ROQUE: Separate Ways (studio, 1990)
 | BUY IT: $10 for CD, available by special order |
| The Songs Separate Ways/Sweat and Blood/Take Care of Yourself/Beautiful Smile/Tapping His Foot on the Rug (Inst.)/ Lovely Rachel/Rolling Thunder (Inst.)/ Forever Free/Man in the Shadows/Night Rain/Who Am I?/Gem/Skin of My Teeth/Make Up Your Mind/17th Floor Sunset (Inst.)/ Not At All/Eyes
all songs written and arranged by Cody Weathers (c)(p)2005, 1991-2004, Cody Weathers, all rights reserved. No stealing the worthless material, OK? | Additional MP3 Singles: |
Don't Hate the Players: 
(L-R) Nick Walsh: guitar, backing vocals Matt Preheim: keyboard, add'l percussion Colby Goff: guitar, backing vocals John Fried: bass Cody Weathers: lead vocals, drums/percussion, harmonica with: John Speranza: guitar on Not At All and Eyes Jan Miyake: viola and viola solo on Beautiful Smile Chi Wung-Lau: violin on Beautiful Smile Terri Kempton: cello on Beautiful Smile | MP-FREES: |
Liner Notes:
Notes on the 2000 CD re-release of Separate Ways:
When I was approached by Checkmate Records and asked to do the supplemental liner notes for the re-release of this groundbreaking album from this brilliant band, they told me “you’re not allowed to trash the band like the ROQUE and Roll guy....” Hey, as if!! I remember the first time I heard Separate Ways. I was 14, and me and my friends were going through some of my sister’s old 80’s stuff, making fun of bands the likes of Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Poison, Ratt, and Emerson, Lake, and Powell, when I saw it, jammed way down on the bottom of her shoebox. An original, signed “A Mix” dub of Separate Ways. Well, I hardly knew then that it was as cool as that, but it still grabbed me --something about its down-to- Earth design. It was clearly a band with some integrity who didn’t go out and hire a $100/hr graphic designer to paint them a cover of some girl getting her t***ies licked by a Bengal tiger. No, just two androgynous figures, headed their separate ways. Simple, but yet the message was clear to me even then. Just like our society, man. I’m ashamed to say that I --and remember, I was just 14-- made some wisecrack about how this band must really suck if they handwrite their liner notes. But when they weren’t looking, I stuffed it in my jock for later. Sure, I could’ve just come back into her room --I didn’t have to put it down my pants-- but somehow, it just felt right. Anyway, I listened to that album and it honestly changed my life. By that point, you really couldn’t get a lot of early Roque stuff easily --a lot of it was out of print or else stolen by Matt Preheim. There just weren’t a lot of copies for a lonely, confused, nerdy 14-year-old kid to lay his grubby little mitts on. So I wrote to the address for Checkmate Records, and I told them that I’d been mowing lawns and would gladly give them the $100 I had to my name for a copy of Checkmate or Roque and Roll. And being the sweet guys that they are, they let me. I’ll never forget that. That was the best $100 I ever spent. Thank you.
Lyrics:
Separate Ways: She was fast and sleek, dancing cheek-to-cheek. I don't know why I loved her --I knew she would leave. Now everyone's telling me I never should've met her. Like cyanide, I should've known better. Chorus: Baby, why did you lead me astray? You kept me in the dark, knowing you'd leave anyway. Baby, you know that I want you to stay, but you thought that we should go our separate ways. Well the light was red an awfully long time, when it finally turned green, I thought she was mine. My senses all told me she'd shed her skin. Shark-infested waters I'd jump right in. Chorus. I was saturated with love, sweet love. Thought she would fit me like fingers in glove. Now all my money's wasted and my time's all spent, but we had a good time as far as we went. Chorus. Now that she's gone, I've got to find me a date. Take her out early and bring her home late. Now everyone tells me I'm a crazy dog, but falling in love's just like falling off a log.
Sweat and Blood: Doesn't mean she loves me that she winks and throws me a smile, and if I want to catch her then I'll have to run that extra mile. Sets me up and tears me down on top of it --to top it all. If I lose my footing, then she'll laugh and watch me as I fall. CH: Sweat and blood, sweat and blood. I'm in love, but she makes me work so hard. Sweat and blood, sweat and blood. I'm in love, and I'm working up a sweat. Seeing her with him, I know she does it just to just to spite me. She can't stop her taunting; every action is there to fight me. I'm obsessed, I can't back out, I need to have her here beside me. Power lips and fingertips, hourglass hips that mesmerize me. CH.
Take Care of Yourself: Can't you see you're cutting me? No more chains, now set me free. Holding on, too long, too strong --let go: it's already gone. Lion, lamb, don't give a damn --do you know just who I am? Nightmare screams and shattered dreams, nothing's simple as it seems. CH: I hope we can get by without us. I hope we can survive all the cuts. Don't put your love away on the shelf. I hope you can take care of yourself. No regrets, no pity yet; you won't trap me in that net. No more tears --I'm outta here. You hurt me, let me make it clear. Shoot and sink it, don't even think it, your love's poison and I won't drink it. CH
Beautiful Smile: You're so beautiful when you're crying; guess I never really saw it that way. Never really realized there'd be such beauty in such pain. Let your tears was away like rain down the gutter. Sometimes love doesn't last forever, does it, but you can't hide behind that veil. Just pick yourself up from all the pieces, and give a little smile for me --you're so pretty. Chorus: It's not behind your makeup or the gorgeous clothes you wear. It's not how many pounds you weigh or the way you wear your hair. Smiling makes you beautiful. Aphrodite can't compare. Smiling makes you beautiful to me. You're so tender when you're lying; guess I never really saw it that way. Never really realized there's be such care in such deception. Let the false truth fade away like clouds on a summer day. Sometimes trust doesn't last forever, does it, but you can tell me anything. Just pick out the truth from all the pieces and give a little smile for me --you're so pretty. Chorus. You're so proud when you are falling; guess I never really saw it that way. never really realized there'd be such honor in such sorrow. Let your fears roll away like raindrops down a hill. sometimes love does last forever, doesn't it, and we can always work things out. Let me pick you up when you're in pieces. Just give a little smile for me --you're so pretty. Chorus. This is the song that I sing you to sleep with, this is the song that I sing in your ear. This is the song to sweep you to dreaming, this is the song that I hope you will hear. Lullabye, your lullabye. Rockabye, sleep tight.
Lovely Rachel: Something just like magic when we talk about the weather, and I look into your eyes just to pull myself together. It's like a famous picture, it's an everlasting second. I cling to next to nothing, but still the promise beckons. When I need a helping hand, I reach into the light, and I hope that you can find me and make it all all right. Chorus: Lovely Rachel, give me strength to see tomorrow. Lovely rachel, long brown eyes that cleanse my sorrow. I threw a silver dollar into the wishing well, and I wanted just to be with you. Will it happen, time will tell. I needed to find happiness to take away the pain, to purge my aching emptiness, to cast away the chains. I saw you fly above me, soaring slowly through the sky, and I asked if I could borrow your wings, 'cause I needed them to fly. CH. Like a willow I can bend toward your gentle stream and touch your life forever --reality's a dream.
Forever Free: Dust to dust, that's what they say. Life just doesn't matter if you'll die anyway. I don't know why she had to go. I miss her so; why did she go? I'll remember sparkling eyes. She was full of laughter, now she's left me to cry. How can they say ashes to ashes? She had such promise --she lived with such passion. She always had a thing for a good time. Chorus: She said "Give me a road to take me from home. I'll walk it with you or I'll walk it alone. Don't need no one to tell me what to do. Don't need no one to tell me where to go. If you want advice, I'll give it to you: when you're stuck in a river, gotta go with the flow." Ashes to ashes, that's what they say. But your life means so much, you must live every day. Can't turn back the hands of time: what's in the past must be left behind. She'll always have a thing for a good time. Chorus. Free, you're forever free....
Man In The Shadows: You yourself leave me alone, that's all I will say. Living with your mirror's clone every single day. Speak your peace if there's no war, forked tongue of a liar. Lock your windows, shut your doors, light yourself on fire. Chorus: I am there when you're asleep, I'm there when you're awake. I can hear your lying, crying footsteps of your fate. I know when you've been naughty, and I know when you've been nice. i am the man in the shadows --shadows of your life. Like a tree that breaks the wind, you cannot see the truth. Just look at the shape you're in and blame it on your youth. Autumn came and leaves turned red --bode of things to come. We stand apart, our love is dead, and now I'm going home.
Night Rain: I saw you once again, couldn't stop feeling the way I've been --just who do you think you are to make me fall in love with you. I don't know where to turn. Like paper, my heart might burn. Why don't you pick me up instead of tearing my heart down. Like a stream, so beautiful, you wash my heart and cleanse my soul. I take a drink, but then you're gone -- you're always moving on. Chorus: I can take the pain, but don't let me wash away. Just don't forget me in the night rain. I can hear your heart, but I won't let it tear me apart. I won't forget you in the night rain. I won't let you in any more, you can't take me away, you can't take me away from my heart. I think I'm falling down, round and round towards the ground. I don't know where I'll go --I am so hungry. Where will you draw the line? I think you're just wasting time. Goodbye my dear. One more sweet nothing in your ear.
Who Am I?: Staring out the window, looking at the snow falling like a rainbow to the ground below. Seeing apprehension in your tender eyes --finding no direction, wasted time flies by. Throwing caution to the wind, throwing roses at your feet as I struggle towards your hand, dreaming of your lips so sweet. CH: Who am I to be falling in love? I need you so much and can't get enough of tender eyes, discretion advised, entangled emotions, passionate cries. Heat of day and dark of night, the sirens flashing sounds. Basking in the neon lights, the jungleland surrounds. Tumbling inferno, children trapped inside. Where did all our hope go, taking this in stride? Ice and chiva, PCP disguised as paradise. Parasites, why can't they see the colonies of lice? Crack and AIDS and gun control, politicians make no moves --elections are the game here: television lets us choose. A thousand points of light stroll by, sucking on a joint, and if I could not hold you here, then what would be the point?
Gem: Emily has smiling eyes, lips that kiss the wind to its surprise. Hold her near and feel her shiver --fright and yet delight. In her arms, nothing's the matter; she makes it all alright. Dance a little dance for me, spin around and let me see. I can't make the sun rise -- it's too big for me-- but I can make her mind's eye open up and see. Chorus: Love is near, dry your tears. Let me see your face again. Emily, you are a gem, shining in the sun for all the world to see. Melodies sung with her smile, special harmonies --I'd sit and hum a while. Like a fawn, she is so still standing in the trees. Please, oh please, say you will bring me to my knees. Scattered ashes on the ground, put them back together in her eyes so brown. Golden hair twirled 'round her finger --such a pretty girl. Come on in a little closer, step into my world.
Skin of My Teeth: Sometimes I wonder if she really loves me at all. Always says she's busy, just excuses when I call. kitten on a limb or panther in the dark? Am I in the wading pool or swimming with a shark? Pre-CH: Kitty, kitty, puss'n'boots come on down out of that tree. Kitty, kitty puss'n'boots don't you turn those claws on me. CH: It's all right, I'm hanging on by the skin of my teeth. Black and blue with broken ribs and suddenly it's not so fun. Pulling knives and cracking whips --grandma's even got a gun. Love's a deadly weapon, never kills but often wounds. Smashing hearts with hammers, needleprick --no more balloon! Pre-CH CH. Order me some cherry pie, I'd love to lick her lips. Love a slice of cherry pie --I want a drink, but just get sips. Disappointment once again, goal line 4th and girl to go. Toughest defense in the league --ticking seconds, oh so slow.
Make Up Your Mind: I can hear through the walls when you think you're alone. I can hear when you're crying 'cause everything's wrong. You want him to love you, you're wasting your time. I'm always here for you, so make up your mind. Chorus: Make up your mind, what are you gonna do, when I wake up tomorrow can I count on you? make up your mind, what are you gonna do? I'll throw aside my trinkets 'cause all I want is you. Don't turn away, I'm out of my mind --we need to talk, lay it on the line. I can be timid, don't know where to start, but it's your own fault, you've set flame to my heart. CH. You tell me lies, you tell me secrets, you tell me jokes just like everyone else. But in your eyes, I find the answers --I never questioned just how I felt. Now you're saying that you don't know me, that I'm no different from all the rest. But each new day, you're still so lonely --you should decide to take the test.
Not At All: I've got all these women giving me shit for things I never did. I've found the best way to care is not at all. All I want's for her to leave me alone, but I've found you can't win them all. Same old shit, just a different shovel when she feeds me that same old line. I've found the best way to care is not at all. I'd tell her again, but I told her before --it's like talking to a concrete wall. She tells me every day she thinks I'll change my ways, but I know it's not meant to be. I've found the best way to care is not at all. She gets upset because I don't want to talk, but I'd only end up lying to stall her. I was ready to go with a brand new date when this other girl calls me in tears. She said "please don't go and leave me alone." Honey, I don't know you, I've never been with you, so quit waiting for the telephone. So I picked up my date and we went out and ate, and she caught me when I wasn't aware. She started bitching about passes that I never made. If you're going to get mad about something so pleasing, at least let me give you a reason. I was making a pass at a shapely young lass, when she threw me a wink and a smile, so I walked right over and I asked her out. She said, "I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole, so crawl back in your dirty hole." I guess what you send around comes right back to you. I've found the best way to care is not at all. One of these days, I'm gonna strike it rich with a woman who's not a bitch.
Eyes: When I first met you, my eyes could not decide which part of you was the best. Within a moment, I had found my answer, and my eyes came to rest. Your sapphire eyes with a million questions oh, so slowly crept around my heart. The sky has fallen and stained the ivory. You were trouble from the very start. Chorus: Your eyes are waiting to find out who I am. They pierce my soul, but warm me so. I'll help you however I can. Your eyes are looking, and I hope they're looking at me. Blue as lightning, your eyes look through me. Apparently, you are not convinced. Patiently impatient, I am waiting. Permanence does not come too quick. Deep within your heart, you know your answer, but your eyes hide the truth. Hope within your eyes laps like water. Let me in very soon. Chorus. On the surface, your eyes are striking. Underneath, they are soft and warm. The window to your soul could not be clearer, you are the sunshine hidden by the storm. When you're crying and your eyes are raining, it's very hard to see the light. So then I hold you and bring back the sunlight. I feel your warmth as I hold you tight.
Listening Log:
This CD is actually missing some of the best songs from the original 90-minute tape. Better performances, better recording quality, more attention to detail, but still a lot of room to improve.
Separate Ways: This is a lot tighter than I remember it. Obviously, I've got a soft spot for this song --I re-recorded it on the 2000 Stunt Beatles release. Vocally, the performances on this album are far better than on ROQUE and Roll. I think I finally settled into my role instead of just being the singer by default. Quiet as it is, I'm impressing myself with some of my footwork. I didn't think I could do those fast rolls until a few years later. Good for me!
Sweat & Blood: Before doing this Fried marathon exercise, if you had asked me "Which album is more guitar-oriented: R&R or SW?" I would've answered Roque & Roll in a heartbeat, but now that I think about it, it's probably this album. Hadn't thought about this song for a while --it could hold up to a re-recording. Lusty little song of pursuit.
Take Care of Yourself: This is the hardest-rocking keyboard song we ever did, I think. This was traditionally our "string break song" live, an angry song about sexual politics and feelings of unfairness. I like it. I totally can't judge my mental state right now. I know I'm no longer in any sort of objective mode --I would hesitate to sit down and play this album for someone else. I guess it's kind of a mixture of relief and pride. When this album was recorded, everything you heard live or on the radio was heavy metal (which I love), but we were a band that didn't really fit into any genre easily, so we definitely had some trouble connecting. Also we kind of stunk. That also made it hard to connect. I guess that having believed balance between "Stinks-----Misunderstood" was mostly "Stinks," it's kind of a relief to listen to this now and feel like it's a little more "Misunderstood."
Beautiful Smile: And then along comes "Beautiful Smile." OK, other than the string trio at the end, this needle's still on "stink." It's just too long with no build. I am enjoying the fade, though. Those strings sound decent considering what horrible mics I used to record them. In fact this album sounds decent considering that it was recorded karaoke. This lyric is empty to me.
Tapping His Foot On The Rug: Now that it's not the lynchpin of tensions within the band, and having played more blues on the side, I appreciate that Nick really did have a talent for it.
Lovely Rachel: This album is losing momentum through this stretch. I wouldn't put two long slow ballads essentially back-to-back if I were putting this song order today. Although I guess we're missing some songs out of the original order. Bad remix, Cody, bad! Also, I shouldn't have allowed Nick's solo to stand. His opening idea is OK, but he's in the wrong key, and there's no fixing that.
Rolling Thunder: I'm such a jerk. I have no idea how to be myself onstage. I hate my smarmy stage personna. That UP electronic drum never fit in. At least here, it sounds like a parody of itself. The sudden arrival by helicopter of the dancing girls, or other similar spectacular event. This solo's OK, but again, two slow ballads punctuated by solos by the two biggest egos in the band is a momentum killer. Bad remix!
Forever Free: For this one, I experimented with singing with a dry mouth to add some edge to my voice. I ate a bunch of biscuits (cornbread works, too) before the take. I remember that after I mixed the album, Fried said that it ruined the song for him. I think he's right --it sounds terrible. I like this song, but that is a very distracting vocal effect. It's also distracting when the washcloth falls out of the overdubbed cowbell during the fade. I wrote this song in memory of a friend who died, Summer Saville-Ball.
Man in the Shadows: This is one of the first guitar riffs I came up with, and one of the first few songs I ever wrote, about being that shoulder you cry on. When being stalked, I guess. I'm impressed with this little version. Fried totally carries the song. One of the few Colby solos. I totally screwed him out of having any songs on the album. By this point, he and I had already written "At Your Mercy" and "Why Should I Fly?" together. I can't really remember why we didn't work those in. It may have been Matt's merciless teasing.
Night Rain: If I were still playing poorly-attended 4-hour gigs in venues with pianos, I might enjoy dusting this one off. This is about driving around on a rainy night feeling sorry for myself. Thank you, I'm here all week.
Who Am I?: I don't know where we got that bass tone from, but it's sweet. A little boost to the instrumental track that I guess I figured you'd never notice. I like this song, and for a short time, it was in the rotation for our acoustic gigs. It does suffer a little bit from that whole obsolete naïve social commentary problem mentioned in "Youth of Tomorrow." Another nice simple guitar riff (although it gets lost in this mix) from very early on.
Gem: A little foray into folk rock. Again, Fried carries this song. When, oh when will you start writing good parts for him, 16-year-old Cody? Like Beautiful Smile, this song goes on a little too long and is definitely lacking any kind of build. Also very little conviction writing a song "about" a girl who I didn't ever actually go out with.
Skin of My Teeth: Wacky little disco verse that Fried nails, but I like it. There's a really good live version of this (Not!-era) that will be on "If Flip Nasty Falls In The Forest...." I've already been toying with the idea of re-recording some of these older songs, trying to emulate the rawness of our approach but bring some maturity to the performances, and I'm definitely including this one if I do that album. Me-ow!
Make Up Your Mind: Decent little tune, but out of place in a manner typical to most of my albums. On the heels of this rock song we suddenly flip 180 degrees into some other style. Yes, Dixie, we know how you feel about this.
17th Floor Sunset: I think this is the first instrumental I wrote out for the band to play. I've only played it live once, as my featured song during a Union Street Jazz concert. It is the origin of my signature hand-to-foot drum roll.
Not At All: True fans know that this one is actually off of "Checkmate" and as a result sounds a little brighter and more confident, as do most songs from that album (still recorded karaoke style). While not a collaboration with Nick, it was definitely a concession, in order to give him a blues vehicle for an extended solo. I could see this as a Leaky Joe song, but not a serious re-record. I've never much cared for it despite my outstanding harmonica playing. Again, like Time, Trouble, and Expense, something about blues hour with Nick makes me feel like women musta done me wrong, although in this case I was actually pretty upset with someone for part of this lyric.
Eyes: This is actually a bonus track that was recorded for Checkmate, but not included on the final mix. I think it's Speranza on guitar. This was a very hasty session centered around the fact that I temporarily had custody of a pair of congas over one weekend. We learned and played the song in one day. I've always liked this song, but I think I recognize that it's not really very good. There's just not much to say about Keri K's beautiful eyes that can't be summed up as, "Keri K has really lovely eyes." I play congas, Matt plays auxilliary percussion and keyboard in one take, Speranza (pretty sure) plays guitar, and of course Fried on bass.
(Missing From the CD re-release of this album: original versions of Pink Shoes, Always, Daddy, I Want You Now. All of those were chosen for Not!, and are obviously arguably the strongest four songs off the album.)
