The Putrid Minds Anthology: Battle Hymns for the Blue States by The Sons of Emperor Norton

We just couldn't put out our almost complete rockabilly album under those circumstances; it didn't seem to matter anymore. It's still shelved. No matter what your opinion is of the political climate, I still think you'll find it very entertaining and musically fulfilling. The following is a lot of info I've posted about it since it came out. Thanks for checking us out, Joe Kaline and The Sons of Emperor Norton.

Warning: Opinions expressed herein and on this CD are not necessarily those of people who don't think for themselves and/or those who value and trust the information purveyed by the corporately controlled and funded commercial media.

We're #2 in the top 30 at KMUD FM(www.KMUD.org); with all these legendary performers.

CMJ KMUD CHARTS FOR OCT. 31, 2006

TOP 30

# ARTIST Recording

1 SINEAD O'CONNOR Throw Down Your Arms

2 SONS OF EMPEROR NORTON Battle Hymns for the Blue States

3 BONNIE RAITT Souls Alike

4 BLACKALISCIOUS the craft

5 DAMIAN MARLEY Welcome To Jamrock

6 GUY FORSYTH Love Songs: For And Against

7 BRUCE COCKBURN Speechless

8 JELLO BIAFRA AND THE MELVINS Sieg Howdy

9 BOB DYLAN No Direction Home: The Soundtrack- The Bootleg Series Vol. 7

10 LEO KOTTKE/MIKE GORDON Sixty Six Steps

11 CHRISTINE LAVIN Folkzinger

12 ARLO GUTHRIE Live In Sydney

13 NIGHT TRAIN TO NASHVILLE: MUSIC CITY RHYTHM & BLUES: 1945-1970 Various Artists

14 SEARCHING FOR SOUL: RARE AND CLASSIC SOUL, FUNK AND JAZZ FROM MICHIGAN 1968-1980 Various Artists

15 LUCY KAPLANSKY The Tide

16 CHRIS BOTTOMLEY Brainfudge

17 BUDDY GUY Bring 'Em In

18 SUSAN TEDESCHI Hope And Desire

19 GEORGE CLINTON AND THE P-FUNK ALLSTARS How Late Do U Have 2 B B 4 U R Absent?

20 JOAN BAEZ Bowery Songs

21 DAR WILLIAMS My Better Self

22 GOODING Angel/Devil

23 SUPERGRASS Road To Rouen

24 FIONA APPLE Extraordinary Machine

25 CREATIVE MUSICIANS VARIOUS ARTISTS

26 BETTYE LAVETTE I've Got My Own Hell To Raise

27 JACKSON BROWNE Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1

28 FRANZ FERDINAND You Could Have It So Much Better

29 BLUE HAWAIIANS Live At The Lava Lounge, Vol. 2

30 IMOGEN HEAP Speak For Yourself

Here's a review on www.towardfreedom.com

Battle Hymns for the Blue States

Written by Melody Zagami

Wednesday, 14 December 2006

The Putrid Minds Anthology: Battle Hymns for the Blue States by The Sons of Emperor Norton, is the only album ever produced that features Elvis, Mark Twain, Stephen Hawking and the little known historical figure, Joshua "Emperor" Norton. This 23 song anthology is not for the faint of heart. When listening, you laugh and think, "that’s clever." Then reality comes into focus and you feel powerless in the face of the monstrous Bush administration. The band’s humor has more than a bit of truth between the lines.

What The Sons do is put a spin on American standards. This has been done since Yankee Doodle called it macaroni, but this band has a red state sound with a blue state message. They introduce you to an important historical character that you may not be familiar with.

In the mid-1800s San Francisco knew Joshua Abraham Norton as "His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I". He proclaimed himself "Emperor of the United States" and "protector of Mexico". Though he never held any actual power, locals respected him and businesses he frequented accepted currency in his name. History questions his sanity and some labeled him as an eccentric, but Mark Twain wrote an epitaph for his dead dog. He proclaimed decrees to dissolve the U.S. Congress by force and to build a bridge spanning San Francisco Bay. Who’s crazy now? Today you can find a sundae, a snack chip and a beer named in his honor in the great state of Shwarzafornia.

