Bill Lloyd
Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants
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Reviews:
- "Shiny,
cracklin' pop! Bill Lloyd can write a catchy melody
at the drop of a hat."
Richard Skanse, Rolling Stone Online
- "There's
Cheap Trick crunch, power pop pandemonium, all in among
the Britpop bouillabaise. Above all, there are some
bloody good songs, catchy as a fisherman's best day ó not
a duff one among fourteen. It's been a few years
since Bill's last outing, but it's been worth the wait. If
you value pop music, and think they just can't make it
in America any more, buy this and be happily amazed. You
won't regret a single moment. And that's a promise."
Chris Nickson, The Rocket (Seattle)
- "With
thousands of records coming at you in a year's time, finding
a gem like this on a small label isn't easy. Lloyd's
work is worth the extra effort.
Claudia Perry, Newark Star Ledger
- "Weaving
bouyant Pop melodies with organic production values and
roots rock sensibilities, Standing is a perfect crystallization
of Lloyd's impeccable singer/songwriter instincts, and
is THE early favorite for Record of the Year."
John Holcomb, Amplifier
- "A
remarkable record with all the hallmarks that make music
great: terrific harmonies, sumptuous melodies, great
songs, and great performances. ..Sure to be on the
1999 best of the year lists...." Alan Haber, Pure
Pop Radio
"By
the early '90s, Lloyd was establishing himself as the king
of Nashville pop. The brand new Standing on the Shoulders
of Giants should keep him wearing the crown for at least
another five years. Best of all is also first of
all, the album opening title track, which is probably my
favorite pop song so far in '99." Miles Of Music
Dot Com
- "Lloyd took
the lessons his heroes taught him and made a record that
he can claim as his own.... (Lloyd is) an under-rated pop
craftsman who deserves to have folks standing on his shoulders." Michael
Gray, country.com
- "Lloyd
has always been a master at crafting big, bright, memorable
choruses, the type that linger pleasurably in the brain
long after the song is over. Lloyd has proven
once again that he still ranks high among the giants of
contemporary power pop!" Chris
M. Junior, The Courier-News
- "Lloyd's
album Standing on the Shoulders of Giants is a modern pop
masterpiece that deserves a very wide audience. From the
opening notes you're hooked. This is Bill Lloyd's
finest work to date and one of the best albums released
so far in 1999."" Charles
Earle, InReview
- "Standing
on the Shoulders of Giants is lyrically clever, often to
the point of being uncomfortably on the mark in talking
about life and the hard choices relationships can bring
to us. Bill Lloyd hits the bull's eye...." Tom
Gordon, The Birmingham News
- "Bill
Lloyd is no cardboard cutout copyist. His tunes are
all his own, and are seriously, dangerously infectious. Some
of these melodies may well be terminal." Brian
McGowan, Hard Roxx
- "Standing
on the Shoulders of Giants is dense and shiny with magnificent,
ringing guitar chords, luscious vocal harmonies and bright
songs about romantic aspirations." Jay
Orr, The Tennessean (Nashville)
- "Bill
Lloyd is unafraid of pop. One of the few remaining practitioners
of '80s style power pop / indie rock, Lloyd comes back
from '94's Set to Pop by continuing to place the tune over
the polish, his gentle tenor cracking with just a touch
of whimsy as he celebrates love and loss, and that moment
of realization when you realize that both have run their
course. Lloyd basically pours his heart out, breaks and
all." Clea
Simon, soundstone.com
- "Pure
Pop sometimes gets a bad rap because of its reputation
for insipidness. Well, Marshall Crenshaw plays Pop and
he's not at all insipid. Bill Lloyd isn't either
and you can prove this to yourself and your audience with
his new Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (KOCH). This
is one of the great Pop albums of recent memory." Sybil
McGuire, FMQB
- "If
Bill Lloyd's Set to Pop stands as one of the most glorious
pop records of the '90s, his latest proves he hasn't lost
his touch." No
Depression
Credits:
- "Standing
On the Shoulders of Giants" (Lloyd) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd.
Mixed by Scott Baggett and Bill at The Electric Sandbox in Nashville,
TN.
Drums recorded by Marc Owens and Billy Smith at High Street
Studio in Bowling Green, KY.
Everything Else recorded at home (Def Heffer Studio)
in Nashville.
