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2006/03/09-15: "Bar band," Time Out New York,
"Out There" column, March 9–15, 2006, at 10, on-line at
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/545/out_there/bar_band.xml:
"For lawyer Lawrence Savell, rocking out is never a trial
"The saying 'The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers' dates
back to Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 2, and attorneys’ reputations haven’t
improved any since the Elizabethan era. Litigator Lawrence Savell heard all
the jokes and decided to get in on the action by recording a series of
humorous rock CDs about the legal profession. He even hopes that the
self-deprecation might contribute in some small way to resuscitating
lawyers’ good names.
"'Let’s face it, people think we’re stuck-up and have no sense of humor,'
Savell says from his office at Chadbourne & Parke in Rockefeller Plaza. “I
hope to help change that perception. And I enjoy having a creative outlet
outside of the courtroom.” The counselor first played for audiences at
University of Michigan talent shows, while attending law school there in the
early ’80s, but he fully unleashed his inner rock monster only after joining
Chadbourne. 'It’s a pretty traditional firm,' he acknowledges, 'and I didn’t
think there’d be any chance of doing anything with my music there. But I got
a tremendous reaction when I performed at our holiday office party. I was
surprised because I thought they’d sue me.' In fact, many of his musically
inclined colleagues have volunteered to play backup at some of Savell’s
sporadic live gigs.
"Out of these humble beginnings have come a trio of self-released
Christmas albums (e.g., Legal Holidaze) and the admiration of fellow
litigators. But Savell, a guitarist, keyboardist and singer, remains
clearheaded about his musical abilities. When asked if he will eventually
release a rap album, he deadpans, 'My level of talent almost demands it.'
"For more info on Lawrence Savell’s CDs, visit www.lawtunes.com."
(color 577 KB) |
(greyscale 418 KB)
COVERAGE
OF NEW RELEASE, "MERRY LEXMAS FROM THE LAWTUNES", BEGINS HERE:
2006/11/09: "The lawyer's holiday humor
CD," Robert Ambrogi's Lawsites,
http://www.legaline.com/2006/11/lawyers-holiday-humor-cd.html:
"Over at LawTunes, lawyer Lawrence Savell has just released his third CD
of humorous holiday music with a legal theme. The latest CD, 'Merry Lexmas
From the Lawtunes,' join Savell's two earlier compilations, 'Legal Holidaze'
and 'The Lawyer's Holiday Humor Album.' From the announcement:
"The 15 songs on the new holiday CD continue to take on a broad range
of subjects regarding lawyers, the law, legal education, and the legal
system. They cover the spectrum of life (and strife) as an attorney,
'including but not limited to' ridiculous hours and the other sacrifices
lawyers (and their families) make, headhunters and lateral movement,
client relations, the adversarial system, the art of negotiating, time
records and bills, meeting deadlines, document reviews, legal reasoning
and argument, cross-examination, business travel, and year-end bonuses.
"Savell, counsel to Chadbourne & Parke in New York City, writes and
records the songs himself. He was our guest last year on the Dec. 15, 2005,
episode of the legal-affairs podcast Coast to Coast. You can sample songs
from all three of his CDs and purchase any of them at his LawTunes Web
site."
2006/11/09: "The Lawyer's Holiday
Humor CD," Stark County Law Library Blog, November 9, 2006, at
http://temp.starklawlibrary.org/blog/archive/2006_11.html#006284:
Posting of Ambrogi post above
2006/11/14: "Musical lawyer releases
fourth Christmas CD," The Journal News, November 14, 2006, at 5C, 10C, on-line
at
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061114/BUSINESS01/611140315/1066:
"Lawrence Savell, a product liability lawyer in New York City, has
released his fourth compact disc of Christmas songs poking fun at his
profession. This year's release is called Merry Lexmas from The Lawtunes and
includes 15 songs sung by Savell, a Croton-on-Hudson resident who works for
Chadbourne & Parke LLP. Savell said he tried to keep legal jargon out of the
songs on this year's disc so that they would be easier for nonlawyers to
understand. His first disc, released in 1998, was so laden with legalese
that he included a glossary in each package. The 2006 release includes songs
with names 'Another Billable Christmas,' 'Livin' Life in Six Minutes,' and
'I Got a Footnote in my Stocking.'
"Savell said he has sold about 1,000 discs from the previous three years.
But his main goal is fun, he said. Though he has no illusions about making
it big as a singer and songwriter, he joked: 'If they wanted to give me a
Grammy, I wouldn't turn it down."
