CD LINER NOTES

including credits, technical data, apologies, and true confessions

ON THIS PAGE:

WAYFARING STRANGER (2006) CD liner notes (below)

I THINK OF HOME (2003) CD liner notes (scroll down)

WAYFARING STRANGER

2006

WAYFARING STRANGER at AMAZON

WAYFARING STRANGER at APPLE MUSIC

WHITEWATER (2:11)

Guitar instrumental in drop D tuning : Don't ask me to play this. I sat down one day during the winter and recorded these guitar tracks. Never played it before or since.

BIG GENE (4:28)

The subject matter is drawn from my youth and is totally fictional but 100% accurate. As a kid, my friends and I would walk to the general store along the road or the railroad tracks, often picking up empty pop bottles for the deposit in order to have enough money to buy a soda pop. On these exceedingly hot and humid days the most inviting for me was always the orange and grape Nehi favors. Ice cold, of course. Then we would walk home and get hot and thirsty again. Thanks to Steve Bodner (engineer) who was able to fix a musical "train wreck" in the transition to the blues section . Dan: guitars, bass, vocal

Colleen Grogan: drums/percussion

Ethan Cunningham: voice on end of song

GET OUT (2:56)

A "tribute" to the worthless husband. This was originally much more cynical, but Jenny Wilson (of the Jenny Wilson Trio) added such a positive spin to it just by adding her vocal part. The end "rap" was totally spontaneous on her part.

Dan: guitars, bass, vocal

Jenny Wilson: chorus vocal, "rap" on the outro

Mark Capellinni: drums

Colleen Grogan: percussion

NELSONVILLE 1970 (3:20)

This one started out as a song about Nelsonville Ohio and went horribly awry....but I liked it well enough to keep it. I kept thinking about different folks I have known who are always good for a tall tale, a wild conspiracy theory, or maybe a unending stream of complaints about everything; so I rolled them all into one song. Oh yes, and Elvis...can't forget the king! I had Mark Cappelini play drums in my exceedingly small studio (the Boom Closet) to a scratch track. Just before we started recording I decided the track was too slow, so we sped up the track artificially and Mark played with that. Then I went back and re -recorded everything else at a higher speed. I had to record the drum track to a tape based ADAT and back to the HD ADAT: the machines kept trying to correct the speed and drove mecrazy.

Dan: guitars, bass, vocal

Mark Cappelinni: drums

HAVE I BEEN AWAY TOO LONG? (3:05)

This was originally an instrumental called "Day Off". One day I was home sick and started playing the "hook" guitar lick in this song. I set up the recording equipment before I forgot it and recorded the basic track. Before I recorded any melody guitars I realized it should have lyrics and with some savage text editing of some song lyrics I had started, they fit. A little Midwestern love song, or maybe a "you can't go home again" song. Or maybe a "yes you can go home again even though things look pretty grim at first" type-song.

Dan: guitars, bass, vocal

Colleen Grogan: percussion

BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM (1:46)

I had heard this tune many times, but it got stuck in my mind after seeing that Ken Burns Civil War documentary a few hundred times. A short instrumental guitar solo on my Alvarez Steel string with drop D tuning.

SHEET MUSIC FOR BATTLE CRY HERE

THE JUDGMENT OF JOHN BROWN (4:21)

In some accounts you read, Brown is a hero, a martyr - other accounts paint him as a bloodthirsty madman. I was thinking of the difficulty in judging the acts of John Brown at Harper's Ferry for his contemporaries; and in a larger perspective , how difficult it is to have perspective on any cataclysmic event for those who witness it. And yet the chain of events it started may continue for years and years in it's wake.

Dan: guitars, upright bass, cello, vocal

Colleen Grogan: drums/percussion

MOONMAN CARAVAN (5:01)

Light hearted; kind of a kid's song. No particular logic was applied to the lyrics. I think I had the child’s poem about Winkin, Blinkin and Nod in the back of my mind. Guitars, vocal, bass by Dan - drums:

Dan: guitars, bass, vocal

Coleen Grogan: drums

Curtis Johnson: clarinet

CHASING CLOWNS (1:52)

I had this crazy chord and picking progression in my head and then added a melody line with guitar and wordless singing.

