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My Attempt At Hair Metal! |
Everything you ever wanted to know about Turbocharger (and a LOT more that you didn’t)
Contents (Yes, it’s THAT long-winded)
Album notes/credits (You can get these if you buy a CD, hint, hint)
Do you miss the ‘80s? So do we. This is just the thing to bring back the glory days when hair was big and rock was fun. So grab some hairspray, slip into some spandex (on second thought, skip that one), and get your best air guitar moves ready, cuz it’s time to crank it up!
Turbocharger
Loud, Fast, ‘N’ Happy
Produced by Bill Mohn
Recorded from March, 2019 to March 2022 in Detroit Lakes, Frazee, Moorhead, and Eagan, Minnesota. I don't know what the deal is with March…
Mastered by Ty Tabor at Alien Beans Studio, Kansas City, MO
All songs copyright © 2022 Bill Mohn
Album design by Bill Mohn
All songs: Lead and backing vocals - Greg Klein; Bass - Matt Webb; Drums - Bill Mohn. Other musicians listed by track (below).
For years I wanted to attempt to make a recording that was a musical homage to cheesy ‘80s hair bands, so here it is! It was fun trying to write songs that are loud, fast, ‘n’ happy. I also wanted lyrics that would go beyond “happy,” and offer true joy.
A huge thanks to the many musicians who made this happen, especially Greg and “the Matts.” Thanks to my family for tolerating this bizarre habit. Soli deo Gloria.
This album is dedicated to the memory of Greg Klein, who sadly passed away after recording but before it was released. Thanks for the good times and being such a great friend, Greg! Enjoy singing face-to-face with Jesus!
1. Perfect
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Guitar: Matt Seidel
Keyboards: Bill Mohn
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson, Lexi Kohler
2. Too Good
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Extra guitar licks on outro: John Fegely
Keyboards: Bill Mohn
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson, Lexi Kohler
3. Why Can’t I
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Guitar solo on second half of breakdown to the end: John Fegely
Attempted Backing vocals: Bill Mohn
4. Still
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and CJ Hanson
Piano: CJ Hanson
Rhythm guitar and main solo: Dave Ehlers
Intro and Outro solos: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Lexi Kohler
5. Court Date
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Organ: CJ Hanson
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson, Lexi Kohler
6. Victor, Victim
Words and music by Bill Mohn
Rhythm Guitar: Dave Ehlers
Solo: Matt Seidel
Keyboards, additional guitar: Bill Mohn
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson
7. Gardening 101
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn, Matt Webb, and Greg Klein
All Guitars (even the stuff that sounds like keys): Matt Webb
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson
8. Don’t Be Afraid
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Guitar: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Elijah Blow, the Von Trapp Family Singers (Bill, Kendra, Josiah, and Katja Mohn)
9. He Always Will
Words and music by Bill Mohn
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Lexi Kohler, Elijah Blow
10. Faithful
Words and music by Bill Mohn
Acoustic guitar: Dave Ehlers
Main and outro solos: Matt Seidel
Organ: CJ Hanson
Electric Guitar (Bridge and Chorus): John Hutchinson
Backing vocals: Dave Ehlers, Lexi Kohler
11. Good Plans
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Lexi Kohler, Elijah Blow, John Hutchinson
It All Started with a Boy Band
This project started, as all good things do, with a boy band. Actually, that’s not true–I don’t think anything good has EVER started with a boy band. Except maybe for Donnie Wahlberg’s acting career. I thought he did a nice job in Band of Brothers. But other than that, boy bands are really a scourge on our world. And they’re not even bands! What do you call a group of people who play instruments? A band. What do you call a group of people who sing? A choir. So they’re boy choirs, except that reflects poorly on actual boys choirs, like the Vienna Boys Choir.
But I digress.
About 15 years ago, some friends were visiting. They had a CD of a cheesy (okay, ALL boys choirs are cheesy) boy CHOIR called “Go Fish.” This particular album was all kids songs, because the guys in the choir were all married with children by that point, and they wanted to make music kids could enjoy. There were a bunch of lame (but admittedly catchy) pop songs, when suddenly a huge guitar riff leapt out of the speakers and they proceeded to sing a fun, rockin’ tune (despite the fact that there was no guitar solo–lame!). I noticed the reaction of my son and his best buddy, both preschoolers at the time.
They suddenly came alive and started jumping around like little wild men.
Another time, I was out working in the garden with my toddler/preschooler kids, and I started singing “Against the Law” by Stryper, which is a catchy song with a bouncy beat. Both kids immediately started grooving to my (I’m sure awful) rendition of this song.
During those years, we would often play a scripture memory CD written by the worship leader at a church we attended when my wife and I were first married. They were nice, pretty, gentle songs, each setting one verse to scripture (there were 26 songs–one for every letter of the alphabet).
An idea was born: wouldn't it be fun to write an album of scripture memory songs with fun, catchy rock music?
My wife and I actually tried writing a song to fit that mold (sadly, it’s been lost on the ash heap of history). Over the years, my idea morphed into a simpler, “I wonder if I could actually pull off a hair band-type record?” thing. The only song from this record that really ended up being sort of a scripture memory thing would be “Too Good,” but that’s how it all started.
Taking the Plunge
Even while making my Outstate record, I decided that I wanted to make another album, and that I was going to do “the hair band thing,” as it became known. I don’t remember how I came up with the name “Turbocharger,” but it sounded like a good, cheesy ‘80s name. I added as many umlets (the dots over vowels) as possible to make it more metal. The name “Loud, Fast, ‘N’ Happy” came from an interview from an ancient album called “Hot Metal Summer,” from…1989?
These records came out at least three years in a row by a small Christian label called Frontline Records. They featured cuts by metal bands on their roster, along with brief interviews for each. On that first one, they interviewed Shout, which is the greatest Christian hair band of all time (okay, second after Stryper). Guitarist Chuck King described their music as “Loud, fast and happy,” and I said, “That would make a great album name!”
The Process
I recorded the Outstate record on an 8-track Boss digital recorder, and that’s how I started this album. There can only be four tracks recorded at a time with that recorder, which is tricky if you want a big ‘80s drum sound. I knew I needed that big drum sound, so I borrowed electronic pads from a friend (I still have them over three years later…I don’t think anyone wants them). My reasoning was: I could run two tracks of the drums, along with two tracks of overheads for the real cymbals I was using.
