TRACK LISTING from the album notes:
1. ST VALENTINE'S DAY (Dolce) Written for Lin Van Hek on the overnight train from Goulburn to Melbourne after the Australian Blues Festival. It was a Sunday morning and also Valentine's Day and I knew I wouldn't be home in time to buy any decent chocolates so . . . (lyrics)
2. LYNETTA (Gentil-Dolce) This song describes how Lynetta and I first met in 1980. She really did ask me to go across the street to Readings Bookshop and buy her book if I wanted to read some of her writing! I invited her over the next weekend for cashew nut curry. We sang a couple of verses of Stand By Me afterwards (did some other things too delicate to mention) and have been together ever since. Mario Gentil, who is from Mauritia, did the lyric translation. I initially only intended to sing a couple of the choruses in French but Mario suggested I learn the entire song en francais and include it as a bonus track. Good idea. But someone once said, 'The trouble with good ideas is that they degenerate into hard work!' This entailed driving two hours on an early Sunday morning to Moe, which was blanketed in a fog of bush fire smoke, where Michael Czarny recorded the new French vocals. Michael's sister-in-law, Clivy, made us a lunch of Mauritian bacalla and the bonus track became the final version. Accordion is by Phil Carroll. (lyrics)
3. COCAINE LIL (trad.-Dolce) A traditional folk lyric from the 19th century. Originally collected by Carl Sandburg in his American Songbook, in1927, and later included in a collection edited by WH Auden. I tried recording this song, in the mid-80s, as part of the same session that produced 'Intimacy' for The Terminator movie but it didn't come out right so I forgot about it. However, the song kept coming back to me. I got it right on this recording! Long before I wrote and sang, I was a full time electric lead guitarist. It's been awhile since I stretched out like this on the Stratocaster and a pleasure to return to my old friend! The high E string has been removed for the extended closing solo which was done in the first take with no punch-ins, for those interested in such things, and is dedicated to Cleveland guitarist, Glenn Swartz. Matthew Arnold's violin kept me focused. (lyrics)
4. ROCKS OF BAWN (trad. arranged: Dolce) I originally learned this traditional Irish song from Mairied Sullivan but the great Irish singer, Joe Heaney (1919-1984) also does a slighty different lyric variation. The middle and end section are as I imagined The Byrds arranging it if they were still arranging things like this, which they aren't. As far as my views on editing traditional songs and other writers' lyrics, well, you might recall the version of Mr Tambourine Man that The Byrds recorded only included the chorus and second verse, out of Bob Dylan's original four verses. Creative editing has always been an intrinsic part of the folk tradition. (lyrics)
5. DRAGON LADY (Motherwell-Dolce) Words by Melbourne playwright Phil Motherwell. I've written a couple dozen songs from Phil's lyrics and this one comes from his play, Held in Camera. Lin Van Hek shares the lead vocals with me. (lyrics)
6. IT WAS ONLY A DREAM (But No Reason to Awake) (Dolce) An evocation of the peace spirit, not only of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, but also the entire poetic musical period that was The Rainbow Age of Love of the early 70s. I still haven't awoken. Tony Floyd suggested the double drum kit idea and I found a rare Mellotron to play the evocative keyboard part, thanks to Robin Mai. (lyrics)
7. SMOKIN' (Dolce) I smoked two packs a day back when I was a bonehead. It's been years since I huffed and puffed but this song still comes in handy when I have the odd coughing fit on stage. I invite audience members to join me in a cough-a-long. My brother Frank reminded me that it needed recording. (lyrics)
8. HILL OF DEATH (Lawson-Dolce) From a 19th century lyric by Louisa Lawson, mother of Australian iconic poet, Henry Lawson. Her idea is that instead of the Valley of Shadows, Death could be a Hill to be ascended. Louisa was a true pioneer and an important part of Australian history, who has been marginalized into virtual oblivion, so when I found this poem in a microfiche of her ground-breaking newspaper, The Dawn, I set it to my own Wesleyan-style hymn. The squeeze box once again is Phil Carroll. Lin is singing high harmony and Matthew Arnold is on violin. (lyrics)