ALL OVER TOWN (3:41)

The delusional “I’ll make it big someday” time waster's anthem. Curtis nailed the saxophone part on the second take. Probably the "rocking-est" song I ever wrote. It will probably remain so.

Dan: guitars, bass, vocal

Colleen Grogan: drums,/percussion

Curtis Johnson : saxophone

Dan McCollum: keyboard, percussion

TUCKER’S POINT (5:46)

We can't help but yearn for human companionship, no matter how we try to isolate ourselves. I was "dying" of the flu when I did the vocal, particularly the first verse. Originally I planned to do it over. Steve was able to do some magic and save it. I had Nathan Wilson (Tupelo Honey) do two takes of the bass part; one my way and the other anyway he pleased. His was much better.

Dan: guitars, vocal

Dan McCollum: keyboard, percussion

Nathan Wilson: fretless bass

WAYFARING STRANGER INTRO (:47)

My wife Julie played the celtic harp

WAYFARING STRANGER (3:44)

A traditional Appalachian song. I sing this song often in live performance situation. Despite that, the first set of vocal takes I did were not very good. I later replaced them, but had to work extra hard at this for some reason.

Dan: guitars, vocal, cello

Colleen Grogan: percussion

See a simple version on YouTube - WAYFARING STRANGER VIDEO

PIPER’S CALL (3:56)

My passive aggressive, mellow, non-conformist anthem. I did the guitars, cello "choir", and string bass.

SONGWRITER BLUES (3:15)

A tune about the constraints/formula for commercial songwriting. For better or worse, each new song is an experiment for me. Guitar,vocal by Dan C, the "fan" was Ethan Cunningham. Patrons at the Black Bear, Morgantown WV provided the background noise. Lack of space on the CD insert forced me to leave out the lyrics to SONGWRITER BLUES. Here they are:

We want you to write us a song

Make it real good, but not too long

If you sing and take your time, you may get the gong

Write about the trials of puppy love

It's teen angst I'm thinking of

A sad song and a lost love , they really love that stuff

Make it just like what we've heard before

Crank up the sound, and let it roar It ain't no good unless the beat, it shakes the floor

Make that chorus repeat a lot

Don't leave us too deep in thought

Don't want no one distraught thinking whole lot more than they ought

When you run out of words

You can whistle like a bird (absurd)

Or better yet, just make up some sounds

No dumb word are out of bounds

But make sure it rhymes...coffee grounds

©2006 Dan Cunningham

MOONMAN CARAVAN reprise (1:05)

Solo on my Alvarez steel string guitar. I intended to do this slower and more thoughtfully, but I must have had some Irish Breakfast tea (or something else highly caffeinated) to drink I guess.

This CD was recorded in Morgantown WV at the BOOM CLOSET

The CD was mixed and mastered at Soundfield Recording Studios in New Concord OH - Engineer: Steve Bodner

I THINK OF HOME

2003

I THINK OF HOME at AMAZON

I THINK OF HOME at APPLE MUSIC

TAKE YOUR TIME

We live busy lives, and unfortunately, we miss a lot of the precious things in life as we motor along. In this song,

an assortment of artists,nature lovers, and tourists enjoy the waterfall on their own terms. Even the narrator's dog,

Skipper, shares the fun. - The first thing I recorded was a scratch electronic drum track as a reference and mood

enhancer for everything else. I planned to wipe it before mixing, but it seemed to fit.

PLANT A GARDEN

What do we hope to accomplish with our fleeting days? A few thoughts. Here, and other places on the CD,

the influence of Robert Louis Stevenson's writing slips in. I was thinking of A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSE

on this song: "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be so happy as kings."

ACROSS THE SUMMER'S FLOWERED FIELDS

Instrumental with my wife Julie on the harp (that's me on the cello) with the feel of those warm and humid

summer days with a trace of haze looking out across the uncultivated fields populated with wildflowers,

tall grasses, and yes, even milkweed.

SECLUDED POOLING STREAM

Inspired by the memory a particular swimming hole shielded by trees in the woods. Fed by a small waterfall

and lined with mossy rocks, it was a secluded world apart. This was the second half of track 3 in earlier

versions.

THE WIND IS UP

This tune won me an Honorable Mention in the BILLBOARD SONG CONTEST.

