Well, that’s finished. Took us long enough. I swear, this takes more effort every time, and here at Big Green, we’re built for comfort, not for effort. At least I am. Matt’s the one out in subzero temperatures at the crack of dawn, dragging tree limbs to struggling beavers. Me? I write stuff and bang on the piano. And shit.
I guess I could blame our slowness on the cold, like everyone else, but hell, we were born into this frozen hellscape, raised in its nurturing embrace, and will likely finish out our days frozen to the ground from whence we rose. In other words, yeah, hell … it’s sure cold outside!
So where was I? Oh yeah. The February podcast. Here’s what we’ve got in this installment of THIS IS BIG GREEN:
Ned Trek 22: Mitt’s Brain. Though there is never a one-to-one relationship between Ned Trek episodes and those of classic Star Trek, this one is based on the ludicrous Season 3 episode called “Spock’s Brain”. It’s as asinine as you might expect, with cheap laughs built in at every turn.
Ned Trek includes six new Big Green songs, all apropos of the episode content. These are”
Brain, What is Brain? Sung by Doc Coburn, this 6/8 number explores the implications of the theft of Willard’s brain. Sung with remarkable passion, with a fair amount of hooting and hollering.
Whatever Romney Knows. Willard does the vocal on this swing number, featuring God-knows-who on brushes and some screwy horns. It’s all about the brain and what Willard doesn’t need it for. Ka-pow!
Lost Your Mind. Mr. Ned renders an appropriately opinionated little tune about what a non-event the brain theft truly is. (Ear-worm warning: I couldn’t get this one out of my head for about a week.)
Send in Some Advisors. Pearle sings this song about the new way of starting a profitable war, thin end of the wedge style. A cautionary tale, to be sure.
Nixon Action. Rock and roll number sung by Nixon and Kissinger as the former makes the case for his own rehabilitation and second life as a trusted counsel to the powerful. One word: ridiculous.
Two Lines. Mr. Sulu chimes in with a lament about his puny speaking roles in both the original Star Trek and its current Ned Trek degeneration. Note how the chorus is built from two-line speeches from his many appearances.
We did some talking after that. Nothing to write home about. Enjoy, friends.
Of course, we’re building them stick by stick, using the usual bailing wire, string, tape, toothpaste, and whatever else is handy. And, well … they sound it. These are homespun recordings, my friend. We’re not riding over to the Record Plant and laying down some serious tracks. No, sir … we march straight down to the hammer mill basement and bang on those pots and pans. We tune up the tired old strings on Matt’s Rickenbacher bass and start thumping along, hollering into distressed old condenser mics, cupping my superannuated headphones to our ears. Not a lot of nuances, friends. Not hardly.