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Hold That Tiger

by The Muddy Basin Ramblers

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penguinfeather
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penguinfeather Bouncing back and forth between living in California and Taiwan for the past few years, this group is the only one that perfectly matches my mood in both countries. And so good for dancing! Favorite track: Ke Bu Ke Yi Wen Ni Yi Ge Wen Ti?.
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    NOMINATED FOR BEST RECORDING PACKAGE AT THE 2020 GRAMMYS! CD comes in a 7"x 7" sized sleeve designed by Onion Design Associates' Fongming Yang and Andrew Wong, who also earned a Grammy-nomination for our previous release "Formosa Medicine Show (2013)." To coincide with the album's themes, the CD design adopts color schemes and visual elements from traditional Taiwanese folk religion, mixed with 1950s Sci-fi kitch (Jug Band Futurism, if you will). Lyric sheets in English on one side and Chinese translations on the other. For more info on the design: www.behance.net/gallery/72382763/Hold-That-Tiger
    (Thanks to Onion Design for the photos)

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    Includes unlimited streaming of Hold That Tiger via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
2.
Tiger Rag 03:40
3.
Zen Beat Rag 03:11
Whip that fiddle, like a monkey in the middle, I got my feet flying up in the air 20 yard dash, I'm a pan in the flash, I'm a-talkin' backwards, I'm a be-bop smash What's the sound of one hand clapping? It's a jug band in the woods! Repeat knee slap, please clap, we'd lose our minds, honey, if we could Shut up and kiss me, you silly fool Oh but look: Flying saucers, rattlesnakes, my true love's name etched in wood! Slim and Slam, Shim and Sham, Caroline, Alabam' Tear down that flag, we're driving back, gonna zoom across this land on a zen beat rag 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or more It's on the auction block and out the door You can buy it, you can try it, you can make it your own Looks real nice, send it home Flim flam on the slam I'm coming in cold Flipping and a floppin it's a helluva show Kickin up the dust, pour it on the floor Anyone and everyone is wanting some more She said shut and kiss me cause I'm a fool Well, no I'm not, I'm just lost here, picking up games with silly rules Bring up the love, drop out the hate Who's gonna talk about a 51st state? Slice it up now, folks, before it's too late We're living here in a dream, you don't have to wait I'm a Chinaman in Oklahoma ("Quote-Unquote!"), I drive a limousine… No, actually, I'm a butterfly in Texas My wings aflutter in a Ginsberg dream Root-toot-tootie-hey-MacVouty Hellzapoppin in my head I drove 72 hours But was the destination really ever there? I'm sad and lonely I...don't know what to do I think the pills are be wearing off, I think it's time to go back to school Slim and Slam, Shim and Sham, Caroline, Alabam' Tear down that flag, we're driving back, gonna zoom across this land on a zen beat rag Vout vout-o-vout-ee Vout! Vout! Vout vout-o-vout-ee Vout! Vout! Vout-o-la, Vout-o-la, Vout-o-la ohhh Vout-o-la, Vout-o-la, Vout-o-la o-lahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
4.
I don't believe in infinity Because I've seen true love die Time is elastic, says relativity So why can't I go back and make you mine? We were in love for the first time There was no end in sight All the birds were singing, I never felt so complete I heard the universe whispering in the trees If I could you hold you now I'd hold on so tight Because love disappears at the speed of light I'm so tired of counting circles 'round the sun The whip-poor-wills have flown away, my time has come Ten thousand lights up in outer space They call for me to leave this place If it's true that we're made out of stardust From a dead sun a million miles away Then take this body, let it burn so bright Let my soul fade in the endless night If I could hold you now I'd hold on so tight Because love disappears at the speed of light
5.
Telegraph 03:31
6.
