Watchdog

Artists

Album Info

Release Date: 2016-11-08

Label: F of X Records

Jim Dexter and I have worked together on musical projects as far back as 1986 when he came over my house in St. James, NY to play guitar on composer Dan Robinson's songs. We struck up a friendship almost instantly, sharing our love for absurd humor and all things alien. In 1992 we wrote out first song called "Ancient Photographs" and it was good. A bunch of other songs followed (about one every year or so). Many of them ended up on my solo CDs. Some time in 2011 while working with Jim and guitarist Rich Stein, Jim expressed an interest in putting all the tunes we've done into one collection. Somehow the "watchdog" idea figured in all this and thus two new songs were composed to round out the CD and loose concept. Considering the twenty year span of all these songs, they seem to fit nicely one after the other. I think they are fairly timeless pieces because we only had one objective in mind while writing them and that was to please ourselves. We were never one for trends.

It's always a treat to work with JD on music. Unlike everyone I've written with, Jim seems the most flowing and free with his emotions in musical structure. My natural inclination for songwriting is usually structuring a verse, then a pre-chorus,, then a chorus, verse two etc... With Jim, the songs grow organically and the conventional length of sections (16 bars of this - 8 bars of that) fall away. Take for instance a song like "Same Circle". It's not until the end of the song do we get the title (chorus) and somehow it's all been leading up to that and it's satisfying. A song like "Questions Keep Getting Deeper" unravels from a semi conventional folk tune to an instrumental prelude featuring whale sounds and ending with a philosophical chorus with a jazzy edge to it. All of this inspired by his alternate guitar tunings that create a rich harmonic landscape to write melodies over. His natural pacing of when sections come in, make an eight minute song seem like four minutes. That's a unique gift.

In any event, I'm sure there will be more collaborations as time goes on and we can see how "The Watchdog" unfolds. What is the real meaning here? Perhaps JD can explain.

Spoken like a gentleman, sir! (Jim Dexter here....chiming in...)
And although there is a lot more I could say, I think JT did a very nice job...I would only add that I am extremely grateful to John for working on this collection with me over the years in varying capacities....singer, lyricist, writer , producer, archivist and absurdity promoter... for the sheer joy of making music...in between long speculative journeys into the known and unknown areas of the physical universe and human consciousness....the journey is indeed and has been more important than the destination...although we would be greatly honored if the destination was your ears....your world....This would be a soothing balm to our creative hearts and souls...just as we wish our music is for you....

Since my parents met on a secret base...for real...many of the details of my life remain classified....show me your clearance and I can tell you as much as I am legally allowed...but I will say that the Watchdog creature on the cover of the album probably isn't based on any real living thing.......or had anything to do with the aforementioned secret base......probably........

Produced by Jim Dexter and John Tabacco
Engineered, Edited and Mixed by John Tabacco except:
Tracks, 3,7,13, 14,16 Engineered and Mixed by Nick DiMauro and John Tabacco
SA3 Mastering by Bob Ball and John Tabacco

Jim Dexter: E-Bow, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
John Tabacco : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Synth, Vocals
Nick DiMauro: Additional programming on tracks 3,7,13,14,16
Marc Yeager: Drums on track 16
Paul Zunno: Back up vocals on track 16
Todd Reynolds: Violin on track 14
Ned Dexter: Bass on track 13

Recording facilities:
* Modern Voices Studio, Centerport NY
**Sonic Underground, Stony Brook, NY
***Suburban Hermit Studios II, Stony Brook, NY

01. Herogi Knows (3:53) **
02. Ancient Photographs (6:24) **
03. Greater Landscape (5:24) **
04. Befriend The Watchdog (3:40) ***
05. Same Circle (4:21) **
06. Driving On The Left Side (4:42) **
07. Watch You Fly (5:01) **
08. 5 Subject Notebook (4:52) **
09. You Gotta Be Kidding Me (3:29) **
10. All The Things We Need (6:59) ***
11. Questions Keep Getting Deeper (8:44) **
12. Share In The Dance (3:59) **
13. Kaleidoscope (4:17) *
14. Keep Wide Your Open Eyes**
15. Line By Line*
16. March Of Life*
17. The Big Conclusion (6:34) ***
18. Home (6:21)**

Tracks 1,3,5,7,9,12,13,15,16,18 Words and Music © 1990 - 1996 by Jim Dexter
All other tracks © 1992 - 2012 by John Tabacco and Jim Dexter
Published by It Iz What It Iz Music (SESAC) / Anti Sinister Music

Cover art © 2012 by Jim Dexter
Tray card picture by Nick DiMauro
CD Design: Farben Fosfeen Artwerks / Jim Dexter

More Pictures