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The Road
After going our separate ways for nearly 35 years, but always staying in contact, Steve and I ended up living just 100 miles apart. After a few trips from Huntsville to Nashville, we decided to set aside time to record this album. The goal was to take some of our older songs and re-record them our way. During this creative process, three new ones emerged as well. So here's a bit of background on these tunes, new and old.
Leaving Breakups are always hard. They are especially hard when you've been together for a long time and you never get a chance for closure. It still hurts. Enough said.
Satisfied Mind This is a song that Jim Faux wrote in the 70s. I had a live recording of it that we made back then at Evel Knieval's bar in Butte, Montana, and it has been on my regular playlist ever since. It was a great jam song with a nice vibe to it - a nice message too. I always had a great time playing it live, so we talked Jim into redoing it with us and singing lead. His wife, Judy, and Island lead singer, Randy Barden, helped with the backing vocals. I love the way it turned out.
That Girl Speaking of strange, here is a new one that has that slow groove you never hear anymore. I love the feel of this song and Steve's guitar work.
Simon We were still teenagers when we first recorded this way back when with our all-original band, Climax. It got some airplay back then and gave us the impression that we could really do this music thing. It might have been the first song about teen suicide on the airwaves. Doug Crill was the original singer on this one, but he could not join us for this version, so I filled in on the vocals. We get to jam a bit on Simon at the end.
The Call of the Road Here's a new one, and I love the guitar riffs Steve put in it. It tells the story of one friend most musicians have when it's time to leave.
Find yourself an Island This one was originally recorded with Kirk Forsland (RIP) singing lead. Although we knew we could not match Kirk's vocals, we really wanted to re-record the song, so Randy and I shared the vocal duties. The song concept came to Steve and me as we were driving across Montana to go to the next gig in Idaho. In the distance, we saw giant clouds forming and getting ready to roll across the plains. They were awe-inspiring. We wrote the song a few weeks later, back in Portland, Oregon. The first verse of the song foretells the impending storm from the point of view of the people in its path. Playing it live back in the 70s, we repeated the first verse because we did not have a clear idea of the storm since it seemed to be much more than just a summer rainstorm. By the time we got to re-record the song in the Spring of 2014, we knew what the storm was, and we wrote the second verse; 38 years later. I think Find Yourself now ends on a hopeful note. Steve gets off a killer lead on this strange song.
Sunshine Dancer This one is a story song that took place in my apartment above Partly Dave's Coffee House in our hometown a long time ago. You know how it goes; Boy meets Girl. The boy watches the Girl dance and falls in love. Boy loses Girl. All in the space of a beautiful fall day. It was the kind of life-changing moment that can only happen when you are 18.
Running Home Here is one we recorded in 1979, the last recording we made with Doug Crill. We still had a master tape with Crill's lead vocal track, so we lifted that track without the music. Steve then played all the music you hear in the final version. I love the power in Crill's voice on this rare slow-tempo Crill song.
Real Life
In November 2014, Mills and I started talking about a new project and trading musical ideas. The whole thing began with a riff which is now the intro for Sweet Sorrow. Shortly after we recorded the Sweet Sorrow demo, everything snowballed from there. Some of the songs on this CD, Real Life, tell tales of past adventures and some of the present experiences, and some just want to rock.
In Sweet Sorrow, It is shown that love can be dark (Grey) and still beautiful. The inspiration for the lyrics came from a popular movie in 2015.
That Girl is a love song, pure and simple, from the first stage of the affair. Infatuation can be a powerful drug, and you never want it to end. Steve's solo is a killer.
In Rise, we point out that life will pass by if you don't break your chains and reach out to it. Get up, stand up! Get moving. That's the message.
Hold Your Hand was hard to record. Have you ever been really lonely and missing someone who won't ever come back? With all the hurdles that life throws at us, you should know somebody else understands.
Quarter Past tells you that your life belongs to you and you should live it in a way that makes you happy. Everyone should feel what it's like to be free.
In Real Life, I say that a life that is truly lived is bound to have some regrets. Some regrets are harder to take than others, and sometimes the hardest thing to do is just make it happen. This song has a groove you haven't heard before.
Come Around. You know, sometimes you just have to try again, and good things could come to you when you least expect it.
I See is a dream poem. I was talking to the Old Man in my dream I had about my newfound ability to really see people for who they are. He never spoke, but I heard his answer loud and clear. The lyrics came all at once as a piece. Know what I mean?
Really listen to Dance Dance. You know that girl that you were obsessed with back then? Well, she really was irresistible, and when you are reminded of that time, the memories flood back.
When I think of We All Saw Her Dancing/ (Franklin Road). I see that this one has it all: a doomed voyage, a shipwreck, and a beautiful dancer. I love the feel of this one from start to finish, and that fiddle really sets it off. The song seems real enough to me that I swear to this day that it really happened.
Steve wrote the score for Franklin Road sometime in 2013. He must have had a lot of time on his hands and no guitars sitting around (That's hard to believe). Anyway, it just seemed to fit with this track.
That Girl (Demo) This was the first cut of this song. Rough mix, but the feel is perfect. It's another way to look at it. Steve's silky lead is just perfect.
Well, that's Real Life from Steve and me. We would like to thank Randy Barden for traveling to Nashville to help with vocal arrangements and backing vocals. We would also like to thank Frank Basel for his solid drumming and Eamon McLaughin for a great fiddle track on We All Saw Her Dancing.
