Jed:
The song that cracked the Rebellion mold. The whole point of the Hanslick Rebellion was to write and perform short, rocking songs, tightly arranged, with NO JAMMING. But Mike brought the riff to the very first rehearsal and all the band could do was jam on it. I drew up a lyric about a man with the mark of Cain, and added a bridge, but "Smoke" continued to drift and elongate despite the firm arrangement.
The crowd loved the jam, and the Rebellion discovered that we weren't half-bad at it; "Sugar Smack," "Why James Likes Indie Rock," "Pablo Picasso," and "Now I Have a Job" followed, and the band became known for its freakouts.
Years later, attempts to snap back to the long-outgrown three-minute-rock-song concept would prove a major factor in the breakup of the Rebellion.
lyrics
First thing you see is the mark on me
The long long shadow that snakes down
Down the floor
I drift, I drip, I slide
I waft away like smoke off an altar
And something of yours is mine
I got an old friend
I got a new friend
We twist and spin in hand jive
We do things in black rooms
High in the brownstones
You look up
And around
And wonder what I'm doing
And if
I'm doing it to you
I got an old friend
I got a new friend
I got an old old old old mark on me
Come shake the dusty hand of the rotten fruit man
I got an old friend
I got a new friend
credits
from the rebellion is here.,
released September 22, 2005
Words by Jed Davis and Mike Keaney, music by Mike Keaney
Published by Eschatonality/ASCAP
Jed Davis: backing vocals, keyboards
Mike Keaney: vocals, bass
Alex Dubovoy: guitar
Mike Kearns: drums
Produced by The Hanslick Rebellion
Recorded live 7-30-96 by John Delehanty and Rich Libutti at The QE2, Albany, NY
Mixed by John Delehanty and Rich Libutti at Scarlet East, Latham, NY
Mastered by Dave McNair at Unity Mastering, New York, NY