Wow, this song goes farther back than I realized. Say, since you're one of the original members, I wanted to ask, do you how this song was put together? It seems like a simple song, but it has a couple of chords in there that are a bit harder to name; I see covers where people get them wrong all the time. I'm referring to the fourth chord in the chorus (Ab7 without 5) and the third chord in the bridge (Db7/Ab). Where did those come from?
+RatfliesEatPossums - It is funny because I remember when Todd was showing me what he had come up with for that song, when we got to those chords, I clearly remember asking him where he had come up with those! We never did use those chords in any other songs we did, they were just these strange ones he had just kept messing with until the sound was what he wanted. He could really think outside the box that way, just like when he threw the waltz beat into I Come From The Water. Our songs started very straightforward when we first started working together, then in about 2 years, he started really taking things to a whole new level.
+Charles Mooney So that's where they came from. Thanks! It just fascinates me to see the effort put into these small details. As a listener, a chord like "Ab7 without 5" is not something you'd catch at first. You'd have to look for it. I only noticed it because I'm trying to learn the song myself, and I like to watch how bands play stuff exactly because I'm a bit of a perfectionist. And when I first saw these chords, I was like "Wait, what is that?" and I would practically press my eyes on the screen trying to figure out the positions, as there wasn't a video with a good angle of the chord at the time. Such a small part, to really be able to distinguish it, you'd have to compare the regular Ab with the Ab7 5-omission, then you notice this chord sounds not as happy or major sounding and more gruff(?). RUclips (and probably the whole internet in general) is such a great resource, because it can allow you to see how a particular person plays something, and you find something that nobody (not even a tutorial) mentions, and it's like you discovered a secret. I guess this song is full of secrets and odd things. Strange time signature, unconventional chords, I think there are three different explanations on what the song is actually about. It's the song I like the most from this band, next to "You'll Come Down" (I've never found a live version of the latter song on RUclips, it's weird, like this lost song that nobody mentions.) Something I like in particular about these songs is that there are these good in-between rhythms if that's the right word. Say, would you happen to also know how he came up with that cool strumming pattern for the last verse of this song, the one where he's quietly saying "do you wanna die?" Was that also just from messin' around with the guitar and finding something cool?
+RatfliesEatPossums - It's funny that you know what the chord is for Possum because Todd had taken just a few classes on music theory and I had never had any formal training, so I always just knew where to put my fingers, we never bothered to figure out the name of the chord. But you're right, so many instructional sights have an incorrect chord. During the "do you wanna die" chant, I think he came up with a different strumming pattern for the guitar because the bass is playing an unusual beat, and the strum kind of mimicked it. I was the one that created all the "controlled feedback" with the tremolo manipulating the feedback pattern. Todd would get to a break that we would not know what to do with, so he'd just tell me, "Just start doing your stuff", upon which I would mess with feedback. That strum pattern really worked well over the feedback and bass for that part.
+Charles Mooney - Yes, it's the chord with no name. It doesn't have an official fancy name. When you remove the third, it's called a power chord, when you remove the fifth, it's called... nothing, it's just ab7 with the 5 removed. Wow, I never would have guessed that Todd actually knew some music theory. Usually, with a lot of the grunge bands, music theory is not something that they study. I wonder how much of that theory is applied though. For the controlled feedback and the break, are you referring to the part after the bridge where nobody's saying anything and the guitar starts shaking and wailing? Unusual beat? Is it in the song? Usually I hear it doing the usual 1, 2, 3, 4 rhythm.
Possum Kingdom is a lake near Ft. Worth Texas....there was an urban legend that a woman disappeared near or in the lake in the early 1990's........rumor was she was murdered
@@larryc3860 The “real” inspiration (?) is discussed at the end of this behind-the-scenes video. The whole thing is great, I recommend it. Just found it and watched it yesterday. ruclips.net/video/LG2se9IHXJ8/видео.html
Why did you leave the band out of curiosity, im sure it says on Wikipedia but I’m too lazy to see and also how did you feel when a band you used to be in got big with a song you wrote
I’d started the band with Vaden around 1988 and left after about 6 years. I was finishing school & getting married so decided to go the safe route and quit. It was tough to know I helped create Possum, Tyler, Away, Water etc and not get credit for it. The band was definitely not happy I left. But now I’ve come full circle and play with Lisa Umbarger in SolShifter and we are having the time of our life!
Are you sure this is 1991? Because I'm pretty sure the song first came out in 1992 (on their EP "Velvet") and then later in 1994 (on their album "Rubberneck").
We actually had the songs for Velvet long before the cassette came out in 1992. Most of the songs we wrote in early 1991 and then spent about a year working them out while building up enough money to make the EP. None of the songs for Velvet were written at the time of recording the EP.
That was so amazing. Such a different vibe from the album version. This absolutely rocks
So glad you enjoyed it!
You are all geniuses for making this album - and thanks for taking the time to respond to comments - freakin awesome
DeHart Family - thanks for such a cool comment! Always happy to respond! Thanks for being a fan of ours
For lower quality audio they still sound incredible in this video
Agree 100%
Wow, this song goes farther back than I realized.
Say, since you're one of the original members, I wanted to ask, do you how this song was put together? It seems like a simple song, but it has a couple of chords in there that are a bit harder to name; I see covers where people get them wrong all the time. I'm referring to the fourth chord in the chorus (Ab7 without 5) and the third chord in the bridge (Db7/Ab). Where did those come from?
