![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Sleeve Notes
I have now been a full time musician for 40 years, (I hesitate to use the description "professional") Actually It's 41 years, but I'm not counting 2020 in my calculations, for obvious reasons, or should I say "obvirus" reasons.
I have worked with many musicians during that period, and have been the happy recipient of their friendship, their on-the-road camaraderie and companionship, and of course their prodigious musical talents, which have invariably lifted my songs to another level entirely, and taken them to where my poor limited musical skills never could.
Playing with these talented and generous individuals has given me some of the happiest and most satisfying moments of my life. So to all of you who have helped make those 40 years so productive and satisfying, my humble and sincere, if totally inadequate, thanks.
Eric
The Old Dog's Song — Singing is the best exercise your mouth and larynx can get, not to mention your heart, spirit and soul … so sing for your wellbeing and for the sheer joy of it … age is no barrier …
The Armageddon Waltz — We're all doomed!
Eric returns to a well-trodden pathway where he has often trodded before however, this time his song is backed up by the latest (2021) IPCC report on the climate crisis facing the world. It makes absolutely frightening reading and would scare any sensible person shitless. Luckily, there are not all that many sensible people left on Planet Earth.
Embers — Memories mostly comfort or hurt, and usually both at the same time, it depends mostly on your age and how many whiskies you've had …
The Girl in The Photo — A nice song Pete Titchener wrote for his mum. who is a very nice lady who deserves this song. Singing this song is Gina Jeffreys, who is also a very nice lady.
Susan's Song — Susan Foster was the partner of the Bogleband's percussionist Jon Jones. She was a special lady, much loved and admired and a leading light in the Canberra Folk Dancing scene. She died of leukemia early in 2021 and broke our hearts.
I wrote this song and sang it at her funeral.
I include it on this CD as a tribute to both her and Jon, with love to them both.
The Source Of Light — When a country is being torn apart by war, when children are being killed or are starving to death because of that conflict, the question must be asked, who is most culpable?
The people doing the fighting and killing or the people supplying them with the weapons and hardware to ensure that the fighting and dying continues? It's a question I've posed now in quite a few of my songs, and it's a rhetorical question of course.
Not that it matters to the children of Yemen, the victims of this particularly nasty little war … why is it always the children?
Another rhetorical question …
If She Ever Dreamed — Another song for Nancy, a retrospective apology perhaps for rarely thinking of her as a real person with her own hopes, dreams and aspirations, but just blithely assuming she lived solely to augment and facilitate the hopes, dreams and aspirations of me and my sisters.
A Cottage in the Country — Like many people I have often fantasised about leaving the rat-racery of the city and moving to an idyllic little cottage somewhere in the countryside, a tree-change as it is referred to these days. This wistful little song is about that fantasy …
The Flag — I hate fascists, especially the Nazis.
Like many people I have relatives who died fighting those bastards. When I see mobs of those FFA (Fucking Fascist Arseholes) marching along city streets waving that most obscene symbol of fascism, the swastika flag, I feel physically sick to the pit of my stomach.
It's their democratic right of course.
Sometimes democracy sucks …
Catching The Wave — John Thomson was a well known figure on the Australian and international folk music scene. He was a talented musician and singer with one of the sharpest wits and keenest sense of humour of just about anybody I've ever met. He was a force of nature, but cancer laid him low. As he neared the end of his journey, he posted on his Facebook page that he was stopping all treatments and was "just going to let the wave take me to the shore".
That phrase resonated with me, and I wrote this song for John to honour his life and his courage. On this CD it's given a poignant and loving interpretation by Chris While and Julie Matthews, two fine musicians from England who were good friends with John.
The Border — Written by John Campbell Munro, and probably my favourite song of his.
When The Last Tree Falls — We're All Doomed! — Part Deux …
Eric's Never Written A Song About Me — This is a song Pete wrote about me not writing a song about him … it's a strange old world at times.
Mind The Gap, A Dear John Letter — Written for our dear mate, John Campbell Munro. Gone but never forgotten, and never will be. Emma wrote the beautiful fiddle piece and the song is mine.
If I should Wake — An a capella song to wrap up the CD. Learn the words, sing along …