(print version in newspaper) |
(web version)
2006/11/14: "Holiday Humor from the LawTunes,"
Law Dawg Blawg (Law Librarians of Southern Illinois University), November
14, 2006, at
http://lawdawglib.blogspot.com/2006/11/holiday-humor-from-lawtunes.html:
"Lawrence Savell, of LawTunes fame, has released his third CD of original
'allegedly-humorous' law-related rock-and-roll holiday songs, 'Merry Lexmas
From The LawTunes.' His two previous CDs were 'The Lawyer's Holiday Humor
Album' and 'Legal Holidaze.' The CDs can be purchased individually or as
part of the LawTunes Holiday Trio at
LawTunes.com.
"The 15 tracks on 'Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes' include: 'Another
Billable Christmas,' 'Santa's Headhunter's Calling,' 'Livin' Life In Six
Minutes,' 'Merry Lexmas, Baby,' 'I Got A Footnote In My Stocking,' 'Ridin'
On A Red-Eye With Santa On Christmas Eve,' 'Hey, Santa, I Appeal,' 'We're
All Just Elves,' 'So If Your Client's Name Is Santa,' 'Billable Christmas
Blues,' 'Merry Lexmas Time,' 'You Don't Wanna Cross Santa,' 'Down the Halls
of Nussbaum, Hanley' (parody of 'Deck The Halls'), 'The Twelve Days of
Lexmas' (parody of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'), and 'Billin' On
Christmas Eve.'
"Savell's songs are part of an 'effort to make people think a little
differently about lawyers, and show that attorneys are not necessarily
humorless, boring, or incapable of self-deprecation (success on at least the
last item is guaranteed).' Learn more about the LawTunes, listen to sound
clips, and order the CDs at LawTunes.com."
2006/11/14: "Savell CD is Released," Athol Daily
News (Athol, MA), November 14, 2006, at 2:
"ATHOL -- Lawrence Savell, lawyer by day and songwriter by night, has
released a new Christmas CD, 'Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes.' Savell, whose
wife is from town, composes, performs and produces law-related
allegedly-humorous rock and roll holiday songs released by his independent
label, LawTunes.
"'Merry Lexmas From the Lawtunes” is the third of his albums to be
released. 'The Lawyer’s Holiday Humor Album' and 'Legal Holidaze' are his
first two and the new CD continues to take on a broad range of subjects
regarding lawyers, the law, legal education and the legal system. The CDs
cover the spectrum of life (and strife) as an attorney, 'including but not
limited to' ridiculous hours and the other sacrifices lawyers (and their
families) make, headhunters and lateral movement, client relations, the
adversarial system, the art of negotiating, time records and bills, meeting
deadlines, document reviews, legal reasoning and argument,
cross-examination, business travel and year-end bonuses. The songs
incorporate a broad spectrum of rock-and-roll styles, reflecting the
influence of both current bands like Coldplay as well as classic groups and
performers like The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Bachman-Turner-Overdrive,
Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis.
"For more information visit www.LawTunes.com."
2006/11/16: "It's Only Rock & Roll for this Croton
Attorney," Crotonblog, November 16, 2006, at
http://www.crotonblog.com/archives/2006/11/16/arts_entertainment/its_only_rock_roll_for_this_croton_attorney/index.php:
"Croton resident and attorney Lawrence Savell has just released 'Merry
Lexmas From The Lawtunes,' his third album of allegedly-humorous
lawyer-created law-related rock-and-roll holiday songs on his own indie
label, aptly called LawTunes .
"Following the precedent of his earlier releases, 'The Lawyer’s Holiday
Humor Album' and 'Legal Holidaze,' the 15 songs on 'Merry Lexmas From The
Lawtunes' continue to take on a broad range of subjects regarding lawyers,
the law, legal education, and the legal system. They cover the spectrum of
life (and strife) as an attorney, 'including but not limited to' ridiculous
hours and the other sacrifices fellow lawyers (and thier families) make,
headhunters and lateral movement, client relations, the adversarial system,
the art of negotiating, time records and bills, meeting deadlines, document
reviews, legal reasoning and argument, cross-examination, business travel,
and year-end bonuses.
"Tracks on his 'Created-in-Croton' collection include: 'Another Billable
Christmas,' 'Santa’s Headhunter’s Calling,' 'Livin’ Life In Six Minutes,'
'Merry Lexmas, Baby,' 'I Got A Footnote In My Stocking,' 'Ridin’ On A
Red-Eye With Santa On Christmas Eve,' 'Hey, Santa, I Appeal,' 'We’re All
Just Elves,' 'So If Your Client’s Name Is Santa,' 'Billable Christmas
Blues,' 'Merry Lexmas Time,' 'You Don’t Wanna Cross Santa,' 'Down the Halls
of Nussbaum, Hanley' (parody of 'Deck The Halls'), 'The Twelve Days of
Lexmas' (parody of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'), and 'Billin’ On
Christmas Eve.'
