Dirty Clothes

Taurine

Recorded at Sandbox Studios, Knee, Aguero, Gladders, Siegel and Sirkin, May 2001

Custy

What You Do

This song is in honor of a simply awesome horse I'll always love and respect- My father bought my mother a retired ex-race-horse who's racing name was "Party Shoes".  The tattoo under her lip or racing number was 1942. (she never won a single race) We let her run free and never really showed her. My mother nicknamed her "Blackie" cause she had an ink black coat that would turn light shades of brown in the summer.  She was a huge thoroughbred at 17 hands and she was bad ass- (that's over 6 feet freaking tall) She would jump over this 6 ft high barbed-wire fence and escape once a year... When she wanted to, for fun- She marched to the beat of her own drum and in the ten years she lived with us, I rode her only once. It was two weeks before moving out west from the place I had grown up my whole life.  We lived on a 3 acre lot in the then outskirts of the burbs, with a small barn built by my dad and two horses. I knew I'd never have the chance again as the horses were being given away shortly, the house was soon to be demolished for a new subdivision and soon I'd be in one of the largest cities in the world. All alone that day, I went to the barn, gathered the gear, grabbed an apple and went and got her. She was extremely cautious and kept staring at me, swatting her tail as I put on the saddle, halter, bit and reigns... I calmly led her to the fence, climbed up and slowly slid my leg over her back and sat up firm in the stirrups. There was no way to keep my heart from pounding, atop this huge horse who's job used to be to run out of her skin if she could. Time froze and I could see everything much differently from that vantage. She walked calmly and tall and let me buy the fantasy that "everything was cool" for about two minutes that seemed to disappear from time... Then she started to trot, (think Bruce Jenner in the 70's) attempting to take off, trying to buck and throw back her head... I slowed her down as calmly as I could and quickly dismounted with hands trembling and blood flowing. I knew I'd never forget that day and how awesome she was to allow me the moment- A few years later I heard from my mom that she had to be put down as a stallion at her new digs had broken her leg in a fight. 

The music for "Party Shoes" had just been written weeks before hearing of her passing. It was a song with no lyrics. (somehow remember inspiration those days from Willy Nelson and Bowie in "Tin Men")  
Upon receiving the news of her passing I was unexpectedly really bummed and felt so far removed from that day alone riding a huge ink-black ex-race horse, really alive and out there in the burbs. That moment she gave me that day created the avenue for a song which helped to reconnect with my roots.  R.I.P. 1942 Much Love-  

Party Shoes

Written Nov. 2001 in effort to make sense of such a shocking event.  In my opinion, one of the best studio tracks the band ever recorded. Sandbox Studios, Hollywood CA.

Hammer

Freight Train

Cover of Beck's "Where it's at" on Santa Monica Pier. 

Custy Posada