Drums:
Marc Owens
Guitars, Bass, Synth, Maraccas and Vocals: Bill
- "Cool
and Gone" (Bill Lloyd / David Surface) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music/
Angel on My Table Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Brad Jones.
Recorded by Brad and Robin Eaton and mixed by Brad at Alex the
Great in Nashville, TN.
Drums
: Fenner Castner
Bass Guitar, Organ and Mandolin : Brad Jones
Vibes: Pat Buchanan
Harmony vocals: Kim Richey and Bill (Kim Richey appears courtesy
of Mercury Records)
Acoustic Guitars, Tambourine and Vocals : Bill Lloyd
- "Sweet
Virginia" (Lloyd / DeMain) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI, and
Mr. Bakshi Music - administered by Bug Music, SESAC)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Drums and Bass recorded at Battery by Scott.
Overdubs recorded at Def Heffer by Bill and by Scott at The Sandbox.
Mixed at The Electric Sandbox by Scott and Bill.
Drums: Greg
Morrow
Bass: Byron House
Electric Piano : Scott Baggett
Electric Guitar: Al Anderson
Background Vocals: Swandive (Molly Felder and Bill DeMain)
Acoustic guitars, Electric 12-string, Harpsichord, Organ, Tambourine,
and Vocals: Bill
- "Dr.
Robert's Second Opinion" (Lloyd) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Basic tracks recorded by Scott at Battery Studios in Nashville,
TN.
Overdubs recorded at Def Heffer by Bill.
Mixed By Scott Baggett and Bill at The Electric Sandbox.
Drums
: Dennis Diken (Dennis Diken appears courtesy
of VelVel Records and The Smithereens)
12-String Bass: Tom Petersen (Tom Petersen appears
courtesy of Cheap Trick)
Henry Gross and Bill: counter-melody background vocals
Many Guitars, Keyboards, Tambourine and Vocals : Bill
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Tom
Petersen, Dennis Diken, Scott Baggett,
and
Bill in the studio, 1998 (photo by Jon Graboff)
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- "Holding
Back the Waterfall" (Lloyd / Crenshaw) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music -
Amalgamated Consolidated Music - administered by Bug, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Basic tracks recorded at Battery by Scott.
Overdubs recorded at Def Heffer by Bill and at M.C.'s house by M.C.
Mixed at The Electric Sandbox by Scott and Bill.
Drums:
Greg Morrow
Bass: Byron House
Guitar solo and psychotic outro guitar with Plan 9 FX: Marshall
Crenshaw: (Marshall Crenshaw appears
courtesy
of Razor and Tie Records)
Harmony Vocals: John Cowan and Bill
Acoustic and Electric Guitars (low guy on solo), 6-string bass,Tambourine,
Vocals : Bill
- "(Who
You Gonna') Run To Now" (Lloyd / Walmsley) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music-
Little Pebble Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Basic tracks recorded at Battery by Scott.
Overdubs recorded at Def Heffer by Bill.
Mixed at The Electric Sandbox by Scott and Bill.
Drums:
Greg Morrow
Bass: Byron House
Lap Steel: Rusty Young
Vocal Harmony: Greg Trooper (Greg is a Koch artist)
Acoustic and Electric Guitars, 6-string bass ,Tambourine, Organ,
and Vocals : Bill
- "Complaints" (Lloyd)
(Warner-Tamerlane/Def Heffer Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Basic tracks from Battery.
Overdubs at Def Heffer and Mixed at The Electric Sandbox by Scott and
Bill
Drums:
Greg Morrow
Bass: Byron House
- "Don't
Kid Yourself" (Lloyd / DeMain) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI, and
Mr. Bakshi Music - administered by Bug Music, SESAC)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd.
Drum track recorded by Brad Jones at Alex the Great.
Overdubs recorded by Bill at Def Heffer.
Mixed at Alex the Great by Brad.
Drums
by Fenner Castner
Background vocals: Kim Richey and Bill (Kim still courtesy o' Mercury)
Electrtic Guitars, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Organ and Tambourine: Bill
- "This
Is The Way" (Lloyd) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def Heffer
Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Basic tracks recorded by Scott at Battery.
Overdubs at Def Heffer and Al's ReKooped Studio.
Mixed by Scott and Bill at The Electric Sandbox
Drums
: Dennis Diken
12-String Bass: Tom Peterson
Organ : Al Kooper
Background Vocals: Amy Rigby and Cindy Bullens (Amy Rigby is a Koch
artist)
Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Tambourine and Vocals: Bill
- "She
Won't Be Back" (Lloyd) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Basic tracks recorded by Scott at Battery.
