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Back to Story TimeMaking the CD
March 17, 2001Recently, I was faced with a task. The task: make a CD for a friend that was not familiar with Ska. Sounds simple enough right? The plan: to share a sample of the ska bands I like with an individual who truly appreciates music, but is not familiar with this genre. And who likes making tapes and CD's more than me?
My thought process began with the selection of bands to include on what would eventually be called "Skankin Good Tunes". Obvious band choices were: Parka Kings, Mustard Plug, Suicide Machines, Porters, Bound to Change (a friends band who's mp3's I had not been successful in sharing - oh, and not ska), Catch 22, and Penny and the Loafers (my new favorite local ska band). I used to quote some Save Ferris tunes frequently so those must be included for more sentimental reasons. Reel Big Fish, now that's just fun stuff!
With Parka Kings being my favorite band, I decided they would get the most play time on the CD. I decided, 5 tunes would be good acceptable. I should be able to get a well-rounded example of my PKs in 5 songs. Customarily, I will put 2 or 3 songs by each band on a CD/tape. But this was no customary tape. 5 tunes to brag about the best ska band to come out of anywhere near the Midwest is plenty! Well, I was wrong.
My initial list looked something like this:
American Capitol Pop Song
Midnight Sails
Cliché
Confidential
Juliette
Jacked
Dish or Die
Whiskey, Wine and Rosaries
Slow me down
Souled
ShocksFor those of us that finished school, it is obvious that is more than 5. At this point, I am not willing to let any of these go. Next course of action: take a poll. I turned to AIM. The first person I saw on line received a quick message of "Quick: top 5 Parka Kings tunes?" Everyone had a different list. Finishing Last seemed to be repetitive on all of them and is a fabulous tune. However, I already had more than the 5 and did not want increase the choices.
Juliette was the first one to lock in a position. It's a sweet lil tune. An example of the mellower parka kings. I know my friend will dig it. The way Brett sings it, especially at the end, give me goose bumps.
A huge interruption to this process of selecting the best 5 tunes was the addition of Where's the After Party? to my collection. Not only did I have to pick 5 songs, but I had to decide if the live or the studio recording was a better representation.
After Juliet was locked in, I contemplated Midnight Sails. I love the live version cuz you can hear everyone singing along and just imagine Brett and the Rueben Sandwhich horns getting into it. So, I carefully listened to this tune - minus singing along at the top of my lungs or playing air drums. Just trying to focus on the song. I realized, that someone who doesn't know the song already, probably won't "understand" the live version. The lyrics fade in and out as do the horns. I can sing along cuz I already know the words. So, I listen to Bien. Upon taking this action, I realize that the same passion just isn't heard in the studio that you heard live.
Back to instant messenger. I ask Chris which one he prefers. He hasn't heard them both. That doesn't help me. He gets a friend to download the 2 versions from me. (He told her that if she liked Bad Religion she would like PK.. haha). Her vote: studio version. Midnight Sails goes on the back burner due to my indecisiveness.
American Capitol Pop Song and Whiskey, Wine and Rosaries are currently the tunes I cannot stop listening to from Where's the after party? I go thru the same process of listening to the live and studio version of these songs back to back. Hmmmm… More tough calls. There is so much more energy in the live versions (obviously), but yet again, if you don't already know the words and the songs, you wont appreciate the live versions. But I am not yet ready to concede the live. These tunes are now locked in as live.
2 more songs to pick. I realize that 23 Skidoo has no representation as of yet. Cliché, Confidential, and Jacked are my choices from that CD. Live Cliché is out cuz well, Ken from GF on horns, and the editing between the tracks on the live CD make the tune a bit choppy. Same with confidential. Then I remember Jacked.
My first ska show was at the Metro in Chicago. It was a CD release for the first American Skathic. This was also my introduction to the Parka Kings. I remember Clean Sheets rubbing me the right way. But, how could I forget Jacked. It was the first PK tune I really heard and I could not help but skank away to it. I wish I could remember what order the songs were played in that night, but Jacked was the first PK tune I remember hearing. (I think it was a different night that Doug got depantsed mid tune and finished it with his pants around his ankles, but I am remembering that little bit at this point). That was some funny shit. Jacked will always have a place in my heart. It is now locked in. DEFINITELY the live version. It's the only way to hear that song.
