead parts and let him run amok a bit (is it possible to only
slightly run amok)? He did a fantastic job.
The song "Starlite" is about getting over someone and meaning it. Starlite is
something you wish on. It's something we've been known to count on. Or in this case
"counted on". It can be a pet name for an idea or even a person that gives us
hope and something to look forward to. The line "There've been kings and queens bound
by paper rings, we all do the strangest things" explains how even the most celebrated
of couples often enter into fixed marriages or marriages of convenience. Marriage should
be a celebration of love not blood lines and when we have the opportunity to maybe prove
the royals wrong we often turn tail and bail. Maybe they're right.
In the studio, Kevin brought in his conga's and djembe. They can be heard on the intro and
re-intro of the song and make for an excellent and unique feel. We were sure we wanted to
use some different instruments on this album. Our aim was to broaden the Blue Meridian
sound.
"Sugarless" is about 3 different girls (Dawn, Nikki & Becki) and how things
fell apart with each of them. It's a slice of life. One failed relation after another and
yet the will to remain positive is a constant. If the right girl ever comes along it will
be a miracle. "I want to believe in a miracle, it's an emotional wilderness, my love
is sugarless". Dawn is the kinda girl that uses a guy. Drains him of all his fluids,
leaves him for dead, misses the funeral and forgets to send condolances. Nikki is
the annoying type that plays selfish and ridiculous games. Her intentions are cryptic and
she fancies herself in control. These girls should realize they can only control those who
give a shit. Becki's the shallow type. She has to be where the action is. When things slow
down she finds another party and another guy. I like the way the songs bridge kinda sums
up the optimisim in the face of adversity. "I'm supposed to be here, it's my party,
I'm supposed to be here, say you're sorry". Basically, my life is a journey and you
are nothing more than a rest area. The kind with unsightly 55 gallon drums over-stuffed
with garbage and a vending machine with all the good stuff sold out.
Sugarless was maybe the most fun to track with all the interesting percussion on the
intro. Towards the end of the tracking sessions, Kevin and I put our heads together and
after much trial and error, came up with intro. Clay Pots, bells, chimes and an udu drum
were used. I actually played the clay pots. The loud "ping" that you hear
towards the beginning was one of my rings accidently hitting the pot. You can't plan
intricate stuff like that.
blueNEWS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7