Overdubs at Def Heffer and Time Warp by Scott and Bill.
Mixed at The Electric Sandbox by Scott and Bill.
Drums:
Greg Morrow
Bass: Byron House
Synth on Bridge: Scott Baggett
Electric Guitar Solo: Pat Buchanan
Harmony Vocals: Doug Carman and Bill
Electric Guitars, Wurlitzer, Organ, Tambourine, Maraccas, Vocals: Bill
- "Box
of Snakes" (Lloyd / DeMain) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI, and
Mr. Bakshi Music - administered by Bug Music, SESAC)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Bill DeMain.
Basic tracks recorded by Scott at Battery.
Overdubs at Def Heffer.
Mixed at The Electric Sandbox by Scott and Bill.
Drums:
Greg Morrow
Vocal Harmonies: John Cowan and Bill
Electric guitar (solo's and fills): Pat "Wah Wah" Buchanan
AND Pat also plays the Leslie'd Guitar on
the
Bridge
Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar, Keyboard, Percussion and Vocals: Bill
- "So
You Won't Have To" (Lloyd / Noble) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music- Under the Bridge
Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett.
Basic tracks recorded by Scott at Battery Studio.
Overdubs recorded by Bill at Def Heffer.
Mixed at The Electric Sandbox by Scott and Bill.
Drums:
Greg Morrow
Bass: Byron House
Vocal Harmonies: John Cowan and Bill
Acoustic and Electric Guitars,Tambourine and Vocals : Bill
- "Years
Away From Here" (Lloyd / Buchanan) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Scott Baggett Drums recorded by Pat Buchanan
in his Dungeon. Thanks Pat!
All overdubs recorded at Def Heffer by Bill.
Mixed by Scott and Bill at The Electric Sandbox.
Drums:
Wayne Killius
Steel Guitar: Rusty Young
Slide Guitars: Pat Buchanan
Electric Guitar, Bass guitar, 6-string bass, Keyboards, Tambourine,
and Vocals : Bill
- "Turn
Me On Dead Man" (Lloyd / DeMain) (Warner-Tamerlane/Def
Heffer Music, BMI, and
Mr. Bakshi Music - administered by Bug Music, SESAC)
Produced
by Bill Lloyd and Brad Jones.
Recorded and mixed by Brad Jones at Alex the Great in Berry Hill..
Drums
: Fenner Castner
Fake Flute Keyboard : Brad Jones
Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar,Tambourine and Vocals : Bill Lloyd
Lyrics:
-
"Standing
On the Shoulders of Giants" (Bill Lloyd)
V1 He
was born just a little too late in the 20th century
Too late for a man to write a new page in
history
He says .. there's nothing new under the
sun
Every thought in his head had been one
that some skull in a grave had begun
in another lifetime
CH We're
all Standing On the Shoulders of Giants
Who were Standing On the Shoulders of Giants
Every genius unleashed in this world get's
the grease
Staking claim with an air of defiance
They're all Standing On the Shoulders of
Giants
V2 We
long to make our mark .. leave a crease in the line of
time
I'll sing this song until I can honestly
call it mine
Who deserves more than the tip of a hat?
Well, I got no problem with that...
Here's to all who came first and begat
the rules we're breaking
CH I'm
just Standing On the Shoulders of Giants
#2 Who were Standing On the Shoulders of Giants
So we're paying the cost .. generational loss
Losing highs as we master our science
Still Standing On the Shoulders of Giants
(solo)
(chorus)
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Photo by C.J. Hicks, 1999
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- "Cool
and Gone" (David Surface/Bill Lloyd)
V1 A
hundred million years ago
Runnin' to the record store
All out of breath for you
I caught my death for you
V2 That
was me inside your song
But now it feels like somethings wrong
Like somehow you let me down
No queen left to wear that crown
CH Cool
and Gone
Cool and Gone
Nothing stays the same for long
How could anything so strong
be so cool and then be gone?