Given the current shape we’re in as a nation, it certainly seems like an appropriate time in history to resurrect the Emperor’s spirit and set it to music. The title track, Putrid Minds (I think we stopped the clock back at Wounded Knee) is an anthem of The Son’s views peppered with statements by the "putrid minds": "Locked inside these putrid minds ..... It’s just to spend another day letting corporate powers have their way/ Our president is a puppet and a liar but I’m patriotic so I’ll just fall in line/Let’s kill Iraqis and build another pipeline."

The putrid mind (the slightly effeminate voice of a horribly negative American amalgam) follows with vapid lines, "As I sip a latte and I do another line" and "Let’s watch some football and we’ll drink a case of beer," and "I love my Prozac and my California wine."

If you really want to get into it, there is an "extended jam" version of this song on the album.

There are a couple of notable tracks on The Putrid Minds Anthology that are memorable. Track 2, Compared to What? is sung with the scratchy, rambling vocals of a man in a world devoid of validity. It’s hard to tell from the album who’s singing what since a few different bands, The Hi-Fi’s, the Quadraphonics, and the Beat Meters all contribute to the album.

He Hums a Sad, Sweet Song, is a touching homage to the Emperor himself and a recording of Amazing Grace, near the end of the album, is sung by a band of weary southerners with nothin’ left to do but sing their hurt out.

Track 3, Killing for the Oil Companies, gives a rockabilly spin to the pledge of allegiance, "One nation uninformed, in denial, with liberty and justice forsaken, forbidden and forgotten." The sons are blaming their statesmen, the injustices attained in the guise of Christianity and the apathy of members of the republic.

"The Irrational Anthem" follows, beginning with a calypso beat, when you hear, "O’ say can you see innocent people as they flee/ from our huge air force jets that we fly across the sea/ O’ say does that star-spangled banner still wave o’er the land of corporate greed and the home of its slaves."

There’s so much material out there that’s it is hard not to invent alternate lyrics to our nation’s oldest and dearest musical Americana on a daily basis. So this gets tiresome after the first four tracks, which do just that. As this is an anthology, there’s more to be had in the ways of creativity and then some songs that don’t really fit at all.

Two extremely funny tracks are Ol’ E’s Comin’ Back and Deng Xiao Ping. The latter is a four minute song consisting solely of the former Chinese head of state’s name sang in a Chinese accent (you’d feel cheated if it wasn’t). Sure, it sounds obnoxious, but it’s really a very funny name. Ol’ E is Elvis Presley, the one and only King. One can’t be sure the connection between the Emperor and the King, except for the obvious regal relations. It doesn’t matter, because Elvis is apparently going to come back and save us all from our troubles. He’s going to befriend Ralph Nader and while on his mission he will fuel his caddy with bio-diesel.

Elvis reappears in track 15, The Emperor and the King, as an undercover CIA agent. This is the last track in the middle of the album and it serves as the final part to a radio play which begins with The National Anthem (public domain). Samuel Clemens, the good Emperor and Stephen Hawking are having a conversation about liberty, patriotism and democracy. Hawking has arrived from the future. Unfortunately, The Family Guy has ruined all Stephen Hawking satire from here on out.

In the funniest moment, Hawking goes over their heads. Twain tells him to take his language down a notch to a, "vernacular we can all understand." Hawking gives his robo-voice delivery, "Sammy, just chill, kick back, and dig the rhymes off this next track."

The group reappears in track 15, in a diner. It’s there that they meet Elvis who tells them they’ll be put on trial for listening to this album. Meanwhile, Hawking sexually harasses the waitress.

The final track, hysterically titled, The John Wilkes Booth Fully Privatized Chief Executive Retirement Plan, (Why bother with another over-regulated, inefficient, government-run system?) is a distorted snippet from, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" followed by (12 seconds into the song) a gunshot.

