The Frogs

began in earnest 1980-- played 5 "warm-up" shows t' get our feet wet @ uw-milwaukee --open mike etc. --rocked 'em/knew we were ready and moved on-- to the starship (downtown milw. nightclub)- initially had a small but loyal "skate punk" following- that didn't last-- from june '80 to oct '80 we went through half a dozen changes stylistically- sound scaping faster than our audience could keep up w/-- 1. guitar (electric), drums (3)- floor tom, snare and cymbal 2. guitar (electric), drums (3)- floor tom, snare and cymbal, drum machine, washing machine etcetera- after halloween '80 we decided we wouldn't play live again until our set consisted of all originals-- and we set out to do just that-- then sometime in '82 jim wrote the "death songs".... to be continued... backtrack--we were never a folk-rock duo-- we were drums and wires-- drums and electric guit. from the get go-- and we rocked the hell out of donovan, beatle ballads, cohen, nursery rhymes etc.- an eclectic mix as i say from the start-- although what must be stated up front is that-- for all intents and purposes-when we got the group together in 1980, to our eyes/ears- rock was already dead-- but we decided to throw in our two cents worth anyway- so we started playing live-mastering the stage as we went-becoming our own be(a)st friend in the process - the perfect unit/ensemble ala beatles, stones whohaveyou and that was that-- also taking the piss out of every (pretentious) bitch/witch/bastard who happened along the way needing bringing down a rung or tongue or two or three or for that matter/fatter four...2 beat contin(you)ed for u and me(et)... backtracking... the death songs-- as stated previously (obviously) the songs were about death-starting with (i've locked you in my) dungeon there were about a dozen others including hades high school and satan's in the manger to mention two of the more well known- we recorded them in our then apartment when dr. malmac wasn't home above t' complain-his loss--then when we had arrangements down for 6 of these we took them live to little or no notice-no matter--if songs could kill...remember d****s better not bitter-we continued onward and upward-what other way was there really--couldn't build a following to save our ass(ets)-like pulling teeth out of a camel's ass(et)- almost like CASSette is it not?-god i've not revealed much- let the mystery be-y' had t' be(et)(red) there and you weren't-where were you just when i needed you most sheryl crow?--back to the rant(semi) -we employed fog and flash (as opposed to flesh) pots in the early days to jack up the energy live- live as in live performance- specifically '83,'84,'85-- but as always the songs came first-the comedy second- continue it yerself...yes mam---i mean mammy-i mean mammyogram- o' if burning crosses could only talk-should we/i discuss the "black album" aka racially yours--the frogs apparently should have injected the lp w/a bit more humour acccording to the fistlicks- i mean critics/ fans and 4 eyed pen/cock weilding fux alike-- r yours was never intended to be a "novelty" record w/a message ala "r & n"- for that matter 'R & N" was not a comedy lp- we ourselves were immune to the lyrics on 'right & natural"-we didn't bust a gut listening to it- if anything we listened to the "MUSIC" on the record-- anychute back to r.mine-- initially racially yours was a 14 song lp in length (that's what she said)- and for reasons i cannot recall i continued onward and upward w/the recording of 11 more trax- beg. w/revolution and ending w/uncle sam loves u-- i/we knew it was an imperfect beast in excess of 60 minutes but i couldn't bear to shelve the remaining 11 tracks--so we released it as such-- i had wanted to send it out into the"marketplace" as 2 separate discs-- the first lp to be titled "racially yours" (14 tracks) and the other 11 songs on disc 2 "racially mine"-- never came to fruition because no one would put it out/release it--had we the $ to self-release it on vinyl... would have come out in '93-- a pleasant aural pastoral reading for the most part- we/i tried to inject as much beauty/soul into the overdubs as possible and i think we/i suckseeded fer the least part--for the most part please refer to "it's only right and natural" --an effortless best/beast to make and not a struggle at all unlike RACIALLY YOURS-- still r.yours does have its momentz i must sAys-like willie mAys, so grandma sAys- she didn't...grandpa did--the duty--and there go i...end for now...luv on ya...continuing this diatribe now, let's see what's to be said about "right & natural" aka "it's only right and natural" our "2nd" lp--- well, it's the type of thing that happens really only once in a "career/carear" musical "careera" that is- which we've never had really (insert tears here-insert something here- that's what she said) -'twas 14 songs worth of full on immersion into right on hedonism w/tongue firmly represented in the cheek (and not) and beyond-- once again a pastoral folky little record shoved through and thru w/ditty upon ditty upon ditty of sexual supremacy xxx style and of the mono kind apparently- which apparently wound some people upwards and outwards-- with this one boisterous little record ALL the controversy (read Kontroversee) re: the frogs began--- as stated previosly above "a perfect beast" effortlessly created on the spot w/overdubs fleshing the frame out later- the songs were "made-up" spontaneously on the spot-in this case our then living room- warning: this record WILL get stuck in yer head-- and yes, with THOSE lyrics... you have been forwarned- four warmed or somesing like zat-- thank you eva (gabor) i didn't know you cared and/or were still alive to give a shite- yes there is a bit of the old irish in me--- and everyone (that's what he said one final time)-- oh by the bi next time u give a listen to "r & n" try to hear the actual MUSIC/MUZAK on it- it IS there if u listen HARD (said with dylan stress) enough-- enuf sayeth me(ek)- it is the crown of our creation-- yes, JA did rock hard!... soft from me now-done... my daughter the broad-- mudhoney's latest had just come out titled my brother the cow and my mind took it from there --- i made-up at least 150 other titles for the lp but first is best so "broad" stuck--- an lp consisting of 22 made-up songs -- a best of in a sense-- an imperfect perfection only because it's too long-- should've made it 14 songs ala 'right and un-natural' but at the time honestly the way things weren't going "carearwise" we thought it might be our last-- contains some classics-- 'the goat' etc.