Going To The West
Listen up, pardner! Then buy a signed
copy direct from us! It's easy. Just send an
email to Groves.
Or, order the CD the new fangled way at CD Freedom
READ ABOUT
THE RECORDING
Going To
The West is Fishken & Groves's debut album. Produced by Frank
Coakley, well known for his fine productions of Geoff Bartley's most
recent albums, and with engineering skills provided by Bill McQuaid,
local blues phenomenon, Going To The West was an instant hit among fans
and radio stations. Then there's the brilliant instrumental
support from Geoff Barltey on guitar and harmonica, from Steve Sadler
on dobro, mandolin and guitar, and from Dean Groves on fretted and
fretless bass. Very tasty stuff. Each track is lovingly
arranged and listeners are right at home through the entire album.
Radio playlists include nine of the fourteen tracks, a validation
of wonderful song selections.
"Fishken
& Groves have made a CD in which the proposition that great songs
are timeless is given flesh and blood, heart and soul. It's a joy
to listen to."...Bob Franke
"It's a treat to hear great stuff from folks who obviously love the
music"...Your pal, Skip Gorman
"Had Fishken & Groves been out on the prairie, singin' their songs
t' them cowpokes, heck, the west might not 'a been so danged WILD!
And, what did you put in that 'Going To The West' CD? I
can't stop listening."...Mark Brine
"I...listened to the CD as I was driving to New Haven...kept it on the
whole way down. This is a first rate CD and I will play at least
three cuts from it on WGBH (Folk Heritage) this weekend. You have
done yourselves proud. You picked great material and performed it
well."...Dick Pleasants
There's
no substitute for listening, but you might like to look through the
liner notes for the album.
It had been snowing heavily for several days in early
March and Arlington Heights was blanketed beneath a deep, wet white
cover that muted the normal background sounds of the hilly suburban
neighborhood. If all went according to plan, we would record all
we needed for a Fishken & Groves album in just three days in
Fishken’s living room. We relied upon the expertise of producer
and sound artist, Frank Coakley, musicians Geoff Bartley, Steve Sadler
and Dean Groves, and sound engineer Bill McQuaid. And there was
that bottle of scotch, single malt, of course! All quiet,
now. The recording session was about to begin.
Just about everything went according to plan. For three days (and
one evening at the Acton Jazz Cafe) Frank coaxed us, chided us, stroked
us and told us when to take a break. So, we happily report the
successful capture of Fishken & Groves ‘for the record.’
“We’ve been singing together in one configuration or
another for a couple of years. The duet works because we fall in love
with songs, love the process of arranging them, perfecting the
performance, and delivering them joyfully to our audience.
“We occupy a category that seems to have been
abandoned in folk music, that of song interpreters, or song
stylists. When so many artists are busy writing their own
songs these days, we’ve discovered that lots of folks want to sit back
and relax into tunes that they know, tunes that they may not have heard
for a while. After they hear our version of Reason to Believe
there's usually someone who tells us that that was their favorite
song. Ellen (Groves) always stuns the audience with her version
of Richard Thompson's beautiful Dimming of the Day. Just
watch the audience sway to the melody and harmonies on Utah Phillips's
Going Away.
“Each of us brings different music to the duet, but
much of it takes us to the (mythical) west. Brooklyn-born
Fishken was 'raised' on Ramblin' Jack Elliott records, and Ellen wanted
to be first a cowboy, and then a hobo, when she grew up. Guess
it's a case of ‘city folk yearning to be where the buffalo roam,’ and
the realization that you can do it in song.”
Frank Coakley pulled this high-priced jam session
together. He is a gifted producer and engineer who handles people
and sound so skillfully that you just lay back and do your music,
confident that Frank will pull from you the best you have to
give. Geoff Bartley - friend, teacher, guitarist, harp player,
poet, songwriter, vocalist - is also part magician. He must
be. Those riffs must be illusions 'cause we just cannot see where
they are coming from. We gasped over and over at his feats of
musical dexterity. Steve Sadler is the consummate
professional. Ask Steve to “make the dobro sound like a train
that makes you laugh and then cry,” and he says, “Which way is train
heading, how fast is it going, is it carrying passengers, cold-rolled
steel, or cattle?” Masterful. Dean Groves provided all the
tasteful and mood-supporting bass work on this record. Dean is
another great musician and did it all in one take. And Bill
McQuaid, our excellent session engineer, kept it all together and made
sure that we were always “cookin’.”
Mixing took place at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts. We
thank Eric Kilburn, another talented gent on this project.