Only so much can be done when retooling beloved American hymnals. The Sons of Emperor Norton mix it up enough to transmit a political message and keep you laughing every once in awhile. Blue states are definitely lacking in the battle hymn area. The reason you should listen to this album is not because of witty twists on American standards, but rather, the Emperor himself. It is particularly this character in American history that does not get a lot of airtime. He should be remembered for his independent spirit and the way he challenged what he deemed wrong, not just as the name of a beer, or a snack chip.

Order the CD here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/tsoen

Visit The Sons' website: http://www.thesonsofemperornorton.com/

Melody Zagami is a 25 year old freelance writer and sometime-stand-up comedian in the green mountains of Vermont. She is currently pursuing a Master's in special ed.

This guy don't like it....

Rating: 3

Patrick Schabe,

PopMatters Music Reviews Editor

There are two things you need to know before I commence with the review.

The first is a little background on the weird and wonderful history of Emperor Joshua Norton. Norton first made history in 1859 when he dressed up in a tatty military uniform and declared himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. Among Norton's great acts under his reign, he established of diplomatic communications with Queen Victoria, issued his own currency, and demanded that a suspension bridge be built across San Francisco Bay. Despite being considered at best an eccentric, and at worst insane, the people of San Francisco generally humored him, and he spent the remainder of his life as a minor celebrity of the city and drew a huge crowd to his funeral procession. A simple Internet search will reveal the myriad details of his story, but he has slipped into a shrouded kook cult status in the intervening years, mainly remembered in the Bay Area, but valorized in different pop culture references and even canonized as a saint by the gonzo Discordian religion.

The second thing you should know is that I have personally long been a fan of Norton's due in no small part to my occasional semi-serious self-identification as a Discordian. The man's combination of chutzpah and charisma and crack-pot insanity made him just plain cool. Additionally, my political affiliations remain independent in these polarized times, with libertarian ideals and environmental concerns making me plenty leery of the current administration.

All of this is germane to this review because it's important that I be clearly understood: I do not dislike this album because I don't "get" Emperor Norton (in as much as no one does), nor is it because I am a conservative Bush-supporter. There is nothing political about it. I simply don't like this album because it's ham-fisted, contrived, and often ridiculous.

And the sad part is, I should like this disc. It's trenchant and political and feisty and silly and irreverent. It valorizes some of my favorite historical crazy men. It's got 23 tracks! But for all that, the songs of Joseph F. Kaline are simply too blunt and too polemical to achieve the kind of arch humor that makes this stuff work. There's little irony here, and even less subtlety, therefore the joke falls flat and all you're left with is a collection of clunky protest songs and random dialogues. Okay, with song titles like "Putrid Minds (I Think We Stopped the Clock Way Back at Wounded Knee)", "Killing for the Oil Companies (The Pledge of Obedience)", and "The John Wilkes Booth Fully Privatized Chief Executive Retirement Plan (Why Bother With Another Over-Regulated, Inefficient, Gov't Run System?)" -- longer than the actual track -- you don't really expect a whole lot of subtlety. But, jeez, you know?

Sure, Kaline's got a sharp tongue and enough wit to deliver lines like "We've got the rainforests to graze our big beef cattle / Next comb the Arctic to feed our SUVs / The real heroes were marching in Seattle / I guess I'll ride a bike and not eat so much cheese", but it doesn't really encourage any kind of dialogue. In anything, songs like "Killing for the Oil Companies" don't encourage change so much as hopelessness. As social commentary, the funk/Americana/rockabilly songs work in their single-minded way, but it's like being slapped with a pamphlet. It's even more odd when placed alongside goofy songs like "Old E's Coming Back", wherein Elvis supposedly returns to save us from our political sins -- as though Elvis were somehow the arbiter of died-in-the-wool liberalism. Or worse, tracks like "Deng Xiao Ping", a jazzy instrumental that has exactly zero criticism of the oppressive Chinese ruler, and "Oy Gevalt", a voice-over story track of Jewish neurosis and self-actualization that seems more racist that Woody Allen-ish. Ultimately, it's more confusing than inspiring.

