The Highest Good

Tristan : Standard Tuning (sometimes DADGAD) Harlan: Mandolin, standard tuning

Notes: I wrote this after seeing Peter Mulvey play in Boston. He introduced a song as his "Buddhist-Jazz tune" and I thought to myself, "what a genre!" So I says to myself, "I'm going to write a Buddhist-country tune!" I guess that more specifically, this is a Taoist-country tune, since the inspiration for the refrain comes from the Tao Te Ching:

"The highest good is like water, which benefits all things and contends with none. It flows in low places that others distain and thus is close to Tao."

I thought I was on to something, but I think Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson probably beat me to the punch.

The Walk of Shame

Harlan: DGDGAD (sometimes standard) Tristan: Mandolin, standard tuning, Electic 12-string, standard tuning

Notes: A bit culled from my formative years. Cheers.

Late September

Tristan: standard tuning, Harlan: Mandolin, standard tuning

Anna Lee

Harlan: DGDGAD, Tristan: Dobro or Lap Steel (sometimes) GBDGBD

Note: I was trying to write a Bruce Dalzell guitar part.

Pretty Out

Harlan: standard tuning, Tritan: Dobro or Lap Steel GBDGBD

Notes: “Some days a fellow wakes up and hears those Dixieland horns—they play.”

Grateful and Gracefully

Tristan: DADGAD (sometimes standard), Harlan: mandolin or elctric gutiar, standard tuning

Hard Times Songs

Harlan: standard tuning, Tristan: standard tuning

Notes: Maybe if Sam Cooke and Patsy Cline did a duet about my romantic troubles, it would sound something like this. Tip for performing it: “Play as slowly as you can possibly stand, and then play it a little slower.”

Zombies

Harlan: CGDGAD, Tristan: Dobro GBDGBD

Notes: A bit more touchy-feely. It can’t all be sarcastic-asshole stuff. This is in my Greg Brown/Peter Mulvey tuning, intended to obviate the need for a band.

One More Reason

Tristan: acoustic or electric 12-string, standard tuning, Harlan: mandolin, standard

Me, the Monster

Harlan: DGDGAD, Tristan: whatever

Notes: I promise you don’t resent me any more than I do. A rarity—almost didn’t go on the album.

Angeline

Tristan: standard tuning, Harlan: electric, standard tuning, or acoutic in CGDGAD