"Mr. Savell’s songs incorporate a broad spectrum of rock-and-roll styles,
reflecting the influence of both current bands like Coldplay as well as
classic groups and performers like The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean,
Bachman-Turner-Overdrive, Jerry Lee Lewis, and, of course, Elvis.
"Composed, performed, and produced by a practicing (so to speak)
litigation attorney, the CD—offered either solo or in partnership with its
two predecessor albums as the 'LawTunes Holiday Trio'—fills a void (as no
fruitcake can) as a reasonably-priced holiday gift or party giveaway for
lawyers, law students, law professors, law office and law department
personnel, and the people who work with, live with, know and/or love them.
"His albums are dedicated to the proposition that lawyers’ zealous
representation of clients and furtherance of the public good can be only
enhanced by a healthy willingness of lawyers to poke fun at themselves
appropriately on occasion. They hopefully contribute to the effort to make
people think a little differently about lawyers, and show that we are not
necessarily humorless, boring, or incapable of self-deprecation (success on
at least the last item is guaranteed).
"'Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes,' 'Legal Holidaze,' and 'The Lawyer’s
Holiday Humor Album' are available at Lawtunes.com and at selected on-line
music vendor sites. Free access to sound clips, images, and further
information is available at LawTunes.com."
2006/11/17: "MAILBAG
#111706," The Common Scold, November 17, 2006,
http://commonscold.typepad.com/commonscold/2006/11/mailbag_111706.html:
"Lawrence Savell has
released his annual LawTunes CD, "Merry Lexmas from The Lawtunes. 411
here."
2006/11/20: "Merry Lexmas, Baby," The Deal,
November 20 - December 3, 2006, at 7:
"When Lawrence Savell arrived at Chadbourne & Parke LLP as a first-year
associate in 1982, he was a bit reluctant to showcase the musical skills he
cultivated during his post-graduate days at University of Michigan Law
School — and for good reason. At Michigan's annual 'Talent Revue,' a talent
show for law students (don't laugh), Savell made a name for himself by
writing and performing songs that parodied the law student and lawyer life.
'I had no delusions that I had any talent. I just wanted to have some fun,'
says Savell, now a products liability and media law litigator. 'When I came
to Chadbourne, I didn't think any big law firm would tolerate this stuff.
But at the Christmas party, during my second year, I got up and did some
parodies about law firm life. The reception was phenomenal.'
"Inspired, Savell organized a cross-section of the firm's employees to
form what became the Chadbourne Band. After many years of honing his art,
this holiday season Savell will release his third album, 'Merry Lexmas From
The Lawtunes,' an assortment of 'allegedly humorous, lawyer-related,
law-related, rock 'n' roll holiday songs.' Savell's first two releases were
'The Lawyer's Holiday Humor Album' (1998) and 'Legal Holidaze' (2004).
"According to a statement put out by Savell's indie label, LawTunes, 'the
songs incorporate a broad spectrum of rock-and-roll styles, reflecting the
influence of both current bands like Coldplay, as well as classic groups and
performers like The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Bachman-Turner-Overdrive,
Jerry Lee Lewis, and, of course, Elvis.' In short, Savell's songs aim to
please the ear. 'For some reason,' he says, 'little kids dance around the
room when they hear them.'
"With titles like 'Another Billable Christmas,' 'I Got A Footnote In My
Stocking' and 'Hey, Santa, I Appeal,' the negative — but true — messages
sent by Savell's lyrics don't seem to bother his partners. 'The music is
facetious, but of course there's an element of truth to it. The fact that
people here think it's funny is part of what makes this firm what it is. It
says we work hard, but we can also let our hair down on occasion and have
some fun. I'm not saying this place is a sweatshop. I wouldn't be working
here if that were the case.'
"As for his audience, Savell's total sales still hover around 1,000
albums, so he probably won't be leaving his day job anytime soon, regardless
of how many more Christmases he misses for work. That said, if his music
helps to deflate stuffy, humorless stereotypes of lawyers, Savell considers
his efforts well worth the trouble. 'Lawyers put in long hours and sacrifice
time with their families,' Savell acknowledges. 'But those are universal
things for all people who are dedicated to their jobs and make those kinds
of commitments, even if they don't have a law degree.'