The things that do work -- the four-track "radio play" starring a bizarre barroom interaction between Emperor Norton, Mark Twain, and (for no apparent reason) Stephen Hawking; the jarringly straightforward jazz-pop fusion track "Hi-Fi" -- aren't enough to recommend this disc, even to those hardcore liberal soldiers who love some good anti-Republican hyperbole, or to the merry pranksters who toast Norton as an icon of individualism and reality creation. Maybe good for a Discordian barn dance, but not really worth five tons of flax.

— 18 January 2006

THE SONS OF EMPEROR NORTON

The Putrid Minds Anthology: Battle Hymns for the Blue States

(Joe Kaline Productions)

Rating: 3

US release date: 2006

UK release date: Available as import

by Patrick Schabe

PopMatters Music Reviews Editor

This guy like...

LOVE your CD!! Well done, gentlemen. Looking forward to playing a few cuts on the radio. Do please send us your other works as they become available.

New fans of YOURS,

HARRISON

KTLK/Hollywood

AIR AMERICA RADIO LOS ANGELES

http://www.goharrison.com

Here's what a happy British DJ on CUR1350 had to say about our CD(have a go, mate!):

thank you for the cd guys. i appreciate it. it's definately going to

get

exposure on THe Music Show (which i produce). i have to admit i was

skeptical at first. i've quite a few of these satirical, anti-US albums

over the years, and they've not been much cop. what impressed me about

your

album was the really high quality of musicianship. the songs are

likeable,

and catchy, and well-structure, something most parodys tend to forget

about. at times the wit flags, and it comes across just as saracasm and

invective, but i suppose you're just being sincere. a little more

subtly

and slight of hand in your lyric writing might give the album more

symmetry. Putrid Minds itself is one of my stand-out tracks, and did

make

me laugh out loud ("i love my prozac and california wine"). it's also

an

incredibly well-rounded tune. the album as a whole is, well, it's a bit

long and laboursome at 23 tracks, with a radio play in the middle, but

the

quality is consistent. a genuine surprize.

cheers and yell if you want anything mroe from me,

Will Barrett

CUR1350 Head of Music

Here's our letter to and reply from Noam Chomsky(fer real):

At 10:57 AM 8/5/2006, you wrote:

> Hi Mr. Chomsky,

>

> I greatly admire your work and it has inspired my

>band and I to put out a humorous, progressively

>minded, and mostly original music CD. It's called "The

>Putrid Minds Anthology: Battle Hymns for the Blue

>States".

>

>We're "The Sons of Emperor Norton" and are at

>www.thesonsofemperornorton.com and CDbaby.com

>

>I just wanted you to have a copy if you give me the

>okay to send it and a mailing address.

>

>Thanks< Joe Kaline "The Sons of Emperor Norton"

Glad to learn about it, and thanks for the offer to send. In some

other

life, I'd be very pleased to have it. In this life --- the pace is so

intense that the chances of my listening to anything are pretty slight,

and

chaos is so enormous it would probably disappear.

Noam

This from a US DJ on public radio:

FROM: kevin vance | Save Address

DATE: Thu, 11 Aug 2006 21:13:49 -0700 (PDT)

TO:

SUBJECT: Re: We've released our album...

Am listening to it now! Brilliant! Funny! Profound!

(but please explain Oy Gevalt to me? Is the

girlfriend trying really hard not to hurt the

audience's feelings supposed to be some kinda

stereotype this Irish boy doesn't get?)

Kevin Vance:"A Patchwork Quilt", 5pm to 6:30pm on KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco(http://www.KALW.org).

