Musicians Hail The Chiefs
By Lyndsey Matthews
July 17, 2008
Originally Published At:
CMJ.com
Songwriters Matthew Gerken (Nice Monster), Christian Kiefer and Jefferson Pitcher (formerly of Above The Orange Trees) have taken on the monumental task of composing and recording a song for each of the Presidents of the United States, all 43 of 'em! The project, Of Great And Mortal Men: 43 Songs For 43 Presidencies, will be released as a three-disc set from the Standard Recording Co. on September 9. The songs attempt to venture into the craniums of the heads of state, delivered through humorous and often critical monologues.
Even George Washington can't dodge the songwriters' biting satire, as he recalls the lies he told through his infamous dentures made of hippopotamus teeth. And oft-forgotten president Chester Arthur, the successor to the assassinated James Garfield, later compares himself to Washington, saying, "Old hippo-teeth, you got nothing on me."
Not all the songs are hypercritical though. In "The Mighty Lion Will Not Roar Again," Bill Clinton is portrayed as a second Noah who wishes to save the world. Yet few will be surprised by the songwriters' treatment of George H.W. Bush and his links to Texas oil: "From the stalwart positions of Houston and friends is built a singular tradition: To desire more." George W. is treated similarly in the simpleminded and self-righteous inner monologue of "Through The Night."
The songs feature many guest artists including Bill Callahan, Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart, Low's Alan Sparhawk, Mark Kozelek, Califone, Rosie Thomas and Cake's Vince DiFiori. The 44th song will be released as a download when the 44th President is elected in November.
Tracklist For Of Great And Mortal Men: 43 Songs For 43 Presidencies :
DISC ONE:
01. George Washington: Washington Dreams Of The Hippopotamus (Feat. Vince DiFiore of Cake)
02. John Adams: Armed With Only Wit And Vigor And The US Navy (Feat. These United States)
03. Thomas Jefferson: The Mouldboard Of Least Resistance
04. James Madison: Zinger
05. James Monroe: The Last Cocked Hat (Feat. Marla Hansen)
06. John Quincy Adams: Death In The Speaker's Room
07. Andrew Jackson: Benevolence (Feat. Califone)
08. Martin Van Buren: The Little Magician (Feat. Tom Brosseau)
09. William Henry Harrison: So You Don't Have To
10. John Tyler: Hindsight Falls On Deaf Ears (Feat. Bill Callahan)
11. James Polk: The Other Is Better / The Landscape To Transform (Feat. Monahans)
12. Zachary Taylor: Rough And Ready
13. Millard Fillmore: The Proof Is In The Pudding
14. Franklin Pierce: My Only Enemy Is Myself
DISC TWO:
01. James Buchanan: God Will Strike You Down (Feat. Marla Hansen)
02. Abraham Lincoln: Malice, Charity, And The Oath Of God (Feat. James Jackson Toth)
03. Andrew Johnson: Was Ever Alone?
04. Ulysses S. Grant: Helicopters Above Oakland
05. Rutherford B. Hayes: The Beard Of God
06. James Garfield: Seven Months
07. Chester Arthur: The Epitome Of Dignity
08. Grover Cleveland: Bees And Honey
09. Benjamin Harrison: Kid Gloves Hands Surplus To Big Sugar
10. Grover Cleveland: Rubbermouth
11. William McKinley: Czolgosz's Dream (Feat. Magnolia Summer)
12. Theodore Roosevelt: The Sherman Act Does Not Care
13. William Howard Taft: There Was No Longer Use To Hide The Fact That It Was Gout (Feat. Marla Hansen)
14. Woodrow Wilson: A Life Among Men (Feat. Jamie Stuart of Xiu Xiu)
DISC THREE:
01. Warren Harding: An Army Of Pompous Phrases
02. Calvin Coolidge: On Silence (Feat. Radar Bros.)
03. Herbert Hoover: Woe Is A Spoon-Shaped Heart (Feat. Marla Hansen)
04. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Illuminating The Bright Lines
05. Harry S. Truman: Suits And Fine Trousers Vs. Hiroshima (Feat. Denison Witmer)
06. Dwight D. Eisenhower: When Ike Walked The Land (Feat. Alan Sparhawk And Mark Kozelek)
07. John F. Kennedy: There Is No Plan
08. Lyndon B. Johnson: Ladybird Take Me Home (Feat. Steve Dawson)
09. Richard Nixon: 2 Under Par Off The Coast of Africa (Feat. Tom Carter)
10. Gerald Ford: Now You See It, Now You Don't See It (Feat. Vince DiFiore)
11. Jimmy Carter: A Great Beam Of Light (Feat. Rosie Thomas)
12. Ronald Reagan: Such A Marvelous Dream (Feat. Califone)
13. George H.W. Bush: It Was Foreshadowed Here: The Beginning Of The End
14. William J. Clinton: The Mighty Lion Will Not Roar Again
15. George W. Bush: Though The Night
Web: ofgreatandmortalmen.wordpress.com