"Indeed, 'Merry Lexmas, Baby,' the fourth track on the new album, is
partly a tribute to Savell's wife, who has suffered her husband's absences
through his 24 years at Chadbourne. 'When she first heard that song,' Savell
recalls fondly, 'she started to cry.'"
(color print version in magazine)
2006/11/21: "Holiday Gifts That Show A Sense Of
Humor," In Search of Perfect Client Service, November 21, 2006, at
http://www.patrickjlamb.com/archives/people-places-and-blawgs-holiday-gifts-that-show-a-sense-of-humor.html:
"My classmate Lawrence Savell has recorded some holiday classics, but with a
decided humorous bent. Check his offerings out at
www.lawtunes.com. My favorite is
'Bill Those Hours,' to the music of Jingle Bells. Lawrence's day job is ....
(well, let's just focus here on his great sense of humor!)."
2006/11/25: "Music for Young Lawyers: 'Another
Billable Christmas,'" What About Clients?, November 25, 2006, at
http://www.whataboutclients.com/archives/2006/11/music_for_young.html:
"Heads up, associate lawyers, but also partners because you have more
money. First, turn your speakers up. Just keep your meters running,
Bluebooks out, and billable hours high (to hit 2350 by December 31, if
you're on the wimpy side). Then, to get you in the mood for the holiday
season, and to help you work with a song in your stomach, see New York
lawyer Lawrence Savell's 'Merry Lexmas
From The Lawtunes'! Larry gives you a great sampler at his
Lawtunes.com site, but you'll want to
purchase the full 'Lexmas' CD and other CDs for your very own.
"Maybe buy some for your Mom, and high school friends, who won't be
seeing you that much this Christmas anyway. My favorite could be 'Santa And
I Are Gonna Pull An All-Nighter On Christmas', or maybe 'All
I Want for Christmas Is A Stomach Lining' - not sure yet. Oh yeah,
Larry, the composer and creator, told me in an e-mail that that's him
singing on these. Even if Larry weren't a friend of my friend
Patrick Lamb, I'd hire the guy. He's got Moxie, Madness and The Spirit.
And he knows how to treat associates. Now get back to work."
2006/12/00: "Merry Lexmas baby," Legal Technology
Insider (U.K.), December 2006, at 8:
US attorney Lawrence Savell, the man behind the Lawtunes record label –
we mentioned his CD of carols for lawyers last year – has released another
album. This one’s called Merry Lexmas and contains 15 tracks,
including We’re all just Elves – any assistant solicitor in a large
firm will immediately sympathise with its sentiments, Down the Halls of
Nussbaum Hanley, a parody of Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly
and Livin’ Life in Six Minutes, which is actually quite sad.
www.lawtunes.com
2006/12/01: ASL Library News (Appalachian
School of Law Library News), December 1, 2006, at 2,
http://www.asl.edu/library/pubs/ln0612.pdf:
"Perhaps the days of practicing law are too far in your future to plan
for now. In that case, stay tuned now for some law-related rock-and-roll
holiday songs, including 'Let Them Sue, Let Them Sue, Let Them Sue' and 'I
Dreamed I Saw Santa Workin' in the Library.' The LawTunes*, a group that has
'long been the lone (and occasionally nearly harmonic) voice filling the
void that is the unique genre of original law-related holiday music,' have
released yet another CD. Check out the free samples at
http://www.lawtunes.com/"
2006/12/04: "The singing lawyer," Georgetown Law
Weekly (Georgetown University Law Center), December 4, 2006:
"Newly-released Christmas music generally consists of today's pop stars
re-recording the same Christmas songs that yesterdays pop stars and those
before them also recorded. It was a silent night, Rudolph had a red nose -
we get it. In my annual quest for original holiday music, I found quite a
gem this year. Actually, it found me. Love's like that sometimes. The way in
which our paths crossed doesn't necessarily matter, though; what matters is
that I now have in my possession the most original compilation of Christmas
music ever.
"Merry Lexmas from the Lawtunes, composed, performed, and produced
by New York litigation attorney Lawrence Savell, is an album of fifteen
lawyer-themed Christmas songs. The fact that a member of the legal
profession had the creativity and sense of humor to write and perform these
songs is amazing, and honestly, it makes me feel just a little better about
entering the profession myself.
"The music is catchy enough, but the true genius of this album is in the
lyrics. The first song on the album, 'Another Billable Christmas' bemoans
the fact that even the Christmas hour must be billed. With lines like,
'While others hit ski slopes or beaches pristine lawyers say a toast with a
shot of Visine' and 'The other professions are asleep in their beds but, hey
- here's another draft to be proofread,' the song starts the album off on a
high note.
