Use With Headphones Late At Night (Best of 1990-2000)
by Tadpoles
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Digital Album
Streaming + DownloadImmediate download of 17-track album in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire.
If you like Tadpoles, check out Todd Parker's solo project
toddparkerandthewitches.bandcamp.com
Also available is The Farm Tape Series - free releases of cassette 4-track psych excursions and Tadpoles demos
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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital AlbumOriginal Bakery Records CD release from 2001. Out of Print. Limited Supply Remaining.
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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Whirlaway Sessions (20th Anniversary Alternative Mixes), Jaded Jean (For Lee Jackson in Space Mix), Live at The Great American Music Hall, Far Out (20th Anniversary Mix), Float Away (Live At CBGB's), Feel Like A Freak (A Historical Sideshow of Missing Links), He Fell Into The Sky, Far Out, and 6 more.
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Snapper
03:41
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Umbrella Smile
03:18
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Blossom
02:53
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The Ride
04:20
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Nazareth
05:35
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Know Your Ghosts
04:21
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Jaded Jean
03:49
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Rainbowmaker
05:46
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Firecracker
04:44
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Judas, This Is Jesus
03:03
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Whirlaway (single mix)
04:28
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about
Use With Headphones Late At Night (Best of 1990-2000) (2001) is the first career spanning compilation CD by Tadpoles. The record features tracks from each studio album, plus four previously rare or unreleased tracks. Tracks 1-8 feature remastered works from He Fell Into The Sky and Far Out. Tracks 9-12 are identical to the versions on Smoke Ghost and Track 13 is taken directly from the Know Your Ghosts E.P.. The final four songs are previously unreleased alternate mixes of Whirlaway tracks. "Crash Of The Bug (Super Beetle Radio Mix)" and "Whirlaway (Mp3 Single Mix)" were edited and mixed by Gene Holder (the dB's).
PITCHFORK REVIEW
Tadpoles
Use With Headphones Late
at Night: Best of 1990- 2000 [Bakery; 2001]
7.5
There are styles of music that I figure will probably always be around in some form, and psychedelia is one of them. I have a lot of reasons for thinking that, but the main one is that, as a genre, it's so adaptable. The advent of decent recording technology was one of the main things that made truly psychedelic music possible in the first place, so it seems natural that the music should continue to evolve with the technology. Secondly, psychedelia is at best a vaguely defined genre distinction, so it's easy to apply it to music that comes decidedly from a rock or pop standpoint, but is colored on the edges with noise and effects.
The Tadpoles pretty much exemplify what most American psychedelic music sounded like in the 1990s-- melodic rock wrapped in blankets of fuzz, heavily processed guitars and the occasional electronic studio effect. The Tadpoles were adept enough at jamming and developing themes, but they were at their best when working with concise, punchy songs. Then they broke up in 2000 ("indefinite hiatus," they called it), and leader Tom Parker pulled together this retrospective as a eulogy of sorts for the band. By and large, he's come up with a good overview of their catalog, taking four tracks from each of the band's four studio LPs, and one track from 1997's Know Your Ghosts EP.
The 78-minute disc starts where it logically should, with four songs from the band's debut album, 1994's He Fell into the Sky, and proceeds chronologically from there. As such, it gives a clear view of just how much the Hoboken, NJ band progressed during their career. "Snapper" opens things in a haze of stompbox fuzz, with Parker's tenor voice hanging low in the mix. Original drummer Michael Kite Audino lays on the toms hard, and the sheets of distortion sometimes give way to cleanly strummed guitar chords, and even something that might be described as a solo at one point (albeit not a very melodic one).
The vocals stay fairly buried and the guitar tones largely the same for the other three selections from He Fell, the best of which is probably the slow-burning "The Ride," which features some fine playing from bassist David Max and a gloriously muddy buildup near the end. The four selections from 1996's Far Out show progress almost immediately, with Nick Kramer's heavily processed guitar coming to the fore after the departure of co-guitarist Andrew Jackson.
"Race You to the Mustard Patch" drips in wah pedals and vocal effects, while the Nick Kramer-sung "Nazareth" remains squeaky-clean until about 2\xBD minutes in, when it briefly explodes in a ball of distortion and flailing lead lines. "Ride the World Around the Sun" features dueling guitars orbiting a solid bassline, while "At Least I'm Not Like Jonathan Carver" begins floating somewhere in space before congealing halfway through into a heavy, aggressive attack.