This was written in pigs blood on the adobe wall of Fort Sutter in Sacramento, California, USA:

"It's like an anti-war USO show with a progressive slant." (El Hombre Furioso '05)

Here's our own take on it:

"The Sons of Emperor Norton", "The Beat Meters", and many of their musical friends and associates have put aside there previous musical projects and have come together with this CD compilation to express ultimately the same opinion: NO WAR ON IRAQ and to stop all aggression, war, and terror attacks perpetrated and perpetuated by the United States on people anywhere in the world.

Familiar patriotic themes are used as a template to stimulate the listeners' attention(shock and awe?). Also, a short radio play featuring Mark Twain, Emperor Norton, Professor Steve, and the King of Rock & Roll is cleverly interspersed between two versions of our national anthem to more thoroughly explore our world's most unfathomable, life-threatening issues in a surprisingly humorous fashion. A handful of entertaining non-political songs balance out the collection.

"The Sons of Emperor Norton" like to call their music "progressive rockabilly", though they draw heavily from the inspiration, style, and repertoire of artists like Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Louis Jordan, and Gene Autry.

"The Beat Meters" meld funky jazz, jangly rock, Caribbean rhythms, and a healthy dose of brass and woodwind improvisation(without losing the groove).

We're politically inspired by the work of Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now", Al Franken(and Air America Radio in general), Howard Zinn, Michael Moore, Studs Terkel, Utah Phillips, Arianna Huffington, Medea Benjamin(Code Pink), Michael Franti, Bright Eyes, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Barbara Lee, The Coastal Post, Big Ed Schultz, and Michael Parenti.

We're also inspired by the righties, 'cause they can keep us hoppin' up and down just like the way Colonel Parker taught chickens to dance by stickin' em on a 'lectric hot plate!

{Here's some selected lyrics...}

Killing for the Oil Companies:

(verse 1)

Just because we know we are right, just because we think we are free, because we have such military might, we are killing for the oil companies.

Just because our statesmen are weak, and in the guise of Christianity, just to keep our headlights burning bright, we are killing for the oil companies.

(chorus)

From thirty thousand feet in the air, our heroes take out heathens from their padded easy chairs.

(verse 2)

Just because we saw it on TV, from journalists with no integrity, who laugh and smile as other nations bleed, as we are killing for the oil companies.

If you don't shoot me I will not shoot you, it is the best thing that we all can do. Just sell your car and ride a bicycle too, then Mohammed and Jesus will live like brothers do (chorus)

(verse 3)

Fortunate sons control the money tree, where a paper cut is the only blood they see. Young soldiers die for the profits of industry, as we are killing for the oil companies.

Just because we call it democracy, we rape the earth and take all that we "need", and as we control all of the seven seas, space based weapons will keep the planet free.

(chorus 2)

From many miles above the atmosphere, our heroes take out heathens, from their padded easy chairs.(1st verse)

Putrid Minds(I think we stopped the clock way back at Wounded Knee):

(verse 1)

The CIA trains dictators' armies, people are killed with weapons we provide, cocaine and coffee are grown by starving farmers...as I sip latte and then do another line.

Over in Iraq, children die of cancer...it's from the bombs we drop year after year. Thousands of murders that never make the airwaves...let's watch some football then we'll drink a case of beer

(chorus)

Locked inside these putrid minds needs just one thing to feel fine, it's just to spend another day letting corporate powers have their way.

(verse 2)

We've cut the rainforest to graze our big beef cattle, next goes the Arctic to feed our SUV's, the real "heroes" were marching in Seattle...I guess I'll ride a bike and not eat so much cheese.

On public TV, they're always fixing houses, and preparing meals that no one can afford. With all that fancy food and all those extra houses...we could give homeless people decent room and board.(to chorus)

(verse 3)

Our president is a puppet and a liar, but I'm patriotic so I'll just fall in line. Let's kill

Iraqi's(Afghani's?) and build an oil pipeline...I love my Prozac and my California wine.

Weapons manufacturers control the broadcast networks, billions of dollars are made promoting war. Freedom of speech goes right on down the toilet...we'll lose the planet to these corporate pimps and whores(to chorus).

