"Love is like Mud"
A Rock Operetta by Benjamin Folstein
a collection of recordings from 2009-2021

Performed & Developed by:
Level II Puppet/Radio/Theater Theatre

Track List:
1. Love is like Mud**
2. Runts of a Litter****
3. Same Spot****
4. Excellent Choice****
5. Come Inside*
6. Nice Girl***
7. Greener on the Other Side**
8. There You Are****
9. Nice Girl Reprise*
10. Grandkids****
11. The Little Things****
12. Wanderlust****
13. Good Times Gone +
14. The Kids Today #
15. Revolving Door****
16. Come Home****
17. Other Girls*
18. Chemistry^

Level II is:
Benjamin Folstein: Guitar and Vocals
Peter Van Leeuwen: Bass
Julian Rowe: Drums
Jerry Weimer: Sax
and...
Taylor Kate Manns: Vocals (***,****)
Nicole Desantis: Vocals (**)
Amanda Lee: Vocals (*)
Carrie Leech: Vocals (+,#)
Elise Reynard: Vocals (Grandkids)
Jasmine Knight: Vocals (*)
Joshua David Cavanaugh: Vocals (***)
Alexander Sovronsky: Violin (*)
Dan Gower: Keys (**)
Nigel Hilliard: Trombone (**)
Kevin Kobler: Trumpet (*)
Blake Rowe: Piano (***)
Peter Dizozza: Vocals (***)

*Recorded from the soundboard by Brian Speaker at Sidewalk Cafe, NYC, 1/21/2010. First Iteration. This was the first night of a 4 show residency at Sidewalk. It was a small puppet stage with hand puppets and painted cardboard “drops”. One major regret is that I didn’t keep running this there for as long as I possibly could. Oh well. Sidewalk’s closed now, and a lot of people owe a lot to them, including me. Anyway, this features the incomparable Amanda Lee, who both inspired and developed Anne, the leading lady.

**Recorded on a video camera at the Tank Theater in NYC, Xmas 2010. We were wearing Santa hats that night I remember. This was essentially the Second Iteration. The puppet stage was bigger than the First, like 8 ft by 4 ft or something. Larger puppets were created and operated by Vito Leanza and Joe Kovacs, with costumes and giant penis and vagina puppets by Anne Fiddler. Nicole Desantis provided hilarious character acting along with knockout lilts and belts. I consider her a major developer.

***Recorded with a mobile studio setup by Alex Wernquest at The West End in NYC, August 2014. This was a reading we set up with a full cast not including myself. Third Iteration. This is where Taylor Kate Manns, the fabulous and latest Anne, comes into the picture. She took the stuff the rest of the ladies developed and softened it. Yes! Also you can hear Josh Cavanaugh as Jon, and Peter Dizozza narrating.

****Band was recorded by Alex Wernquest at his Basement Floods Studio in Catskills, NY, I think in the winter of 2014. Vocals and horn overdubs recorded by me at 248 Driggs in 2015. Then some additions in 2021 from my studio in New Hampshire. This was after the true Fourth Iteration, of which I have no record. It was a Fringe show at Drom, and I insisted on sticking to equity rules despite everyones very reasonable protest. Oh well. That show we did sandwich board costumes and projections of miniatures. Alex Koch and Birdhouse Studios did those. I still have all the stuff.

+Recorded at the Sidewalk in 2009. This features Carrie Leech, who was the first developer of Anne, and is responsible for many of the lines that came up through the iterations. She’s got it all, folks! We later did this song as a skank, but I like this version.

#Recorded by us in a rehearsal studio in Brooklyn, 2009. Again with Carrie, in early days.

^Recorded by Kyle Simon in Brooklyn Circa 2011. He decided he was going to produce my version of The American Recordings. Ours is called The Suede Tapes.

Special Thanks to: Peter Dean, Rebecca Noon, Ducky, Pugey, Josh Vasquez, Marshal and Susan Folstein (of course), Gavin Roher, Jay Liebowitz, and everyone else who contributed. Love you guys.