Oh, this life is just a gamble You don't know who to trust SO I BOARD THE SHIP AND PRAY TO GOD MY BONES WON’T TURN TO DUST I can't read or write My life is left to chance I CAN’T READ OR WRITE BUT I SURE-AS-HELL CAN DANCE There's a land over yonder Of gold and jubilee THERE’S A LAND OVER YONDER A PLACE FOR YOU, A PLACE FOR ME Light a stick, kneel down Down on bended knee PRAY TO MAZU WE WON’T DIE IN THE BLOODY BLACK SEA A storm sunk our ship My brother died at sea NO ONE LEFT TO TELL THE TALE NO ONE EXCEPT FOR ME Oh, this life is just a gamble I don't know who to trust AS THE OCEAN RUNS THROUGH MY VEINS AND TURNS MY HEART TO RUST Oh, fear not the ocean And her roar of treachery THAT’S THE HEART OF MOTHER EARTH BEATING DEEP WITHIN THE SEA When the waves turn black and blue And winds start to scream FEAR NOT THE OCEAN PRAISE THE GODDESS OF THE SEA
7.
Honey, it's time for you to realize 24-7, you've got me hypnotized Your mellifluous voice, the effervescent sparkle of your eye But you say “*ting bu dong” (*Mandarin Chinese for “I don’t understand”) If I were one to proselytize I'd preach the virtues of a sin and the sinner's cry Put that on my list of karmic debts to amortize But you say, “ting bu dong” I climb the tower most every night I map the stars way up high Thought I heard a myna bird singin' (b-b-d ba-ba b-b-d ba) Cicadas whirl in a reverie Fishing boat lanterns dot the sea Moonlight is the only light that shines for you and me How many stars are there up in the sky? Such calculations vex the mind You can only have so many kisses in one lifetime It's ok if you “ting bu dong” The birds sing in code, I try to sing along Sing-it-as-fine-as-the line between right and wrong Cause the noise of today is tomorrow's sweet song It's ok if you “ting bu dong” To clarify, between you and me These glaciers of verbiage will melt into the sea Wait, what's that you say? “You love me”? Oh, honey, "wo ting bu dong" I climb the tower most every night I map the stars way up high Thought I heard a myna bird singing (b-b-d ba-ba b-b-d ba) Cicadas whirl in a reverie Fishing boat lanterns dot the sea Moonlight is the only light that shines for you and me
8.
Mosquito Bop 04:18
Three in the morning and I'm soaking in my sheets Sweat-beads, sea breeze, blowing through my dreams Slam my hand against the wall, I missed that bug-by-a-beat Buzzing in my ear, like Chinese violins on repeat Call me crazy but do you really know? I talk fast, I walk fast, then you call me slow Go here go there, why can't you be everywhere Be a mule waltzin' down the street, I hear the traffic sing: (Chorus) OoBa DeeBa DeeDah SwatDa BaDoo Voula VoutDee VooDoo BeeBa Ba Baaaah, ba-dee bah-baaa Ba Baaaah, ba-dee bah-baaa Dizzy's playing in a tizzy, I've been living in a strain Binders full of women are driving us all insane Parkin' parallel I can't get back in the lane My ankles bloody, eyes shot, where is my walkin' cane? Cincinnati is such a long way. I begged and I pleaded but she would not stay So I climbed up on the fence, I saw the forest for the trees I'm a fool trapped in ragtime, I hear babushkas sing: (Repeat Chorus) The train doors open, Cab Calloway busts in He said "Enough with the Chinese music, please put some swing back in my gin" Mismatch, record scratch, dirt from the garden patch Police catch, car crash, alien body snatch Now that cat is as crazy as a bird If the facts are debatable then isn't truth just a word? Here's the real question: what's the sound of freedom's ring? Hit me with that chord change, to blunt the mosquito's sting... (Repeat Chorus)
9.
**Dedicated to the memory of Filipino-American writer Carlos Bulosan (1913-1956)** I'm broke and I'm hungry I'm ragged, I'm dirty too I'll clean up, kind madam, And then just ask one thing of you: Remember me, when I am gone Remember me, when you hear this song Policemen, they robbed me They beat me, through and through For the crime of my skin For the crime of "being not one of you" California, land of the free California, shattered dreams I toil in your fields My arms tattooed with dirt I hear the call to organize It's time to unionize our work My body's broken, my mind is burnt My body's broken, my soul is hurt I once was a rambler, a hobo, a gambler, too When a man's got nothing, He needs something to lose Love and money, be the death of me Love and money, mean nothing to me I taught myself to read and write I taught myself to speak the truth They say "America is in the heart" It's so kind, and yet so cruel Oh mother, your children are gone Oh father, all that's left is this song
10.
Dharma Train 04:16
