George Mann, Julius Margolin and Friends

“Hail to the Thief II: Songs to Send Bush Packing!” 

www.georgeandjulius.com    e-mail: hailtothethief@att.net 

Track Sheet 

1. Prelude: Hail to the Thief! (:24). Chris Bricker plays the satirical bowed saw and with some guest kazoos by George B himself, “Hail to the Thief!” matches the enthusiasm that greeted the nation’s acceptance of Bush’s “victory.”
2. Stupid’s Pledge (© 1991 U. Utah Phillips, :16). Utah Phillips sets the stage for the album with this piece from his 1991 album “I’ve Got to Know,” recorded when another Bush had us at war.
3. I’m George W. (© 2001 George Mann, 2:39). An introduction from Dubya himself, who led the slacker’s life long before he started spending 35-hour weeks at the White House. Set to Stephen Foster’s “Oh Susannah!” with rollicking harmonica, banjo and mandolin.
4. Big, Big World (© 2001 Reggie and Kim Harris, 4:24). Dubya is just a symptom of the problem, which is much bigger than one person. Kim and Reggie remind us of how big the world is in this rocking acoustic-based song.
5. It’s About Oil (© 2003 Amy Martin, 3:55). Amy Martin hails from Missoula, Montana and this live recording is a wonderful blending of sounds and styles.
6. BushWhacked (© 2004 Steve Brooks, 2:58). Rolling Texas country swing music from Austin folksinger Steve Brooks featuring Lisa Rogers on lead guitar.
7. I Trust the People (© 2001 Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino, 2:54). The duo known as Magpie deliver a strong indictment of Dubya in his own voice.
8. In Florida (© 2001 Tom Paxton, 1:44). One of Tom’s “short shelf life” songs reminds us that the state which gave Bush his “electoral college” victory rigged it from the beginning.
9. General (:39). Utah Phillips’ reading of a Bertold Brecht poem from his 1991 CD “I’ve Got to Know.”
10. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier” (© 2003 Julius Margolin and George Mann, 3:45): Julius’s straight-talking take on this latest war and its utter waste on the youth who fight, are wounded and die over there.
11. Bless His Heart (© 2004 Lisa Rogers, 3:54). A little Texas Twang from Austin’s Diva of Dysfunction, Lisa Rogers, co-written by the shrub himself.
12. Son-of-A-Bush (© 1999 Mark Levy, 2:35). Acoustic 12-string drives this in-Bush’s-face song from northern California’s Mark Levy.
13. If You Were My Son, I’d Whack You One (© 2004 George Mann, 2:57). Featuring Faith Petric and Julius Margolin as lead vocalists. Dubya often acts like a naughty or spoiled child; perhaps some good old-fashioned discipline is what he needs?
14. The World From the Bottom Up and Other Observation (© 2004 U. Utah Phillips, 2:57). In which Utah tells us in stark terms that those who benefit from the death and suffering of others will someday make account or perish.
15. W Medley II (Words © 2004 Bernard Gilbert, 4:30). Labor choruses have sprung up all over the nation in the past decade, and San Francisco’s Labor Heritage-Rockin’ Solidarity Labor Chorus brings new life to “Beans, Bacon and Gravy” and “Solidarity Forever” with a number of soloists.
16. Peace, Salaam, Shalom (© 2001 Pat Humphries and Sandy O, 2:16). Pat and Sandy have formed “emma’s revolution” and this is from their debut album. Powerful percussion and a backing chorus of young voices add to the mix.
17. Dear Mr. President (© 2003 Jen Cass, 3:36). Joe Jencks turns in a sad and beautiful reading of this Jen Cass song, with beautiful three-part harmonies.
    
18. just A Few Bad Apples (By George Mann, 3:14). Time to throw the bums out! This rocking closer features George and Julius’s backing band. This song features Myriam Valle on harmony vocals and David Easton on piano.
19. “If I Only Had A Brain” (By Harold Arlen/Y.P. Harburg, new words © 2003 George Mann, 2:20). A song of Dubya and Dick and their simple-minded approach to things like war and death.