No Code / Merkinball -- Rewriting History

[LetMeSleep]

I like the idea of creating this lost album, whether it was intended or not. Most times the artist is spot on when they hold off on a release (thinking the original BOTT and also The Ties That Bind). I'm def going to make a playlist of this (well the tracks that are available.)

As for Jeff nearly quitting (or at least thinking about it), I've always wondered how Stone, Mike and Jeff felt about the Merkinball songs and their absense (well Jeff played on one track). That must have pissed Stone off quite a bit, especially after the Dave A firing.

And for the saving of the band, my guess is that Jack not only provided a steady head in the studio but he also placated Ed and Ed's seizing of control of the helm. I'm sure the Merkinball tracks were released as they felt they weren't right or maybe too big for the next album (and to satisfy the rec company). The bigger issue may have been the Neil Jam tour. It gave the 4 guys a real chance to bond and probably gave Ed a thing or two to think about. If Mirrorball hadn't have happened then maybe then PJ could have imploded. So it's a weird mix of Neil, Jack and Ed feeling he had more control. That's a messy ramble right there.

[VinylGuy]

I like the idea of creating this lost album, whether it was intended or not. Most times the artist is spot on when they hold off on a release (thinking the original BOTT and also The Ties That Bind). I'm def going to make a playlist of this (well the tracks that are available.)

As for Jeff nearly quitting (or at least thinking about it), I've always wondered how Stone, Mike and Jeff felt about the Merkinball songs and their absense (well Jeff played on one track). That must have pissed Stone off quite a bit, especially after the Dave A firing.

And for the saving of the band, my guess is that Jack not only provided a steady head in the studio but he also placated Ed and Ed's seizing of control of the helm. I'm sure the Merkinball tracks were released as they felt they weren't right or maybe too big for the next album (and to satisfy the rec company). The bigger issue may have been the Neil Jam tour. It gave the 4 guys a real chance to bond and probably gave Ed a thing or two to think about. If Mirrorball hadn't have happened then maybe then PJ could have imploded. So it's a weird mix of Neil, Jack and Ed feeling he had more control. That's a messy ramble right there.

Im thinking Jack might been the gap from Ed to Stone and Jeff..the connection between them. Just a thought.

[bodysnatcher]

I like the idea of creating this lost album, whether it was intended or not. Most times the artist is spot on when they hold off on a release (thinking the original BOTT and also The Ties That Bind). I'm def going to make a playlist of this (well the tracks that are available.)

As for Jeff nearly quitting (or at least thinking about it), I've always wondered how Stone, Mike and Jeff felt about the Merkinball songs and their absense (well Jeff played on one track). That must have pissed Stone off quite a bit, especially after the Dave A firing.

And for the saving of the band, my guess is that Jack not only provided a steady head in the studio but he also placated Ed and Ed's seizing of control of the helm. I'm sure the Merkinball tracks were released as they felt they weren't right or maybe too big for the next album (and to satisfy the rec company). The bigger issue may have been the Neil Jam tour. It gave the 4 guys a real chance to bond and probably gave Ed a thing or two to think about. If Mirrorball hadn't have happened then maybe then PJ could have imploded. So it's a weird mix of Neil, Jack and Ed feeling he had more control. That's a messy ramble right there.

You bring up a solid point. I think Mirrorball is a very pivotal point in the band's history and their survival that is often overlooked

[Lament]

I've always wondered how Stone, Mike and Jeff felt about the Merkinball songs and their absense (well Jeff played on one track)

Does anyone else think that there are some studio takes of I Got Shit and Long Road sitting in the vault as performed by the full band? I have to imagine that in those summer of 1995 sessions the five of them must have attempted those two songs at some point, especially if there was ever the possibility of them appearing on album #4.

[Kevin Davis]

Hadn't those songs already been recorded with Neil by summer of '95?

[LetMeSleep]

Hadn't those songs already been recorded with Neil by summer of '95?

I interpret Laments comment as Did the PJ line-up have a crack at re-recording them?

[Lament]

Hadn't those songs already been recorded with Neil by summer of '95?

I interpret Laments comment as Did the PJ line-up have a crack at re-recording them?

Yeah. Merkinball wasn't released until December, and the story Ed tells about how the songs came together initially doesn't make it sound like they necessarily thought "Man, we've got these finished." With the band playing them on the road and potentially considering them for album #4 it only makes sense to me that at some point they took a crack at re-recording them before deciding to release them as is.