Only two songs ended up with the final tracks recorded this way: “Victor, Victim” and “Gardening 101.”
More importantly than drums (just kidding–what’s more important than drums?!), I knew I needed a shredding guitar player for this record. My long-time friend Matt Seidel was the obvious choice. However, Matt’s always super busy, and it’s one thing to ask for a couple solos–it’s quite another to ask for rhythm and solos for a whole record!
Nervously I asked if he’d consider doing it. He said he would (yay!) on one condition (uh oh): We have to play the songs live, even if it’s just once. Matt’s always been about playing live. He’s never been big on recording. I said, “Okay!” and I was thrilled to have Matt onboard.
I had previously made an offhand comment to Greg Klein about singing again (he did on Outstate), so I knew I had him, which was a relief. Matt Webb is (thankfully) always up for giving me world class bass tracks, so it was full steam ahead.
I have to credit Matt S. with pushing me to upgrade my recording setup, which I eventually did. In the fall of 2020 I got a job teaching online, and needed a new computer. I bought an Imac so I could get the recording program Logic Pro X. But a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) isn’t much good without a digital interface (what you plug your microphones into so the sound can go into your computer).
Normal people buy interfaces with two inputs, but obviously that doesn’t work for drummers. Dave Ehlers (more on him later) graciously offered to lend me an 8-input interface he had. But when I tried to hook it up, it was too outdated, so I couldn't get the necessary software to run it (man, I hate how electronic stuff goes out of date so quickly).
So, I needed to buy one, but had to save up (turns out they don’t give them away). I finally had the money, and as 2021 dawned, my DAW was up and running. If you care, I got a Presonus Quantum 2626, which has been awesome.
Of course, this means buying more mics, which means more mic cords, which means more mic stands…it’s truly a black hole. Then there’s the time needed to figure out how to run all that stuff. I’m NOT a gearhead, so I utterly loathe figuring out how to do that stuff, but it’s a necessary evil if you wanna make your own hair band album (unless you have thousands of dollars to pay other people to do it).
We swapped files via Dropbox, and Greg recorded his vocals at my buddy Mr. Jack’s studio for a couple sessions, before switching to my place once my system was set up.
It still took forever, because did I mention Matt S. is really busy?! But it was SO worth it for the results. I did pull in some other guitar players as well to try to spread things out.
Greg’s Last Session
Greg recorded ten songs for the Outstate album in one afternoon, which probably warrants mention in the Guiness Book of World Records. He recorded this one on three occasions (if memory serves me), which was much better. His last session was in March of ‘21. He recorded “Why Can’t I?”, “He Always Will,” and “Don’t Be Afraid,” along with finishing a couple other songs.
It was the most fun I remember having with him. I mentioned that we needed some screams, so all the screams were done that day. We laughed and had a great time with those. I can still see him giving me a mischievous smile after his little “let’s go!” parts on “He Always Will.”
We spent a lot more time chatting than recording that day. We talked about a bunch of things, and I found out we were like-minded on a lot of things. It was just a great time.
Little did I know that was the last time I’d see him this side of heaven. Greg passed away in November of that year. Thankfully, he got to hear the semi-finished versions of most of the songs, though I really wish he could’ve heard the final product.
Greg’s passing put a renewed sense of urgency in me to finish this record and make it the best I could, in honor of Greg. I can joyfully listen to him sing these songs, knowing that he truly is with Jesus, and happier than any of us.
I Should’ve Mentioned This Earlier
My vision for the songwriting on this album, other than trying to write fun, catchy songs, was this: I wanted to keep the guitar parts super simple, rather than writing riffs. The main reason is that I’m utterly incapable of writing (or playing) ‘80s hard rock/metal riffs, so why not leave it to the experts?
The way I put it to Matt S. was: imagine you’re in a band. The singer (who’s a very mediocre guitarist) and drummer have written a song. They have the basic chord progression, lyrics, melody, and arrangement figured out. They bring it to band practice, where the guitarist and bass player proceed to come up with cool parts.
So, I made scratch recordings with me doing drums, guitar, and, God help us, vocals. I sent those to Greg, who learned the songs and occasionally made slight revisions and additions. Sometimes I’d send them to Matt W. for bass first, and sometimes to Matt S., depending on how rough my tracks were.
The thrill of getting those tracks back was like Christmas morning. Without fail, both Matts took my songs to another level.
It was the same with CJ Hanson’s piano on “Still,” and Dave Ehler’s guitar and backing vocals on “Faithful” and tasty playing on “Still.”
As we came down the home stretch, I kept feeling like the songs needed something more vocally. My good friend and longtime co-collaborator John Hutchinson added some backing vocals to a majority of the songs, but still I needed bigger choruses.
That’s when I heard a couple recordings of one of Hutch’s guitar students, a high school girl named Lexi Kohler. Though they were country songs, she had a powerful voice, and I knew that’s what I needed to compliment Greg’s rich baritone.
Lexi and Hutch came over one evening and she pounded out all her parts, coming up with harmonies on the spot. Though she usually isn’t up very high in the mix, I can assure you, it would be noticeable if she wasn’t there.
As I swirled through the endless vortex of mixing (THAT is the key to a great-sounding record, and I’m not even a novice, honestly), I still knew a couple songs needed…more. That’s when I asked my son’s buddy Elijah Blow to add backing vocals on three songs. He can wail, and it was just the thing to put those tunes over the top.
Finally, for years I’d dreamed of having my record mastered by legendary King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor. I knew he had a studio where he offered that service. Mastering is the final “tweak” records undergo. The volume of all the tracks is equaled out (so none are louder than others), and subtle EQing and compression are added.
While it’s not a HUGE difference, it was definitely worth the money I saved up to do it (and a thrill to communicate personally with one of my rock heroes, knowing he worked on MY little songs).
And now, three-and-a half years after starting to write songs for it, the record is finished, and I’m pretty happy with it overall.
But Seriously, Folks
It’s obvious this project was approached with a sense of humor musically (though I tried to write the best songs I could). But lyrically, I do have serious intentions. Rather than silly songs, or songs about partying, girls, and partying girls, I wanted to offer lyrics that could bring true joy and hope.
There’s no better place for that than the Word of God, and that’s the basis for all these songs. There are two main themes, which just sort of happened. The first is GRACE. If we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, He forgives ALL our sins. The totality of that was something I experienced during the writing of these songs.
