Toth’s Law, Volume IV

Submitted for your enjoyment: the latest entry in a series I said would probably end with Volume 3 way back in 2017. Unlike previous volumes, however, these demos are exclusively culled from the very recent past; everything here was recorded within the last 4 years and remain ‘in play’ to be re-recorded properly at some point (some more so than others). At least three of these tunes will hopefully appear in full band arrangements on the third One Eleven Heavy album, to be recorded soon (we hope!), so hopefully you can later compare those versions with these embryonic home-recorded solo takes.

All songs written, recorded and performed by JT at home, 2017-2020. Brief notes on the tunes below.

Photo of DM Seidel and JT on Halloween 1997 by Smoky DeRoeck.

Enjoy!

JT

“Dilated Eyes”
This one will likely be a 111H song at some point. Was thinking vaguely about Dillard & Clark when I wrote it.

“Brighter In the Morning”
Verses date back to 1996 or so, for a song I recorded (and maybe released? I forget!) called “Jail.” A song about optimism, written by a pessimist.

“Stones”
Sometimes experimenting with a new tuning produces a new song. This is the famous “Bruce Palmer tuning,” as used by Stephen Stills and others. I was watching the old western serial The Rifleman a lot when I wrote this, hence the mythical outlaw theme. You ever watch that show? It’s great.

“Sacred Geometry (Shape Of Your Life)”
I know one of the melodies here is stolen from something, and I’m thinking it’s a hit song from the 80s. Do you hear it, too? I can’t place it.

“Humble Your Heart”
I can usually be relied upon for a good ramble about self-deliverance.

“Love Can’t Travel Through Destruction (Hard Luck Prince)”
A partial re-write of an old WW tune, “Son of Wand (Hard Luck Prince).” I fixed some lyrics I didn’t like, sped it up and eliminated needless space, and added a chorus. Still not sure the song totally works but it was fun to revisit all the same.

“Wish In One Hand Blues, or ‘No Good Deed’”
About the thankless life of the involuntary caretaker.

“Ear Budz”
A sorta tableau about turn-of-the-century NYC. I couldn’t resist the stupid pun in the title.

“Three Seasons”
A slight re-write of an old bluegrass-style tune I wrote for a band I played in while living in Kentucky called Good Saints. Less bluegrass-y arrangement here. It’s always tough to include a placeholder ‘jam’ part on a demo—I mean, you’re “jamming” with yourself--but I recorded it here to demonstrate to the band where the imrov might go.

“Piano In the House”
Structural problems here: the bridge arrives too late, and there’s at least one superfluous verse that should be cut (which one?). Set out to write something in the style of Gershwin or Berlin. I think there’s a decent song hiding here inside a not-totally-awesome demo.

“Scarlet & Rage”
A song about idealism, romance, and youth.

“Pina Coladas”
Songs like these sorta write themselves because they rely on very predictable chord sequences and melodies, but they’re fun to write. I think I wrote this one in record time: while waiting for a different song to load on the digital 8 track.