"The torment of the billable hour is discussed on other tracks of the
album as well. 'Livin' Life in Six Minutes' defines the art of billing.
'This brief took me 7.4, cover letter .3 more, had a sandwich while drafting
a will, well, that's a wrap far this day's bill.'
"Another track, 'Billable Christmas Blues' is written from the vantage
point of a young associate at a large firm and corroborates what all of us
secretly fear when we imagine what life will be like after graduation: 'It's
really the same as I look up from my shredder, except that I'm dressing just
a little bit better.' The song also touches on the little lies we tell
ourselves to get through the sacrifice: 'What's Christmas but another cold
winter's day? I don't believe that either, but what else can I say?' This
line couldn't hit closer to home for law students. You didn't want to go
home for Thanksgiving; your family annoys you anyway, right? You won't mind
skipping spring break for the moot court competition; you never really liked
beaches and bikinis, did you? That's what I thought.
"Another particularly poignant song on the album is nearly philosophical
in its simple reality. 'We're All Just Elves" draws comparisons between
Santa's elves and a law firm's associates - both, the song notes, 'facing a
deadline that can't be changed.' Listen to this song once and you'll hear it
in your head every time you work on a Bluebooking assignment, because in the
end it's true. Whether it's Santa or big firm partners or Journal EICs, were
all just someone else's elves. Maybe it's the philosophy minor in me, but in
the shallow end, that's pretty deep.
"Savell's litigation roots come through most vividly in 'You Don't Wanna
Cross Santa.' When an alleged slip and fall on a rooftop puts Dancer "on the
DL,' the homeowner's defense attorney finds himself in the unenviable
position of cross examining the big rosy-cheeked guy himself. What was the
verdict? The jury was 'hung like some mistletoe.'
"Another track, 'Down the Halls of Nussbaum, Hanley,' is a remake of the
old classic, 'Deck the Halls,' and as such is not completely original, but
nonetheless quite novel and thoroughly enjoyable. The song peeks into the
offices of associates at Nussbaum, Hanley as the end of the billing year
approaches. 'Down the halls of Nussbaum, Hanley, everyone's billing around
the clock / Shepardizing everything in sight except for the menus from House
of Wok.' By song's end the billing year has ended and the associates have
awoken on the first day of a new year, where they are greeted by the
realization that it's 'time to start on the next 365.'
"Merry Lexmas also includes a remake of 'The 12 Days of
Christmas.' In Savell's version, though, the gifts are not bestowed by a
true love. When would a lawyer have time to find true love, after all? The
gifts in this version are given by the lawyer's firm and include: mugs of
Maalox, cups of coffee, partners pacing, calling clients and a room full of
documents to read.
"Merry Lexmas is the third Christmas album released by the
Lawtunes, and while I must admit I haven't heard the full versions of the
other two, with song titles including 'North Pole Bar Exam' and 'Let 'em
Sue' (to the tune of 'Let it Snow'), I can't imagine they are anything less
than fabulous. According to a press statement accompanying the release of
the latest album, for Savell the production of this music is about lawyers
maintaining a sense of humor and a willingness to laugh at themselves
occasionally; it's about showing that lawyers, 'are not necessarily
humorless, boring, or incapable of self-deprecation.' If these were Savell's
goals in making Merry Lexmas, he has clearly succeeded and made some
pretty fun Christmas music along the way.
"Visit lawtunes.com to learn more about the Lawtunes and Lawrence
Savell, or to listen to clips and order albums."
Photo caption: "Savell, hard at work making Christmas, and the legal
profession, a little more fun"
2006/12/04: "'Unique' Gifts For That Special
Someone," Grunion Gazette/Downtown Gazette
(Long Beach, CA), December 4, 2006,
http://www.gazettes.com/giftguide12042006.html:
"Every holiday shopper has one — the person who has everything. Sure you
could get them a gift certificate so they can pick out their own gift, but
come on, that’s a cop out. We’ve got the solution: the my.style Gimme Gimme
Online Gift Guide (GGOGG for short) of items to prove there’s always
something someone doesn’t have.
