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MAXEL TOFT19 (Hayes)
2023-2024 A while ago, I started saving "Crime Watch" newspaper clippings from a northwest Chicago newspaper. This project was supposed to be a backup plan for if I ever ran out of plot ideas for lyrics. But I was going too long without recording anything and I wanted a simple way to get motivated. One of the toughest parts about writing a unique song (with words) is to come up with a brand-new-never-been-done-before-but-not-too-clever-or-cheesy storyline. Even the concept for this gimmicky is not unique but I was sort of committed and I was curious to see/hear the outcome. I originally thought I had a great idea with this project and then I remembered that tv/radio/talk/comedy/late shows often have segments on silly or stupid criminals and I was worried that I was also making fun of these situations. But really I am just making fun of the fact that this was printed in a newspaper at all. I feel bad for the people involved. The problem is more that the paper prints these in the first place. It doesn't become a deterrent for criminals but rather makes the readers unnecessarily fearful. So this is my take on the Woody Guthrie/Malvina Reynolds tradition of writing about actual events. I developed all the words first and then added music. I wrote everything on the electric bass guitar and actually intended to add other instruments but then got lazy in the Maxel Toft approach and kept everything minimal. There was supposed to be one more (experimental) song but I couldn't get it to work in the imaginary time allotted. 3748 North Elston Ave was supposed to be a hole in the bucket or old woman that swallowed a fly or 12 days of christmas song but it didn't quite fit the pattern so it is just a timeline. I wrote the words for all of these songs before I added music and in this one I purposely added a repeated refrain in the style of a lot of Cuban songs. I think I would have preferred if the music had no reference to the influence but I still like the inevitable outcome. I picked 7500 block of West Forest Preserve Ave because the poetry in these newspaper listings is so great. I could almost keep them word for word. And I actually tried a couple of times. I love the overuse of "man" and it is always something they "allegedly" did. I decided to become the character in 6300 block of North Milwaukee Ave. I don't remember the order that I wrote the words to all of these pieces but I specifically did something different poetically for each by repeating something or changing the perspective. So each piece was a reaction to the previous. And then the music seemed to appear quickly based on patterns in the lyrics. I tried another approach to the 12 days of christmas concept for 5400 block of West Addison St. This is the only piece that uses a pre-existing riff. The music under these lyrics could be anything so I was more interested in pulling from my cache of licks that are difficult to use anywhere else. 4500 block of North Knox Ave is just silly. But the composition structure is satisfying. Meanwhile, the final product would not have been possible without Bruce Butkovich. His mixes gave unexpected depth to these simple recordings. I have a ton more clippings and I may do another collection of these in the future but approach it differently. |