Information/Write-up
The 5 song EP was recorded between November 2022 and April 2023. Bob Bryden plays all the electric and acoustic guitars, and does all the vocals - lead and harmony. If features Long Day Journey (AKA Rory Quinn) on drums and Katie Iarocci on bass, piano, flute, mellotron and harpsichord. It contains two songs which are documentary in nature - 'Grandma's House (Inundation Day)' is Bob's recollection and indictment of the flooding of 11 villages (including Mille Roche were Bob's family had resided) in Ontario to expand the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. The second 'doc' is 'The Ballad of Star Records' which chronicles Bob's experiences as manager of one of the first punk rock/alternative records stores and labels. There is also a song dedicated to the freedom fighters of the Ukraine ('Fire Away Now'); a western ('Settler's Prayer - Time To Break Camp') and one just for fun, 'Van Gogh On Meds' (What would he have been like? Or more importantly, 'What would his art have been like?!'
released June 6, 2023
Bob Bryden: electric and acoustic guitars, lead and harmony vocals and songs
Katie Iarocci: bass, piano, flute, mellotron, harpsichord
Rory Quinn: drums
Engineered by Rory Quinn
Front cover: Haight-Ashbury District, San Francisco by Lynn Bryden
Back cover photo by Rob Porteous
Label photo by Rory Quinn Layout - Gabriel Altrow
Thanks to Nick Austin and Indie pool
‘A transcendental experience, event, object, or idea is extremely special and unusual and cannot be understood in ordinary ways’.
Fire Away Now (For Ukraine)
Steady up, pull your belly in
Steady up, don’t worry Gunga Din*
We’re in a fix, but we shall overcome
We shall fight till we’re victorious
So beat the battle drum
Arm in arm, we’ll march into the fray
Arm in arm, till we see the mighty day
When justice reigns and all our struggles done
We’ll see the day victorious
When all the world is one
(pre-chorus):
Stand your ground now, raise your muskets
Take aim and discharge
First rank fall back and re-load
Second rank all charge
Rouse your neighbours, raise your sabres
Our flags been unfurled
Dare to shoot the revolution shot
heard round the world so
Chorus:
Fire away now, fire away now
We have not begun to fight
Fire away now, fire away now
We shall not give up the fight
Fire away now, fire away now
Stand your ground in darkest night
Fire away now, fire away now
Fire until we’ve …….. won
Here they come, here they come again
Here they come, when will the struggle end
When peace will come and happiness descend
Until that day we’ll hold the fort
and liberty defend
Repeat Pre-chorus.
Repeat Chorus.
Bridge:
Hail commander, hail the cannon
Hail the shot and shell
Hail the dead and hail the living
Here come the hounds of hell - so
Repeat Chorus.
* Gunga Din is a famous fictional character from a poem by Rudyard Kipling and a film with Cary Grant. He represents those who are oppressed who respond with great heroism.
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