9. GIFT (from One Iraqi Child) (Dolce) Written after the invasion of Iraq, I had hoped that this song would be obsolete by the time I had an opportunity to record it, but . . . . . . A favourite of US Gold Star Mother for Peace, Nadia McCaffrey, who lost her son in Iraq and honoured me in a way that words cannot express by opening and closing her anti-war speaking engagements with it. Joe Creighton came up with the great bass theme. The score for the improvised introduction - which was played by Tony Floyd (including an overdubbed backwards drum kit!), Joe Creighton, myself on blues harp with harmonic feedback and Phil Carroll on the ney and zurna. - was a piece of paper with three colours on it & the words: I. Dawn in Baghdad (pp) II. Missle Strike (fff) III. Aftermath (p). (lyrics)
10. SEPTEMBER 11th (McKenry-Watson) I first heard this little ripper sung by Bruce Watson, written from a poem by Keith McKenry, and by the third verse I was so angry that I wanted to throw something at the stage. I couldn't believe that someone was so naive as to be taking the point-of-view of the bloody terrorists. By the final two verses, I was a different person. It is one of Australia's finest contemporary songs. Ever since I first heard it, I had the vision of somehow combining Arabic instruments with South American instruments, and thanks to Phil Carroll, on zurna, and Michel Bestrin, from Inka Marka, on charango and Andes flutes, this idea finally was realized. (lyrics)
11. WIND CRIES MARY (Third Stone from the Sun) (Hendrix) Bob Dylan once declared, 'The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind,' but Hendrix also later demonstrated 'The Wind Cries Mary.' Lin and I have been singing this song for fifteen years and she does a brilliant solo version of it herself. But for now, here it is as a kind of duet. The instrumental in the middle section is faithfully played, but on a chunky resonator, just to be different. (That took some practice, too, I assure you.) I originally intended this as just acoustic guitar, but the Spirit of Jimi overcame me in Third Stone from the Sun resulting in the backwards electric and psychedelic pots&pans fantasia. (lyrics)
12. DEATH OF BACH (Dolce) I wrote this on keyboard for SATB choir and mixed instruments, but for this recording, I set myself the challenge of learning it on the resonator guitar, with its heavy gauge strings, but quite unique sound! (I must be a glutton for punishment.) JS Bach once advised to compose on an instrument that you are not that familiar with, and then re-learn it on the instrument that you are the most proficient at. This allows you to break your writing patterns and to encourage your technique to improve whilst re-learning your own music - rather than conforming your compositions to your technique on your primary instrument. I recorded it in one take, 'live'- vocal and guitar part together - no overdubs, or punch-ins. Dedicated to Matthew Von Baeyer (1937-2006). (lyrics)
13. FOR NO ONE (Lennon-McCartney) While Paul McCartney is not known for his lyric writing, this particular song captures something very poetic and true. I have rearranged the verses slightly for a more personal meaning. I know this feeling too well. (lyrics)
Credits
JOE DOLCE: vocals, forwards and backwards 6 and 12 string acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, blues harp and harp harmonic feedback, Mellotron, choral and instrumental arrangements, tuned glasses, pots & pans. LIN VAN HEK: vocals on Dragon Lady, Cocaine Lil, Hill of Death and Wind Cries Mary. JOE CREIGHTON: bass, and arrangement ideas. TONY FLOYD: drums, tamborinage, shakers & movers, darabuka, castanets, conga, triangle, heco-heco & big iron lung solo. MARIO GENTIL: French translation and vocals on Lynetta, and pronounciation coaching. PHIL CARROLL: ney, mey, zurna & accordion. MATTHEW ARNOLD: violin. MICHEL BESTRIN: charango & Andean flutes.