the gifted children - the year of living dangerously

Release date: May, 1998

This marked the end of an era for the gifted children, as it’s the last release recorded on Jeff’s Tascam 424 (cassette 4-track); shortly after its release, both he and Justin bought minidisc recorders and left the analog four-track days behind. It makes sense that this was their last EP recorded on four-track cassette, as the production and arrangements were starting to grow more complex, requiring more track bouncing and careful editing - a transition to 8-track digital recording seems inevitable in hindsight.

Lyrics and individual track credits:

01 vice-president in charge of volcanoes (suszczynski)

superimpose my will upon your sill
i am vice-president in charge of volcanoes
and i control the tides

you can throw your dice at me
but i'll make sur the song remains the same
everything's contained within a name
so i think that you should know:
i am vice-president in charge of volcanoes.

nick hall – drumset
jeff suszczynski – guitars, voice
bill trautman – bass

written: october 1996
recorded: 29 december 1997 and january-february 1998
(wallace drive, grand island, ny and southland drive, brighton, ny)

02 now that summer's come (suszczynski)

when she's out on the front porch
heavenly hanging around
and the summer sun holds her up
but the trees always keep her
from floating too high

inside patches of shade she drinks pink lemonade
and stares at all the ants
who crawl all over the floor
in an effort to help out the sun
now that summer's come

nick hall – drumset
jeff suszczynski – guitars, keyboards, voices
bill trautman – bass

written: 27 december 1997
recorded: 29 december 1997 and january-february 1998
(wallace drive, grand island, ny and southland drive, brighton, ny)

03 a little time (suszczynski)

to set aside a little time
is never what is on your mind
always off and never on
i can't believe it took this long
for me to leave you

your smile is still the same
but so is your acting
and everytime i cry
i still hear you laughing at me...

jeff suszczynski – guitars, bass, drumset, voices

written: 20 december 1997
recorded: 29 december 1997 and january-february 1998
(wallace drive, grand island, ny and southland drive, brighton, ny)

04 marjorie morningstar (suszczynski)

marjorie morningstar loves the way spring hits
laughing in gases that hold her head up
she smells roses, embezzling blossoms
that will never fade from her heart

she calls to me
and all that i hear is the sun on her lips
marjorie – beautiful, hovering, she touches me

marjorie morningstar swells with the pride
of a mother who sees that her child turned out well
she's floating, skimming the lilacs and hyacinths
lost in a reverie she gladly shares

she calls to me
and all that i hear is the sun on her lips
marjorie – beautiful, hovering, she touches me

jeff suszczynski – keyboards, acoustic guitar, voices

written: 15 may 1997
recorded: october 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

05 choking on the gridlock (suszczynski)

can you cradle a map
with districts fixed in your head
the points have gathered for you
awaiting your swift command
but something always gets crossed
somehow you're always lost

she had nothing to say
i wish that she'd stay awake
but she had nothing to stay

you try to handle the noise
when the rhythm gets blurred
but you never adapt when the plan falls apart
is this what you want to be –
what do you want to be?

you have no force to smile
you're choking on the gridlock

she had nothing to say
i wish that she'd stay awake
but she had nothing to say
she likes to sleep through the pain
she had nothing to say...

nick hall – drumset
jeff suszczynski – guitars, bass, keyboard, voices

written: 20 december 1997
recorded: 29 december 1997 and january-february 1998
(wallace drive, grand island, ny and southland drive, brighton, ny)

06 the year of living dangerously (suszczynski)

i saw the silver psychopath slowly become my friend
but the year of living dangerously has come to an end
i don't think that i'll be returning soon.

i saw the silver lining come back yesterday, so quick to mend
the year of living dangerously has come to an end
i don't think that i'll be returning soon...

jeff suszczynski – piano, keyboards, voice

written: october 1997
recorded: october-november 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)