Confession.
(SST 189) - 7/88
CONFESSION - where the songs came from
by Joe Nolte
Where can I buy this CD???
"Confession" is either our second, third or fourth album, depending on how you feel about the legitimacy of "Look Again", which never came out, or "Painting Smiles", which was by the time of release almost a compilation of decidedly non-hits, and only got released in France.
Whichever, "Confession" was our triumphant comeback album. New musicians, new hip label (SST) and new hip producer (Bill Stevenson). The material is essentially a mix of the stuff that would have come out in early '86 had the band not split up, and new stuff I'd started writing with a vengeance in late '87. It actually did soar onto the CMJ Top Five upon release, though it just as quickly soared out again.
Total time from first backing tracks to final mix was exactly two weeks, and in fact we shot the cover photo outside the studio door on the last night of mixing. I like the thing, as always I'd do everything differently if given the chance but that's always the way it is, isn't it?
SO QUICK TO SAY (lyrics)
(written April 1985)
The first mention of Three O'Clock in print was a review of their first single (when they were Salvation Army) in the L. A. Weekly, where they were cited as a "cross between Black Sabbath and The Last". I already knew Mike Quercio as a Last fan, but didn't realize this was his band at the time. As far as The Last and the Paisley scene goes, see the 1982 page of the history section.
I told you that story to tell you this - this song was an attempt to write a Three O'Clock type song. Why?
Who cares.
I liked the song - I was pushing to do a new album in mid-'85 but Vitus and I were barely speaking, and brother Dave was about to leave. A lot of stuff on this and the next album should have hit the streets in 1986, but oh well . . .
Open letter to band members, past and present - add comments! This is not nor will it ever be nor should it be the Joe Nolte excises his soul mould website - let's have dialogue and controversy . . .
Or perhaps I should refrain from drinking Cuba Libres when writing . . .
Nahhhh!@#@#
ANOTHER SIDE (lyrics)
Listen to a clip of this song: (MP3)
(written May 1985)
Don't know how this hit, I was talking to brother David who commented on a current Springsteen video (Dancing in the Dark) and saying that it hit him, that he could relate to changing his hair, his face, etc.
So this probably was subconsciously derived from that verbal exchange - thematically however it's really just Slavedriver updated. I like it, though. It's fun to play.
GOING GONE (lyrics)
Listen to a clip of this song: (Real Audio)
(written Dec 18, 1987)
Oh dear. First song about a girl we shall identify only as "H". Too personal to say much about lyrically.
Musically, I wrote a prototype song in the Spring of '85 that went nowhere, but I liked it a lot. Ultimately the verses became the verses for this song, with a new chorus added, and the chorus of the original much later became the chorus for "You" (from the AWAKENING album). A lot of you who clamber onto this site know me, and thus it's probable I'll play you the original scratchy tape of the original.
Come to think of it, the nice thing about being the most unknown legendary band in the world is that it's relatively easy to link up with anyone who gives a shit. At this point, your numbers can be counted on my toes (don't go there) - so I may make tapes available to any who are truly interested. If we eventually get rich famous and jaded I'll deny having said this, but what are the odds?
Anyway, "H" was a real good source for material, as you'll soon see.
AND THEY LAUGH (lyrics)
Listen to a clip of this song: (Real Audio)
Mike wrote this - I'll get him to tell you what it means. We had a lot of fun with the falsetto voices at the end. Bill Stevenson came in his pants.
Mike Nolte says:
Wrote this song on accordion.
An old friend of mine had just got into an accident on the freeway, wasn't injured but was very shaken up. Stopped off at his sister and brother-in law's home, very much in shock, looking for a shoulder to cry on . . . and they laughed at him!
So he somehow found himself over at my house and told me all about his ordeal and his kin's reaction and naturally I felt very sympathetic for him, and nothing but anger and astonishment at his sister's and brother-in-law's callousness. When he left, I immediately sat down and wrote the song in it's entirety, words and music. It probably was finished within the space of an hour.