V3 Everybody
knew your name
and everybody felt the same
That time .. it belonged to
you
And you showed us what to do
V4 But
was it you or was it me
who changed so much eventually
We're left with a dream that's
spent
Still wondering where it went
CH (repeat
chorus)
BR No
one's strong enough
to keep that kind of faith
Once their time has passed
it's only fair they fade away
V5 A
hundred million years ago
You were someone I lived for
And I lived inside your dream
But now I just live for me
CH (repeat
chorus)
- "Sweet
Virginia" (Bill Lloyd/ Bill DeMain)
V1 I
can feel my insides
take that elevator ride
Sweet Virginia , every time that you're
around
I can't think what to say
but I say it anyway
Sweet Virginia , you just turn
me upside down
CH Ooh
girl ... it's you girl... my heart beats for
And I'm .. too shy... to say
much more
But even so you should know
there is nothing in this world
I would not do for you
Sweet Virginia
V2 When
I first saw your face
I was trying to erase
the memory of someone I had
lost
And it felt like I died
'til you warmed me up inside
with a smile that could melt
a winters frost
CH2 Sunshine
... so fine ... you radiate
So why ... do I ... hesitate
But even so .. you should
know ..
there is nothing in this
world I would not do for you
Sweet Virginia
BR I'll
be here for you ... now 'til everafter
as long as I can hear
the music of your laughter
CH3 (without
channell)
But even so .. you should
know ..
there is nothing in this
world I would not do for you
Sweet Virginia
- "Dr.
Roberts Second Opinion" (Bill Lloyd)
V1 And
Lo unto me they said
"Dear Doctor Bob, would you open my head?"
And so I responded in kind
I gave them the keys to open their
minds
For awhile it was wonderful
But now I suppose the results were
inevitable
V2 There
were parties that lasted for days
There were no second thoughts about changing
our ways
And right in the thick of it all
All my perscriptions turned that Summer
to Fall
And the fall was a long way down
It's a cold turkey sandwich the second your
feet touch the ground
CH Dr.
Roberts Second Opinion is he'd do it all over again
Dr. Roberts Second Opinion is there's no
way of making ammends
Everyone winds up right where they are in
the end
V3 There's
always a price to be paid
a Yin for the Yang.. for the choices we
made
But looking back now, I can see
We always believed what we chose to believe
So I pray that there's Mercy for all
All of those seekers who looked for A Way
Through the Wall
CH (repeat
chorus)
- "Holding
Back the Waterfall" (Bill Lloyd/Marshall Crenshaw)
V1 Driving
straight on to tomorrow
Eastbound up the interstate
Looking at another sunrise
Hoping that she's not too late
Too late fo find the reasons
That still lie up the road
There's a chance she might remember
Something she already knows
V2 As
the day breaks she drives closer
to the world she left behind
Not so sure what she'll uncover
Not so sure of what she'll find
All she knows
is her hands are shaking
As she takes
them off the wheel
Waiting for
that flood of memories..
Tears to tell
her how she feels
CH She's
thinkin' maybe ... something will save me
From goin' crazy.. or does it even
matter at all
As long as she keeps from breaking
down she's
Holding Back the Waterfall
V3 If
this place holds any answers
She won't ever be the same
What's been hiding in the dark
Looks different in the light of day
And that's what's
supposed to happen
And that's what
she's counting on
If she can only
learns to let it go.. then it can stay
Gone Gone Gone
(double
chorus)
(out)
- "(Who
You Gonna') Run To Now" (Bill Lloyd/Jon Walmsley)
V1 I
bet you never thought that it would end like this
Baby Baby
She scratched your name off the top of her
list
Who you gonna' Run To Now ?
V2 I
thought we had whatever it takes
Baby Baby
I learned to live with that mistake
Who you gonna' Run To Now ?
BR There
must be somebody you can turn to
Some bridge you didn't burn
Someone you can wrap 'round your finger
Some fools never learn
V3 Don't
come around here actin' so sweet
Baby Baby
The one you're lookin' for sure ain't me
Who you gonna' Run To Now ?
V (solo
over verse)
BR (repeat bridge)
V4 There
was a time when I'd taken you back
Baby Baby
There ain't no way now that I'm fallin'
for that
Who you gonna' Run To Now ?
V5 I
bet you never thought that it would end like this
Baby Baby
I finally see a side of you I can
resist
Who you gonna' Run To Now ?
I
bet you never thought that it would end like this...
- "Complaints" (Bill
Lloyd)
V1 Complaints
Complaints
All I hear are complaints
This is the age of bitching and moaning
Hi-decibel groaning
It's all about owning your pain
V2 So
complain ...