[bodysnatcher]

Hadn't those songs already been recorded with Neil by summer of '95?

I interpret Laments comment as Did the PJ line-up have a crack at re-recording them?

Yeah. Merkinball wasn't released until December, and the story Ed tells about how the songs came together initially doesn't make it sound like they necessarily thought "Man, we've got these finished." With the band playing them on the road and potentially considering them for album #4 it only makes sense to me that at some point they took a crack at re-recording them before deciding to release them as is.

Possibly. Wouldn't sound as good though. Mike would never get that Neil guitar part right. It's perfect.

[LetMeSleep]

Hadn't those songs already been recorded with Neil by summer of '95?

I interpret Laments comment as Did the PJ line-up have a crack at re-recording them?

Yeah. Merkinball wasn't released until December, and the story Ed tells about how the songs came together initially doesn't make it sound like they necessarily thought "Man, we've got these finished." With the band playing them on the road and potentially considering them for album #4 it only makes sense to me that at some point they took a crack at re-recording them before deciding to release them as is.

Possibly. Wouldn't sound as good though. Mike would never get that Neil guitar part right. It's perfect.

It is perfect but it COULD have been an outtake. (I prefer the Promise version of Racing In The Street but it didn't fit the album).

btw When was the Nusrat AK version of Long Road rec'd? Anyone?

[bodysnatcher]

Hadn't those songs already been recorded with Neil by summer of '95?

I interpret Laments comment as Did the PJ line-up have a crack at re-recording them?

Yeah. Merkinball wasn't released until December, and the story Ed tells about how the songs came together initially doesn't make it sound like they necessarily thought "Man, we've got these finished." With the band playing them on the road and potentially considering them for album #4 it only makes sense to me that at some point they took a crack at re-recording them before deciding to release them as is.

Possibly. Wouldn't sound as good though. Mike would never get that Neil guitar part right. It's perfect.

It is perfect but it COULD have been an outtake. (I prefer the Promise version of Racing In The Street but it didn't fit the album).

btw When was the Nusrat AK version of Long Road rec'd? Anyone?

sometime in '95 i'm guessing. movie came out at the beginning of '96

[Kevin Davis]

The 1995 version of Brain of J is stronger than what appeared on Yield.

This is wack.

[LetMeSleep]

The 1995 version of Brain of J is stronger than what appeared on Yield.

This is wack.

Yeah some people here are on drugs.

[WtOB?]

1. I Got ID
2. Habit
3. Red Mosquito
4. Dead Man
5. Falling Down
6. All Night
7. Lukin
8. Brain of J (San Jose 95)
9. Open Road
10. Out of My Mind
11. Long Road

This has a very different flavour to No Code.

[Jorge]

I can't for the life of me understand the fascination with "Out of My Mind". Aside from the novelty "oh shit they made it through four minutes of alternating between these two chords without collapsing" factor, there's not much of a song there. Surely no one here would seriously pick it over any one of the No Code tracks?

[WtOB?]

I can't for the life of me understand the fascination with "Out of My Mind". Aside from the novelty "oh shit they made it through four minutes of alternating between these two chords without collapsing" factor, there's not much of a song there. Surely no one here would seriously pick it over any one of the No Code tracks?

Of course I wouldn't. But it's just interesting because it's an "improv" with lyrics that was played twice. Not just some one-off jam with Eddie mumbling shit. It's surely as much of a song as the Falling Down and Open Road versions we have.

It's just an interesting little experiment to see how different No Code could have been and also offers insight into how different it would have been if released in 1995. I'm not for a second suggesting it would have been better than No Code.

[Jorge]

Maybe this belongs in the "Admit Something" thread, but I've actually never heard "Falling Down".

[WtOB?]

You're not missing that much, just a cool little jam that could have become a really cool song but didn't. It's more about listening and hearing what could have been than it is listening to a song.

[Birds in Hell]

Not just some one-off jam with Eddie mumbling shit.

Fine, "twice-off".

[WtOB?]

Not just some one-off jam with Eddie mumbling shit.

Fine, "twice-off".

There you go !

[WtOB?]

You seriously don't think Out of My Mind is any different to any other one-off improv ??