The portion of the disc devoted to 1998's excellent Smoke Ghost album is probably the most solid portion of the compilation, as the band finally hit on a combination of songwriting and sound that balanced the two equally. Kramer puts his voice out in front for "Know Your Ghosts," and the band allows for considerably more space in the arrangement, setting up some dramatic guitar breaks. "Jaded Jean" could easily have been a single, falling into the same noise-tainted pop territory that the Jesus and Mary Chain nurtured in the 80s.
Both Parker and Kramer had come a long way with their singing by this point, which allowed them not only to handle better, rangier melodies, but also gave them the confidence to put them up front in the mix, a move that greatly increases the immediacy of the songs. The only disappointing thing about this section of the disc is that Parker has chosen not to include Smoke Ghost's excellent opener "When I Feel," which is easily one of the band's best songs. Still, the propulsive, effects- drenched "Firecracker" is a reasonable substitute, if not an ideal one.
"Judas, This Is Jesus," from the Know Your Ghosts EP, follows, breaking the chronological flow for a few moments, but it's unlikely that any listener would mind, as the song doesn't sound like a step back at all. It begins with an answering machine message of a man saying, "Judas, this is Jesus. It's raining silver. Help me," a clip that reverberates over the course of the whole instrumental, which is otherwise a sticky concoction of molten guitar mayhem.
Whirlaway, the band's final album (and their only effort not recorded for their own Bakery label) had by far the clearest sound of any of their releases, incorporating more keyboards and electronics and largely eschewing the fuzz that typified their early work. Instead, the distortion on "Crash of the Bug" is more controlled and less opaque. The guitars take on more melodic tasks, too, soaring in tandem behind the verses and bridging the gaps between vocal passages. Final drummer Adam Boyette lays down a furious groove on that album's title song, giving Max the chance to toss off an impressive bass lead at one point and ably supporting the fluid guitar leads.
Unfortunately, the last two tracks each find the band gazing a little too hard at their shoes, ending the disc on a fairly unengaging note, but overall, Use with Headphones Late at Night is a satisfying look at the Tadpoles' studio career. Perhaps the most unfortunate thing about it is that it only focuses on their studio material, neglecting to include a single track from The Tadpoles Destroy Terrastock, an EP documenting their ferocious performance at the original Ptolemaic Terrascope-sponsored Terrastock festival in 1997. As far as definitive statements on what the band was capable of at their best, that EP just may be it.
Aside from that, though, there's little to gripe about. This is, in the end, a faithful overview that serves as a fine introduction to one of the great overlooked psychedelic acts of the 90s. Of course, it also catches them wandering here and there, but by and large, Use With Headphones Late at Night concentrates on the band's most focused work. For most people, this is all the Tadpoles you'll ever need. You may still want to try and catch them destroying Terrastock, though.
— Joe Tangari, Pitchfork, February 19, 2002
PITCHFORK REVIEW
Tadpoles
Use With Headphones Late
at Night: Best of 1990- 2000 [Bakery; 2001]
7.5
There are styles of music that I figure will probably always be around in some form, and psychedelia is one of them. I have a lot of reasons for thinking that, but the main one is that, as a genre, it's so adaptable. The advent of decent recording technology was one of the main things that made truly psychedelic music possible in the first place, so it seems natural that the music should continue to evolve with the technology. Secondly, psychedelia is at best a vaguely defined genre distinction, so it's easy to apply it to music that comes decidedly from a rock or pop standpoint, but is colored on the edges with noise and effects.
The Tadpoles pretty much exemplify what most American psychedelic music sounded like in the 1990s-- melodic rock wrapped in blankets of fuzz, heavily processed guitars and the occasional electronic studio effect. The Tadpoles were adept enough at jamming and developing themes, but they were at their best when working with concise, punchy songs. Then they broke up in 2000 ("indefinite hiatus," they called it), and leader Tom Parker pulled together this retrospective as a eulogy of sorts for the band. By and large, he's come up with a good overview of their catalog, taking four tracks from each of the band's four studio LPs, and one track from 1997's Know Your Ghosts EP.
The 78-minute disc starts where it logically should, with four songs from the band's debut album, 1994's He Fell into the Sky, and proceeds chronologically from there. As such, it gives a clear view of just how much the Hoboken, NJ band progressed during their career. "Snapper" opens things in a haze of stompbox fuzz, with Parker's tenor voice hanging low in the mix. Original drummer Michael Kite Audino lays on the toms hard, and the sheets of distortion sometimes give way to cleanly strummed guitar chords, and even something that might be described as a solo at one point (albeit not a very melodic one).
