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01) "And You Die"
09)  "MISSISSIPPI"

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(01) And You Die (2005)

(02) The Warrior (1993)

(03) Down Boy (1989)

(04) This Song (2005)

(05) Turn It Over (August 1981)

(06) Do Do Do (2005)

(07) I'm Sorry (2003)

(08) Moto Man (October 2006)

(09) MISSISSIPPI (July 2005)

(10) Filthy (2005)

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"MISSISSIPPI"
MISSISSIPPI is the state I was born in.  I had never written a Mississippi song until last year at Dauphin Island.  We were on our family vacation with many other family members in July at Dauphin Island AL.  The song "Mississippi", and a couple other songs, were concieved at this time.  The project as a whole is really a mix of different times and moods.  The title song does not reflect the mood of the project as a whole, but more so points to one of the biggest influences reflected in everything I write, say and do.

  Most of these songs are from the 2005 / 2006 era of my life with a few exceptions.  Tracks 15 thru 18 are from an old project of  2001 that saw VERY FEW units pressed.  "If I Ever Hit The Road" ( CD title & title track ) was kind of there one day, and gone the next. I was wrapped up in a teaching job at the time & I had very little time for anything else, including IIEHTR.  And there are the scattered songs from the past.  "Turn It Over" (track 5) was the first complete song I ever wrote and played.  I was living at Oxford Square Apartments (Oxford MS) in the summer of 1981 & the livingroom of that 3 room apartment was the birthplace of  the song.  Move up to 1989 and you get "Down Boy" (track 3).  My business partner and best friend in Nashville (JJ) had a dog named "Gags".  Gags is no longer with us, but his bark goes on, sampled onto an SPX-90 and then put onto my old Fostex 4 track.  The distorted guitar is direct through a Gibson Maestro Fuzz pedal that has since moved on also.  Down Boy was first released on my 1992 project "TakeMe Back".  I wanted to throw it out there again, hoping it might become someones RINGTONE - please.  HEY, for 99 cents - come on - you can just dump it if it's not your favorite ring tone ever!  On to 1993 and there's "The Warrior".  Never released before now, but played live many times, including circa 1993 at George Street Grocery before I moved back to MS.

 For better or worse, Mississippi is part of me & I am proud to call the Magnolia State my home.  I like to think that it's the "state of being" that makes the man, and the man that makes the "Being of State".  And don't forget, "you can't  judge a foot by it's bareness".

Peace be with you. 

Frazier Riddell - Dec. 2006

 03)  "Keep it in Check (live radio)"
08)  "Moto Man"

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(11) Demon's In The Attic (February 2006)

(12) Keep It In Check (2005)

(13) The Best That God Has Got (2005)

(14) INTERMISSION (November 2006)

(15) If I Ever Hit The Road (2001)

(16) Flat Tire (2001)

(17) Dauphin Island Strut (July 2001)

(18) Move On (2000)

(19) Keep It In Check ( live radio )



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"MISSISSIPPI"

• original release date 03/??/2007
•19songs styled from Solo to Combo arrangements
•available in hard copy at CD Baby.com OR S.T.M.
• & in digital format at iTunes music store
• administered by BMI - unauthorized duplication is naughty
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MISSISSIPPI  Project Notes:  BY SONG

01) AND YOU DIE - Well, I wanted an upbeat song, with the message of death, and the reality that perspective is key.  Let us celebrate, let us love, and my greatest Hope, let us move beyond these bodies to a life of freedom, beauty & love, for eternity.  Living for Jesus is not just a "then" thing, it's a "now" thing.  And I believe that if we all followed His example, the world will be a better place regardless of eternity's final call.  Also, if proclaiming my belief in Jesus offends you, please refer to song #7.

02) THE WARRIOR - This goes out to all the warrior souls that have fought not only for our Country, but also for the good of all mankind, and the cause of the one true living God.  Also to John Scanlan for a new perspective on military in spiritualism, or spiritualism in military.

03) DOWN BOY - Gags.  I'm sorry I got mad at you when you crapped on the floor in the back room at Just Off Church.  You were a good dog and I appreciate you barking for my song.  Gags, you want a coke (nothing)......Gags, you want a 7 Up (nothing)....Gags you want a Gin and Tonic (nothing)....Gags you want a T-Bone Steak (nothing)...Gags you want a beer (bark bark bark bark bark bark bark etc.....)

04) THIS SONG - When I took a demo disk to my Brother Robert a while back, he noted of all the songs that "This Song" stuck out to him.  It is what it is.  Not a reason, but a little rhyme and a "name that Beatles Tune riff" diddy for some.  Any singer/songwriter I know has felt the first 2 lines of this song way enough times.  Rock on - peace, love & big bell jeans.  And if you think I expect too much when I would like people to listen every once in a while, please refer to song #7.

05) TURN IT OVER - This song reaches back.  This is the first real full song I ever wrote.  I still feel the same about this song after 25 years.  The only change would be that back then I viewed turning it over as a one time thing and not a starting point to turning it over each and every day.  After 25 years and taking it back say, oh, about several hundred times, I see the need to grow in Faith, grow in Father, grow in Hope, grow in Son, grow in Love, and grow in Spirit.  I am very sorry....refer to song #7.

06) DO DO DO - This song, like many of my songs, are written to myself.  When I listen to such a song as this and I'm in a real particular selfish point and time, I'm convicted.  Being convicted can be a good thing.  Working the live tracks with Chris and Tom on this one were a blast.

07) I'M SORRY - This song is dedicated to Allen Burrows, Susan A. Riddell, and all the Baptist that think the Catholics are going to Hell, and all the Catholics that think the Baptist are going to pergatory and/or Hell.  Tom & Bill - I hope you will forgive my using this rough track but it just had so much more life than the proper take.  Hey, so I'm Sorry already!