Mastering was performed by Dave Locke at JP Masters in Jamaica Plain,
Massachusetts. Thanks to Margo Lemieux for her artwork.
Three songs were recorded live at the Acton Jazz Café, our former
weekly hangout. We thank Gwenn Vivian, Café owner, and Rob
Rosenberg, Café co-creator, for their support over the past few
years. Many, many thanks also to our weekly audience of open
mic-ers who keep the faith and cheer us on. Thanks to Hewitt
Huntwork who suggested that we sing together, and to Dick Pleasants who
brought us together, albeit circuitously. This goes out to Alice
and Cheryl. They love us; we love them. And to Matthew,
Jessica, Amanda and Alyssa.
You might like to know that Fishken plays a 1936 Martin D-18 and Groves
plays a 1966 Gibson J-50. Thanks to Lorenzo Barone for the loan
of his standup bass.
“So, here's our record. Head west with us for a little while and
be prepared to take a few tender turns along the way.
“About the songs...”
Going To the West...A traditional folk song of recent
popularity. The lovely, flowing melody and beautiful, old-time
lyrics are transporting. That's Steve on dobro.
The Poor Cowboy...A loping rhythm takes the hard-working cowboy home to
his girl so he can just sit and watch the herd of 'rolling cows.'
A traditional song arranged by Bruce Molsky, and then arranged a little
bit more, by us. Thanks, Bruce. Our cows roll faster than
yours! Nice guitar lead by Geoff.
Western Lullaby (Wendy Waldman)...In this modernist view of the old
west, a non-traditional melody is cleverly set to a loping rhythm to
give you that cowboy song feel. The bass break by Dean
underscores the modernist interpretation of the old west.
One Kind Word (Geoff Bartley)...The title song from Geoff's most recent
album. The guy portrayed in the song...you, me, someone you
know? Life is a rough go, “but one kind word and I will stay,”
says it all. That mournful harmonica break comes from the man
himself, Geoff Bartley.
Faithless Love (JD Souther)...Do you remember where you were when you
first heard Linda Ronstadt sing this song? Groves’s vocal,
supported by Bartley’s guitar work, is surely as moving and, perhaps,
as memorable for you.
Christmas In Prison (John Prine)...One of Prine's earliest songs.
It's loaded with images; “she reminds me of a chess game with someone I
admire,” “the search lights..spotlight the snowflakes like dust in the
sun.” Only Prine can write a love song like this.
What'll I Do? (Irving Berlin)...Irresistibly beautiful and
touching. After we heard this on the McGarrigle Hour album, we
shamelessly stole the arrangement. Nice break on dobro
by Steve.
Your Cheatin’ Heart (Hank Williams)...A classic Hank Williams lovesick
moan. Who needs images when you've got this kind of stark pain?
Reason To Believe (Tim Hardin)...A great song from a great songwriter
who left us too soon. “Knowing that you lied, straight-faced,
while I cried. Still I look to find a reason to believe.”
Love hurts! That's Steve on the guitar solo.
Dimming of the Day (Richard Thompson)...It’s Groves and Bartley again
to take your emotions soaring on this immediate classic.
Going Away (U. Utah Phillips)...Utah Phillips rode the rails, and wrote
the songs. It was a romantic relationship, apparent in this
exquisitely haunting song. “Is that the sun coming up on
the eastern shore, or just a coal bed’s glow behind a firebox
door?” That's Ellen on steel-cased harmonica.
Leaving Home (Traditional)...One of many versions of the story of
Frankie and Johnny. I'm pretty sure that Frankie kills Johnny
(with a .44 gun that she drew from ‘neath her silk kimono!) and goes to
jail in every version. These love affairs are hard to bear,
aren't they?
Ghost Riders in the Sky (Stan Jones)...The first version I ever heard
was by Vaughn Monroe back in the '50's. It's as if one of
Remington’s cowboy prairie paintings has been set to music, a meeting
of stark reality and heavenly other-worldliness.
Way Out There (Bob Nolan)...Bob Nolan was one of the Sons of the
Pioneers. He also wrote Cool Water. Pete Seeger has sung
this song for years. Cisco Houston sang it, too. The desert
image “where the shadows have all the room,” the lonesome yodel,
conversation with the moon...pure cowboy poetry.
We really love these songs. Hope you do, too.
(Back Cover)
In the tradition of folk duet teams, Fishken & Groves apply
their harmonies to songs with memorable melodies and lyrics
that touch the heart. Familiar folk tunes, old and new,
traditional country and old-time tunes, songs you haven't heard
in years, songs you'll want to hear again and again. Sit back and
relax.