The vocals stay fairly buried and the guitar tones largely the same for the other three selections from He Fell, the best of which is probably the slow-burning "The Ride," which features some fine playing from bassist David Max and a gloriously muddy buildup near the end. The four selections from 1996's Far Out show progress almost immediately, with Nick Kramer's heavily processed guitar coming to the fore after the departure of co-guitarist Andrew Jackson.
"Race You to the Mustard Patch" drips in wah pedals and vocal effects, while the Nick Kramer-sung "Nazareth" remains squeaky-clean until about 2\xBD minutes in, when it briefly explodes in a ball of distortion and flailing lead lines. "Ride the World Around the Sun" features dueling guitars orbiting a solid bassline, while "At Least I'm Not Like Jonathan Carver" begins floating somewhere in space before congealing halfway through into a heavy, aggressive attack.
The portion of the disc devoted to 1998's excellent Smoke Ghost album is probably the most solid portion of the compilation, as the band finally hit on a combination of songwriting and sound that balanced the two equally. Kramer puts his voice out in front for "Know Your Ghosts," and the band allows for considerably more space in the arrangement, setting up some dramatic guitar breaks. "Jaded Jean" could easily have been a single, falling into the same noise-tainted pop territory that the Jesus and Mary Chain nurtured in the 80s.
Both Parker and Kramer had come a long way with their singing by this point, which allowed them not only to handle better, rangier melodies, but also gave them the confidence to put them up front in the mix, a move that greatly increases the immediacy of the songs. The only disappointing thing about this section of the disc is that Parker has chosen not to include Smoke Ghost's excellent opener "When I Feel," which is easily one of the band's best songs. Still, the propulsive, effects- drenched "Firecracker" is a reasonable substitute, if not an ideal one.
"Judas, This Is Jesus," from the Know Your Ghosts EP, follows, breaking the chronological flow for a few moments, but it's unlikely that any listener would mind, as the song doesn't sound like a step back at all. It begins with an answering machine message of a man saying, "Judas, this is Jesus. It's raining silver. Help me," a clip that reverberates over the course of the whole instrumental, which is otherwise a sticky concoction of molten guitar mayhem.
Whirlaway, the band's final album (and their only effort not recorded for their own Bakery label) had by far the clearest sound of any of their releases, incorporating more keyboards and electronics and largely eschewing the fuzz that typified their early work. Instead, the distortion on "Crash of the Bug" is more controlled and less opaque. The guitars take on more melodic tasks, too, soaring in tandem behind the verses and bridging the gaps between vocal passages. Final drummer Adam Boyette lays down a furious groove on that album's title song, giving Max the chance to toss off an impressive bass lead at one point and ably supporting the fluid guitar leads.
Unfortunately, the last two tracks each find the band gazing a little too hard at their shoes, ending the disc on a fairly unengaging note, but overall, Use with Headphones Late at Night is a satisfying look at the Tadpoles' studio career. Perhaps the most unfortunate thing about it is that it only focuses on their studio material, neglecting to include a single track from The Tadpoles Destroy Terrastock, an EP documenting their ferocious performance at the original Ptolemaic Terrascope-sponsored Terrastock festival in 1997. As far as definitive statements on what the band was capable of at their best, that EP just may be it.
Aside from that, though, there's little to gripe about. This is, in the end, a faithful overview that serves as a fine introduction to one of the great overlooked psychedelic acts of the 90s. Of course, it also catches them wandering here and there, but by and large, Use With Headphones Late at Night concentrates on the band's most focused work. For most people, this is all the Tadpoles you'll ever need. You may still want to try and catch them destroying Terrastock, though.
— Joe Tangari, Pitchfork, February 19, 2002
credits
released September 11, 2001
Use With Headphones Late At Night (Best of 1990-2000)' was compiled and mastered by Todd Parker at DBS Digital in Hoboken, New Jersey. Additional mastering was provided by Pablo Martin. Album artwork and design were created by Ann Manca.
©2001 Tadpoles/Bakery Records
Use With Headphones Late At Night (Best of 1990-2000)' was compiled and mastered by Todd Parker at DBS Digital in Hoboken, New Jersey. Additional mastering was provided by Pablo Martin. Album artwork and design were created by Ann Manca.