* * *
"For the...Legal Holiday Reveler
"Last year’s GGOGG suggested the latest Christmas album from litigation
attorney Lawrence Savell, 'You Don’t Wanna Cross Santa.' Savell is back with
a new holiday CD, 'Merry Lexmas From the Lawtunes.' This 15-song CD ($37.99)
[actually $17.99; $37.99 with weekday overnight FedEx included] includes
such courtroom crowd pleasers as 'I Got a Footnote in my Stocking,' 'Hey
Santa, I Appeal,' and 'So If Your Client’s Name is Santa.' (http://www.lawtunes.com/)"
(print version; being obtained |
(web version)
2006/12/07: "Holiday Album Is Strictly Legal,"
Roll Call (Capitol Hill newspaper), December 7, 2006:
"If you are a lawyer who has felt underrepresented in the holiday music
repertoire, your day has come: Lawrence Savell — aka The Lawtunes — has just
the album for you. Savell, a Manhattan-based litigation attorney, has
composed, performed and produced a 15-track album of 'allegedly humorous,
lawyer-created holiday songs.' The album, called “Merry Lexmas from the
Lawtunes,” is funny in a quirky, profession-specific kind of way, and
reflects one attorney’s playful and self-deprecating experimentation with
do-it-yourself music software and admittedly limited musical ability.
"'I get tremendous pleasure out of doing this,' Savell said. 'And I think
it’s a positive thing in terms of people’s view of lawyers — that we’re all
so stuffy and dull. To actually have someone who makes fun of himself or
herself — who knows a lawyer who does that?'
"With titles such as 'Another Billable Christmas,' 'Hey, Santa, I Appeal'
and 'I Got a Footnote In My Stocking,' the album covers topics 'including
but not limited to' ridiculous hours, client relations, the adversarial
system, the art of negotiating, legal reasoning and arguing,
cross-examination and year-end bonuses.
"Savell’s musical journey began in college when he performed parodies at
his University of Michigan Law School talent shows. He then brought the
parodies to his Manhattan law firm, where they were well received, so he
decided to record and sell the music.
"'People really liked it, they weren’t offended by it, and they could
identify with what I was saying,' Savell said.
Three albums later (the previous two being 'The Lawyer’s Holiday Humor
Album' and 'Legal Holidaze'), 1,000 copies have been sold, and Savell has
ambitions of more to come — perhaps a surf album, because of his love of the
Beach Boys, and a children’s album, because of that audience’s affinity for
his simplistic melodies.
"Savell is hoping his music will be considered as a holiday gift or party
giveaway for lawyers, law students, law professors and law office/department
personnel.
"'It’s been positively received, to my tremendous amazement,' Savell
said.
"For more information, visit
www.lawtunes.com."
(print version; being obtained |
(web version)
2006/12/08: "The hummable holidays: Just-released
Christmas CDs are filled with old and new seasonal tunes," Deseret Morning
News (Salt Lake City), December 8, 2006,
http://deseretnews.com/dn/print/1,1442,650213213,00.html:
"Deseret Morning News staffers are humming those familiar tunes and
getting ready to curl up by a fire that is so delightful as the weather
outside turns frightful ... or at least dips below freezing.
"This time of year, it's all about the music. Goodness knows there are
plenty of Christmas-themed CDs out there already — if you do a search for
'Christmas' on Amazon.com's music page, there are no less than 23,376 titles
to choose from.
"So, in the spirit of giving (or selling), your friendly neighborhood
music labels have added a bunch to that number this year, and we have
reviewed as many as we could gather and listen to.
"Here they are, in alphabetical order by the last name of the artist.
* * *
"THE LAWTUNES; "Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes" (Lawrence Savell).
"If you have lawyers on your list — make that lawyers with a sense of
humor — here's the perfect CD. Just reading the notes can get you laughing.
For example, The Lawtunes explain their role: 'From their humble beginnings
in Brooklyn, New York, on an appropriately blustery day in December, 1957,
The Lawtunes have long been the lone (and occasionally nearly harmonic)
voice filling the void, vacuum and other euphemisms for "not a whole lot"
that is the unique genre of original law-related holiday music.' The
five-member group performs a number of songs with titles like 'Another
Billable Christmas,' 'A Footnote in My Stocking,' 'So if Your Client's Name
Is Santa' and 'The Twelve Days of Lexmas.' Clever and fun."
(print version; being obtained |
(web version)
2006/12/09: "Hark, the Looney Lawyers Sing," so
you wannabee a Domestik Goddess, December 9, 2006,
http://domestikgoddess.blogspot.com/2006/12/hark-looney-lawyers-sing.html:
"Even lawyers have to take a break and get into the Christmas spirit at
some point over the holidays, right? At least long enough to scarf down some
fruitcake, quaff a glass of the festive punch, and unwrap a gift or two...
"Ah, yes. Gifts. Suitable gifts for those in the law profession... hmm...
"Well, if the lawyer, paralegal, or law student in your life isn't
exactly the Limoges trinket box type, here's a little something
"...dedicated to the proposition that lawyers' zealous representation
of clients and furtherance of the public good can be only enhanced by a
healthy willingness of lawyers to poke fun at themselves appropriately
on occasion.