It's my "angry young man of the 60's" style song. We can find ourselves unable to accept change

because of an unbending mind set. Not a good thing when the impetus comes from on high.

Mike Furbee provided the fiddle and I added a simple bass part on the upright.

BEACH BABES

I have always been fascinated by the Bosa Nova, and was eager to do a song in that style.

The storyline in my song is far removed from sunny beaches of Brazil. Years ago I had a colleague

who owned an International Scout (4wd vehicle) and insisted constantly that I should buy one too.

It was tempting; he was able to transverse the snowy New York landscape with ease while I often

struggled with my 1966 Rambler. My hesitation was caused by this; his vehicle was often broken down

or in need of costly repairs, but the Rambler motored on. At a business breakfast one day I noticed

that he was driving a rear wheel drive Ford sedan. He told me that the Ford was a much better idea

as the Scout broke down too often and cost too much to repair. You see, misery needs company, that is,

you will find folks who want you to do what they are doing because they are doing it. But they may quit

doing it an any moment...except if you do it WITH them, they may keep doing it even if they wouldn't

had you not done it with them. OK? Make sense? Believe it or not that was the original inspiration

for the storyline and lyrcs. The main story ended up being the guy who wants to improve his life

by moving, but lives just the same in a radically different environment,... and is just as happy.

Incidentally... there are no beach babes in this story. Colleen Grogan played the drums and percussion,

Dan McCollum added the keyboard parts. I take the blame for everything else.

BEACH TAG

Beach babes ended up being a long song; almost 5 minutes. I hacked off about a minute

and used the altered scheme for this instrumental

DEEP FOREST JOURNEY

If you have ever walked alone alone in the wild (those deeply wooded places far from civilization

where men rarely tread) you may have had the hair stand up on your neck and even heard little

voices that say, "You shouldn't be here!" Guitar, cello, and string bass are the instruments.

This tune was a semi-finalist in the Song Of The Month Contest.

Sheet music for solo guitar version of this tune available for free download HERE

BOTTOMLAND

A narrative description of the flat lowlands along the Ohio River on a muggy day. The whole scene

is before us, the commanding view from our high porch is unequaled. The song is like a grown-up

version of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Land Of Counterpane. Keyboard parts by Dan McCollum

DRAW ME OUT

I always think of Garrison Keiller's ad for Buttermilk Biscuits ("..they give shy people the courage to

get out and do what needs to be done...") A prayer for the motivationally challenged.

I THINK OF HOME

A Scottish style instrumental. I was thinking of those who had gone to sea or were otherwise far afield

and feel a longing for home. I planned for the fiddle (played by Mike Furbee) to be prominent in

this song, but I could not find some of tracks when we did our mixing session at Sweetsong.

One of the downfalls of being your own recording engineer.

PORCH BLUES

An introduction to HEAR MY CRY, I meant to call this "Blues Lesson", but forgot until after the CD

artwork was finalized. This is dad giving his (disinterested) son a lesson in the blues on the

front porch while neighborhood life goes on around them. The father (Trevor Nicholas) and son

(Nicholas Brown) parts were recorded separately, so the people behind the voices have never met.

In case you must know, here is the script for the radio announcer heard in the background:

Over in Mellonburg this past weekend the local folks gathered for the annual

"Running of the Pigs". As always the weekend begins with the ceremonial

gathering call----- Suuuueee! (hog call). Doesn't quite have the same

effect as "Gentlemen, start your engines", now does it? In another

activities at the annual event, the pig meal featured ham, bacon,

pickled pigs feet, with pork rinds on the side. For the children,

prizes were awards in the ceremonial and highly competitive pig lips

pull. As always, the crowning of Miss Piggy causing the crowd to squeal

with delight. And now we begin this half hour with a little tune by

Danny and the Fanny Flippers.....Hear My Cry. Nothing to do with pigs,

by the way.

HEAR MY CRY

I did a back-up track and demo of this song a few years back for Aldrea Reese-Brown,

who wrote it. It was so much fun, I asked her permission to do my own version.

Colleen Grogan on drums - Dan McCollum on keyboard.

BREEZE AT EVENTIDE

A quiet and unhurried evening gives us time to reflect. A time to unwind and meditate.

That's Julie (Cunningham) on the harp.