1 left. I see Tony on line and send him an IM requesting his top 5 PK tunes. All but one of his is already on my initial list: City Limits. How could I have missed it? Perfect example of a classic skankin good tune! Due to Brett forgetting the lyrics during the last show, the recording from Bienvenidos is locked in.
Well, that is 5. I am not satisfied. There is sooo much more. Tony also mentioned
Slow me Down. I felt it was a moral imperative to include this song.As I am thinking about this CD and Parka Kings for 2 days straight, I am getting reminiscent of all the nights spent sweating to these guys and how happy of a time it was in general. If you were not in Chicago or Detroit in the 90's, no matter what songs you listen to, you are not going to understand the power of PK. What a better way to explain that than with Dave's Speech. Dave being a reputable second opinion for the task at hand.
At this point, I am tired of sitting at the puter and trying to make up my mind so I decide I am just going to start laying out the CD in the burning program and see what happens.
I started out with 2 Bound to Change songs - Shelf Life and Flagship. That was easy.
Parka Kings next. The original lay out was something like this:
Cliché
Confidential
Jacked
City limits
Slow me down
Juliette
American cps
Whiskey
Dave's speech
I wanted to keep the live recordings together. Jacked I had determined had to be last. This was the first PK song I owned (thanks to that skathic comp prior to he release of Skidoo) and the fondest live PK memories I had were related to this song. What would be a better way to pay tribute to my favorite song by my favorite band other than including the recording from the last time it was ever played live? Nothing. It was determined that Dave's speech would go before Jacked.After discussions with Tony and others I took polls from, I seem to be the only person that always prefers live over studio. However, I concede that considering the intentions of this CD, the other After Party selections may not be the most fruitful approach for me to take. (Notice: Midnight Sails didn't even make it to the final CD after I spent all that time and energy trying to decide which recording was more enjoyable). Upon making this concession, it is clear all other selections are made from the studio recordings.
Next on the CD were the Porters. Beautiful Thing was obvious. The other song I was indecisive about. Tony kept pushing for Freezing and I was all about She Don't Dance, Anyhow or Just can't get ahead. Freezing is a good tune and I remember Milt saying how much fun it was to play live so I let freezing in. I listen to Freezing and Beautiful Thing (the most brilliant and artistic song Brett has pulled off) and decide I need another one. I went with Just Cant Get Ahead.
Now, due to the increase of Porters songs, one of the PK songs has to go. I lost Cliché.
Onto Mustard Plug. Yesterday and You. I used to quote these songs to the recipient of this CD. I threw Clean Sheets on here and gave Penny and the Loafers 2 songs, so the other bands all got one track.
WHEW! Yee HAW! I am finally done.City Limits (Bienvenidos!)
Confidential (23 Skidoo)
Slow Me Down (Bienvenidos!)
Juliette (Bienvenidos!)
American Capitol Pop Song (Bienvenidos)
Whiskey, Wine and Rosaries (Comp)
Dave's Speech (after party)
Jacked! (after party)And it only took 10 hours!
These were the releases I chose to brag about PK to someone who had ever heard them before. If you were to ask me what my top 5 tunes to listen to are, the list may be somewhat different. This was the most difficult top 5 list I have ever completed. Probably the worst to as there are more than 5.
I challenge you to really think about the PK tunes themselves and your memories associated with them and try to crack out a clean top 5 list. You may be thinking "How could she forget Casino City or Radio Song or Alone". Believe me, they weren't forgotten. Unfortunately, Casino City haunts me. It's a rocking good tune, don't get me wrong. But, every PK set I saw closed with Casino City. When you heard that tune start, you knew it was almost over. Anyone out there ever want a Parka Kings show to end? I didn't think so.