Is this the room for complaints
No .. this is the room for an arguement
Argue!
Yes .. No .. Contradiction
Who the hell are you?
CH Complaints
Complaints
Complaints
V3 Complaints
Complaints
This is the age of complaints
In Your Face
is the motto of auto-biographical
mumbo-jumbo
You must hear my complaint
You must feel my pain
You must hear my complaint
- "Don't
Kid Yourself" (Bill Lloyd/Bill DeMain)
V1 Don't
Kid Yourself
if there's no reason to stay
You said yourself
You feel like you're throwing your love
away
You're just throwing your love away
V2 Forgive
yourself
Because nothing is worth all this grief
You'll live to tell
and you'll find that it's such a relief
BR As
long as we have been friends
I've never known you to be this blind
Over and over again
It the same mistake a thousand times
V3 Don't
fall for that
those tears are gonna' poison the well
There's no going back
Hey kid... Don't Kid Yourself
You're throwing your love away...
Don't
Kid Yourself
- "This
Is The Way" (Bill Lloyd)
V1 You
say you're so tired
of empty promises
You're feelin' stuck and..
it's like paralysis
You say you need to escape.. well..
This Is The Way
V2 This
string of dark days
You just wanna' flush it
You need a dream so
real you can touch it
C'mon before it's too late..
This Is The Way
CH This
Is The Way (this is the way)
This is the road we're supposed to
take
You gotta' trust what I say..
This Is The Way
V3 I
got a gameplan..
and I believe in it
You wanna' diagram
that is immediate
I know you don't wanna' wait.. well..
This Is The Way
(solo
over verse)
(repeat chorus)
- "She
Won't Be Back" (Bill Lloyd)
V1 The
clock shows 5 AM
Could she be wondering where I am?
Well, I'm the one who's lying in our
bed
V2 This
time she's the one
who exploded like a loaded gun
And I still hear the last words that
she said
CH She's
gone for good (She Won't Be Back)
It's understood (She Won't Be
Back)
She swore to me when she walked
out that door
She Won't Be Back no more
V3 She
gave me every chance
to give her more than just a
song and dance
And now it's too late to change
my tune
V4 And
so I watch the clock ...
hoping she's still circling
'round the block
but that's an empty wish that
won't come true
CH (repeat
Chorus)
BR She
always talked about a trip out west
Now she's got the time
I guess
I never listened to her
dreams
but now I know how much
that means
(solo)
CH (repeat
chorus)
- "Box
Of Snakes" (Bill Lloyd / Bill DeMain)
V1 It's
said, confession is good for the soul..
that way, the truth will set
you free
So now I'll tell the world how
I lost control
and how I found my destiny
The
preacher told me it's a test
of faith
that brought me to this
CH Now
all that it takes is a Box of Snakes
To scare all my troubles
away
With one in each hand
I'm a better man
than I ever was yesterday
with my Box of Snakes
V2 The
congregation throws it's hands in the air
Man, it's party time again
Rockin' like the devil
in an electric chair
And then the room begins
to spin
They
bite my fingers, hands and arms
but
they never lose their charm
CH (repeat
chorus)
BR I
get amazed at the things that we say
when we're talking in
tongues
I'm counting the
days until we raise
Holy Hell.. and it won't
be much longer
(solo)
CH (repeat
chorus)
- "So
You Won't Have To" (Mike Noble / Bill Lloyd)
V1 We've
been sitting here in silence
pretending we're the same
but we both know how life is short
and people sometimes change
Now, we'd be fools to hang onto a love that's
all but gone
Someone needs to make a move Someone
must be strong
CH I'll
be the first to walk away .. so you won't have to go
And I won't ask if you still love
me .. so you won't have to say "no"
And I'll pack my bags and take the
blame for the things we can't undo
I'll walk away and I won't look back ..
So You Won't Have To
V2 Long
goodbyes and drawn out endings
that ain't you and me
We'd be wise to cut our losses and
keep our dignity
I don't expect a show of tears
but I do expect the truth
There's no need for some charade
we both know what to do
CH (repeat
chorus)
- "Years
Away From Here" (Bill Lloyd/Pat Buchanan)
V1 It's
so cluttered inside your heart
That you don't know where to start
the unravelling
You've collected the days like twine
Now they're tangling up your mind
as you're travelling
CH Through
this Maze of Memories
Through this House of Mirrors
Somehow they always send me me
Reeling backwards
Years Away From Here
V2 To
the curcuits where wires got crossed
All the places where we got lost
Years Away From Here
(Solo
over 2nd half)
BR You
always found a way to make your Great Escape
But somewhere inside those dreams are memories
that cause you to awake..
