and you give yourself away

This U2 cover started by playing along on the bass part, and it took off from there: "With or Without You": m4a file.

Ring neck loon, he knows best

I have been a Gordon Lightfoot fan for a long time, and when I heard this track from A Painter Passing Through, I was immediately captivated by it. It has that keen ability to strike a chord through a simple melody and a pure lyric. If you're looking to play it yourself, here's a clue: it's in open G tuning. You really need to treat yourself to Gordon's version (which he sings beautifully). Anyhow, I hope I have done it some justice here: Ring Neck Loon (mp3).

Close enough to touch

But careful if you try. Here's a re-recording of Jimmy Webb's ballad The Moon's a Harsh Mistress (.m4a aac format 128 kpbs). It has a fairly complex arrangement: vocal, piano, bass, acoustic guitar, strings, horns, tympani, oboe, cymbals, and drums.

Day after day I must face a world of strangers

where I don't belong. Another Carpenter's classic in a solo piano/vocal setting: I won't last a day without you (aac)

nothing is really wrong, feeling like i don't belong

A solo piano ballad version of Rainy Days and Mondays (aac).

All the leaves are brown

We loved tracking the harmonies on the Mamas and Papas classic California Dreamin' (aac format). Two and a half minutes of pop bliss.

We sit here stranded

Though we're all doing our best to deny it. Visions of Johanna (aac format). I have always loved this song, but never truly got inside of it until attempting to record it today.

There are times when all the world's asleep

This time out we cover Supertramp's Logical Song. The saxophone solos are cheesy, but hey, we're not in this for the money, are we?