EP 2003: Music for the Epicurean Harkener [EP]

About the Artist
Mason Williams Bare Bones Bio

I’ve recorded and released 7 singles, 24 albums, and now 2 EPs. I’ve written 250 songs, half of which are pretty good, one of which, Classical Gas* is apparently really good. I’ve played at least 1,000 gigs in a lot of different places. I’ve written well over 1,000 poems plus a bunch of other stuff and created bunches of art too, published 16 literary/art books and 5 music books, written 174 hours of broadcast television (and even more hours of unbroadcastable television), received 11 awards and 7 nominations.

That’s it for me.--Mason Williams

Product Description:
Since the EP (extended play) recording format, an icon of the record industry I remember from yesteryear, is one that is still around today, I decided to do an EP for this CD release.

As a composer, I write in a variety of different styles and genres. Back in my earlier days with Warner Bros. Records, I was using my albums as a way to explore writing songs and music rather than going for commercial hits. I had instrumental pieces, songs, comedy songs, poems, etc. all mixed together. Sometimes certain kinds of material on the same album don’t fit that well together as a listening experience. An odd mix can end up being like, as the old saying goes, "apples & oranges." This album is all oranges.

All of the musical compositions and songs I write are crafted works, as opposed to spontaneous expression forms. I continue to work on and improve them. They evolve over the years and become what they are. The tunes on the Mason Williams EP 2003 are like this.

I think it’s pretty "crafty" to wait for a song to get just right before you record and release it. This makes it in a way like wine, in the sense that time and the aging process, contribute a lot to its character, always striving for an excellent finish. So, if you’re an EP curious epicurean, here’s an EP I hope you take a hankering to once you’ve harkened to it.

Tracks:

Largo DeLuxe
Flamenco Lingo
Trade Winds
McCall
Santa Fe Souvenir
Destinations Of The Sun

Album Description

Since the EP (extended play) recording format, an icon of the record industry I remember from yesteryear, is one that is still around today, I decided to do an EP for this CD release.

As a composer, I write in a variety of different styles and genres. Back in my earlier days with Warner Bros. Records, I was using my albums as a way to explore writing songs and music rather than going for commercial hits. I had instrumental pieces, songs, comedy songs, poems, etc. all mixed together. Sometimes certain kinds of material on the same album don't fit that well together as a listening experience. An odd mix can end up being like, as the old saying goes, "apples & oranges." This album is all oranges.

I think it's pretty "crafty" to wait for a song to get just right before you record and release it. This makes it in a way like wine, in the sense that time and the aging process, contribute a lot to its character, always striving for an excellent finish. So, if you're an EP curious epicurean, here's an EP I hope you take a hankering to once you've harkened to it.

Customer Reviews:

Best Work Since "Phonograph Record".......2006-03-30

This is Mason's Best Work Since "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record". Buy It!

A lot of Gas.......2006-03-08

There is only one Mason Williams!!! HIs music has brought me hours of listening enjoyment. I am sad to think that he won't be writing more music for me to enjoy. In person, I found him to be a very pleasant man.

Catchy melodies that are memorable and impressionistic.......2005-03-02

Playing Time - 21:51 -- Classical guitarist and composer Mason Williams has an impressive musical resume that includes 24 albums and 250 original songs. His best-known hit is "Classical Gas," a triple winner at the 1968 Grammy Awards. He's also an accomplished poet, author and artist. On this album, he's hoping for another big hit, and he chose the "EP" format so as to not mix "apples and oranges." His six musical compositions are crafted works as opposed to spontaneous expression forms. As Williams says, "I continue to work on and improve them. They evolve over the years and become what they are." Some of the six on this album have been in the works for quite some time, not recorded and release until they're just right. So if you are an epicure, one with refined tastes, listen attentively to these songs. You'll understand that there are tints of the sixties popular music in them, but you'll also grasp their potential in today's music market. Each of the six pieces has a catchy melody that is memorable and impressionistic. None meanders too far from center, and the soothing result is a pleasurable aural experience.

Highly arranged with a mix of instruments, synthesized sounds, and orchestral accompaniment, Mason Williams' supporting cast includes about thirty artists. This is no small chore, and featured guests of special note include Art Maddox (arranger), Jerry Mills (mandolin), Larry Steelman (synthesizer), Greg Leisz (steel guitar), Eric Hamilton (classical guitar), Mark Schneider (upright electric bass), Frank Marocco (accordion), Rick Cunha (guitar), Hal Blaine (drums, percussion), Byron Berline (fiddle), and Art Ellis (flute).

Although released on his own Skookum label, Williams would like these songs to receive wide distribution. His vision is inspirational while evoking a certain sense of tranquility. Some of these licks we've heard decades before, but others have great potential to strike gold as hits of this century and soothe the soul as we harken back to a less hectic day of yesteryear. At first, Frank Marocco's accordion in "Large DeLuxe" and "Santa Fe Souvenir" reminded me of a film soundtrack from the 60s or 70s, but the instrument's appealing voice actually grows on you. Mason even whistles the melody in "Trade Winds," a bouncy tune that is full of zest and excitement, in a leisurely sort of way. Very relaxing indeed as I daydream of white sandy beaches, palm trees, luaus and pina coladas. Mason Williams' music has a certain magnetism, and EP2003 presents the essence of a masterful composer and guitarist. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR)

Music Album:

Music Album