The other theme is the mind-boggling truth that the God of the universe loves ME. All my life I’ve said, “I love you, Lord,” but I realized I didn’t really have a revelation of the love of God for me. So, for probably a year or two, I kept saying, “God loves ME,” over and over until I got a revelation that went way beyond the mental understanding I’d always had. Wow!
So, there it is. I hope these songs bless you. God loves YOU, and through Jesus offers you the free gift of REAL salvation. Thank You, Lord! Without Him, it’s just soundwaves.
The Songs
Perfect
It was October of 2018. I was coming down the homestretch on the Outstate album. I was so tired of working on those same songs that I was itching to write something new. Suddenly, inspiration hit, and I pounded out this song, along with “Too Good” and “Victor, Victim” in two days. This was also the first one Matt Seide worked on. The riff he came up with was so awesome that I knew this had to be the album opener. I love lots of guitar solos, but thought it would be a nice change of pace to have a short, simple song without a solo.
While I had the highly important cowbell, I eventually realized it needed a nice banshee scream at the beginning. Greg delivered, but I wasn’t super happy with how it came out (not that he did poorly–it just didn’t work as well as I’d hoped). I had Matt double it with guitar (he actually did two or three tracks), but I still think it sounds a little weird. Oh well…I still think this sets the tone for the record, musically and lyrically.
The keyboard I used for this song was a Casio VZ-1, which is a vintage ‘80s synthesizer. I used it on a couple others, but the calibration got goofed up and I couldn’t figure out how to fix it, so I think I ended up doing those as MIDI tracks with a regular keyboard.
Too Good
More cowbell, and another great guitar part courtesy of Matt. The lyrics are based on Psalm 103, which is amazing. One day at church near the end of working on this album, I was chatting with John Fegely, another guitar player friend. I kept trying to get him to record stuff, but he’s always busy. I don’t see what’s more important than playing on my epic records.
But anyway, he was open to coming over to add some guitar here and there…as I listened to those songs over and over, I always wanted more shredding. John stopped over one afternoon and worked on a couple songs. He just toyed with this one a little and didn’t intend to save what he did. However, because he’s so busy, I realized it would be several months before I got him again, so I just snuck in a few of his licks at the end. They add a nice little touch, which brings us to the next one.
Why Can’t I
I had written most of the songs for this album when I realized I was missing two important elements of ‘80s hair band music: key changes near the end, and big “whoa”s in the chorus. So, I wrote this (and the other “whoa” songs). I was going for a Skid Row feel, but Greg said it reminded him of Ozzy Osbourne.
Either way, he gave a cool, “angry” sounding take on the verse, which is very metal. And speaking of metal, Matt S delivers a face-melting onslaught of molten mayhem to rival the greats, including some savage shredding.
I had the bright idea to attempt a Led Zeppelin-like vocal/guitar interplay during the breakdown. Turns out that’s a lot easier when you’re actually playing the songs together, not separately in different locations. I wanted 8 bars of guitar noise on this breakdown, followed by 8 bars of vocals/ guitar. Greg messed around with it and finally said, “Just have Matt do something.” I failed to communicate that clearly, so the noisy guitar thing was followed by 8 bars of just rhythm guitar playing through the progression. It was okay, but needed more. I also failed to communicate that I wanted some wailing guitar on the final choruses.
Enter John Fegely again. He played some nasty in-your-face guitar that puts this one over the top. And he did it all running directly into my system (no amp) and just playing along through the studio monitors. Not ideal, and I’m sure he would’ve preferred his rig to get his own sound/tone, but he still made it awesome.
Still
After blowing your mind with three rockers, it’s time to “slow it down a bit.” I knew I needed the obligatory piano-based power ballad. I got inspired to write this song late at night after the family all went to bed (why does that so often happen?). I remember sitting in our basement office with my guitar, scratching out the words and music, then covering myself with a blanket to record the parts into my phone. I probably didn’t need to go that far…
I had a SUPER basic guitar thing at the beginning and asked CJ Hanson to come up with a power ballad-y piano part. The results speak for themselves. CJ was a jazz performance major in college before coming to his senses (sort of) and going into music education. He’s also in an AMAZING band called The Latelys. Check ‘em out.
Greg suggested bringing in Dave Ehlers for some guitar. Dave was a founding member of the Christian rock band The Resistance, which Greg, Matt S and I all played together in during the early ‘90s (Dave had left the band at that point). He graciously agreed to help out, adding some nice rhythm guitar and that glorious solo.
However, I once again failed to communicate my desire for intro and outro solos, and rather than make Dave go back and add some, I had Matt do it, and of course he killed it. Much later I had Lexi Kohler add backing vocals, and it was just the right touch to add another layer.
Court Date
This was my attempt to emulate the vibe of Stryper’s aforementioned “Against the Law.” The riff Matt came up with was so cool! And CJ added some funky organ that adds some wonderful spice. The part where it’s part of the chorus interspersed with some lead guitar was actually kind of a mistake. I don’t even remember what happened, but Greg just had parts of the chorus that he recorded in that spot. When I listened to it, I realized it worked, so I kept the partial chorus and had Matt throw in some lead noodling.
I think I did at least three different versions of the drums on this one. The first was with the pads and sounded crummy. I re-did it, and it still wasn’t good. Come on, man! I finally got a track I could live with, though maybe it’s a little TOO reverb-y. Oh well, it’s the ‘80s!
Victor, Victim
Side B (in the ‘80s everything I listened to was on cassette tape) starts with what I think is actually one of the more interesting songs on here. In a rare move, I kept my initial drum pad version, because I like what I did on the breakdown, and didn’t want to try to replicate it on real drums, haha!
Lyrically, I was actually inspired by the story of Candace Owens. That probably doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the record, but when I heard her tell of the victim mentality she was labeled with as a young woman almost destroyed her. She made the eye-opening observation that seeing yourself as a victim is no way to gain victory in life. I think this is true in many ways.
It’s kind of a wordy chorus, but I remember having it hopelessly in my head as I shoveled three feet of snow off my roof in the late winter of 2019, so I figured it must be catchy enough to work. Greg helped make it a little less wordy/clumsy.