WINDBLOWN

Originally the introduction for So Glad, it develop into a longer piece of its own. I once saw a short

television interview with a black gentleman who wandered the country looking for work during the

Great Depression. His description of walking the rural plains thru the night waiting for a car to pass

and not a light in sight was enough to start this tune in my head. In recalling the painful loneliness of

that time long ago, he wept. Thanks to Curtis Johnson for the clarinet.

SO GLAD

A hitchhiking song. For a short period of my life I did some traveling via the thumb.

It was enough for me to get a feel for what it's like for those that have traveled long distances with

meager resources. If there is a jaunty feeling of freedom during the day, it can fade as night falls

and the wind chills. After the lyrics were pretty much set, I tried experimenting with stream-of-consciousness

version, loosely based on the syllable rhythms. For what it's worth, here they are:

(think of the melody in your head)

Holy craters with moonbeam eyes - rabid beavers with hives

Blending pancakes with lizard hands - showing handguns and knives

Holding mangroves in sun white sacks - no comprhende de tat

There's conestoga wagons - there's bandelara ducats

Windswept landers showing tight-dry skin - windburnt redness and cracks

Chafing clothes, misfitting canvas shoes - rended hat and coat stained so black

Bolted waiters behold bow guys - agitated and dried

Bengali stripes and bright plaid pants-pensive, tailored and white

Wenches, waiters, and shoe shine boys - passing plates with no hands

There's a subtle code so elementary - bones, apple cores and big teeth

--I never said they made sense.

SOMEDAY I'LL VISIT SPAIN

The intended title was "Never Been to Spain", but it sounded a lot like the title of that

Hoyt Axton song made famous by Three Dog Night. That's me on classical guitar.

A QUIET WALK

There remain physical monuments to remind us of family who have passed on. We are

drawn to these decaying memorials, but they are sad all the same. I adapted the melody

and chords from Francisco Tarrega's Mazurka in G and added lyrics. The first draft for the

lyrics practically wrote itself after I settled on using Mazurka for the music.

After this song, let you CD play on for one minute in silence: an unlisted track will play.

(Instrumental version of SO GLAD)

TECH NOTES for I THINK OF HOME

instruments used:

1974 Alvarez C125 KazuoYairi classical guitar

Yamaha CD150CA classical guitar

Alvarez 5220 steel string guitar

1960 Fender Precision bass

Yamaha RBX260 bass

Kay acoustic upright bass (1950's)

John Juzek cello (Hungary 1969)

German-made cello (unlabeled, early 1900's)

Ensoniq ZR-76 keyboard

Roland V electronic drums

Yamaha PSR-320 keyboard (drums on track 1)

The first basic tracks were recorded at Songs From The Garden (Marcia Clark - engineer)

recording studio in Morgantown WV in early 2002. The basic tracks for tracks 2,8,9,15, and 19

were classical guitar recorded with an AKG 414 microphone. The basic tracks for Beach Babes,

Beach Tag, and Hear My Cry were drum tracks using the Roland V electronic drums.

Colleen played while I sang and played in her ear. Marcia Clark was the engineer.

Keyboard overdubs by Dan McCollum on the Ensoniq were done in early 2003 on

tracks 1,5,6,7, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 16. The fiddle overdubs for The Wind Is Up and I Think Of Home

were also done at Marcia's Studio. Equipment used: AKG C414 condenser mic, VLA Pro

mic preamp, Mackie 32X8X2 recording console, Alesis ADATs.

The remaining basics, and most of the subsequent overdubs were recorded in my son Jesse's bedroom,

which he vacated last year. Most guitar overdubs, cello, bass, and the clarinet parts by Curtis Johnson

were done there. Equipment used: Rode NT1 condenser microphone, Audio-Technica PRO 35x

condenser microphone, Art Tube MP Studio V3 mic preamp, Alesis LX20 ADAT, Mackie 1202-VLZ pro Mixer.

A preliminary digital edit on I Think Of Home (the song) was done by Bob Shank (Otter Slide Studio)

in Morgantown using Pro Tools.

Mixing/Mastering was done at Sweetsong Productions in Parkersburg WV by Steve Bodner.

We fed the tracks from ADAT tape into Pro Tools in Aug-Sep of 2003 and worked from there.