(final verse)

Let's bomb the crap out of all the other countries, it's the only way to make the world free. We know what's best for all of god's children... I think we stopped the clock way back at Wounded Knee.(to chorus)

Ol' E's Comin' Back:

(verse 1)

Ol' E's comin' down on the railroad track, it's been a long time, but he's comin' on back. He jus' don't like the way things have been, he gonna break it all loose like he did back then...but ain't no Colonel gonna git in his way. Ol' E's Comin' Back, and E's here to stay.

E's grindin' the rims of his pink Cadillac, jus' burnin' and sparkin' like a missile attack. But there ain't no pollution from his lovin' machine, 'cause E gets his power from a source that's clean. He gonna right the wrongs of the entire Earth and redeem the purpose of his long, lost birth.

He gonna take a little time and make some friends, he gonna make Ralph Nader the new president. He gonna give native peoples all back their lands and pay reparations to the African-Americans.

(chorus)

Ol' E's Comin' Back, the King's comin back, Ol' E's Comin' Back, the King's comin' back. There must be some reason that we loved him so well; the King's comin' back to save us from hell.

(verse 2)

It didn't take very long to screw it up so bad, that's why ol' E is so doggone mad. He had to come back jus' t' get it straight, that's why we all can hardly wait. Red, Sonny, Lard Ass, and Noam Chomsky too, are gonna help Ol' E fix the world for you.

He gonna take all that farmland from that corporate greed, and give independent farmers all natural seed. He gonna take those chemicals and hormones away, and make things grow in an organic way. So when yo' mama eats a burger that's a little too rare, she won't be startin' to grow unwanted facial hair.

Now E's got some ideas about gittin' around, he gonna bring back trains to go from town to town. We won't be usin' trees for paper cuz he's legalizin' hemp, and no more payin' corporate cotton that unwanted rent.(chorus)

(verse 3)

Now brother, E's gonna help but he can't do it alone, so quit what yer doin' and come up off that cel phone. Sistah quit listenin' to that corporate controlled media out there, cuz they're only gonna tell ya what they want you to hear. You gotta keep your focus on the search for the truth, cuz you can't change a thing if you don't have proof.

No more Demerols , green footballs, or Dr. Nick, he sez Amy Goodman is his favorite chick. Quittin' bacon and psyillium fiber make him real quick, he's a lean, clean, lovin' machine like in '56.(chorus)

He Hums a Sad, Sweet Song(Joshua's Hymn):

Yes we all can see him, he's walking through the fog. His clothes are worn and tattered, and he hums a sad, sweet song.

Not as steady as he used to be, but he holds his head up high. With his cane he'll lead us through the mist, to the sweet, sweet by and by.

(bridge)

Now some men say,"Forget the past; don't trifle on what has been." But if we forget what came before, the earth will shake forever more.

Where Ishi walks, Jack London writes, and Paul Desmond plays his horn. He will dance with Isadora, before the frosty morn'.

Where Miwok Indians all live in peace, no gold nor mission bells ring. The condor flies above the grizzly, as winters turn to spring.

(bridge)

Now who will lead this mighty land from its tyranny and hate? Only Joshua Norton can deliver us from this fate.

Yes we all can see him, he's walking through the fog. With all his friends, those two big dogs; he hums a sad, sweet song.

Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey(Mushroom Cloud):

(verse 1)

You know I'd like to sing a song, that says everything's okay, but it really dosen't feel that way.

You know we're gone tomorrow and maybe here today,

leaving me very few words to say

(chorus)

Hey, hey, hey, hey...

(verse 2)

You know I'd like to sing a far out song of love,

but I don't feel it, I guess I've had enough.

I'm just awaitin' for that mushroom cloud above,

hoping the end dosen't get too rough(chorus).

(bridge)

Never can I get used to it, it's always on my mind.

Hoping tomorrow things will change, and we will all be fine.

So my darling, don't you fear, we have lots of time.

Even with no atmosphere, our love affair will shine(chorus).

