If I Could Live Long Enough
Tobin Mueller and Friends
Believe it or not, some of my favorite songs I've written never made it onto an album. Until now. If I Could Live Long Enough includes songs that range from as far back as 2004, 1998, 1992, even 1981. Some are from recording sessions that ended up producing too many tracks to fit on a specific record (tracks 9-11). Some were showtunes for productions that never recorded a cast album (Was There Once A Time). Some were done just for fun, as vehicles to explore new technologies (Turn It Around). Listening to the tracks in this collection is like a retrospective of my songwriting from the first half of my career. I hope you enjoy it.
The song I most wanted to share was Pilgrim Of The Great Return. It marks the first time I wrote a song specifically for saxophonist Woody Mankowski. Woody would turn into my favorite collaborator over the next decade (especially The Muller's Wheel and Come In Funky. His soprano sax transform the recording. I am very happy to finally release the song, even if it was 12 years after we recorded it.
There are interesting stories behind every track. I wrote For A New Life to learn how to use the software program Garageband when it first came out in 2004. It was my first use of digital samples in a composition. It was also the first time I recorded Del's voice, which eventually led to our As Simple As Soap collaboration. (He speaks the part of the border guard asking for papers in the middle of the story.)
The few songs that have can be found on other recordings (tracks 2, 4, 8) have been remastered. So even these tracks will bring new subtleties to the table.
I have incluided six Bonus Tracks, as well, adding the the dozen tracks on the official CD. But there are still a more unpublished demos on the shelf, recordings that aren't in good enough shape to share yet. I listen to them now and again and wonder, Should I redo and release them, too? Yet, of the 260+ songs I've written and recorded, it's nice to have a few secrets still in the vault. I may revisit them someday... if I could only live long enough.
Of all of the artists that I’ve reviewed over the years, Tobin Mueller has to be the most versatile. There isn’t much in the music realm that he hasn’t done and that vast experience is evident in this music. The lyrics of all of the songs are poetic and meaningful.
“Before There Were Gods” is my favorite track on the album. “Pilgrim of the Great Return” is musical magic - another favorite. “Was There Once a Time” asks the question of whether there was ever a time when idealism was real and life made more sense - as appropriate a question now as it was when it was written. “Falling” is the oldest song in the collection, a beautiful and soulful love song - I really like this one, too! “Turn It Around” is pure fun! “When You Awake” is an achingly poignant song from Mueller’s musical set in the Holocaust, “Runners In A Dream,” sung by a ghost mother to her daughter who is hiding from the Nazis - a wonderful close to the album.
"If I Could Live Long Enough" is a very special treat from this very prolific artist and is recommended!
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1 | If I Could Live Long Enough] featuring John Selvia on bass |
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2 | Before There Were Gods]* featuring Michael Hedges on guitar |
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3 | Pilgrim Of The Great Return] featuring Woody Mankowski on soprano sax |
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4 | Was There Once A Time]** |
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5 | Forge A New Life] featuring Norman Goodman on guitar |
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6 | Falling] |
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7 | Turn It Around] |
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8 | When I Sing] |
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9 | A Promise]*** featuring Woody Mankowski on vocals |
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10 | The Shape Of My Life]?*** featuring Woody Mankowski on vocals |
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11 | When You Awake] (Dreams)*** featuring Woody Mankowski on vocals |
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12 | When You Awake reprise] featuring Emily Rohm on vocals |
| EXCLUSIVE BONUS TRACKS | ||
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1 | You Can't Touch Me] |
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2 | Rock A Baby With Voodoo] |
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3 | Believe] |
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4 | Lucky Boy Blues] |
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5 | Tango] |
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6 | What Is This Touch] |
* Bonus Track from Song of Myself. Music by Tobin Mueller & Michael Hedges; lyrics by Tobin Mueller.
** First performed in the Off Broadway show, Runners in a Dream. Was later included in The September 11 Project.
*** From the Off Broadway musical Creature, featuring Woody Mankowski singing the part of Victor Frankenstein; Jeff Cox - acoustic bass; Dane Richeson - drums; Doug Schneider - tenor sax.
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