©2001 Tadpoles/Bakery Records
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all rights reserved
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about
Tadpoles Hoboken, New Jersey
Tadpoles, based in Hoboken, NJ, disbanded in 2000 after releasing 4 critically acclaimed studio albums, 1 live album and 1 E.P. all on their own Bakery Records label (except for their last studio album, Whirlaway, which was released on Australia's Camera Obscura Records.) The group was formed by vocalist/guitarist, Todd Parker and original drummer, Michael Kite Audino in New York City in 1990. ... more
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- Track Name: Snapper
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©1992 Parker, BMI
daffodilly petals are in bloom
the moment you walk into the room
and each time that i ask you to come in
your head puts my head into a spin
reaching unknown destinations tonight
ride with me i'll take you out of sight
confusion rules where once was sane
patterns in my brain spell out your name
t his could be coming just in time
love you so much it blows my mind
ride with me i'll take you out of sight - Track Name: Umbrella Smile
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©1994 Parker, BMI
just wondering
its alright to light this fire here
just wandering around
colliding senses
would you like to see
umbrella smiles
that last for a million years
just wondering
its alright to see your memories
just wandering around
colliding senses
would you like to be
umbrella smiling
through the darkest seas
come on - Track Name: Blossom
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©1992 Parker, BMI
hallucinate your mind in time
let it float away
hallucinate that you are mine
let it float away
all along you were wrong
you let it float away
hallucinate it won't be long
let it float away
away
away
away
away - Track Name: The Ride
-
©1992 Parker, BMI
i woke up dead and you were there
there you were on my bed
telling me the sun was blue
and there wasn't anything else to do
we took the sled and got the tree
for christmas day you and me
it was big and shiny like a million story airplane standing on its side
we got on and took a ride
the captain said you better hide
no one knows where we're going to
no one knows what we're gonna do
we flew past jupiter
we flew past mars
our friends drove by us in their cars
you didn't care neither did i
on this ride we're going to fly
lets do it for the ride
go along for the ride
its a day and nighttime trip
i think i think we're going to flip
look out for the twists
there's one we almost missed
look out for the twists
there's one we almost missed
its a day and nighttime trip
i think i think we're gonna flip
its a day and nighttime trip
i think i think we're gonna flip - Track Name: Race You To The Mustard Patch
-
©1996 Parker / Max, BMI
Dropped out and see it fall away
Climb up catch what they say
Drop down and be there fall away
Get up race you to the day
The only way
Get a little closer to the tone
Vibrate for everyone you know
When you stop you've never been away
Get up race you to the day
The only way - Track Name: Nazareth
-
©1996 Parker, BMI
Nazareth
you're taking my mind
you're taking my money
you're taking your time
Nazareth
you're baking my mind
you're making me funny
you're making me blind
Nazareth
you're just like a train
thats going insane
thats leaving today
Nazareth
can you spare me a dime
i wanna get high
if i can't i might cry
Nazareth
c'mon make me a deal
i wanna feel real
for that i would kill
Nazareth
i love all your lights
they really shine bright mon
you're right out of sight
Nazareth
i'll take you to bed
a dream in my head
until i am dead
Nazareth
you're taking my mind
you're taking my money
you're taking your time - Track Name: Ride The World Around The Sun
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©1992 Parker, BMI
Ride the world around the sun with me
Pack all your things
Your ticket to ecstacy
Ride the world around the sun
Checking it out you're gonna have fun
Ride the world around the sun with me
Check it out and see what you can be - Track Name: At Least I'm Not Like Jonathan Carver
-
©1996 Parker / Max / N. Kramer, BMI
Aren't you tired of coming down
You want to float not be around
Aren't you tired
Aren't you tired
Aren't you tired like really wired
His name appeared in lights that day
Her neon dress began to fray
Don't you know what its like
Don't let it be an oversight
When you're lazy lying on some grass
Following all the dusty paths
You watch the sky slide past your face
When morning comes you've won the race
Then parachute land on the floor
You hit the ground feeling sore
Your knees buckle but you give it more
Step inside your first balloon
Blow it up and make it bloom - Track Name: Know Your Ghosts
-
©1997 N. Kramer / Max, BMI
I used to see the truth inside of what you said
Instead of thinking you're a kid
But those days seem so far away
I can only vaguely remember
High tides, low tides come and gone
Two more mooncalves torn asunder
