Perhaps the most ignominious of all LOOB tapes, the worrying "Disaster" having been scrawled in Ted's hand over labels of both tapes containing this rehearsal. Because of this, I have stayed away from these cassettes after a futile attempt at mixing them 25 years ago. It has always eaten at me because they happen to contain one of only two recordings LOOB made with our guitarist Howie Rabach, who joined us in 1989. Well, I finally met the monster and, after getting through some of the technical problems that have rendered these cassettes pariahs, wouldn't you know it, some really special LOOB performances emerge!
The "disaster" is that Hubie's guitar is very low in the mix, so are the drums, Howie's guitar and the vocal track (taken from the P.A.) are on three of the four tracks, drowning out everything else....so mixing this thing makes you want to reach for your revolver. Or at least the Ibuprofen.
oh, and did i mention the distortion?
On the other hand, it sounds like I was the one engineering this mess, so there's your answer as to why it's a disaster! I'm telling you all this so you understand why one can sometimes audibly hear the modern me "ride the faders".....I could boost the vocal track (if no one is singing) and voila, you get more of Hubie & Mike. I had to do multiple passes at every song...but I got through the two tapes (which - we didn't realize back then - improve in quality as the rehearsal goes on). And I'm more than happy I did!
Among these tapes' virtues: a really nice version of Ted's song "Don't Mind At All" as well as a long, mellow run-through of Hubie's "End Of The Story", those two songs will put you in a mood of melancholia, guaranteed. Also from this rehearsal: a song of Howie's entitled "Pajamas" that - to this day! - I sing whenever I hear the word pajamas ("walking 'round in my pajamas....I feel so good!"), a super-early version of "We Both Wobble" and what has to be the ultimate recording of "Island Music", truly a tour-de-force performance from Captain Poole. It also has us bashing away on the Beatles' "She Said, She Said" for 14 distorted minutes!
A song from this period that I was heartbroken not to find on this tape: "Conversations", a beautiful tune that had great harmonies and featured Howie and Hubie with dual chorus'd guitars, it would literally make your head swim.......damn! Lost to the ages!
Anyways, enjoy Howie & the boys, January of 1990.....hardly a disaster!
Life Out Of Balance, Rocky Point studio
Michael Mussolini conducts level tests
She Said, She Said
Is It Safe?
End Of The Story
We Both Wobble
Don't Mind At All
I Hear A New Voice
Island Music
Pajamas
Beating A Dead Horse
Hubie Poole - Guitar, Vocal
Howie Rabach - Guitar, Vocal
Ted Schreiber - Bass, Vocal
Michael Goodman - Drums, Vocal
Recorded (ineptly!) on a Tascam Porta Two 4-track, probably by me, future LOOB'er Steve Goodman attended the proceedings and probably manned the pause button!
Download here:
https://www.mediafire.com/?oiko1ej97jaz5xx