I told it on the mountain, I told it on the deep blue sea I told it on the mountain, I told it on the deep blue sea I told the monk, I told the preacher, but they wouldn't listen to me I carry joy in my body, I harbor suffering in my mind I carry joy in my body, I harbor suffering in my mind When you see me laughing, I'm laughing just to keep from crying I rode the Southern Pacific, I rode the Santa Fe I rode the Southern Pacific, I rode the Santa Fe I'm gonna keep on riding, till freedom is no longer free I'm going to wake up fight, and I'm going to fight for what is true I'm going to wake up fight, and I'm going to fight for what is true I'm going to fight for the people I love, I'm going to fight for my enemies too
11.
(Ke Bu Ke Yi Wen Ni Yi Ge Wenti = Mandarin Chinese, lit. “Can I ask you a question?”) Ke, Ke Bu Ke Yi (Can, Can I ask...) Wen...yi ge wen ti? (...ask you a question?) Ni, dao di ai bu ai wo? (Do you love me or not?) Wei? Wei shenme? (Hello? Why…) Ni bu bu jie dian hua (...don’t you answer the phone?) Ni hao xiang you xin de ai ren (...it seems that you have a new lover) Call you up on the telephone Ting bu dong, I get a busy tone I wonder if you're all alone Should I stick around or should I roam? Who's talking with you? Do you know that I love you? Don't you know my heart is true Are you thinking of me, a brand new love? Ke, Ke Bu Ke Yi Wen (Can, Can I ask...) Wen yi ge wen ti? (...ask you a question?) Ni, dao di ai bu ai wo? (Do you love me or not?) Ke, Ke Bu Ke Yi Wen (Can, Can I ask...) Wen yi ge wen ti? (...ask you a question?) Ni, dao di ai bu ai wo? (Do you love me or not?) Wei? Wei shen me? (Hello? Why…) Ni bu ni bu jie dian hua (...don’t you answer the phone?) Ni hao xiang you xin de ai ren (...it seems that you have a new lover) Do you want me in the end? Did you want me when it began? Will you think of me sometimes? When the future comes, will the birdies cry? Who's talking with you Do you know that I love you? Don't you know my heart is true Are you thinking of me, a brand new love? Ke, Ke Bu Ke Yi Wen (Can, Can I ask...) Wen ni yi ge wen ti? (...ask you a question?) Ni, dao di ai bu ai wo? (Do you love me or not?)
12.
I'm so thirsty I need a drink, but nobody gives me any time to think I'm so thirsty I need a drink, but nobody gives me any time to think They say, "Just chew the nut, you'll feel mighty fine" But off in the distance I see a landslide "Don't think too much, *ni xiang tai duo (*Mandarin Chinese, lit,. you think too much!") When the typhoon come, they say “cha bu duo” (*Mandarin Chinese, lit,. "That’s good enough") Shake it by the river Shake it by the sea Tomorrow doesn't mean a thing to me Just shake it by the Betel Nut Tree Shake it by the river Shake it by the sea Tomorrow doesn't mean a thing to me Just shake it by the Betel Nut Tree Government say cut down the tree, people say we must have economy We need to live, we need to eat So government pretends not to see Look ahead, don't look behind Land subsidence on the rise! "Don't think too much, ni xiang tai duo, Look at the ladies doe-see-do" [Rap in Taiwanese:] 青青的果子滋味是按怎 比櫥窗裡的小姐擱較薟 原住民提來送訂佮做法 新幾內亞嘛有足濟人佇食 Let me tell you about the flavor of that green nut Spicier than the lady selling it from the metal hut The indigenous use it for wedding gifts and crafts Their brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea also enjoy it 逐工哺哺哺 喙齒烏趖趖 趁錢有數 性命嘛愛顧 新聞講 走山攏是伊毋對 唉無法度 按怎改攏改毋好 Everyday I chew chew chew till my teeth turn black Making a living is important, but sometimes I need to take this load off my back The media blames us for the landslides Oh, but it's just too hard to give up that high From the mountains to the streets Betel nut beauties cannot be beat, I speak not of the ladies, I speak of the trees In these urgent matters of hydrology Zai yi bei, bu yao jin (Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, lit. “Have another cup, don't worry about it”) The indigenous think "You must be kidding me?!?" "Sell the nut, that's the bottom line" No need to worry, we'll just pay the fine
13.
Corrina 04:39
Corrine Corrina Fly into the night Corrine Corrina Fly into the night The wind is still The moon, shining bright I can hear, hear her whistle I can hear her sing I can hear, hear her whistle I can hear her sing Corrine Corrina Cry for the cruel spring From the deep of the ocean To the high mountain mist From the deep of the ocean To the high mountain mist I saw Corrina Weeds wrapped around her wrists
14.
Delia Green 02:25
I traveled far, took a trip out west When I returned, she was laid to rest Delia’s gone, but she ain't dead Delia’s gone, but she ain't dead She was no gambler, she was no thief She was just a child, aged fifteen Delia's gone but she ain’t dead Delia's gone, but she ain't dead Can’t you hear those footsteps all around your bed? Can’t you hear her crying, all in your head? You don't need a gun to hold God's hand Don't need no gun to hold God's hand You men are fools, you can't cheat death You men are fools, you can't cheat death