V3 From
a bed that you made yourself
You're still wishing you're somewhere else
as you're travelling
CH Through
this Maze of Memories
Through this House of Mirrors
Somehow they always send me
Reeling backwards
Years Away From Here
- "Turn
Me On Dead Man" (Bill Lloyd/Bill DeMain)
V1 The
lines on my forehead are so deep and furrowed
Borrowed from William Burroughs it seems
The coat on my tongue is as milky as madness
Sugar and sadness dissolve into dreams
CH Turn
Me On Turn Me On
Turn Me On Turn Me On
like nobody can
Turn Me On Turn Me On
Turn Me On Dead Man
V2 Let's
light a cigar and chase all the women
Let's all go swimmin' in a bathtub of gin
From the bell of a horn to a Bela Lugosi
Everybody knows he shed all his skin
CH (repeat
chorus)
BR With
the past at my feet
I see the world incomplete
Without revisiting the days gone by
It's all timeless and true
What's old is what's new
Stolen pennies from a dead man's eye
V3 The
theory of time.. it still blows my mind
Events overlapping .. no beginning..
no end
The sound waves created through electrocution
Begat revolution .. again and again
CH (repeat
chorus with coda)
About
The Songs:
"Standing
On the Shoulders Of Giants" (Lloyd)
This one came from thinking so much about what I actually get to
do for a living. There's the music fan side of me that thinks that
everything being done musically these days is just an extension of
whatís happened before.. and thereís also a part of
me that believes that on a good day, we can take all the lessons
our heroes have taught us and make improvements that look, sound
and feel new to us.
"Cool
and Gone" (Bill Lloyd
/ David Surface)
My longtime friend and songwriting collaborator, David Surface, came
up with the title and the most of the chorus sometime back in the
eighties! I remembered it and we finished it off long distance (he
lives in New York). The track was co-produced with Brad Jones. We
did the whole thing pretty much in a day. Kim Richey came in for
some harmony singing. The song talks about what happens when
you invest alot of yourself into being a fan of someones work and
how, in time, that can turn empty. I canít say if itís
about anyone that I had that one sided relationship with.. that would
be telling.
"Sweet
Virginia" (Bill Lloyd / Bill
DeMain)
It was co-written with Bill DeMain from Swandive and one of the first
songs we worked on together. If the title sound familiar, you probably
already know there's a Rolling Stones song (as well as a song by
The Rembrandts) with the same title .We thought about changing the
title but stayed with it anyway. This one is a really young lyric..
how love can just take you over and get you all goofy. I'll always
maintain it's a legitimate subject ! Swandive sang harmony vocals..
Al Anderson added a great guitar part. Also..I'd never written a
song that had that Beatles Eight Days A Week shuffle before..
"Dr.
Robert's Second Opinion" (Lloyd)
I've heard that the fellow John Lennon supposedly wrote "Dr.Robert" about
has, like Elvis, already left the building. In the spirit of what's
now called "historical fiction", Dr. Robert (alive once more) is
asked if he had any regrets about supplying the medicinal needs of
that generation. This song is his reply. The rhythm section of Dennis
Diken (The Smithereens) and Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick) worked out
great and Henry Gross and I had a blast doing the really high harmonies.
Many of the overdubs on this song (and a good bit of the album) were
recorded in my home studio.
"Holding
Back the Waterfall" (Bill Lloyd
/ Marshall Crenshaw)
I don't write that many songs in third person but this one of them.
Marshall Crenshaw and I sat down one evening and the music and the
title came to us in one quick session. The lyric was put together
in pieces and worked on long distance.. It's about someone who feels
that if they're strong enough not to cry, they can hold course to
where they were supposed to be going all along. Nashville star sessioneers,
Greg Morrow and Byron House, made up the rhythm section and rocked
as per usual... like we all live in some other town. Marshall added
his guitars via his own home studio and mailed the tape back to me.
It's a beautiful world.
"(Who
You Gonna') Run To Now" (Bill Lloyd / Jon
Walmsley)
I met and became friends with Jon Walmsley who played the guitar
pickin' Walton brother, Jason, on the t.v.series, 'The Waltons'. He
had co-written a really good song with my buddy, Greg Trooper, from
one of his earlier albums and we thought we'd give co-writing a try.
