• La Rocka Sample Medley

Technical Stuff

The studio was bursting at the seams with all the recording gear you could wish for: 24:8:2 Allen & Health Sabre desk, Fostex 1/2" 16 track analogue reel-to-reel, and a whole boatload of outboard, including Lexicon reverb, gates, compressors, and all manners of processors. In short, a veritable Aladin's cave. The recording area was, putting it kindly, homely, but comfortable, and always welcoming. The recording of the "La Rocka Sessions" was done live, one-take and wiht almost no subsequent overdubs. That's the way to do it.

Named after the rehearsal and recording complex in Hornsey, N London where we pitched camp and occupied for some 8 years, the "La Rocka Sessions" were recorded at the La Rocka Studio run and onwed by the redoubtable Pete Chapman. Pete saw bands come and go with fairly predicatable regularity, but he saw us develop, expand and mature. Thanks, Pete - we owe you.

Track Listing:

• Six Month Man A paean to the eternal slacker, "Six Month Man" trundles along and tells it how it is: here today, gone tomorrow. Gritty old-time blues have never been so engaging.
• Don't Turn Back This song has been around for a while, and charts the break-down that follows break-up. The wailing harmonica figure cuts though the stupour and the pain, leading inevitably to the repeated chant: "Now I know how low I can go". I do, I do.
• Edge of Reason It was inevitable that with a lawyer amongst our number, there would be a legally theme song… now, you don't come across them often do you? This song is based on a well documented legal case of "forced canibalism" and is set in a poignant tune of lightness and persistence. Pass the salt.
• Natural Born Woman Preferring to compose, record and perform our own songs, we've never done many covers (too much hard work) but this lovely sprig of joyous up-tempo blues was the exception that proved the rule. Originally by Humble Pie, we mashed it up and squirted it out. Very tasty.
• Running from the Cops Numero uno EtL song - the first we ever wrote, "Running From The Cops" dates back to 1979. Here it is given a dusting down, complete valet job and the full 60,000 mile service. How we loved that tune: simple and enticing. Big solo at the end. Yummy.
• T Shirt 'n Jeans Changes of line-up over the years has forced the band - on a fairly regular basis - to review songs and more particualrly, the arrangements. "T Shirt 'n Jeans" more than most EtL songs has gone through many revisions. Here it is, in its era-specific guise: poppy and jumpy.
• The Place There is always a place, a time and space, isn't there? That's when you know. A bit jazzy, a bit airy, this songs slinks its way to the huge instrumental coda at the end. The place - that place- you know where it is, don't you?
• Time Rocky and pushing along, "Time" sets the tone for the last section of this album. The intricate guitar work is all our own, and laced with the harmonies this track resolves all the known conundra of life.
• Where's Poirot? This song features a beautiful choral refrain, set in an off-beat rhythm, and asks that question: what will/would we do without our heroes? Whilst "Inspector Japp has been and gone", Poirot is , well, gone for good… Ultimately wistful.