Talkin RPT Blues

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Talkin’ RPT Blues Cover
Talkin RPT Blues – True, Tuneful Tales and Uncensored Dispatches from the Campus Culture Wars. By Eric Thor Karlstrom

1. Talkin’ RPT Blues
28:59
2. Oregon Coast/Readings
11:46

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.

To order additional CDs and view other recordings by Eric Thor Karlstrom visit our Shop or address correspondence to Eric Thor Karlstrom at P.O. Box 54, Crestone, CO 81131.