Notes Re: The creation of Back from Santa Fe by Ross Durand ≠ in chronological order.

According to my computer, I started this about 11 pm on Monday July 16, 2007.

The first thing I worked on was In the Desert/In the dessert (tracks 1 and 11). I mistakenly clicked on the link to the AAW WTF 2006 thread thinking it was some sort of pre-fight thread ≠ oops ≠ so I did the Desert deal ≠ which felt right having just come back from Santa Fe a few days earlier. The ≥Iπm sorry that Iπm late ≠ is addressed to fellow contestants, I found the thread on Monday, after the time window had already started, so I felt like I was coming in too late. Once I got the the nuts in the desert (Santa Fe) line I relized it would work great with a reprise of Dessert. I really am allergic to most nuts ≠ nothing worse than showing up for a party and the brownies have walnuts. The two songs were recorded as one and then spliced apart ≠ you can tell if you hear the harmonica licks at the beginning of In the Dessert.

*Twist: Desert/Dessert, from 2006

I think I started the New Car (Track 3)tune next ≠ fun to do these sort of vocals. My wife and I have been talking about cars/hybrids/etc. expense, ecological cost of buildinga new car v. using an old one for longer, even if it gets worse mileage. It all unfolded into this thing about the rich folks being able ot afford to be ecologically responsible.

I have always wanted to do a song backwards that worked thematically. So my plan with ≥opposites day≤ had been to record it, then learn in backwards ≠ record that way and re-reverse. It came out sounding crappy ≠ but I think I reached a nice compromise here (tracks 4 and 5). I may include the original concept version as a bonus track.

* Twist ≠ Backwards, backwards, backwards

≥Get Along≤ (track 2) just happened because I wanted something sort of upbeat to come in after ≥In the Desert≤ a shift of mood, or real beginning, If I was mastering this I think I would have it start before the fade out of track 1 is over. Seriously. I canπt put political bumper stickers on my car where I live. I do think I got pulled over twice for basically no reason while I had one of those Darwin fish on my car ≠ I took it off and have no incidents since.

Well the opportunity to write about a songfighter was interesting, but Max the Catπs name is just too cool to leave out. I canπt groove nearly as well as him so Iπd say my song is more of a homage than an imitation. Basically a true story, he posted a lot the first year I was on songfight! and in the multi title days it was like, ≥Crap, Max the Catπs in my fight.≤ I wonder where he went (track 9).

Too Tight (track 8) is a two chord song. I really did just sit and play the chords and work out other stuff next. Some of the toy stuff is from my own kids carrying things around, but I kind of had this image of someone holding a crystal egg so tight that it breaks. The chords sat for a while before I got words on them (I may have done all of max the cat in the interim, on Wednesday night)

≥Best birthday ever≤(track 6) ≠ is a sort of stream of consciuosness recollection of my 7^th b-day. All true. My sister falling is not what made it my best birthday ever, but I think itπs something that makes images from that day stick. Recorded ≥live.≤ I actually sort of made this song up as I went on take one, they took that take and tweaked things ot get this. This was flowing so I did it real quick on Thursday night before finishing all the tracks for ≥Too Tight.≤

So Friday night I went out to write an upbeat ending for the album and was having writers block about what to do next ≠ so I looked at the twists and saw ≥landscapes≤ (Track 7) so this song came from a landscape I am very familiar with ≠ the view of and from a place called ≥Happy Gap≤ at Arrowbear Music Camp. I had been wanting to come up with an excuse for a piano based song to add some variety to the album ≠ I also like how I was able to add dulcimer to the song. I like acoustic touches like this ≠ they remind me of the first James Taylor album where there are little harpsichord and string touches between songs.

So the happy song is just the truth, my daughter had the day off from school and we just sort of followed her whim and had a lot of fun. My wife and I like to joke about a friend thatπs always saying things are ≥best ever≤ (Track 12) so I thought that would be a good way to end. I guess I just felt the album had itπs share of serious/quiet spots, so I wanted to end on an up note.

That left me with 29:25 ≠ so I needed 6 minutes, I actually went out to create a song with the title ≥Stick with the specialist,≤ suggested by a friend, but for some reason this concept hit me, to just sing about how I was feeling right then. I Set up a single mic and improvised the song after making up the first three lines or so in my head (Track 10). Then I overdubbed the others.

Album finished 7/21/07 6:57 pm