As my internet social network began to expand, so did demand for various songs that I had left behind. All written from 1988-1996 these songs were mostly released as cassettes and on mp3.com. The later most likely live on the internet somewhere, while the cassettes I am sure remain a rare commodity. As I began to explore ways of releasing these songs, the idea of all new recordings held the greatest appeal for me. I wanted to do these recordings as I had written them. Solo acoustic performances with no overdubs. I set aside a pair of Monday afternoons and set up a few microphones in my bedroom, pressed record on my DAW and ran through the list of songs as if doing a show. The final step was to mix and edit. Simple, loose and honest. Some early attempts at this recording resulted in half a dozen songs being cut short as I failed to recall verses. Some came as natural to me as the Pledge of Allegiance or the Lords Prayer, while others had me revisit the original recordings in search of a lost bridge or final verse. Some songs had been completely abandoned while others remain in constant rotation during my live shows. A few would have remained lost if not for old friends and band mates that mentioned them in fondness. Oddly, the ones that I had let go of were the most fun to revive. Shadows of Violence, Shotgun, Smile of my own, She wore Black, and Awakened to the Rain had become tunes that had just slid off of my set lists over the years. She Fades Away, Stranded in Chicago, Roxanne and the instrumentals remain standard at gigs but were not available as recordings. Tankashila, Heir to Nothing, and Roberts Song are still performed but not often. I still think of these as some of my favorites. As I began work on this collection I was also in the midst of a new explosion of songs. The need to get these recordings finished became urgent as I needed to clear my pallet for the new works that will soon consume my attention. Thank you to everyone for requesting these songs over the years. Had you not, I would have never taken the time to make this record. As I looked back through the years worth of songs I found a my self enjoying these tunes as I had when they originally crashed into my mind. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. -Charlie Cover Photo: 1993 Gina Gilambardo This project is dedicated to the memory of Steve Schindler or as we all called him, Ginchi.