The 90s

Funky Eagle

I got to know one of the guys in a band in Los Angeles named Tribal Sign. They were like a cross between Red Hot Chili Peppers and Yngwie Malmsteen. Super funky with a killer guitarist. I don’t think they ever did much more than the demo I heard, but if anyone knows what happened to them, let me know! Anyway, they had one song called It’s a Trip that inspired me to write my own kind of funky thing.

Fluman

One of the first pieces I wrote after buying a Korg M1R unit. Man I loved that thing. Never should have sold it. I wrote this when I had the flu. The M1R sounds at the beginning is what I felt like. Viscus and wobbly.

The Cusp

Wrote this after listening to nothing but Joe Satriani and Steve Vai for two months. It sounds nothing like them.

Tobakinuroman

Tried to use space and some ska/reggae-type rhythms. Unfortunately, the old cassette got stretched so there are some weird time things going on in the beginning – like the band speed up or slows down significantly for like two beats.

There’s No ‘L’ In ‘World’

I was playing in a band named 3 Minute World at the time and for several months, it seemed whenever we saw our name advertised for a gig, the promoter always left out the ‘L’ and called us 3 Minute Word.

Paul There?

My good friend from Berklee, and drummer/vocalist of Totalitarian Cinderblöck, was my roommate my first year or so in Los Angeles. I was trying to write a song and the phone rang like every 15 minutes for Paul. He was at work, so I’d answer it to the same question, ‘Paul there?’ It was funny the first three times. Then not so funny.

Lucille Ball Jazz Blues Jazz

Named for Spinal Tap’s Isle of Lucy Jazz-Blues Festival. Tried to play some of those “Berklee notes” – you know, not all just pentatonic. I think this is where I really discovered the Dorian mode.

Chicken Lee

Heard Albert Lee for the first time. Had to learn how to play some of that. But I forgot I was a metal head at the time. This is great example of how to not sound like a country player!

Mr. Frawley

What if Ricky Ricardo’s neighbor, Fred (William Frawley), had been the subject of the classic Ozzy Osbourne/Randy Rhoads song instead of Aleister Crowley?

Mr. Frawley
lyrics and all instruments by Alec Fehl
vocals by Paul Huesman
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Mr. Frawley, you’re that guy who played Fred.
Oh Mr. Baldy, there’s no hair on your head.
Your lifestyle to me was so comic, and the thrill of it all.
You goofed off with Desi Arnaz, and you worked with Lucille Ball.

William Frawley, I know your job I’m sure.
It’s so alarming, you were Lucy’s landlord.
You were good friends with the Ricardos, saw Little Ricky’s birth.
You had no son of your own, but your wife was Ethel Mertz.

(solo I)

William Frawley, your other show was a curse.
Oh Mr. Frawley, My Three Sons was the worst.
You played the housekeeper named Charlie, there were three boys in all.
But it wasn’t as cool as The Bradys, no it wasn’t as cool at all.

My Three Sons is on instead, but I liked you better as Fred,
I liked you more, I liked you much more as Fred, yeah…

Shoeboy

Loved the song Shyboy off the David Lee Roth album with Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan. (Billy brought it to DLR after doing it in his old band Talas.) Anyway – I went hiking in the woods of Boston with some college friends and two of us were wearing flip-flops instead of proper hiking shoes. That led to a discussion about all kinds of shoes. Sandals. Flip-flops. Sneakers. Hi-tops. Boots. Heels. Clogs. Those wooden Dutch shoes that are really uncomfortable. Pointy elf shoes. One of the guys was really into shoes. So what if Shyboy was about a shoe fetish instead?

Shoeboy
lyrics and all instruments by Alec Fehl
vocals by Paul Huesman
********************************

On the stage I’m in a rage but where are my shoes?
I can rock with anyone but barefeet will never do.
I cannot find my Nikes, my Box are really beat.
I need my shoes right away and put shoes on my feet.

Shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, gimme one more shoe boy.
Shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, gimme one more shoe boy.

Boy these really smell bad, more than I had planned.
Don’t wanna wear them in front of the band.
Toxic vapor odors rising up in front of me.
I need my new tennies boy, put shoes on my feet.

Shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, gimme one more shoe boy.
Shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, shoeboy shoeboy, gimme one more shoe boy.

Shoes will keep me screaming ’til my personality starts come on…