Again, my collaborators made this song so much better. Dave Ehlers laid down the rhythm, and John Hutchinson added perfect backing vocals. I wanted a long guitar solo that would span the entire verse/chorus progression, and Matt S responded with a melodic masterpiece that is something to behold. Again, I wanted some lead over the last chorus, but ended up copying and pasting some of his solo there (don’t tell anyone).
Of special note is the bass of Matt Webb on this one. I haven’t been mentioning him much because, despite the fact that everything he plays is great, hair bands aren’t renowned for their innovative bass tracks. But on this one…wow! Listen to some of his crazy bass runs during the solo and final choruses.
Gardening 101
Have you ever eaten at a really fancy restaurant where there are multi-course meals? Sometimes they bring out a little scoop of sorbet (sherbet) to cleanse the palette. It seems super weird, but I’ve done this a couple times, and it actually works!
Anyway, this song is my sorbet, to cleanse your listening palette. ;) I wanted to write something totally different–more of a power pop-type song in the vein of The Outfield.
Enter Matt Webb.
I knew Matt likes The Outfield, and I thought it would be cool to let him have a whole song to himself. He played everything but the drums on this one. There’s stuff that sounds like synthesizers, but it’s all guitar. He came up with so many cool little melodic things that it blows my mind! The crazy rhythm on the breakdown is his (it was a challenge to drum along to that!), as is the cool little solo part.
I really struggled with the chorus on this one, so Greg helped make it better. I added a lot of subtle percussion to create even more timbre than all the guitar parts provided, but I still wasn’t satisfied. Hutch came in and added backing vocals (including those nice “ahhs”) that took the song to a whole new level. This kind of stuff is what makes this recording thing so fun. Thanks, guys!
Don’t Be Afraid
This was the last song written and recorded on this record. Actually, I came up with the chorus for this and “He Always Will” on a single bike ride back in 2019 (after I realized I needed some “Whoas”). I had that chorus, and wanted to write an extra “fast” song. I struggled to come up with something, but I finally did.
I wrote the whole song and made a scratch recording before I realized it was terrible. So, I ditched it. I really wanted that chorus, so I tried again. This time I came up with something I could live with. Strangely, the verse kind of reminds me of something Five Iron Frenzy (a ska band of all things) would write (musically speaking).
The riff I came up with was super lame, so I told Matt S to be sure to do something cool, and once again, he delivered in spades, with this authentic metal masterpiece. Again, no guitar solo, just a speed metal-y breakdown. The ending was totally like something Matt had come up with for one of our songs in The Resistance decades earlier, and I thought it would be the perfect way to end this headbangning romp.
Greg’s screams and “Let’s Go!” things were gloriously fun. I decided to have my family do the no-nos, and if you solo the track of us, you can seriously tell my daughter, Katja is smiling (with embarrassment) while singing it. Awesome. Elijah Blow added his “No no!” to make it rock even harder (as if that were possible, haha).
He Always Will
This is as close as I get to progressive rock here. The clean 6/8 intro goes into 4/4, with the 8th notes keeping the same tempo. I thought that was fun to do. I also wanted a little guitar melody thing at the beginning, and Matt S ended up playing pretty much exactly what I did for both that melody thing and the rhythm part, only he played it about 800 times better than me, and gave that melody lots of attitude. Thanks, man.
A huge thing Greg contributed was on the chorus. I just said “Whoa!” every time, but he changed the second whoa to “Yeah!” and it makes a huge difference. Lexi and Elijah’s BGVs made a huge difference.
Faithful
The tune for the chorus on this is actually the second thing I think I ever wrote, dating back to probably 1992 or so. I think I came up with it on a walk with my dog (I did a lot of that back then), and it just stayed in my head for decades. I never got around to fleshing it out until writing this record. I already had the piano ballad, but I knew I needed the acoustic guitar ballad, so I set about adding lyrics and writing the rest of it.
After the initial version was recorded, I realized my verse (which I intentionally had just one of) was horrible melody-wise. So, I reworked it, and had Greg re-record it. Dave Ehlers contributed three tracks of acoustic guitar, which was fantastic. You might need headphones to appreciate them. As nice as that was, it was his vocals that added another dimension to this song. He added some harmonies to the chorus late in the song, but then that whole “Faithful” thing he does on the outro…that was 100% Dave, and I freaked out (in a good way) the first time I heard it. Thanks, Dave!!!
After Dave’s work, I didn’t really need more vocals, but I knew this song would be in Lexi’s wheelhouse, so I had her add some, and she really boosted the bridge and finally choruses.
Once again, CJ laid down some super tasty organ. Hutch returned, but not on vocals. He added electric guitar to the bridge and choruses that’s both highly original and very fitting. Matt D contributed a minimalist, but perfectly melodic solo. Again, I did multiple drum tracks–I think three completely different versions. Sometimes the simplest songs are the hardest.
Good Plans
This is my favorite song on the whole album. I previously mentioned that the band Shout was a primary inspiration for these songs. The album closer from their 1989 record “In Your Face” is a feel-good rocker called “Ain’t Givin’ Up (The Pay the Bills Song).” It’s super happy, and puts a spring in your step and a smile on your face as you finish the record.
I was going for the same feel here. It’s another kind of long, wordy chorus, but that’s just how it turned out. I guess I had a lot to say, haha!
This was the first song I recorded drums with my new system, and I kept having technical difficulties. By the time I got to the take you hear, I was super frustrated. I played way harder than normal, but low and behold, it turned out pretty well, so I kept it. After a great bass part from Matt W and Greg’s wonderful vocals, I sent it to Matt S. I said, “Make it as happy as possible!”
Nothing could prepare me for what he did. I actually remember it was around Christmas, and my family and I had just finished watching “Elf” when I got his tracks. I went berserk! So yeah, it was quite the experience. He puts on a veritable clinic on how to do this thing. Every note is brilliant.
But again, as I was endlessly mixing, I just felt like the vocals needed more on the choruses. Greg’s voice was so rich and mellow, but in this case I needed a little more oomph. Lexi and Hutch helped, but still it needed a tiny bit more, so Elijah came in and belted it out. I was finally satisfied!
So there it is…the unabridged story of this record. I wonder if anybody will ever actually read this whole thing…it was fun to reminisce, anyway. If you did read all of this, thank you! I’m not worthy!
Time to move on to the next project (two in mind!). Rock on!
