The Scratchrock

Album #: 50

Recording Dates: 2001-2004

Release Date: 2005

Catalog: SMR22

ScratchNotes:

By 2001 my musical activities had slowed to a pace that only the Sheep Fiends could fill. There are numerous reasons why this volume that covers four full years is comprised of only live performances. The economy fell apart and my career was in serious jeopardy. My attention moved towards putting together the Skroch 200. I returned to school in pursuit of a Finance Degree. There just seemed to be no time for music; until a phone call or email arrived inviting me to the palace of free thought just off of Bryn Mawr in Chicago.

I showed up for 7 jams in 2001 and 7 jams in 2002 and no jams in 2003 and 3 in 2004. A total of 17 jams in 4 years – that’s 1460 days – a jam once every 85.88 days. This volume of Scratchrock is comprised of 14 songs from 9 of these musical groupings.

The Dentists formed in early 2001 as one of the many failed attempts at creating a “real band” out of Sheep Fiends. DDS ((aka The Dentists)(aka Dave, Doug, Scratch)) kind of learned some originals, but more often just crafted odd takes on a diverse collection of cover tunes like those of Boston and the Monkees found on this disc. After two months or so the Dentists stopped showing up altogether.

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Four Track Sampler

Track 01 – Inside a Room Inside a Cave Inside the Moon (Sheep Fiends) – A favorite of mine from this era. I’m your guide for another improvised cosmic journey backed by a somewhat bluesy performance from the band. Can’t you hear we’re docking soon?   [Scratch on Guitar & Vocals]

Track 06 – Russell’s Potion (Sheep Fiends) – Fuzzed out bass and swooping theremin form the soul of this track, with my warbling guitar and a jazzy beat bringing a healthy sense of confusion to the party.  [Scratch on Guitar]

Track 09 – Don’t Try (The Dentists) – One of the few original tracks the Dentists worked on during their short stay in the chair. If this song had lyrics, I never saw them!  [Scratch on Guitar]

Track 12 – Is That All There Is? (Sheep Fiends) – Brian M. lashes out against the forces of dissatisfaction in this stomping aggro number. A cathartic despair expressing the downside of human interaction.  [Scratch on Guitar]

Album #: 49

Recording Dates: 2000-2001

Release Date: 2002

Catalog: SF

ScratchNotes:

Despite a steady stream of CD releases typically sourced from a single Sheep Fiend jam, oddities and side jam tracks began to pile up.

Dave L. determined it was time for a compilation CD of various unreleased tracks from the previous few years. And thus the “Leftovers” series was born!

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One Track Sampler

Track 14 – Happiness (The Sheep Fiends) – Wah-wah drenched electric guitar is where we find our joy. [Scratch on Guitar]

Album #: 48

Recording Dates: 1994-1995

Release Date: 2002

Catalog: SMR21

ScratchNotes:

Years before I became affiliated with the Sheep Fiends the band was joined for a period by Daniel A. Foss, Phd. Dr. Foss was much older than the 20-whatevers that largely populated the band at that time. Dan worked as a sociologist for most of his career, and gained major cred by publishing the book Freak Culture: Life Style and Politics in 1972 – back when the freakiest thing about the Sheep Fiends were their diapers. Daniel Foss did not lead an easy life, suffering a range of family and health crises.

Dan would add commentary about cultures, wars, and the rise and fall of civilizations to instrumental Sheep Fiend jams. Many pure conversations where recorded with Dr. Foss at this time, and Brian C. conducted a full autobiographical interview with Foss that appears here in several segments. I was given the challenge of taking 6 or 8 tapes of raw material and creating an album that captures the experience of Dan Foss. How successful I was in this endeavor is for others to determine, but immersing myself in the world of Foss for a few months was certainly a unique time for me.

Sadly Dan passed away in 2014 – but he lives on in our memories…and on the Internet. He has a Wikipedia entry here. And you can read Dan’s unique take on his days with the Sheep Fiends here.

Three perplexing samples of this release can be accessed below.

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Three Track Sampler

Track 05 – A Drunken Wall (Daniel A. Foss) – Drinking is the topic. And minorities. And New Zealand. [Scratch on Production]

Track 16 – N2O (Sheep Fiends with Daniel A. Foss) – This ridiculously psychedelic sonic cornucopia was presented to me somewhat pre-produced. Some of the effects I added but most of this was recorded in real time…somehow! A bit of rearranging was really all it needed. [Scratch on Production]

Track 22 – The Possibility of Daniel A. Foss (Daniel A. Foss) – Dan ponders those who ponder him. [Scratch on Production]

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Album #: 47

Recording Dates: 2001-2002

Release Date: 2002

Catalog: SMR20

ScratchNotes:

Here is the second of only two releases featuring the Dentists. Looking at the front cover it’s easy to question if it was “released”, but we have it for you here today. Lots of funny or groan-worthy cover songs, many of which performed by just two members of this short lived trio (typically myself and Dave L). Also plenty of rock improvisation – frequently sloppy but always played with authority!

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Three Track Sampler

Track 04 – Where are Two Hursts? (The Dentists) – Just Dave L and I killing some time with our delay pedals. Full disclosure: the Hursts’ never arrived.  [Scratch on Vocals and Bass]

Track 07 – Reggae Jam (The Dentists) – Dave’s on guitar and I’m on bass for this tropical exploration.  [Scratch on Bass]

Track 08 – Get Back to the Wonderful World (The Dentists) – The Dentists special brand of cover song ridiculousness condensed down into some sort of two minute classic rock outro tribute. Weird!  [Scratch on Bass]