Talkin’ RPT* Blues is the complete, true, uncensored, epic tale of my traumatic tenure trials at a modern university. These events were experienced and written between 1995 and 1997 and recorded at Phil Gall’s Mudshark Studio in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1997. Phil still refers to the 29-minute “Talkin’ RPT* Blues” as “the miracle take” because we recorded it all in one take, the first time through. At that time, however, I was persuaded by a politically-savvy friend and colleague to censor/edit the original song down to a 10-minute, sanitized version (“Talkin’ RPT* Blues Lite”) so as not to ruffle my fellow professors’ feathers. This shorter version is included on my earlier CD, “University Daze” (www.erickarlstrom.com).

While “Talkin’ RPT* Blues Lite” told the basic story, however, it pretty much side-stepped the larger issues surrounding the “pc” (politically correct) culture wars that have raged across our campuses in recent decades, often resulting in officially-sanctioned reverse discrimination. The original version of the song presented here addresses all these issues.

Today, in 2009, as my university faces unprecedented budget cuts, faculty lay-offs, and tuition hikes, it occurs to me that this story in song still “resonates” and needs to be told. So I am now finally releasing “Talkin’ RPT* Blues” into the world, in the hope that others might learn and profit from my experience- or at least get a few laughs.

The “Oregon Coast/Readings” is a collection of pertinent quotes that gave me some solace at the time of my tenure battle which Phil Gall and I superimposed over one of my original guitar instrumentals. Cover art is by Peter Tsacle and photos are by Marilu Weishaar.

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