Memorable liner notes - contradiction in terms??

[Ken Dryden]

I haven't done a huge amount of liner note writing, but it is always fun and definitely a challenge! If you make a huge gaff, it can last for a long time in the public eye.

I'm sure other liner note writers can share their stories. I've been sent advance discs with mislabeled songs, unlisted instruments, wrong or incomplete composer credits and even one track for a "best of" compilation in which the leader didn't even take a solo. After my feedback, that track, along with another I suggested deleting in favor of a much better known song, were replaced before the CD was issued.

I was dumbfounded as to what Jaki Byard meant by "St. Mark's Place in the Sewers" until CD producer Stuart Kremsky told me of the pianist's explanation to the audience, which was omitted from The Last From Lennie's.

On the liner notes to Phil Woods' Bouquet, Leonard Feather states that Woods' song title "HUK2E" "doesn't mean anything..."--I guess he didn't expectorate it.

Regarding wrong track order: one way around it is to talk about songs in logical groupings instead of in the order of appearance on the CD. That way last minute production changes won't affect the notes.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Ken Dryden

[K1969]

I was upset when, a few years back, some people really attacked some of these writers, especially Feather.

I'm curious to know what happened and why - could you tell more? thanks, Dante

[montg]

Paul Desmond's liners from Take Ten are very memorable, in Desmond's dry wit fashion:

"I should explain who I am and all, especially for those among you who may have picked up the album because of the cover under the impression that you were getting the score from a Vincent Price movie"

[Big Al]

Oh yeah, Paul Desmond's liners to any of his albums were always memorable. Pity he wasn't asked to write more liner notes, either for his own albums or others!

Hands down, the most memorable liner notes for me are Jack Tracy's liner notes to TERRY GIBBS DREAM BAND, VOLUME 5: THE BIG CAT. A lot of times, I'll read these if I'm just needing a good chuckle. Which happens more often that you might imagine!

[alocispepraluger102]

the art on jon and don's 'human music' is all the liner notes i need.

Edited May 5, 2007 by alocispepraluger102