I SAW YOUR EYES (lyrics)
(written July 29, 1987)
This was written for "M1" and no one is ever gonna know who she is! The "I saw your eyes" bit came to me, words and music simultaneously, at work, and the rest soon followed. True story. Will I confess on my deathbed? Heh, heh, heh . . .
IT ISN'T REALLY YOU (lyrics)
(written Summer 1987)
Weird song - probably written before "I Saw Your Eyes" and thus the first number written expressly for the New Improved Last. I think I realized we needed new stuff and just popped the thing out. Ouch. I was obviously at some sort of crossroads -
Oh hell, I have no idea . . .
DON'T CARE (lyrics)
Listen to a clip of this song: (MP3)
(written June 1976)
That's right - this is actually the first song written for The Last. We did a demo of it in late '76 but never officially recorded it till now. It's another song for the "F" girl (you'll recall "Someone's Laughing") and I recall trying to play an embryonic version of it for her and her boyfriend at a party and ended up playing the Bo Diddley riff over and over and over and . . . you get the idea.
It was then that many of my then friends began to question my sanity.
I took them all to the first L. A. appearance of the Ramones shortly thereafter and most of them have never spoken to me since.
I think this version sums it up nicely - thanks largely to Naz - this is as close as you'll get to true "Last roots".
SOLDIERS OF LOVE
It's a cover - written by Arthur Alexander and covered by the Beatles live and on radio in '62 and '63. We did an early version live in '81 with brother David helping on vocals - it totally rocked. We'd done decent versions with this lineup at practice and thus decided to include it on the album. I remain dismally dissatisfied with the results. The vocals didn't cut it. My apologies to all who've ever had to listen to it.
BOOK (lyrics)
Listen to a clip of this song: (Real Audio)
(written August 1987)
Indirectly inspired by "H". This came about out of a situation where said girl had done a particularly diabolical bit of teasing aimed at yours truly, leaving yours truly frustrated and positively furious.
At the time Nazworthy was contemplating leaving the band, though he offered his home practice studio to us. We'd recruited cousin Mike Anderson Jr (son of our uncle, Mike Sr., the drummer for the Frogmen, the first surf band to crack the top 40) to drum for us, and he and brother Mike showed up that afternoon, only to find me busily writing this song. I sent them on their way and met up with them an hour later at Naz's, song finished.
Naz of course stayed with us, and "Book", with its obvious "Sister Morphine" influence, remains one of my faves from this album.
DANCING (lyrics)
Listen to a clip of this song: (Real Audio)
(written December 1987)
Obviously the "Run run run run run" thing came first. Another song written for "H", this one hit me in the shower, and in the space of just under fifteen minutes the entire song, music and lyrics, had been written. Before I was even dry, even.
EVERYWHERE YOU TURN (lyrics)
Another one by Mike - I came up with the neo-psych idea of modulating the speed, and fading in and out the various parts. We had a lot of fun with this one.
Mike Nolte says:
My view of the world and it's inhumane inhabitants in general. Wrote this on accordion as well. Not much to say about this one . . . it's pretty much self-explanatory. It's also one of my favorites. I was living with brother Dave at the time, and my hat goes off to him for putting up with me playing that thing! Bill Stevenson thought the song was real creepy (I think he liked it) and would walk around the studio, with eyes bulging and hands curled in claw-like fashion, sneering "everywhere you turn..."
It was pretty cool!
Larry, our old bass player, said this was one of his favorite Last songs. Go figure!
Joe was the one responsible for speeding up the rhythm at the end of the song.
CONFESSION (lyrics)
(written December 1987)
Yet another one written for "H". Deliberately did this one solo, one take, no echo - much as I would do with "7/21" on the "Gin" album, though that was about an entirely different girl. In retrospect I'd probably have been better off arranging the things somewhat, but at the time I liked the idea of doing the raw emotion thing, especially as "H" at the time was confined to an insti
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