-- god what a self-congratulatory b i am-- well somebody's got to toot my own c (as in hot c annie) and it mighty as(s) (s)well be(at) me-- shot the cover meself- god i'm irish again and i love it- love THIS fist-- and so i end (again) only t' fight another "friend" another day(z)--- talk about your poetry/your art-- dang it my art is so arty it hurtssss (like a snake/virgin/what have yous)--like a kurdtz-- well it rhymed anyweight....(spring '86) we began work on what was to become our 1st lp-- our eponymous debut-- the first day at the studio (a commercial jingles facility) saw the completion of 2 songs "funhouse" (live version) and "what the trouble was" ---we said to ourselves (and no one in particular) "this record is going to be a breeze"-- a "breeze"?--- well the lp wasn't a breeze at all/et al. it was a record-you know- fraught w/sounds/music/muzak what have u/we-- and w/that the real work began/begat/becat (not a word- but the claws did cum out) and what real work it 'twas-- a labour uv luv-- that did not turn out as we had envisioned it and, uv course/curse various songs were jettisoned in favour of others along/lung the way in an effort/afront t' prove our genius/genus (one of the 2)-- but in the end we, after much toil/foil/soil and yes trouble/stubble/bubble, finished it--polished off the beat/beast and were sadly saddened/satin disapponted/annointed when the 1000 lps arrived by post and were thenceupon heaped upon the corner of our then vainglorious living room where they then sat/spat/leaned and ultimatedly stood in silent defiance up against the wall in anticipation of future worldwide emancipation/domination-- but, as you know, failure is a righteous mighty teacher---and all our little/big hopes and dreams came to naught--"some who suckceeded and some who suffered in vain" ray d--postscript/post it to this story/sophmoric poetry---when i met kurdt c 6 months before HIS sad demise he said that he'd been searching high and wide for our eponymous/hippoponymous debut for 2 years gay/straight--- i felt somehow somewhat strangely vaguely vindicated that all our bob(you may know him as robert) johnson's love HADN'T been in vain-- "k"could have saved himself the trouble had he just come over to our house i would have gladly given him a free one -for a small fee that is --hey we had to recoup the $17,000 somehow/somewhere my love --are you more familiar with dr. zhivago or dr. malmac's work?... continuing the namedropping(s) jim o'rourke says our 1st is one of his faves as well/welt... and yet and so the stinging continues still- u work on YOUR own issues a-hole and leaf mine alone---you better/bitter leave my kitten/kitaen alone...or else/elsie you KNOW where the tissue goes---anything goes/everything's toast...full moon or what?...holy &/or unholy fist it's been a bit of a bit since i've entered in hasn't it? well retartless--onto a frag of the stag that the "starjob" ep was/is-- 'twas never intended as an ep for starters/openers---relevant info: 4 of the songs were completed 1/94 (3 days and not counting at soundworks, chi) and the final 2 'stars'-starboy and stargirl made their way onto 8 track cassette at bc's house/home upstairs dec '94-- one day to mix said tracks jan '95 and...voila--- the job of the stars made flesh--- no it wasn't about kurdt you dumb shitz/fux--- but as oe (operator error said) "you can't polish a turd" ---released 1997 as an afterthought by the"company-by the "man"-little known fact "jesus doesn't love me" was a consideration for this ep along with a few other unmentionables--once/twice/thrice again way too one d for my/our liking-unfortunately the hookiest songs chosen just happened to be about...you guessed it "STARS"--- jrf fronted the nonexistent "budget"--wish it was an lp-6 out of 12- that's what he/she got/had...hadn't my baby (paul anka style)-plantation days are back...again......hoptart lollifart sunray surf/rise aka hopscotch lollipop sunday surprise- our last 12" release (2001)---i carried that beast on my back 3 years & counting ala mode jc cross style--- begged and borrowed (begged part of my as(k) off)-- heavenly helped along the path to lp completion by st bjorn, salt lake charles and jdh of chicago fame (also british christ of halloween band fame added 2 cents worth on a few [bear and better than g] not to mention demoing "longing" and guit solo on his namesake)--- this release initially began as an aids concept lp (a double in fact- 30 songs t' rival beatles white album)- i let myself get talked out of that idea by st b and cb in reverse when it was explained to me that the public (once again) just won't "get it" - so we threw the controversy out with the bathwater and that begat the sugary confection of lesser impact (a)ka poprat mollifat (well she was plump anyway) sumppump pollyrump sundae surmise--- initial idea much mother superior to the safer release it eventually becomed (yes, even as poppy and hooky and gooey [and some say 'dark'] as it ultimately was)---an easter beaster record of mild import is the final word...we hit that record full blast virginia --full blast!!!...back to it namely i forgots to talks abouts the lp in which we ban the animals or rather bananimals- really just meaning crazy as in bananas was what the lp title meant. as for the content- more unreleased made-up songs from z frogs- from z vaults not ala phy ed though-- you know the vault, parallel bars etc.-- the fire department label in chi town released this one with such leftover/rightover classics as "love in the sand" "golden showers" "sailors board me now" et al for public consumption- w/japanese import mock cover art intact it was sure to be a hit -and it wasn't- thankx to me for the stuffed toy little horsie and to bobby b for the "koo koo" doll head employed on said lp cover--turns out "u bastards" really wasn't about us in the end anyway-- was it?...was it knots?...nots to my knowledges it wasn't (as in pheasant, as in throat stuck bent pleasant, as in 'this should have been referenced in the"broad" lp hitherto mentioned')...ultimately/intimately the disc was/is a piss offs/ons present -no it isn't- the cover is yellow though- as if chuck berry had left his calling card as opposed to g g leaving his...fur z muzik biz indeed....