This co-write with Jon reminds me of something that Radney Foster
and I could have done on one of our records together. It's kind of
a slow burn-piss off song with Trooper on harmony vocals and Rusty
Young (Poco) on a wailing lap steel.
"Complaints" (Lloyd)
It's just a reaction to the world we live in.. so much media and
everywhere you look there's someone trying to make a cottage
industry out of their misery.. feel their pain for only $10.95.
Ironically enough, itís a song complaining about complaining.
So, I'm just as much the hypocrite! As far as the track goes..
I do love playing that rawk music. When John Lennon's 'Cold Turkey'
came out, the single had "Play It Loud" printed on the label.
That goes for this one too.
"Don't
Kid Yourself" (Bill
Lloyd / Bill DeMain)
Musically, this one is like a grungey mixture of Big Star and Todd
Rundgren, two of my favorites. Bill DeMain had the title and the
music pretty much fell out for us in one piece. Lyrically, itís
an advice song.. and I think everyone has experienced that at least
a few times. One of my favorite drummers, Fenner Caster, and I did
the basic track with Brad Jones engineering.. I did all the overdubs
myself in my home studio and then took it back to Brad who worked
his mixing magic. Kim Richey is singing harmony. Working at home
that way is handy...but then can also help lead to four years between
albums.
"This
Is The Way" (Lloyd)
Another track featuring that Cheap Trick / Smithereens rhythm section
of Dennis and Tom. I must say that it sounded like "The Who Live
At Leeds" in my headphones that day.. and I consider that a good
thing. Al Kooper and his magic organ (no jokes please) appear courtesy
of his home studio in Boston and the U.S. Mail. Amy Rigby and Cindy
Bullens added their vocal harmonies at different times. Hopefully,
it still sounds like a party. The lyric is full of cocky reassurance
towards someone who's not quite sure what to do... it's "Hey, follow
me!" time.
"She
Won't Be Back" (Lloyd)
Inspired by an "Early Kinks Meets Zombies" groove, the song turned
into a story about a guy who's been left and finally realizes that from
her point of view ..itís final this time.
"Box
of Snakes" (Bill Lloyd / Bill
DeMain)
Another narrative through this character who finds himself (in every
kind of way) joining a church full of snake handlers. He's really
happy about it. The music reminds me a little of the early '70's..
My friend, Pat Buchanan, plays the "Freedom Rock" guitar solo's.
The verses sound dark and the chorus sounds poppy.. it's that old
tension and release thing that snakehandling must give you. Not that
I would know.. John Cowan sings some great harmonies too.
"So
You Won't Have To" (Bill
Lloyd / Mike Noble)
Written with Nashville hit tunesmith, Mike Noble, this song is about
a guy who's willing to take the high road in ending a relationship..
it must come from Mike's last name. I can't remember if I've ever
been quite that nice. The track has that Byrds flavor that I favor
(and savor). I like pulling out that Rickenbacker 12-string every
so often...okay more often than every so often..
"Years
Away From Here" (Bill
Lloyd / Pat Buchanan)
This one was recorded entirely in home studios but mixed by my co-producer
on many of these songs, Scott Baggett. Thanks Scott. My co-writer
is guitarist-extrodinaire and Idle Jet, Pat Buchanan. The track sounds
pretty dreamy and the lyrics are very stream-of-conscious and probably
don't make a lot of linear sense to anyone else but me... but the
song ended up being a personal favorite of mine. Pat played slide
while Rusty Young added that high atmospheric steel guitar that doesnít
sound like a steel guitar.
"Turn
Me On Dead Man" (Bill
Lloyd / Bill DeMain)
I'm thinking I don't have to tell you where the title came from so
I won't. Bill DeMain had the title first and we both laughed out
loud thinking we might write some Beatles pastiche.. a new Glass
Onion (as if the world needed another). Instead, we thought it better
to let the "dead man" be anyone who has passed on but their influence
is still felt strongly. Each verse refers to someone who's gone but
not forgotten..The turn the lyric took made all the difference in
the world. I think this one fits right in with "Cool and Gone" and "Standing
On the Shoulders of Giants". The track is another co-production
with Brad Jones and he always brings so much to the recording. It
cuts off as if we used garden shears on the tape. Come to think of
it......
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