15.
16.
Strum the ukulele blow the saxophone Dig the essence from the marrow in the bone I tell you all my secrets on the telephone For you to shout into every microphone Been down so long, down don't worry me I got 47 reasons to go on a drunken spree I'm going to the river I'm gonna let it cleanse my soul I'm gonna keep on rambling So I will not have these blues no more Temperature-risin’-everybody scream and shout "It's all in your head, nothing to worry about" Tomorrow is another day, just let it go But something inside tells me it just ain't so This world makes me want to...laugh then cry Broken glass on the streets, nobody even asks why I'm going up the mountain So I can see the city lights below I'm gonna keep on rambling So I will not have these blues no more Burn the ukulele melt...the saxophone Misanthropic sociopath say he’s gonna go home Strangers on the street they come.. they say hello Everybody is a friend but I feel alone I'm so tired of the universe playing tricks on me If this is some kind of a joke, then how can I just let it be? I gotta get to the river I can barely keep it under control I'm gonna keep on rambling So I will not have these blues no more
17.
18.
She say Yes, I say No "Goldwater swears it's a UFO" I ask the beer drinking woman "How do you know?" She says "Shush, be quiet, keep your voice down low Look up in the sky at the flashing lights Those aren't stars, they're alien satellites" "Radio waves from way up high Flying saucer pilots calling me tonight This was the master plan all the while Are you ready, Freddy? We're goin' to the other side!" My name's not Freddy, she said "I don't care In God's eyes, a circle can be a square." Well, I don't believe in conspiracies "But this is truth, plain as can be" "Our savior wears a big diamond ring He's the father of the Father, professor of everything" "25th of March, he's gonna rise from the sea There's a place in Texas -- sounds like God's land to me They-stoned-him-under-the shade of a big oak tree Buy me a beer -- I'll tell you about it in Chinese" Laoban, laoban, ni hao ma? (Chinese, lit. "Boss, boss, how are you?") Wo yao yi ge danbing, buyao jia la (Chinese, lit. "I want an egg tortilla without hot sauce") That's Chinese, it means: spaceship's coming for me Like Jonah and the whale, he's gonna spit me from the sea I say Yes, she say No "Government denies it's a UFO" Purple seafood perpetrating, to and fro Positive, negative, high and low The master says he needs a steady cash flow When God calls you Freddy, you better get ready to go! I say yes, you say no Beer drinking woman hopped a UFO
19.
Midnight, moonlight I am missing you It took a clear mind, then a drunken one To fully see the truth YOU WERE THE ONE FOR ME, I WAS THE ONE FOR YOU Now I have nothing but the Nakashi Blues (You left my heart in utter ruin) Static on the radio Makes me think of you Taxicab, summer night, the scent of your perfume MY HEART BREAKS OPEN EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT TUNE That's when I get the Nakashi Blues (You left my heart in utter ruin) I lay to rest at daybreak I dream the live long day Cicadas tick like timebombs, as the summer burns away I FEEL SO LONESOME, I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO I'm gonna these sing these ol Nakashi Blues (You left my heart in utter ruin) High up on the mountains I watch the pine trees sway The wind howls in the minor key, as night bleeds into day YOU WERE THE ONE FOR ME, I WAS THE ONE FOR YOU Now I have nothing but the Nakashi Blues (You left my heart in utter ruin)
20.
Temple Blues 07:07
I've got rocks in my shoes I guess I got those flip flop blues Let the rain soak my feet Let the water flood the streets Blow those horns And play me the temple blues I don't want no doctor, don't need no priest The river gives me what just I need East is west and west is east Don't sell me religion, please let me be Blow those horns And play me the temple blues I've got rocks in my shoes I guess I got those flip flop blues Let the rain soak my feet Let the water flood the streets Blow those horns And play me the temple blues Late at night when I can't asleep Frogs and cicadas sing to me I miss you my friend, I always will Bright as the moon shining on the windowsill I might as well pray, I’ve got nothing to lose Play me the temple blues
21.
22.
Quantum Reel 02:54