Contents (Yes, it’s THAT long-winded)
Album notes/credits (You can get these if you buy a CD, hint, hint)
- It All Started with a Boy Band
- Taking the Plunge
- The Process
- Greg’s Last Session
- I Should’ve Mentioned This Earlier
- But Seriously, Folks
- The Songs
Do you miss the ‘80s? So do we. This is just the thing to bring back the glory days when hair was big and rock was fun. So grab some hairspray, slip into some spandex (on second thought, skip that one), and get your best air guitar moves ready, cuz it’s time to crank it up!
Turbocharger
Loud, Fast, ‘N’ Happy
Produced by Bill Mohn
Recorded from March, 2019 to March 2022 in Detroit Lakes, Frazee, Moorhead, and Eagan, Minnesota. I don't know what the deal is with March…
Mastered by Ty Tabor at Alien Beans Studio, Kansas City, MO
All songs copyright © 2022 Bill Mohn
Album design by Bill Mohn
All songs: Lead and backing vocals - Greg Klein; Bass - Matt Webb; Drums - Bill Mohn. Other musicians listed by track (below).
For years I wanted to attempt to make a recording that was a musical homage to cheesy ‘80s hair bands, so here it is! It was fun trying to write songs that are loud, fast, ‘n’ happy. I also wanted lyrics that would go beyond “happy,” and offer true joy.
A huge thanks to the many musicians who made this happen, especially Greg and “the Matts.” Thanks to my family for tolerating this bizarre habit. Soli deo Gloria.
This album is dedicated to the memory of Greg Klein, who sadly passed away after recording but before it was released. Thanks for the good times and being such a great friend, Greg! Enjoy singing face-to-face with Jesus!
1. Perfect
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Guitar: Matt Seidel
Keyboards: Bill Mohn
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson, Lexi Kohler
2. Too Good
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Extra guitar licks on outro: John Fegely
Keyboards: Bill Mohn
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson, Lexi Kohler
3. Why Can’t I
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Guitar solo on second half of breakdown to the end: John Fegely
Attempted Backing vocals: Bill Mohn
4. Still
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and CJ Hanson
Piano: CJ Hanson
Rhythm guitar and main solo: Dave Ehlers
Intro and Outro solos: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Lexi Kohler
5. Court Date
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Organ: CJ Hanson
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson, Lexi Kohler
6. Victor, Victim
Words and music by Bill Mohn
Rhythm Guitar: Dave Ehlers
Solo: Matt Seidel
Keyboards, additional guitar: Bill Mohn
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson
7. Gardening 101
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn, Matt Webb, and Greg Klein
All Guitars (even the stuff that sounds like keys): Matt Webb
Backing vocals: John Hutchinson
8. Don’t Be Afraid
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Guitar: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Elijah Blow, the Von Trapp Family Singers (Bill, Kendra, Josiah, and Katja Mohn)
9. He Always Will
Words and music by Bill Mohn
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Lexi Kohler, Elijah Blow
10. Faithful
Words and music by Bill Mohn
Acoustic guitar: Dave Ehlers
Main and outro solos: Matt Seidel
Organ: CJ Hanson
Electric Guitar (Bridge and Chorus): John Hutchinson
Backing vocals: Dave Ehlers, Lexi Kohler
11. Good Plans
Words by Bill Mohn; Music by Bill Mohn and Matt Seidel
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Matt Seidel
Backing vocals: Lexi Kohler, Elijah Blow, John Hutchinson
It All Started with a Boy Band
This project started, as all good things do, with a boy band. Actually, that’s not true–I don’t think anything good has EVER started with a boy band. Except maybe for Donnie Wahlberg’s acting career. I thought he did a nice job in Band of Brothers. But other than that, boy bands are really a scourge on our world. And they’re not even bands! What do you call a group of people who play instruments? A band. What do you call a group of people who sing? A choir. So they’re boy choirs, except that reflects poorly on actual boys choirs, like the Vienna Boys Choir.
But I digress.
About 15 years ago, some friends were visiting. They had a CD of a cheesy (okay, ALL boys choirs are cheesy) boy CHOIR called “Go Fish.” This particular album was all kids songs, because the guys in the choir were all married with children by that point, and they wanted to make music kids could enjoy. There were a bunch of lame (but admittedly catchy) pop songs, when suddenly a huge guitar riff leapt out of the speakers and they proceeded to sing a fun, rockin’ tune (despite the fact that there was no guitar solo–lame!). I noticed the reaction of my son and his best buddy, both preschoolers at the time.
They suddenly came alive and started jumping around like little wild men.
Another time, I was out working in the garden with my toddler/preschooler kids, and I started singing “Against the Law” by Stryper, which is a catchy song with a bouncy beat. Both kids immediately started grooving to my (I’m sure awful) rendition of this song.
During those years, we would often play a scripture memory CD written by the worship leader at a church we attended when my wife and I were first married. They were nice, pretty, gentle songs, each setting one verse to scripture (there were 26 songs–one for every letter of the alphabet).
An idea was born: wouldn't it be fun to write an album of scripture memory songs with fun, catchy rock music?
My wife and I actually tried writing a song to fit that mold (sadly, it’s been lost on the ash heap of history). Over the years, my idea morphed into a simpler, “I wonder if I could actually pull off a hair band-type record?” thing. The only song from this record that really ended up being sort of a scripture memory thing would be “Too Good,” but that’s how it all started.
Taking the Plunge
Even while making my Outstate record, I decided that I wanted to make another album, and that I was going to do “the hair band thing,” as it became known. I don’t remember how I came up with the name “Turbocharger,” but it sounded like a good, cheesy ‘80s name. I added as many umlets (the dots over vowels) as possible to make it more metal. The name “Loud, Fast, ‘N’ Happy” came from an interview from an ancient album called “Hot Metal Summer,” from…1989?
These records came out at least three years in a row by a small Christian label called Frontline Records. They featured cuts by metal bands on their roster, along with brief interviews for each. On that first one, they interviewed Shout, which is the greatest Christian hair band of all time (okay, second after Stryper). Guitarist Chuck King described their music as “Loud, fast and happy,” and I said, “That would make a great album name!”
The Process
I recorded the Outstate record on an 8-track Boss digital recorder, and that’s how I started this album. There can only be four tracks recorded at a time with that recorder, which is tricky if you want a big ‘80s drum sound. I knew I needed that big drum sound, so I borrowed electronic pads from a friend (I still have them over three years later…I don’t think anyone wants them). My reasoning was: I could run two tracks of the drums, along with two tracks of overheads for the real cymbals I was using.