Personnel:

vocalists featured include: Marianne Domin, Joe Kaline, Eva Maass, Happy Sanchez, Glenn Sexton, The Sexton Family, and Norbert Stachel.

bass guitar: Scott "Ulysses S. Balzac" Hoover, Joe Kaline, Eva Maass, and Norbert Stachel.

drums: Paul "Dr. Smithsonian Shambles" Elias, George Smeltz, and Paul Van Wageningen.

guitars: Mark "Hummingbird" Benjamin, Marc "Twang" Bernasconi, Joe Kaline, Tony "Lama" Orbasido, Glenn Sexton, and James Tomkins.

saxophones: Joe Kaline, Rob "Harlan Evans", and Billy "Slick Willy" Blythe.

fiddle: Jeff "Lil' Abner" Hobbs.

accordian: Finau Guerino Piatanesi I(Father of the piano accordian in the U.S. circa 1908-1916).

voiceovers: Sharon Allen, Sammy Clemens, Fred, Hancha Fruchmann, Joe Kaline, Joshua N., Happy Sanchez, and Norbert Stachel.

recording engineers: Rob Preston(getreelpro@aol.com), Happy Sanchez, and Fred Catero.

produced by: Joe Kaline, Rob Preston, and Happy Sanchez.

mastered by: Gary Hobish(A Hammer Mastering).

photography: Sharon Allen, Saul Bromberger, Scott Hoover, and Sandra Hoover.

graphic design: Daniel Ziegler(dan@zieglerdesigns.com)

special thanks to: Mom, Dad, Gordan Raddue, Sharon Allen, Best Instrument Repair/A&G Music, Dick Akright, Mel Grey, Greg Smithson, Richard Wille, and KPFA-FM free speech radio(www.kpfa.org)

Selected retro gear used on recording:

Guitar amps: 70's Fender Twim, 1962 Fender Deluxe, !960's Gretsch Amp with 10 inch speaker, 1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb.

Guitars: 1960 Guild T-100 thin body cutaway archtop with

p-90 type pick-ups. Gibson ES-125 w/P-90's, no cutaway.

Gibson 1994 "Centennial" J-60 made in Bozeman, Montana.

Fender reissue 1952 Telecaster.

Keys: Korg CX-3 organ through solid-state accordion Leslie amp and speaker. Roland Juno 60.

Horns: Selmer 1948 "Super Balanced Action" tenor, 1960's Selmer Alto, 1917 King bari sax, 1978 Bach Stradivarius 37 trumpet.

The Sons of Emperor Norton:

> (verse 1)

> They're travelin' across the prairies, in beat up

> Chevrolets, just drivin' a hundred years or so,

> lookin' for a place to stay. Their skin's on fire,

> and

> it's puffin' up, from bakin' in the sun...their

> beady

> eyes are bloodshot red, from bein' on the run.

>

> (chorus)

> They're the Sons of Emepror Norton(yeehaw), they're

> the Sons of Emepror Norton.

>

> (verse 2)

> They left the King in Memphis, and Grant up on the

> pass, then stopped in Virginia City on Julia

> Bullette's bed of brass. From Donner Summit to the

> Barbary Coast, the steel pistons run, for ev'ry man

> that passed this way, is Joshua Norton's son.(to

> chorus)

>

> (bridge)

> In full dress blues, an admiral's hat, and a golden

> Anchor Steam, the Little Bighorn lives again on

> black

> and white TV. They dream of years that came before

> but

> never might of been, and through ceaseless,

> yearning,

> lonely fear, those days can live again.

>

> (verse 3)

> Through Tesla's dream, the music plays and breaks

> the

> daily trance, on Sadie Hawkin's Day, it's with Daisy

> Mae that he will have this dance. Come one, come

> all,

> and fill the hall, 'til emptiness is gone, then

> raise

> your glass to Emperor Norton, the father of us all,

> and drink a toast to Emepror Norton, the father of

> us all.

Average Customer Review: