The Legend of Anal Probe Part 2
When I last left you Anal Probe dominated the stages of Long Beach State, the second largest University in California. A big time gig. After that was done, new paper article was written we all went our separate ways. we all moved from our home town of San Pedro. Ian went to the San Diego area. Mike eventually moved to Tennessee. I eventually moved to Northern California and then to Portland. Regardless, everyone once in a while I would look at the stack of news papers I took and from time to time show off the article and it got me thinking, were we done?
About 14 years had past since the show. Last year (2019) I was building the studio, I was also turning 40 and I wanted to do something special. After some deep thought I came up with the idea to get Anal Probe back together to record in the new studio. The concept was simple, spend a week write, record and have fun. What could possibly go wrong?
In going over the logistics I told Mike and Ian, I was not writing music. I strictly wanted to play the drums and do the recording. So it was up to both of them to come up with tunes. And they didn’t need to bring any equipment because I had enough for everyone. Simple. Then a couple weeks before they were set to come out I got a question.
My brother called about two weeks before he was coming out and asked if I wanted to do DMT. I have no idea what that is. So I ask him what is it, he tells me it’s a drug that helps you see things your are not supposed to see. He let’s me know that his friend Jeremy has it all worked out and hooked up. So I ask my brother one simple question, when is the last time I did drugs? Answer; never and I was not planning on starting then. Right away I start to think the full week is no longer going to be a full week.
In addition the studio was not ready. There were still things that needed to be done. Like paint the walls, finish the dry wall, you know important stuff. In addition I was dealing and working with a lot of new equipment I had never used before. Which if you know the recording process, it can be extremely stressful adding new equipment.
So day 1, I pick them both up form the airport. We decide that finishing putting the studio together would be priority number one. Then after that we were going to practice the songs they wrote. Getting the studio up was not a problem. Practicing the songs was, since they didn’t have any. As with music making, seldom is the first several hours anything other than people disinterested in what the other people are doing and just practicing. This was no different.
Day 2 transformed into a song writing day. Which when you get a couple talented people in the room, song writing just becomes easy. Day 2 also marked when their friend, I know him well myself Jeremy came over. Now at the time he was going through some personal problems and it was a good thing Mike and Ian were in town to help him. Jeremy, is a cool guy. One of those people that you want around because he is friendly and loyal. Jeremy was also excited to have the guys in town so he rented a hotel room in a forest. Why you might ask, DMT and weed.
So Day 3 became Mike, Ian and Jeremy going on a psychedelic journey.
At some point in time they arrive back at my house on day 4. Both feeling the effects of the day and night before. There was some serious napping that occurred. I want you all to harken back to when you were young and you had a friend that spent the night after a hard night of partying. There is a smell which is a combination of body odor, extreme dehydration, cotton mouth, greasy food and perhaps some urine.
After they were done resting the song writing happened. This is also around the time Ian was getting some serious feedback from a “dating” website. He was debating between two. Once he decided which direction he was going in, the meeting was scheduled. He left my house at some point that evening.
Day 5, Ian didn’t leave my neighborhood the night before. No, he was in a car a block away. I won’t elaborate, I’m sure you can guess. This was also the last day to really record music and we had not done anything yet. So like true professionals we were locked in, laid down the main song. We also had time to lay down a few other ideas (none of which will ever see the light of day).
Day 6 was the day Ian had to fly home. Proud of the accomplishment of recording a song, I dropped him off to the airport like a concurring hero. Day 6 was also the day I saw the last Avengers movie with my brother.
Day 7 Mike goes home.
For a year I have been trying to get the song to sound good.
So here you go…
Anal Probe-There Goes My Baby