Tag Archives: Songs in the Key of Rick

Usual Rubbish

What’s in the box? (part 2)

Here we are again, man. Week is almost over and, what the hell, time to get back on the blog again. Get right back up on that bronco! as Lee Majors would say. Yee-haw … and the rest of it.

Big GreenSo, where was I? Oh, yeah. I was offering explanations for all of those 7 million songs on our new album, Cowboy Scat: Songs in the Key of Rick, now appearing on iTunes, Spotify, etc., etc.  I believe I left off with “Awesome Hair”. Oh, Governor Scott’s got a glowin’ dome. Governor McDonnell’s got some slop on his top. And so on. Here’s some more ‘splainin’….

Evening Crab Nebula – A resurrected song from Matt’s holiday mix tapes past, re-worked and repurposed to tell part of “cousin” Rick’s wacky election story. Picture a high-paid, low-I.Q. consultant, giving Rick his best advice while standing on one foot. He’s singing this freaking song.

Falling Behind – The news is not good, Rick. Not good at all, man. Look at the polls. Dropping back behind God knows who. T’ain’t never lost a-fore, but there’s a first time for everything. Banjo solo!

Limping Back to Texas – Cousin Rick goes back home to collect his thoughts and a have a little talk with his maker, who sounds strangely like a two-bit Levon Helm impersonation. (You can even hear Salvation Army horns in the background … and a banjo!)

Devil Romney – An embittered Rick rails against a somewhat unaccommodating God as the final nail is sunk into the coffin of his presidential ambitions. Dang you, uncle Jebus!

Endorsing Newt Gingrich – Just what the title says. Rick gives his endorsement to the former speaker, with obvious ulterior motives. Real cranky little country jam.  

Come Back Mean – Dang! Losin’ elections sure can make a man ornery. Next thing you know, a cowboy is likely to go home and do anything he likes … like shut down Planned Parenthood … like force ultrasounds on pregnant women. Deep in the heart of you.

More later. Just watch.

Usual Rubbish

What’s in the box?

Lots going on these days. New podcast, new album, new burnish on Marvin (my personal robot assistant) … everything is new around the hammer mill these days.

Big GreenThis might be a good time to talk about our new album, Cowboy Scat: Songs in the Key of Rick … namely, what’s on it, what complex themes, tortured melodies, and convoluted stories are behind each track. Isn’t that the era we live in? The age of the “back story”, where every reality show has interview sequences in which the stars talk about how they feel about the bogus melodramatic scene they were just in? Yeah, well … we’re not doing that.

Here’s a little run down of the tracks, until I run out of breath. (There’s twenty-one of them, for pity’s sake!)

Fed Up – This is the opening manifesto, the raison d’etre for Cousin Rick Perry’s political ambitions, in which Rick lays out his grievances with the federal government, creeping socialism, intrusive gravity, and what-not. Style: real, down-home country music, served up on a chipped blue plate, just the way you like it. Haw.

This Cracker’s in Paradise – Cousin Rick has a dream about being president, singing “Jesus came a-voting, and I have reaped divine right.” He shares his vision for the first term of the eternal Perry Presidency. Style: funky power ballad. Or something.

Savin’ Myself for America – All right, so running for president isn’t a dream. Turns out it’s hard! But Cousin Rick is determined, right? Style: hint of Roy Orbison rockabilly.

North Camp Pasture – A dirge-like ode to Cousin Rick’s hunting camp formerly known by another name, and the sordid history that follows him like a rabid dog. Style: folk ballad.

Sing, Rick Perry, Sing! – The story of Rick’s rise from young man on the prairie to politician to the crackhead Governor of prayer. Style: well, it varies a bit from country walk to primitive dance to 60s rock sing-along.

Awesome Hair – Hey, who can deny it? Cousin Rick has some fabulous folicles. How does he do it? Only his hairdresser knows, and he’s dishing up the recipe in this number. Style: swing with the Satchmo dial turned up to seven.

To be continued…

Usual Rubbish

An arrival of sorts.

It’s here, it’s here! Great gob in Heflin, it’s here! What’s that? No, of course I’m not talking about the royal offspring, recently delivered of the Duke and Duchess of whatever-the-hell. Something far more important.

It's here, it's here!What is it? My wristwatch of course. I thought I left it in the local watering hole, but it’s here, in my sock drawer – it’s here! Now if I could just find my socks. (Note to self: check the watch drawer.) Oh, right… and a box came. Not by itself, you understand. A truck dropped it off. It was a biggish box, but not too big. A box full of discs. Not chock full, exactly – what I mean to say is that there were discs in the box. Discs called Cowboy Scat: Songs in the Key of Rick.

Yes, that’s right – it’s Big Green’s third studio album, released after a hiatus of no less than five years (we released International House in 2008). It’s certainly the longest album we’ve ever made – fully twenty-one tracks, 78 minutes of music (if that’s what you call it). The official digital release date is July 31, this coming Wednesday. So am I excited? Damn straight I am. I found my freaking watch, man! I am over freaking joyed!

But anyway … this album is not only our longest, but our fastest. Let me tell you why – we have refined our “clubhouse” recording method to the point where it has only taken us a year to write, record, and finish Cowboy Scat: Songs in the Key of Rick … as opposed to five years with International House, two years with 2000 Years To Christmas. It’s the discipline of doing a monthly podcast (THIS IS BIG GREEN). It’s made us concentrate on actually finishing something, for chrissake. That runs against type in a real serious way. Our “type” is really more about sleeping. Serious sleeping.

But no more! It’s onward and upward from now on! Right … after I take a little …. nap …. zzzzzzzz.