On a very acute street
corner in Long Beach, California, once stood Mother Mudds coffee
house. Steve Fong's place was the living room and den for the whole
neighborhood. One of the many good things that started there is the
friendship and collaboration that created the songs on this CD.
"Love Death and The Laws of Physics" is what happened when the creative
energy of the Mother Mudds crowd inspired Barnaby to start writing
poetry again, and Steve Desmond asked if he might try setting one of
them to music. The result was "Absent Friends", which expresses
feelings both Steve and Barnaby were dealing with at that time. The
song convinced both of us that it was worth trying to do it again.
After about a year and a half, we had enough to put together this
project. A good collaboration uses the strengths of its members and
avoids their weaknesses. This is why you will not hear any sound
generated by Barnaby on this disk. You will hear Steve's music, voice
and musicianship, and Barnaby's words.
Mother Mudds is gone now, but the music
and the memories live on.
Thank
you Steve Fong for creating the place that made it happen
and
THANK
YOU Steve Desmond for your friendship, musicianship, and collaboration in this
project.
A little bit about the songs:
The Other Half of My Mind
Barnaby's day job is aerospace engineering. Most of his time is spent
in a very scientific, analytical place. Writing poetry and songs is
somewhere else entirely.
Thermodynamics
This song is about the oldest battle since men and women started sharing bedding... and why its worth it.
Crazy
Even the best relationship has days when you wonder why you stick with
it. But if its the right person and you're smart you do, while wishing
that your mate would chill just a little.
Tastefully Lewd
A phrase first uttered while Barnaby and Lynne were walking past a
Westwood California recreational lingerie shop about 1980. The first
reaction to the window display "that's downright lewd!". The rejoinder,
"but tasteful" (referring to the then-popular Lilly Tomlin comedy
routine)
The Ghost of Isaac Newton
The laws of physics rule us all regardless of whether we choose to accept it or not. Isaac Newton cuts no one any slack.
Solutions (1)
Not every problem needs solving so badly that its worth paying the
price of the fix. This song appears in two versions. Barnaby originally
conceived it as a blues number, but Steve's arrangement was decidedly
up-tempo. We both liked it, and considered it done. About a year later,
Steve tried it out blues style. We liked that too. This track appears
first, but is really the second, blues, version of the song.
Absent Friends
Dedicated to the memory of Julian Wolkovitch, Stan Stoy, Mark Moore and all the others who left too soon.
No additional words are appropriate: the song says it all.
Which Way Now?
Sometimes its hard to figure out where you're headed. Just enjoy the ride.
Alter Ego
We all have a darker side. Sometimes its fun to play with... but be careful.
Solutions (2)
The original up-tempo version of the song.
Love, Death, and the Laws of Physics
The fundamental forces that rule our universe.
Our title, and title song came from an offhand comment. One night at
Mudd's Steve asked Barnaby if there were any new lyrics on the way.
Barnaby's reply was "we've covered love, death and the laws of physics,
what else is there?" Steve's reply "sounds like a good title."
The Other Half of My Mind (reprise)
This is where we came in. Hope you enjoyed it!
All Songs:
Music by Steve Desmond, Lyrics by Barnaby Wainfan:
Vocal and instrumental performance: Steve Desmond
Percussion: Henry Rodriguez
Executive Producer: Barnaby Wainfan
Produced by Steve Desmond and Barnaby Wainfan
Engineered and mixed by Robert Trujillo
Recorded at TRU-1: Pico Rivera, California
Cover Art: Barnaby Wainfan
Thanks to:
Ronny Bancalari for loaning us his Fender P-Bass
Daniel J. Wilson for loaning us his Martin Acoustic Guitar
Steve Fong for creating the place that made it happen.
Katie Wainfan for inspiring her dad to step up to the mike.
Copyright 1999: Barnaby Wainfan and Steve Desmond
All Rights Reserved
To order the Love, Death, and the Laws of Physics CD, send check or money order for $10 + $2.50 S+H to:
Barnaby Wainfan
4358 Tulane Ave
Long Beach, CA 90808
