From time to time here at the blog, we like to mention a few things about one of our songs. Sometimes we do it just to remind you that the song exists. Other times there's something we want to clarify (or defend) about the song that isn't self-evident. Which is cheating, whatever the listener thinks the song is about, then that's what it's about. What we think shouldn't really matter.
Anyway, let's flip over to "My TV Friends"
Listen, Lyrics, Personnel
This Album
I recorded most of this solo album (Hiya) in 2017 but didn't get around to releasing it til 2020. Releasing a record takes a lot of energy, and not fun energy. Writing songs, recording and mixing are all a blast - that's the fun part of musical hard work. But getting people to know that music exists takes months of unrewarding, methodical and ego-slamming work. Lo and behold, in 2020 for some reason I found myself with a lot of time and the inability to attend large social functions so there was no excuse to not put this thing out.
Hiya is hardly a concept album, but I will say there is a logic to the 15 songs. The first half (7 songs) are each a celebration of a specific, odd thing: television, consumerism, travel, nihilism, Bob Dylan, teen angst / right to privacy and existential uncertainty. There's an instrument palette cleanser right in the middle than a back half of 7 songs kind of about love, or not having it.
Bot many songwriters praise network television or shopping. But this album and I both sometimes love those things, in the right scenarios.
Lyrics
The germ of this idea came from a close friend who had a "Kill Your TV" sticker on their car when I knew they watched as much tv as anybody else. The whole PBS snobbery towards television viewing drives me crazy; the disconnect between what people say they watch and what they do watch is remarkable.
Worse yet are the folks who proudly claim they "don't even own a tv". If you asked me, that sounds like addict behavior from people with so little self-control that they can't have a television in the house.
And I totally stand by the sentiment of this song - you know more intimate details about 20 characters on television that just about every real friend in your life.
Music
I'll confess to this - the whole thing started with the Barney Miller bassline. I wrote it to that, then figured once recorded we just actually take that part out so it's not a copyright infringement. Take a listen to both:
Barney Miller:
My TV Friends:
Recording Session
There are so many things on this recording that knock me out. Kevin's opening drum fill. The horn arrangements. The harmonies. The alternating guitars on left and right. Andy's idea for staccato horns in second verse. Barry's unhinged jazz flute and Andrew's nutball sax at the end of the bridge. Of course, the guitar solo. The guitar and horn interplay there.
Musically, I didn't personally have that much to do on this one. The piano part was pretty basic, and boring rhythm guitar. I know what I can do musically. So when I get into the studio, the new joy part is hearing what the other people play on their tracks.