+RatfliesEatPossums - It is funny because I remember when Todd was showing me what he had come up with for that song, when we got to those chords, I clearly remember asking him where he had come up with those! We never did use those chords in any other songs we did, they were just these strange ones he had just kept messing with until the sound was what he wanted. He could really think outside the box that way, just like when he threw the waltz beat into I Come From The Water. Our songs started very straightforward when we first started working together, then in about 2 years, he started really taking things to a whole new level.
+Charles Mooney
So that's where they came from. Thanks! It just fascinates me to see the effort put into these small details. As a listener, a chord like "Ab7 without 5" is not something you'd catch at first. You'd have to look for it. I only noticed it because I'm trying to learn the song myself, and I like to watch how bands play stuff exactly because I'm a bit of a perfectionist. And when I first saw these chords, I was like "Wait, what is that?" and I would practically press my eyes on the screen trying to figure out the positions, as there wasn't a video with a good angle of the chord at the time. Such a small part, to really be able to distinguish it, you'd have to compare the regular Ab with the Ab7 5-omission, then you notice this chord sounds not as happy or major sounding and more gruff(?).
RUclips (and probably the whole internet in general) is such a great resource, because it can allow you to see how a particular person plays something, and you find something that nobody (not even a tutorial) mentions, and it's like you discovered a secret. I guess this song is full of secrets and odd things. Strange time signature, unconventional chords, I think there are three different explanations on what the song is actually about. It's the song I like the most from this band, next to "You'll Come Down" (I've never found a live version of the latter song on RUclips, it's weird, like this lost song that nobody mentions.)
Something I like in particular about these songs is that there are these good in-between rhythms if that's the right word.
Say, would you happen to also know how he came up with that cool strumming pattern for the last verse of this song, the one where he's quietly saying "do you wanna die?" Was that also just from messin' around with the guitar and finding something cool?
+RatfliesEatPossums - It's funny that you know what the chord is for Possum because Todd had taken just a few classes on music theory and I had never had any formal training, so I always just knew where to put my fingers, we never bothered to figure out the name of the chord. But you're right, so many instructional sights have an incorrect chord. During the "do you wanna die" chant, I think he came up with a different strumming pattern for the guitar because the bass is playing an unusual beat, and the strum kind of mimicked it. I was the one that created all the "controlled feedback" with the tremolo manipulating the feedback pattern. Todd would get to a break that we would not know what to do with, so he'd just tell me, "Just start doing your stuff", upon which I would mess with feedback. That strum pattern really worked well over the feedback and bass for that part.
+Charles Mooney - Yes, it's the chord with no name. It doesn't have an official fancy name. When you remove the third, it's called a power chord, when you remove the fifth, it's called... nothing, it's just ab7 with the 5 removed.
Wow, I never would have guessed that Todd actually knew some music theory. Usually, with a lot of the grunge bands, music theory is not something that they study. I wonder how much of that theory is applied though.
For the controlled feedback and the break, are you referring to the part after the bridge where nobody's saying anything and the guitar starts shaking and wailing?
Unusual beat? Is it in the song? Usually I hear it doing the usual 1, 2, 3, 4 rhythm.
@@chm3rd so sick to hear the little details that went into your guys music at the time. I’d kill to live in the 90’s,even just for one day haha.
I first saw you guys at 1992 TCU battle of the bands, I was 16, my buddy and I were pissed Toadies got 2nd.
Right! We always seemed to come in second on all the contests we did!
Dude. You were behind all this shit. What a legacy. My son right now rockin ur shit while at work
Possum Kingdom is a lake near Ft. Worth Texas....there was an urban legend that a woman disappeared near or in the lake in the early 1990's........rumor was she was murdered
Is that what inspired the lyrics?
@@slacktoryrecords4193 that's the story, as I understand it
@@larryc3860 The “real” inspiration (?) is discussed at the end of this behind-the-scenes video. The whole thing is great, I recommend it. Just found it and watched it yesterday. ruclips.net/video/LG2se9IHXJ8/видео.html
The best lineup
1991 was one amazing year for music...what were the Toadies listening to back then?
This song is on the soundtrack to my teenage years. You guys are awesome 🤘
I was there 😊
Lucky 😊
i had to read the description twice, thought it said Mark Reznicek on drugs
So raw and badass
I was there!
Very cool! A fan from the beginning!
Do you remember a Fort Worth band around that same time named Synonamess Botch?
This is amazing!!!, and trees is the same venue where nirvana played!!!
still as totally awesome as the first time I ever heard it back in Austin.....
Awesome. ..This was about ....3 years before this song ..."Blew Up"
Agree
This is so cool to see. Thanks for posting.
🤘🏻🎱🤘🏻
Back when we were all kids :)
Why did you leave the band out of curiosity, im sure it says on Wikipedia but I’m too lazy to see and also how did you feel when a band you used to be in got big with a song you wrote
I’d started the band with Vaden around 1988 and left after about 6 years. I was finishing school & getting married so decided to go the safe route and quit. It was tough to know I helped create Possum, Tyler, Away, Water etc and not get credit for it. The band was definitely not happy I left. But now I’ve come full circle and play with Lisa Umbarger in SolShifter and we are having the time of our life!
@@chm3rd are you still friends with vaden then
@@Wikcan - not close but cordial with each other
I'm so sorry for not having a great deal of v
Are you sure this is 1991? Because I'm pretty sure the song first came out in 1992 (on their EP "Velvet") and then later in 1994 (on their album "Rubberneck").
We actually had the songs for Velvet long before the cassette came out in 1992. Most of the songs we wrote in early 1991 and then spent about a year working them out while building up enough money to make the EP. None of the songs for Velvet were written at the time of recording the EP.
lol why are you questioning the guy that played it.
because knowitall
Weird to see the other guitar player