Save me a whistle in eighteen years
Or don't; its all the same to me
Know your ghosts and you will never be alone
Never be alone never be alone
Know your ghosts
Know your ghosts and you will never be alone
Never be alone never be alone
Know your ghosts - Track Name: Jaded Jean
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©1998 Parker/Max, BMI
If you could see like jaded jean
You wouldn't have a need for dreams
Like jaded jean in her jaded scene
She's planting seeds
A garden queen
You can find her at home almost every night
Writing letters on sheets of white
Or jade green
From her garden stream
She's consciously falling asleep
Jaded jean
Would you believe
Her father's at home
Watching the clocks
While mommy's alone
And would you believe
In all of these things
If you could see
Like jaded jean
If you could work out everything
And fill the holes the ashes bring
You wouldn't have a need for dreams
Like jaded jean
In her jaded scene
The stories come before she falls asleep
She draws the people she wants to meet
They live in houses filled with schemes
The sun rises up
And floods her streams
Would you believe
Her father's at home
Watching the clocks
While mommy's alone
And would you believe
In all of these things
If you could see
Like jaded jean
If you could be like jaded jean
You wouldn't have a need for dreams - Track Name: Rainbowmaker
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©1998 N. Kramer, BMI
Rainbows have a way of knowing And welcoming the light Flying its flag
Rainbows have a way of showing
And teaching about light
Naming all the colors
Water with its peace with time
Can block and bend the ligh
t I want to be that water
I am a rainbow chaser
I want to get that pot
Of gold at the end
I want to see the way
I want to know the way
Sailing on the waves
Floating in the waves
Feeling a part of time
Feeling all of the time
I want to be a rainbowmaker
I want to be a prism-man
I want to show my colors
I want a sky, each star an eye
Mirroring me back my man
Shining on me, shining me
I want to be, be understood
And I want, want to be heard
I want to be cared about
I want to be a rainbowmaker
To refract a tiny piece
Of all the distance of light
I want to be a rainbowmaker
I want to be a prism-man
I want to show you my colors
I want to see the way
I want to know the way
Sailing on the waves
Floating in the waves
Feeling a part of time
Feeling all of the time - Track Name: Firecracker
-
I believe in colors
So bright and full
So extreme
I believe in light
Florescent, candle
And the sun
It's not enough
To not be afraid of electricity
You've got to believe
You've got to believe
Give me your hums, your drums
Your drones and moans and
All the riches of your Gold Coast
Give me your wings, your web
Give me your heart and head
Give me your smoke ghost
The past is past, the future's best
I'm standing here
Ready for anything that comes
You and me will not
Go down in history
We'll just be disappeared and drowned
But, there's a lot of freedom out there
And I'm just trying for my piece
Oh, you've got to believe
You've got to believe
Show me your wrist, your lips, your kiss
Your needs and knees
Show me what you fear most
Show me your ankle, show me your elbow
Show me your anger
Show me your smoke ghost
Show me - Track Name: Judas, This Is Jesus
-
Judas, This Is Jesus
It's raining Silver
Help Me - Track Name: Crash Of The Bug (Super Beetle Radio Mix)
-
You're driving in your car
Not going very far
A sunday sunny drive
Feels good to be alive
Your friends are in the back
Ask you where you're at
Some take the wrong turn
The moonlight tavern burns
At the bottom of the hill
A wooden house is filled
You've got to climb the stairs
Your friends are unaware - Track Name: Whirlaway (single mix)
-
From temperate climes, through rain, set sail
Ribbons of water, they sparkle and spangle
In the coming sun, falling through liquid streets
Into the jungle and out of the rain
Steal into dreamtiger eyes and slowly leave behind
Domino days of time, inches of distance
Slip past the double-edged sword of building
The cost of building more, or of just maintaining
Feel the dreamtigers prowling free and easy
But ribbons of memory still tumble and tangle
And turn into questions, "Can your friends trust you now?"
Only dreamtigers never have a need to change
In time, as night declines, fleeting and fading
Ribbons of laughter, they jingle and jangle
And all the dream-tigers retreat back into the trees
With green, smiling eyes, at the coming of the day - Track Name: Sunrise Ocean Bender (Ampreon Mix)
-
Nothing to believe in
Nothing worth seeing
It's ok
The dunes are frozen
Throw rocks in the ocean
The waves are astounding
The heart keeps on pounding
It's ok
Your arms are golden
Your sunlights are broken
When night is falling
You hear me calling
Can you tell me how to see
Can you tell me how to look
I can't find my way inside
I haven't read the book
It's ok
The sunrise ocean bender
The sunrise ocean bender - Track Name: Smile If You've Crossed Over (Orgmonica Mix)
- (Instrumental)