From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V4 #144 Reply-To: good-noise@smoe.org Sender: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk good-noise-digest Monday, August 20 2001 Volume 04 : Number 144 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Where did you first hear the music from John Gorka?? ["thehobars" Subject: Re: Where did you first hear the music from John Gorka?? Rain - Houses in the fields is actually written about an area of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that was largely farmland being gobbled up by developers. John went to college in this area and spent many years living in the area. Just thought you'd like to know. As an aside, I've often thought it would be fun to get a bunch of goodnoisers out here to see a show at Godfrey Daniels and take them on a tour of those places Gorka mentions in his songs - Raspberry Street, the Starlight Drive In Movie, etc. Although it might be anticlimatic, it would be a hoot! Tammy - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rain" To: Sent: Friday, August 17, 2001 12:44 PM Subject: RE: Where did you first hear the music from John Gorka?? > I first heard Gorka at a Greg Brown concert in September, 1987, shortly > before "I Know" was released. John was the opening act. I had smuggled in > a tape recorder to tape Brown's show but didn't bring enough tape to record > John's set, besides, I'd never heard of him before, why would I want to > record it? LOL...I greatly regret that now! > > Shortly after that show, I moved to Arkansas (from MA/NY) and filled out > the card he'd handed out at his show to order "I Know". A few weeks later, > I had a copy of it in my hands (and in my stereo). While I liked his songs > (as with many, "Stranger with Your Hair" is the song that I remember as > standing out for me), at that point, I had little idea just how important > his music would come to be in my life. > > Living in Arkansas, I was somewhat out of the loop on what was going on in > the folk music world (Sing Out magazine was a saving grace at the time) so > I was shocked to discover one day a couple of years later a copy of "Land > of the Bottom Line" at the chain record store I worked at (in the pop/rock > section, no less). I hadn't been aware that he had released a new album > and I bought it instantly. From that point on, I was hooked. > > Over the years, as each new album came out, my love for his music has grown > deeper and deeper. I have heard many of his earlier (pre-marriage and > fatherhood) albums described as being "depressing", but I've never found > them that way, but then, I have suffered from depression for most of my > life and many of his songs have spoken to me in a way that nobody else's > music ever has; it is very personal, showing the world in similar terms to > the way *I* see it, portraying people that I recognize and understand. > With the exception of "Out of the Valley" (which was simply too > over-produced for my tastes; one of these days I need to give it a > re-listen because I know there are good songs on it), I have enjoyed his > later stuff and it has held meaning for me (especially as I got married and > became a parent myself) but it is still his first few albums (Land of the > Bottom Line/Jack's Crows/Temporary Road) that I find myself going back to > over and over again. > > If I had to list my favorite songs of his, I'd include (in no particular > order): > > Land of the Bottom Line (I can't seem to listen to this one without > repeating it at least once) > Treasure Islands > Houses in the Fields (while this could have been about any place, I swear > it was written about Delaware) > Love is Our Cross to Bear > Where the Bottles Break > Jailbirds in the Big House > Ballad of Jamie Bee > Part of your Own > > There are probably some others that I'm just not thinking of at the moment.... > > Take care > Rain ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2001 11:25:33 -0400 From: "cycle12345" Subject: Re: Where did you first hear the music from John Gorka?? I think that's a great idea, Tammy! As a guy who once rode his motorcycle down the Blue Ridge Parkway to see David Wilcox's famous "East Asheville Hardware" store, I'd make that trip for sure. Anticlimactic? No way, lady - sign me up! Thanks for the info . . . Steve > Houses in the fields is actually written about an area of Bethlehem, > Pennsylvania that was largely farmland being gobbled up by developers. John > went to college in this area and spent many years living in the area. > > Just thought you'd like to know. > > As an aside, I've often thought it would be fun to get a bunch of > goodnoisers out here to see a show at Godfrey Daniels and take them on a > tour of those places Gorka mentions in his songs - Raspberry Street, the > Starlight Drive In Movie, etc. Although it might be anticlimatic, it would > be a hoot! > > Tammy ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V4 #144 ********************************