On Recording w/ Randy Watson

I first knew of Randy Watson shortly after moving to Lincoln in the Fall of 1987, before I started at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln the following year. Although I desperately wanted to be, I wasn't yet part of the music scene in Lincoln, and not old enough to get into bars to hear live bands, but from hanging around in record stores a lot and buying local music, it didn't take long to figure out that this person was an important figure in the local scene. I loved his band The/Return, their record Glossingtown (which I had on cassette), and particularly the song "Foreign Correspondent." Later on, I saw The/Return perform with other local groups at the Nebraska Union Ballroom in the Fall of 1988. Randy's name was also on a lot of Lincoln bands' records at the time, either as engineer or producer.

Fast forward about a dozen years to around 2001, I was working at Barnes & Noble Bookstore on "O" St. and noticed Randy frequently shopping in the store. I finally introduced myself and we quickly became fast friends. For the next 4-5 years, I was a mainstay at Return practices at drummer/backing vocalist Ted Alesio's house, where I essentially sat at the feet of one of the best psych-pop groups I'd ever heard to see how it was done. With bassist/vocalist Bob Dale rounding out the band, I learned over that period what great songwriting, vocals, and instrumentation were supposed to sound like. Bob and Ted are the best rhythm section I've ever heard, and Randy's guitar work is also superb--his solo on "Superman" is scorching.  Additionally, led by Bob's smooth voice, each member of the band's vocals really contributed to harmonic beauty.

Outside of Return practices, Randy and I would routinely spend an evening a week hanging out and listening to music, and I was amazed at the stuff he was turning me on to that I didn't know existed--Pernice Bros, Oranger, Super Furry Animals, Zombies, etc. Prior to hanging around w/ Randy, I had no idea that anybody else in Lincoln liked power pop music besides me and my Davenports bandmates, and that one need not apologize for fanship of the Beach Boys. Randy and my tastes are pretty darned close, although where I go a little more pop, he goes a little more rock/punk (Trip Shakespeare v. Soft Boys). Very quickly I began to do my own homework and would turn the guys on to new stuff myself, such as New Pornographers, Joy Zipper, etc. It was one of the highlights of each week to get together and play dj for each other, and likewise a personal highlight for me when Near South Davenport would open for The/Return at the Zoo Bar (see song post above), as well as share the bill with the Static Octopus on several occasions.

Very soon, Randy and I started recording some music together, beginning with my tune, "Lantern Schematic (How Do I Find Light)" at his home studio, Black Sea. We recorded some half a dozen songs over the next several years, which I am beginning to post on this site, with some recorded at his studio, and some at my apartment on Randy's mobile recording rig. Randy's technical prowess at recording is amazing, and he is a smoking lead guitar player as well. Additionally, his vocals and songwriting were a major component of Watson/Dale/Alesio-era Return sound that I adore so much. Although Ted is no longer in the group (he plays with Lincoln rockers Ideal Cleaners), Bob and Randy continue to record as The/Return, and Randy produces solo material as Lotus Flamethrower.