08) MOTO MAN - Robert Moton is a man who has worked for our family for many decades and still does to this day (dec. 13th, 2006).  I heard him play a little harp one day when he came to Small Town Music to buy one.  I was wowed.  Many years later, shortly after our move to the Gin, I asked him to come by one day and cut some harp tracks for me.  This tune is the warm-up to that session.  He's playing and singing through an inexpensive mic that's plugged into my "Yellow Submarine" Peavey Classic 30 tube amp.  Is it live, or is it memorex?  It's alive & real.  If this ain't blues, then blues don't exist.

09) MISSISSIPPI - Just a simple diddy.  Having fun at the beach and a shooter or 2 or 3...... thanks to my sister Diane for being enthusiastic about this and many other of my tunes.  Thanks Mom & Dad, because without ya'll...........you know...

10) FILTHY - This song started out as title "First Time".  I'm bad about having songs with no definate hook although I have changed that some of late.  I was listening to the first verse one day and thought, hey, Filthy is what will be remembered.  Just in case anyone is wondering, Billy is a fictional character.

11) DEMON'S IN THE ATTIC - I'm not sure where this came from.  Probably written after several days of watching too much news.  This is one of those songs that just kind of poured out & that's it; a song that reminds me (as well as my life and stumbles do) that I need to keep it in check.  As I wrote it I practiced it because it has several words.  I worked on it a lot so I could perform it live at Cup's Coffee House in Jackson, MS, and I have now done so a couple of times.  I even had it requested the 2nd time I played it there.  Yes, this did stroke my ego a little, kind of pulling me out of the mood of the song, but hey, I don't get many chances for that.

12) KEEP IT IN CHECK - I found people surprisingly responding to this song and remembering the hook of "keep it in check".  This is another of those songs that helps remind me of the importance of day to day contact with Our Creator.

13) THE BEST THAT GOD HAS GOT - Thanks to Father David Knight.  He helped inspire this song.  I found one of his books in a thrift store.  I took it to bible study and it ends up he is related to Suzanne in our group.  We studied another book that emphasized the need to make the right choices, even calling sin at one point, the wrong response to God.  I think of this often and think of every choice I have as possibly being "the best that God has got".

14) INTERMISSION - I wanted to use an old arch top hollow body guitar we had in the store, so I did. (the headstock of the guitar said Sierra but I don't know the maker).  The 'radio' room had not yet had a rug put in it and was very reverberant.  I had a mixer and adat in a rack hanging around waiting to move to the Upper Room.  So I plugged up a mic, started playing & then just started saying words.  And it goes here at #14 because this ends the newer batch of songs and starts the 4 song batch from the 2001 project "If I Ever Hit The Road".  I was a little hesitant to include a batch of song from an older project.  I'm hoping I don't regret it and feel sorry....but never fear, because if I do feel sorry, I'll just refer to song #7.

15) IF I EVER HIT THE ROAD - There's a few musicians over the years I have come to respect deeply.  Bill Able is one of these.  He does some great traditional blues and some great originals in the same style.  One day if I make it or "Ever Hit The Road" for the big bucks, my small label will pick up people like him.  Anyway, when I released this Bill was on the short list of folks getting a copy and I remember his comment about this song.  He complimented it highly, and this impressed me.  He was sincere and I respect his taste in music very much.  ALSO, this song was started on an old cheap beat up guitar some kids sold me at small town music one day (old location) for about $30 or $40.  It was really a cool sounding guitar.  They just needed gas money.  They were just passing through.  I also wrote Silvertone from my Instrumental CD "As He Sleeps" with this guitar, which passed along many years ago to someone for $50 or $60 bucks.

16) FLAT TIRE - Initiated in Steve and Mary's back yard.  We were sitting around the fire pit in there back yard one night.  I had my guitar out and was doing some songs.  I tried this new (at the time) one out for them & they were very enthused about it.  I am always enthused myself when someone else actually responds to something I wrote (see song #04).

17) DAUPHIN ISLAND STRUT - I am far from the greatest guitar player around, but I'm no slouch.  This song was a nice challenge for me.  It used a few positions and chord structures I was not used to using.  And, I kind of found them by trial and error - lot's of error.  I like to play this one live because it keeps me on my toes......and fingertips.  And if you see me play it live one night and I make a mistake, please refer to song #7.

18) MOVE ON - This is a song that can be for many people at many different times.  By the time I recorded this, I was a ways away from the original mood.  I was kind of in a dark mood and needed something to help me through it.  This song was part of that moving on.  Thanks "move on".  No thank you Frazier.  No thank you "move on".  No thank you Frazier.  No thank you "move on".  No thank you Frazier.  STOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP......  Man, have you ever read anyone so self absorbed?  Man, I'm really sorry...oh, and refer to song...uh....what song was that?.

19) LIVE RADIO - KEEP IT IN CHECK - Thanks to Chris Davis who has played some live gigs with me and has been a pleasure to work with.  He played this one and many other originals with me.  Even ones he did not know at all.  I have a tendency to throw tunes at folks they don't know at all.  I try not to do it to drummers and bass players too much, but to someone else that can jump in on lead, it's open season for stump the band.  Thanks for letting me come on your radio show and do this tune along with several others.

20) Song 20 - There is no song 20.  Sorry about that. (refer to song#7) I just had to put a few more words in that very few will ever read (refer to song#4).  I just hate the thought of moving on (refer to song#18).

But if you did take the time to read all this, I feel compelled to tell of a little secret about this project.  My pen name for lead guitar is Mick Bronson and my pen name for keyboards is Issac Mays.  If you feel a little mis-lead please refer to........you know...........
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