Mills Cutshaw &
We had written a few songs that we wanted to put together for an EP. Steve played all the guitars, and I did all the Lead vocals with Randy on backup. We were lucky enough to get Nashville Pros Peter Young on drums, Dave Kiswiney on bass, and Brother Paul Brown on Hammond. This music ROCKS.
Walk away An old saying put to music. Her strut was magic. I'd give her whatever she wanted.
It's My Life good advice for dealing with bullies. Calls on the younger ones to take charge.
The Walls Version 2 of a Mills Cutshaw & classic.
Some Kind of Joke It seemed like such a good idea at the time, this marriage thing, but I didn't count on that mother-in-law. Now I'm some kind of joke.
A Mile Away
Can't Cross That River is a song about losing someone by not following your heart, taking for granted that you can always go back to what you had. All the man has to do is cross the river to be with his love. But if the bridge is washed away, it means he has lost his chance, and since bridges take a long time to repair, he may never get another chance. The lyrics say it all.
"She is sitting in the sun." The sun shines a light on how beautiful she is, with the floppy hat offering a bit of modesty and mystery.
"Blond and blue" with Blond hair and blue eyes, and she is just waiting to be approached. But she won't wait forever.
"Yesterday, the river was running low and slow." The first encounter was easy, and there was nothing in the way of making first contact.
The song would fit into just about any story of lost chances. The chorus is simple and memorable.
Come On This is a song about the seduction of a mostly willing target that needs a bit of coaching to come on over. The lyrics present an unexpected way of saying things. Red Rover is a fun playground game, and lying in a bed of clover is considered to be a happy activity. The watchtower overlooks the ocean and is nearly always deserted. It's a nice place to be alone together to act out fantasies like playing a card game where the winner takes all. The main character is a young man who enjoys the hunt. He is harmless but self-confident. He's also funny, with a bit of an edge to him. The song would make a good theme for a certain kind of period piece.
Most Mysterious Way Have you ever been obsessed with a girl who was so beautiful you would do anything to be with her? This girl had a black heart and had captured him completely. This is a song about him breaking the spell and moving on to better things. Under her spell, it got so bad that even the highway was warning him to turn around and stay away from her. After the spell was broken, he saw her true soul and the evil there. His last words to her were a warning that her evil ways would come back to haunt her. He was left with only one bright moment when their world seemed right.
Golden Days Here's an early 1970s nostalgia jam. Reminiscent of the days when Rock jams were happening everywhere and playing music was the best thing in the world. The venue didn't matter just, so it was big enough to hold a couple of hundred friends and fellow travelers. Getting high and dancing all night. Everything was one big, powerful groove, and I could still see Mary swaying with the music. So beautiful. We will make the Heavens crack! We will run, run, run.
Let's Go Dancin File this under "Some Guys have all the luck." This is an unexpected May-December love affair in the early stages. It doesn't matter if it lasts very long; it will be fun until then. In the meantime, Watch her dance, watch her dance.
Freeze My Heart Here is a story from the beginning of 2087. The hero is on leave from his post on the International Space Station 3. He is taking R & R on the Moon when he meets the most exotic woman he has ever seen. She is a "Recruiter" in charge of putting together a Tiger Team of mercenaries to secure a base on Mars. After two days and nights of convincing, the hero signs up for the mission, understanding that she will be right there with him when they wake up from the suspension pods. The ship lands on Mars after a journey of several months. He is awakened to find himself surrounded by his teammates, all men, with the beautiful Recruiter nowhere to be found. He was betrayed, but he now has no choice but to complete the mission.
The song describes the aftermath of an ambush by mercenaries from a rival corporation that wanted the Mars base for its own ventures. He wakes up after being knocked unconscious to discover that his wounds are deep and fatal. The music describes the last few minutes of life as the snow falls and the final enemy attack begins. He is saddened and angered by the betrayal but somehow looks forward to his end as the battleground is set ablaze.
The End Game This is a "You and me against the world" love story. It takes place in the singer's dreams, where he and his love leave the earth as we know it for another reality. Their friends and families will forget who they were in time, but the couple won't care; they will take the expected hard times in stride, knowing things will soon be better. He promises her a better life and assures her that she is strong enough to overcome anything they face together. She is the endgame, descended from thousands of loves that came before her. She is strong enough to overcome any fear she feels and will thrive in their new world.
Nordic The intro to the song reveals a story circle in the days past where the Viking children are sitting around the bonfire, setting a rhythm by slapping sticks together and waiting for the elders to begin their storytelling. The singer is an observer that knows that these days and the Vikings will soon pass into history. He is sad in that knowledge and wants the children to someday be able to sing their own songs of battles and glories. The Vikings had an enormous impact on Western civilization, and the good that came from this reign was often ignored. Darkness is taking over civilization. So, sing a song for the Nordic children.
The Walls Real life. The police come to the door on a cold afternoon in November. You can tell by their demeanor that something is wrong. It's the worst. "Sorry to tell you that your beloved oldest son was in a motorcycle accident on a country road in Texas, and he didn't make it." The mother's disbelief and grief. No, no, no, it can't be. It's as if the life is going out of her too, and I can't do anything about it. With the coming of Spring, maybe there will be hope. Life goes on, and the walls will come down to let the light in.
Summers Ending I heard this song ONCE in 1969, and I remembered the chords and lyrics for 51 years until we recorded it in 2020. The songwriter, Doug Crill, joined us on Vocals. Steve and I recreated the sound of an 8-String bass to capture the original feel of the song. Crill's vocals are amazing, and the song is still spooky.
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