One night during the summer of 2005 I sat in with Bob Fahey and Will Waller, who were doing an acoustic duo at the Dublin Square pub in downtown Rapid City. I sat in a few more times, and Will got busy with other projects, so Bob and I started doing the duo gigs together. We were both a bit surprised to find that we could put out a pretty rockin’ sound with just two acoustic guitars, and we soon developed a solid repertoire of cover tunes, but in addition I was immediately inspired by Bob’s music to begin a song-writing binge, (which still continues), and Bob already had a stock of good originals. In the fall of 2008 we swore that we wouldn’t write any new songs until we got some of the older ones recorded, and this CD is the result, completed in April of 2009. We cheated on our writing moratorium, however, and wrote a batch of new songs during this recording project. With luck we’ll get some of those recorded by next year. Our basic approach was to stay pretty close to our live sound, with just the two guitars and vocals. We wanted some contrasts though, so I played a bit of banjo and piano, and Bob added a programmed drum track to “Hell to Pay.” For Bob’s beautiful ballad, “I’ve Got Love If You Want It” I wrote a string arrangement, which is performed by The HeartStrings (Emily Palmer and Callan Van Nuys, courtesy of Extremely Attractive Records). The fabulous Swisher Sisters join us on the final chorus of “The Last Last Call.” Bob played all the slide solos and I played all the others, with the exception of “A Lot To Win,” on which Bob played the 12-string part. James Van Nuys, April 27, 2009. One Dollar Blues (J. Van Nuys) Written for the army of street people trudging endlessly around downtown Rapid City, South Dakota. This is not a protest song or a call to spend a lot of tax dollars on these lost souls–it’s merely observation and description. Love Is So Dangerous (R. Fahey) But Bob is a risk-taker... Arrest That Gal (J. Van Nuys) An all too common scenario-- an average and probably overweight guy paradoxically resents and desires a beautiful woman he can never possess. “Officer, Arrest That Man,” was a tag line in a 1960s cartoon show. Prize Fighter (R. Fahey) Bob developed a neurosis about this song but with counseling and proper medication he is able to sing it quite satisfactorily. A Lot to Win (J. Van Nuys) The wheel of fortune visualized as a sort of Ferris wheel. Pearl Beyond Price (R. Fahey) Gone, Gone, Gone (J. Van Nuys) At the end, Bob channels an all-nighter on Interstate 25, complete with those hallucinations during which you think you see someone standing beside the road. Poor Boy (R. Fahey) Based on a true story. Bob tries to be good but is tempted away from the straight and narrow path. Will he ever earn the right to become a real boy? Time to Hang On (J. Van Nuys) Based on an untrue story, but likely enough nevertheless. I’ve Got Love If You Want It (R. Fahey) And who doesn’t? Hell to Pay (R. Fahey) This is as heavy as you can get with acoustic guitars. Bob was hoping Black Sabbath might cover this song but it’s far too late for that now. The Last Last Call (J. Van Nuys) The title and the phrase “Trying not to fall” may be religious metaphors, and the song may actually be a hymn. On the other hand, it may be a simple song about a pathetic drunk.