"Independent recording label LawTunes
offers three CDs of 'original, allegedly-humorous, lawyer-created,
law-related holiday rock-and-roll songs' — The Lawyer's Holiday Humor
Album, Legal Holidaze, and the newly released Merry Lexmas
From The Lawtunes — composed, performed, and produced by a practicing
litigation attorney.
"Just imagine it — all the happy little lawyers, joining hands around a
blazing Yuletide fire, harmonizing to such soon-to-be-classic holiday songs
as:
North Pole Bar Exam
Surfin' For An Expert Late On Christmas Eve
Bill Those Hours
Rainmaker Reindeer
All I Want for Christmas Is A Stomach Lining
Santa v. Acme Sleigh
Let 'Em Sue
We're All Just Elves
"... and many many more.
"Sample clips are available at LawTunes.com, and the albums can be
purchased directly from the site as well as from leading on-line music
retailers.
"For once, don't skip the fine print! A good chuckle waits if you scroll
all the way to the bottom of the LawTunes.com page to read the 'WHO ARE THE
LAWTUNES?' section. Or drop over to the office of
Lawrence Savell himself, a
New York lawyer who seems to have more of the ol' get-up-and-get-down boogie
spirit in him than any legal eagle since that time Perry Mason hit the
eggnog a tad too eagerly..."
2006/12/11: "Some Gift Ideas (Political Humor, Gifts
For Lawyers, & Music)," Mad Kane’s Political Madness, December 11, 2006,
http://www.madkane.com/madness/2006/12/11/some-gift-ideas-political-humor-gifts-for-lawyers-music/:
"If you have any lawyers or law students in your family, legal song parodies
are always fun. Here are two offerings for your favorite law-meisters:
* * *
"'Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes,'
Lawrence Savell's 'third album of allegedly-humorous lawyer-created
law-related rock-and-roll holiday songs.'"
2006/12/13: "What's Hot!: Best list gets blasted,"
Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA), December 13, 2006,
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_4829817:
"CHRISTMAS CAROL CHORUS: Whenever we foist our views of what's best upon our
faithful readership, we always expect total acceptance, and, so we're always
shocked and saddened when a reader or two bolts from the flock, as was the
case with a few fallers-away on the heels of our 10 Best Christmas Songs,
2006 Edition.
* * *
"And now comes Lawrence Savell, of the decidedly novel LawTunes series of
funny songs regarding the lawyering profession, disingenuously professing to
be 'dismayed to see no mention of LawTunes' unique once-again genre-defining
indie release, `Merry Lexmas From the Lawtunes.''
"For just $17.99 (Too much? Bill the client.) you get such not-quite
classics as 'Another Billable Christmas,' and 'Down the Halls of Nussbaum,
Hanley.'
"The CD, should you desire it, is available for $17.99 from
www.lawtunes.com and the makers claim that the tunes reflect the influence
of Coldplay, the Beach Boys, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Elvis."
(print version; being obtained |
(web version)
2006/12/13: "More holiday music," USA Today,
December 13, 2006,
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/holiday/2006-12-13-holiday-music-extra_x.htm
(article posted on-line 12/13 referenced in 12/14 main print story):
"As a supplement to our critical picks of holiday albums, Ken Barnes and
Brian Mansfield add a more comprehensive list of 2006 seasonal releases,
with thumbnail descriptions:
* * *
"The Lawtunes, Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes: Described as
'allegedly humorous rock 'n' roll holiday songs,' this is the third in a
series of conceptual collections of seasonal songs about lawyers and the
law. As to the concept's viability, well, the jury's still out."
2006/12/15: "Fa-La-La-La Law[:] The second
(allegedly) annual eReport holiday gift guide, ABA Journal eReport,
December 15, 2006,
http://www.abanet.org/journal/ereport/d15gift.html:
"So you missed Black Friday because you decided to actually spend the rare
day off with your family instead of fighting over the last PlayStation 3 at
the mall. And Cyber Monday? Well, that was a bust because of all those
e-mails that piled up over the long weekend.
"Fear not, hardworking lawyers, we’ve got your backs. You may have missed
your window of holiday shopping opportunity, but we didn’t.
"Scroll down and take a gander at our picks for the lawyers on your holiday
gift list.
