John Gorka - Between Five & Seven
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CD Details
Artist: John GorkaEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1996-08-13
Music Label: Highstreet
Soundtracks:
- Lightning's Blues
- Blue Chalk
- Can't Make Up My Mind
- The Mortal Groove
- My Invisible Gun
- Part Of Your Own
- Two Good Reasons
- Airstream Bohemians
- Paradise, Once
- Campaign Trail
- Edgar The Party Man
- Scraping Dixie
Music reviews of Between Five & Seven
Music Review: Muzak? Only pretending to expand? Huh?
Rating: 5 Stars
Reading the two or three less than completely enthusiastic reviews here, I am compelled to rush to the defense of John.
"Only pretending to expand his musical horizons?" "Overproduced?" Less than memorable melodies? Muzak??? Did he say John sounds like Muzak??? Uhhh.. Sure. Right. Now, that old cliche "everyone's entitled to their opinion," gets bandied about quite a bit, and we do "live in free country" and all, so people can in fact say what they like. But really, folks, anything less than deliriously joyful acclamation of the Great Gorka ought to get one hustled quickly off to the asylum for a little shock therapy.
Now, it is true that this is not roots music. Or some sort of avant garde experimental fusion of African kazoos with banjos or something. It is not as spare as some of John's earlier work. But. So. What. John has one of the warmest baritones around. His songwriting and choice of material is inspired. His melodies - contrary to one of the nay sayers - are wonderful, and though they're not of the sort that will haunt you like one of those idiotic pop tunes that get stuck in your head until you want to wrench it off and throw it into a wood chipper, they're always emotionally appropriate to the lyrics, which are what John Gorka's music is driven by.
All the songs on this album are gems. Every one. Some are wryly funny or goofy like Campaign Trail, Edgar The Party Man or Invisible Gun. Others are meditative, even melancholy, but in a way that always makes me glad to be alive. The Mortal Groove. Part of Your Own. And one of my favorites of all time, Two Good Reasons: "If there's love in your heart, then I count two good reasons to survive."
Blue Chalk is another of my favorite songs of all time. It's about a pool player, but I never try to parse the story in the song- I take it more as a flow of lyrical impressions that always leave me slain: "So I wonder how she's doing, I hate it when the rumors fly - They give off such a strange sense of mission, wing your helplessness on high.."
John Gorka just speaks to and for me. His music ennobles me, and makes everything better, even when it's very good. I've been listening to this album since it came out - I can't even tell you when that was, but it was a while ago. It is an old friend of mine, and it annoys the cuss out of me when people say appalling things about my friends. Muzak. Holy smokes.. How stupid. Heh heh. Seriously, though, this is one of the greater albums I've ever heard. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
I leave you with a line from John that always makes me smile:
"One combination still impresses: women in their summer dresses.."
You said it John. Amen.
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