Afganistan Again?

I remember when this song was written. We (?) had just invaded Afganistan the first time—to settle our wrongs. Tim, Carolyn, Scot and I would just shake our heads. This song started out as a sketch. I’ve got a good example of what I mean by a sketch coming up. In this case of this song, I don’t think Scot gave Tim and Carolyn any lyrics. In this sketch I’ll play for you down the line, there is a lyric structure, but no detail.

Tim, Carolyn and Scot were all fired up to work together. We had lots of plans (still do). Unfortunately we don’t have Scot here to boss us around. I like how the words and the melody and the imagery are so suggestive in this song, yet so open-ended. I can imagine just such a lonely soldier, wrapped up in an Army blanket wondering, “What happens next?”

The artwork--another sepia treatment. Scot loved this effect because it resembles aquatinting--an intaglio technique that requires swimming around in vast quantities of toxic material, like acid and lacquer thinner. These things were not good for Scot. I remember in the early days at City College, him fishing his etching plates out of the acid bath with his bare hands. And we wonder why he got a brain tumor?

Wonderful bass work on this song although it’s a bit back in the mix. I picked this version over another more polished studio version, which I can also play. I liked the rougher quality of this track, which features Carlyn Lindsey on vocals, and founding Snakedoctor members: Tim Haas on drums, Larry Vessily on keyboards, Dave Witherd on flute and Scot Halpin on bass.