* * *
"Get in the mood with …
"LAWTUNES
New York City lawyer Lawrence Savell is out with his latest compilation of
legal-themed holiday songs. This year’s CD, Merry Lexmas from the
Lawtunes features such sure-to-be hits as 'Another Billable Christmas,'
'We’re all Just Elves,' and our personal favorite, 'You Don’t Wanna Cross
Santa.' Tune in with LawTunes this holiday season. Available for $17.99 from
LawTunes."
| Another copy at
ABAJournal.com:
2006/12/22: "Law Blog Lawyer of the Day:
Chadbourne’s Lawrence Savell," Wall Street Journal Law Blog, December 22, 2006,
:
 "'Merry Lexmas From the Lawtunes' is
the latest CD from
Lawrence Savell, a Chadbourne & Parke litigator by day
and rocker by night. Over the past decade, in between drafting
interrogatories and taking depositions, Savell has released three
'Lawyer-Created Law-Related Rock-and-Roll Holiday' records (the two others:
1998’s Legal Holidaze and 2004’s The Lawyer’s Holiday Humor Album).
"Twenty-five years ago, Savell joined Chadbourne’s New York office
straight out of Michigan Law School and never left. The seeds of his
crooning career were sown in law school, where he performed in what he calls
the school’s 'annual alleged "talent show."' Then, as a young lawyer at
Chadbourne, he sang at a firm holiday party and was urged by colleagues to
cut a record. The rest, as they say, is rock ‘n roll history.
"Though he’s a one-man show, Savell playfully lists his fictional
bandmates in the CD’s liner notes, among them Nicholas 'Prosser on' Tortolli
and Maxwell 'Max' Billings. There’s also, of course, the fanciful song
titles, such as 'I Got A Footnote In My Stocking' and 'Livin’ Life in Six
Minutes.' And the lyrics are the real highlight, so much so that we’re going
to feature them in subsequent posts this afternoon.
"As for Savell’s singing, let’s just say his lyrics are terrific and leave
it at that. Truth be told, we had difficulty making it through the whole
album, if only because the Law Blog’s girlfriend threatened to end our
relationship unless we turned it off. But the Law Blog appreciates passion
and self-deprecation, and Savell has both those qualities in spades.
"'I’m such a lousy singer it takes a lot of takes to make something
palatable,' says the 49-year-old Brooklyn native. 'But it's a labor of
love.' Savell adds that he enjoys writing about things others can identify
with: 'If I can put some voice to what everyone in the profession
experiences, I think it can have a cathartic effect or, at least, everyone
knows they’re not alone.'
"The other day, Savell received a sui generis request: A woman from New
Jersey called him and asked if she could buy his $18 CD in person. Savell,
who guessed she probably wanted to guarantee she had the album by Christmas,
agreed to meet her in the lobby of 30 Rock, where Chadbourne’s offices are
located. When she arrived she asked Savell, 'I’ve come all the way from
Jersey, can you give me a break?'
"Basking in the glow of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, Savell
caved. 'In the spirit of the holidays I gave it to her for $15.' Besides, he
added, 'I don’t have any groupies, and this was as close as I’ve ever come
to having one.'"
2006/12/22: "'Livin’ Life In Six Minutes,'" Wall Street Journal Law Blog, December 22, 2006,
:
"We told you we’d publish some lyrics from
'Merry Lexmas from the Lawtunes,'
the latest contribution to the 'Lawyer-Created Law-Related Rock-and-Roll
Holiday' canon by Lawrence Savell, a lawyer at Chadbourne & Parke in New
York. Here’s a stanza from the rockin' tune, 'Livin’ Life In Six Minutes':
A lawyer’s life is based on time
That’s how we earn our dime
Recording
work that we do each day
So the client knows how much to pay.
And we must be
so precise
More than a pizza each hour we slice
Obsessively we record the
ticks
Arranging minutes into sets of six."
2006/12/22: "'Merry Lexmas Baby,'" Wall Street Journal Law Blog, December 22, 2006,
:
"Savell wrote this song for his wife and told us that when he first sung
it to her, it made her cry. He added: 'But, then again, everything I sing
makes my wife cry.' (True story: Perhaps it had something to do with too
little sleep after too much grog last night, but we also teared up this
morning while reading these lyrics.)
"You could have married someone with normal hours
Home for dinner at six,
not midnight guilt flowers
It comes with the job these burdens we bear
But
you get me through them by being there
The law imposes such extreme demands
It’s a miracle how often you understand
The dinners spoiled, vacations cut
short
And despite it all, your strong support
All too rarely do I say
How
grateful I am that you’ve been that way.
Merry Lexmas, Baby
I’m gonna catch
that ten-oh-nine
Merry Lexmas, Baby
You know I’ll get home just in time
Santa puts the toys together underneath the tree
Then it’ll just be you and
me."
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