about

"Flying saucers, rattlesnakes, my true love's name etched in wood," goes one line in "Zen Beat Rag," a tune that sets the tone for the Muddy Basin Ramblers' most adventurous album to date. "Hold That Tiger" starts with the pre-war jazz standard "Tiger Rag," but then quickly launches into a world beyond, with 17 original tunes that put a modern spin on jug band blues, traditional jazz, Asian folk, and string band music.

credits

released November 1, 2018

ALBUM CREDITS

The Muddy Basin Ramblers:

DAVID CHEN: Lead vocals (All tracks except 2, 5, 11) | Acoustic guitar (4) | National resonator guitar (all tracks except 4-6 & 22) | banjo (11) | Mandolin-banjo (22) | Marching bass drum (5, 6 & 20) | Theramin (17) | Vibraslap (2, 5)

CRISTINA COX: Violin (Tracks 2-9, 19 & 22) | Piccolo (10, 12, 20) | Mandolin-banjo (11, 16, 18) | Backing vocals (2, 3, 6-10, 12, 20) | Lead vocals (13)

TIM HOGAN: Washboard and Percussion (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 16, 18, 22) | Snare Drum and Cymbals (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20) | Backing Vocals (2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 19)

MOJO LAVIOLETTE: Clarinet (Tracks 2, 4, 7) | Bass clarinet (16) | Backing Vocals (2-4, 7, 8) | Harmony Vocals (13) | National Resonator Guitar (22)

EDDIE LIN (林子耘): Grand Piano (Tracks 2-4, 8)

TC LIN (林道明): Washtub Bass (Tracks 3, 8-10, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22) | Trumpet (2, 4, 6, 12, 13, 14, 20) | Baritone Horn (11) | Backing Vocals (2, 4, 6, 7, 12) | UFO Whistling Sounds (18)

SANDY MURRAY: Soprano saxophone (Track 2) | Alto saxophone (7), Tenor Saxophone (4, 6, 12, 14, 16, 20) | Ukulele (9) | Backing vocals (2-4, 6-10, 12, 19) | Tin Whistle (5, 22) | Kazoo (11, 18) | Spoken Word (15)

CONOR PRUNTY: Harmonica (3, 5, 6, 8-10, 16, 18, 20, 21) | Washtub bass (2, 4, 7, 12) | National Resonator Guitar (11) | Okinawan Paranku Hand Drum (14) | Backing Vocals (2, 6, 12)

WILL THELIN: Jug (2, 22) | Backing Vocals (2-4, 6-10, 12, 16, 18-20) | Lead Vocals (11) | Medicine Show Pitch/Rap (3) | Trombone (4, 5, 14) | Kazoo (3, 8, 18) | DIY Papercomb Kazoo & Okinawan Paranku Hand Drum (20) | Radio Announcement (1, 17)

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS:

SYLVAIN CHEN - Gypsy Jazz Guitar (Track 19)
HUANG BO-YU (黃博裕) - Suona (嗩吶) (Tracks 5, 6 & 20)
JIPO YANG (楊智博) - Sheng (笙) (Tracks 5, 6 & 20)
DC RAPIER - Baritone Saxophone, Backing Vocals (Tracks 14 & 20)
FISH LIN - Emcee Banter, Rap Vocal (Track 12)
CHUNG YUFENG - Banjo (Track 9)

Soundscapes for Tracks 1, 15, 21 recorded outdoors at various locations in Taipei and New Taipei City
Soundscapes for Track 6 recorded at Beigang Temple, Yunlin County and Xingang Fengtian Temple, Chiayi County, Taiwan

Recorded 2016-2018 at the National Concert Hall, Rehearsal Studios 4 & 5, Taipei, Taiwan

Recorded by Yihung Liu (劉奕宏)
Mixed by Yihung Liu and David Chen
Mastered by April Golden at Golden Mastering

Produced by David Chen

All songs ©+℗ 2018 by David Chen, except Track 2 (Trad./Public Domain), Track 3 (David Chen and G.W. Thelin), Track 11 (David Chen and G.W. Thelin), and Track 12 (David Chen & Fish Lin)

All songs arranged by the Muddy Basin Ramblers, plus participating guest artists on Tracks 5, 6, 9, 12, 14, 19 & 20

Album artwork and design by Andrew Wong and Fongming Yang of Onion Design Associates

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The Muddy Basin Ramblers Taipei, Taiwan

Hello! We're Formosa's Favorite Hepcats, playing jug band, blues, string band and swing jazz...and original music inspired by all of the above. Founded in 2003 by US/UK expats living in Taipei,Taiwan. 大家好!我們是泥灘地浪人!

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