Only two songs ended up with the final tracks recorded this way: “Victor, Victim” and “Gardening 101.”
More importantly than drums (just kidding–what’s more important than drums?!), I knew I needed a shredding guitar player for this record. My long-time friend Matt Seidel was the obvious choice. However, Matt’s always super busy, and it’s one thing to ask for a couple solos–it’s quite another to ask for rhythm and solos for a whole record!
Nervously I asked if he’d consider doing it. He said he would (yay!) on one condition (uh oh): We have to play the songs live, even if it’s just once. Matt’s always been about playing live. He’s never been big on recording. I said, “Okay!” and I was thrilled to have Matt onboard.
I had previously made an offhand comment to Greg Klein about singing again (he did on Outstate), so I knew I had him, which was a relief. Matt Webb is (thankfully) always up for giving me world class bass tracks, so it was full steam ahead.
I have to credit Matt S. with pushing me to upgrade my recording setup, which I eventually did. In the fall of 2020 I got a job teaching online, and needed a new computer. I bought an Imac so I could get the recording program Logic Pro X. But a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) isn’t much good without a digital interface (what you plug your microphones into so the sound can go into your computer).
Normal people buy interfaces with two inputs, but obviously that doesn’t work for drummers. Dave Ehlers (more on him later) graciously offered to lend me an 8-input interface he had. But when I tried to hook it up, it was too outdated, so I couldn't get the necessary software to run it (man, I hate how electronic stuff goes out of date so quickly).
So, I needed to buy one, but had to save up (turns out they don’t give them away). I finally had the money, and as 2021 dawned, my DAW was up and running. If you care, I got a Presonus Quantum 2626, which has been awesome.
Of course, this means buying more mics, which means more mic cords, which means more mic stands…it’s truly a black hole. Then there’s the time needed to figure out how to run all that stuff. I’m NOT a gearhead, so I utterly loathe figuring out how to do that stuff, but it’s a necessary evil if you wanna make your own hair band album (unless you have thousands of dollars to pay other people to do it).
We swapped files via Dropbox, and Greg recorded his vocals at my buddy Mr. Jack’s studio for a couple sessions, before switching to my place once my system was set up.
It still took forever, because did I mention Matt S. is really busy?! But it was SO worth it for the results. I did pull in some other guitar players as well to try to spread things out.
Greg’s Last Session
Greg recorded ten songs for the Outstate album in one afternoon, which probably warrants mention in the Guiness Book of World Records. He recorded this one on three occasions (if memory serves me), which was much better. His last session was in March of ‘21. He recorded “Why Can’t I?”, “He Always Will,” and “Don’t Be Afraid,” along with finishing a couple other songs.
It was the most fun I remember having with him. I mentioned that we needed some screams, so all the screams were done that day. We laughed and had a great time with those. I can still see him giving me a mischievous smile after his little “let’s go!” parts on “He Always Will.”
We spent a lot more time chatting than recording that day. We talked about a bunch of things, and I found out we were like-minded on a lot of things. It was just a great time.
Little did I know that was the last time I’d see him this side of heaven. Greg passed away in November of that year. Thankfully, he got to hear the semi-finished versions of most of the songs, though I really wish he could’ve heard the final product.
Greg’s passing put a renewed sense of urgency in me to finish this record and make it the best I could, in honor of Greg. I can joyfully listen to him sing these songs, knowing that he truly is with Jesus, and happier than any of us.
I Should’ve Mentioned This Earlier
My vision for the songwriting on this album, other than trying to write fun, catchy songs, was this: I wanted to keep the guitar parts super simple, rather than writing riffs. The main reason is that I’m utterly incapable of writing (or playing) ‘80s hard rock/metal riffs, so why not leave it to the experts?
The way I put it to Matt S. was: imagine you’re in a band. The singer (who’s a very mediocre guitarist) and drummer have written a song. They have the basic chord progression, lyrics, melody, and arrangement figured out. They bring it to band practice, where the guitarist and bass player proceed to come up with cool parts.
So, I made scratch recordings with me doing drums, guitar, and, God help us, vocals. I sent those to Greg, who learned the songs and occasionally made slight revisions and additions. Sometimes I’d send them to Matt W. for bass first, and sometimes to Matt S., depending on how rough my tracks were.
The thrill of getting those tracks back was like Christmas morning. Without fail, both Matts took my songs to another level.
It was the same with CJ Hanson’s piano on “Still,” and Dave Ehler’s guitar and backing vocals on “Faithful” and tasty playing on “Still.”
As we came down the home stretch, I kept feeling like the songs needed something more vocally. My good friend and longtime co-collaborator John Hutchinson added some backing vocals to a majority of the songs, but still I needed bigger choruses.
That’s when I heard a couple recordings of one of Hutch’s guitar students, a high school girl named Lexi Kohler. Though they were country songs, she had a powerful voice, and I knew that’s what I needed to compliment Greg’s rich baritone.
Lexi and Hutch came over one evening and she pounded out all her parts, coming up with harmonies on the spot. Though she usually isn’t up very high in the mix, I can assure you, it would be noticeable if she wasn’t there.
As I swirled through the endless vortex of mixing (THAT is the key to a great-sounding record, and I’m not even a novice, honestly), I still knew a couple songs needed…more. That’s when I asked my son’s buddy Elijah Blow to add backing vocals on three songs. He can wail, and it was just the thing to put those tunes over the top.
Finally, for years I’d dreamed of having my record mastered by legendary King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor. I knew he had a studio where he offered that service. Mastering is the final “tweak” records undergo. The volume of all the tracks is equaled out (so none are louder than others), and subtle EQing and compression are added.
While it’s not a HUGE difference, it was definitely worth the money I saved up to do it (and a thrill to communicate personally with one of my rock heroes, knowing he worked on MY little songs).
And now, three-and-a half years after starting to write songs for it, the record is finished, and I’m pretty happy with it overall.
But Seriously, Folks
It’s obvious this project was approached with a sense of humor musically (though I tried to write the best songs I could). But lyrically, I do have serious intentions. Rather than silly songs, or songs about partying, girls, and partying girls, I wanted to offer lyrics that could bring true joy and hope.
