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Mark Scudder: Don't Wait 2009 Special Edition

Don't Wait has been my favorite album that I've done. The unfortunate combination of events that led to it made for some powerful, desperate emotions in the music on this album. I'd trade it in a second if we could go back and erase the events of September 11, 2001 from the world.

People who think they're smart, they like to minimize sentiments like "Never Forget." They like to criticize people who put little flags on their cars. They like to say that the same guy they call the dumbest guy on the planet was the mastermind behind an "inside job" the likes of which we've never seen in human history. We all deal with trauma in different ways, but these ways seem to be a little more socially-acceptable than others, which is a little terrifying in and of itself.

And some people just forget. People block it out. People don't want to remember.

I do want to remember. I want to remember my friend Paul, who did so much for me in the time that I knew him, that he's almost more of a hero than a friend. I want to remember the pain, to respect it and to feel its grip, so that i do "never forget." And there are people just like me everywhere, who struggle as they go through their days, hiding from people who think they're smarter.

Now we have people trying to co-opt 9/11 for their own political gain. From "Service Day" to the 9/11 truthers, there seems to be no shortage of hurtful people out there who don't respect those of us who remember. In 2009, I had become a little bothered about these people, and I wished there was something I could do to respond to it, to make my own statement on behalf of those who remember. And then I realized there was something I could do.

For 24 hours on Friday, September 11, 2009, I made available a special edition of Don't Wait, for free, on my website. I wanted to say "thank you" to those who remembered, those who kept the memory of those lost sacred in their hearts, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on that day and in the days afterward. But it didn't feel right just to download the album off of iTunes and put it up. So in addition to the full album, I added an album-length commentary, where I speak about the making of the album and some behind-the-scenes stuff; I threw in a few early demos of "Prelude" and "Glory Be," and produced a 25-minute featurette video with myself and associate producer Dave Nezelek speaking about the album, plus live in-studio performances of "Forward" and "Glory Be." The bonus features were produced in just a few days at my home studio, and I was really satisfied with the final result, which is rare for me.

The reaction to the download was simply amazing. People linked to it on blogs and websites, and Facebook, and a lot of people got a very special version of Don't Wait for a good cause.

This version of Don't Wait is currently unavailable (because it's no longer September 11, 2009), but it is a great starting point for a future remaster or "definitive edition." Stay tuned.