There’s no better place for that than the Word of God, and that’s the basis for all these songs. There are two main themes, which just sort of happened. The first is GRACE. If we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, He forgives ALL our sins. The totality of that was something I experienced during the writing of these songs.
The other theme is the mind-boggling truth that the God of the universe loves ME. All my life I’ve said, “I love you, Lord,” but I realized I didn’t really have a revelation of the love of God for me. So, for probably a year or two, I kept saying, “God loves ME,” over and over until I got a revelation that went way beyond the mental understanding I’d always had. Wow!
So, there it is. I hope these songs bless you. God loves YOU, and through Jesus offers you the free gift of REAL salvation. Thank You, Lord! Without Him, it’s just soundwaves.
The Songs
Perfect
It was October of 2018. I was coming down the homestretch on the Outstate album. I was so tired of working on those same songs that I was itching to write something new. Suddenly, inspiration hit, and I pounded out this song, along with “Too Good” and “Victor, Victim” in two days. This was also the first one Matt Seide worked on. The riff he came up with was so awesome that I knew this had to be the album opener. I love lots of guitar solos, but thought it would be a nice change of pace to have a short, simple song without a solo.
While I had the highly important cowbell, I eventually realized it needed a nice banshee scream at the beginning. Greg delivered, but I wasn’t super happy with how it came out (not that he did poorly–it just didn’t work as well as I’d hoped). I had Matt double it with guitar (he actually did two or three tracks), but I still think it sounds a little weird. Oh well…I still think this sets the tone for the record, musically and lyrically.
The keyboard I used for this song was a Casio VZ-1, which is a vintage ‘80s synthesizer. I used it on a couple others, but the calibration got goofed up and I couldn’t figure out how to fix it, so I think I ended up doing those as MIDI tracks with a regular keyboard.
Too Good
More cowbell, and another great guitar part courtesy of Matt. The lyrics are based on Psalm 103, which is amazing. One day at church near the end of working on this album, I was chatting with John Fegely, another guitar player friend. I kept trying to get him to record stuff, but he’s always busy. I don’t see what’s more important than playing on my epic records.
But anyway, he was open to coming over to add some guitar here and there…as I listened to those songs over and over, I always wanted more shredding. John stopped over one afternoon and worked on a couple songs. He just toyed with this one a little and didn’t intend to save what he did. However, because he’s so busy, I realized it would be several months before I got him again, so I just snuck in a few of his licks at the end. They add a nice little touch, which brings us to the next one.
Why Can’t I
I had written most of the songs for this album when I realized I was missing two important elements of ‘80s hair band music: key changes near the end, and big “whoa”s in the chorus. So, I wrote this (and the other “whoa” songs). I was going for a Skid Row feel, but Greg said it reminded him of Ozzy Osbourne.
Either way, he gave a cool, “angry” sounding take on the verse, which is very metal. And speaking of metal, Matt S delivers a face-melting onslaught of molten mayhem to rival the greats, including some savage shredding.
I had the bright idea to attempt a Led Zeppelin-like vocal/guitar interplay during the breakdown. Turns out that’s a lot easier when you’re actually playing the songs together, not separately in different locations. I wanted 8 bars of guitar noise on this breakdown, followed by 8 bars of vocals/ guitar. Greg messed around with it and finally said, “Just have Matt do something.” I failed to communicate that clearly, so the noisy guitar thing was followed by 8 bars of just rhythm guitar playing through the progression. It was okay, but needed more. I also failed to communicate that I wanted some wailing guitar on the final choruses.
Enter John Fegely again. He played some nasty in-your-face guitar that puts this one over the top. And he did it all running directly into my system (no amp) and just playing along through the studio monitors. Not ideal, and I’m sure he would’ve preferred his rig to get his own sound/tone, but he still made it awesome.
Still
After blowing your mind with three rockers, it’s time to “slow it down a bit.” I knew I needed the obligatory piano-based power ballad. I got inspired to write this song late at night after the family all went to bed (why does that so often happen?). I remember sitting in our basement office with my guitar, scratching out the words and music, then covering myself with a blanket to record the parts into my phone. I probably didn’t need to go that far…
I had a SUPER basic guitar thing at the beginning and asked CJ Hanson to come up with a power ballad-y piano part. The results speak for themselves. CJ was a jazz performance major in college before coming to his senses (sort of) and going into music education. He’s also in an AMAZING band called The Latelys. Check ‘em out.
Greg suggested bringing in Dave Ehlers for some guitar. Dave was a founding member of the Christian rock band The Resistance, which Greg, Matt S and I all played together in during the early ‘90s (Dave had left the band at that point). He graciously agreed to help out, adding some nice rhythm guitar and that glorious solo.
However, I once again failed to communicate my desire for intro and outro solos, and rather than make Dave go back and add some, I had Matt do it, and of course he killed it. Much later I had Lexi Kohler add backing vocals, and it was just the right touch to add another layer.
Court Date
This was my attempt to emulate the vibe of Stryper’s aforementioned “Against the Law.” The riff Matt came up with was so cool! And CJ added some funky organ that adds some wonderful spice. The part where it’s part of the chorus interspersed with some lead guitar was actually kind of a mistake. I don’t even remember what happened, but Greg just had parts of the chorus that he recorded in that spot. When I listened to it, I realized it worked, so I kept the partial chorus and had Matt throw in some lead noodling.
I think I did at least three different versions of the drums on this one. The first was with the pads and sounded crummy. I re-did it, and it still wasn’t good. Come on, man! I finally got a track I could live with, though maybe it’s a little TOO reverb-y. Oh well, it’s the ‘80s!
Victor, Victim
Side B (in the ‘80s everything I listened to was on cassette tape) starts with what I think is actually one of the more interesting songs on here. In a rare move, I kept my initial drum pad version, because I like what I did on the breakdown, and didn’t want to try to replicate it on real drums, haha!
Lyrically, I was actually inspired by the story of Candace Owens. That probably doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the record, but when I heard her tell of the victim mentality she was labeled with as a young woman almost destroyed her. She made the eye-opening observation that seeing yourself as a victim is no way to gain victory in life. I think this is true in many ways.
It’s kind of a wordy chorus, but I remember having it hopelessly in my head as I shoveled three feet of snow off my roof in the late winter of 2019, so I figured it must be catchy enough to work. Greg helped make it a little less wordy/clumsy.
Again, my collaborators made this song so much better. Dave Ehlers laid down the rhythm, and John Hutchinson added perfect backing vocals. I wanted a long guitar solo that would span the entire verse/chorus progression, and Matt S responded with a melodic masterpiece that is something to behold. Again, I wanted some lead over the last chorus, but ended up copying and pasting some of his solo there (don’t tell anyone).
Of special note is the bass of Matt Webb on this one. I haven’t been mentioning him much because, despite the fact that everything he plays is great, hair bands aren’t renowned for their innovative bass tracks. But on this one…wow! Listen to some of his crazy bass runs during the solo and final choruses.
Gardening 101
Have you ever eaten at a really fancy restaurant where there are multi-course meals? Sometimes they bring out a little scoop of sorbet (sherbet) to cleanse the palette. It seems super weird, but I’ve done this a couple times, and it actually works!
Anyway, this song is my sorbet, to cleanse your listening palette. ;) I wanted to write something totally different–more of a power pop-type song in the vein of The Outfield.
Enter Matt Webb.
I knew Matt likes The Outfield, and I thought it would be cool to let him have a whole song to himself. He played everything but the drums on this one. There’s stuff that sounds like synthesizers, but it’s all guitar. He came up with so many cool little melodic things that it blows my mind! The crazy rhythm on the breakdown is his (it was a challenge to drum along to that!), as is the cool little solo part.
I really struggled with the chorus on this one, so Greg helped make it better. I added a lot of subtle percussion to create even more timbre than all the guitar parts provided, but I still wasn’t satisfied. Hutch came in and added backing vocals (including those nice “ahhs”) that took the song to a whole new level. This kind of stuff is what makes this recording thing so fun. Thanks, guys!
Don’t Be Afraid
This was the last song written and recorded on this record. Actually, I came up with the chorus for this and “He Always Will” on a single bike ride back in 2019 (after I realized I needed some “Whoas”). I had that chorus, and wanted to write an extra “fast” song. I struggled to come up with something, but I finally did.
I wrote the whole song and made a scratch recording before I realized it was terrible. So, I ditched it. I really wanted that chorus, so I tried again. This time I came up with something I could live with. Strangely, the verse kind of reminds me of something Five Iron Frenzy (a ska band of all things) would write (musically speaking).
The riff I came up with was super lame, so I told Matt S to be sure to do something cool, and once again, he delivered in spades, with this authentic metal masterpiece. Again, no guitar solo, just a speed metal-y breakdown. The ending was totally like something Matt had come up with for one of our songs in The Resistance decades earlier, and I thought it would be the perfect way to end this headbangning romp.
Greg’s screams and “Let’s Go!” things were gloriously fun. I decided to have my family do the no-nos, and if you solo the track of us, you can seriously tell my daughter, Katja is smiling (with embarrassment) while singing it. Awesome. Elijah Blow added his “No no!” to make it rock even harder (as if that were possible, haha).
He Always Will
This is as close as I get to progressive rock here. The clean 6/8 intro goes into 4/4, with the 8th notes keeping the same tempo. I thought that was fun to do. I also wanted a little guitar melody thing at the beginning, and Matt S ended up playing pretty much exactly what I did for both that melody thing and the rhythm part, only he played it about 800 times better than me, and gave that melody lots of attitude. Thanks, man.
A huge thing Greg contributed was on the chorus. I just said “Whoa!” every time, but he changed the second whoa to “Yeah!” and it makes a huge difference. Lexi and Elijah’s BGVs made a huge difference.
Faithful
The tune for the chorus on this is actually the second thing I think I ever wrote, dating back to probably 1992 or so. I think I came up with it on a walk with my dog (I did a lot of that back then), and it just stayed in my head for decades. I never got around to fleshing it out until writing this record. I already had the piano ballad, but I knew I needed the acoustic guitar ballad, so I set about adding lyrics and writing the rest of it.
After the initial version was recorded, I realized my verse (which I intentionally had just one of) was horrible melody-wise. So, I reworked it, and had Greg re-record it. Dave Ehlers contributed three tracks of acoustic guitar, which was fantastic. You might need headphones to appreciate them. As nice as that was, it was his vocals that added another dimension to this song. He added some harmonies to the chorus late in the song, but then that whole “Faithful” thing he does on the outro…that was 100% Dave, and I freaked out (in a good way) the first time I heard it. Thanks, Dave!!!
After Dave’s work, I didn’t really need more vocals, but I knew this song would be in Lexi’s wheelhouse, so I had her add some, and she really boosted the bridge and finally choruses.
Once again, CJ laid down some super tasty organ. Hutch returned, but not on vocals. He added electric guitar to the bridge and choruses that’s both highly original and very fitting. Matt D contributed a minimalist, but perfectly melodic solo. Again, I did multiple drum tracks–I think three completely different versions. Sometimes the simplest songs are the hardest.
Good Plans
This is my favorite song on the whole album. I previously mentioned that the band Shout was a primary inspiration for these songs. The album closer from their 1989 record “In Your Face” is a feel-good rocker called “Ain’t Givin’ Up (The Pay the Bills Song).” It’s super happy, and puts a spring in your step and a smile on your face as you finish the record.
I was going for the same feel here. It’s another kind of long, wordy chorus, but that’s just how it turned out. I guess I had a lot to say, haha!
This was the first song I recorded drums with my new system, and I kept having technical difficulties. By the time I got to the take you hear, I was super frustrated. I played way harder than normal, but low and behold, it turned out pretty well, so I kept it. After a great bass part from Matt W and Greg’s wonderful vocals, I sent it to Matt S. I said, “Make it as happy as possible!”
Nothing could prepare me for what he did. I actually remember it was around Christmas, and my family and I had just finished watching “Elf” when I got his tracks. I went berserk! So yeah, it was quite the experience. He puts on a veritable clinic on how to do this thing. Every note is brilliant.
But again, as I was endlessly mixing, I just felt like the vocals needed more on the choruses. Greg’s voice was so rich and mellow, but in this case I needed a little more oomph. Lexi and Hutch helped, but still it needed a tiny bit more, so Elijah came in and belted it out. I was finally satisfied!
So there it is…the unabridged story of this record. I wonder if anybody will ever actually read this whole thing…it was fun to reminisce, anyway. If you did read all of this, thank you! I’m not worthy!
Time to move on to the next project (two in mind!). Rock on!