Nine Green Bottles
Borealis Records
2007
This is the first recorded musical collaboration between prolific Canadian roots music veteran James Gordon and his two talented, indie-rock sons Evan and Geordie. Nine Green Bottles brings their youthful energy to twelve Gordon originals with a surprising new sound.
Evan and Geordie played all the instruments (guitar, keyboard, strings, horns, drums, mandolin, banjo and organ) with arrangements that cross James' folk sensibility with their 'roots rock' sound. James found room on this unique project to sing two songs composed by his son, Geordie, and he co-wrote a track with son, Evan.
Read more about James Gordon & Sons here.
|
|
Song List
Inukshuk
Written after feeling lost in New York city, and realizing that "To cross the Beaufort Sea or the Tapanzee can be just as hard they say, you can freeze just as easy on the Hudson River or Hudson Bay."
The Moon Looks Like It's Crying
A song about the loss of our natural surroundings to urban encroachment.
Another Silver Maple Comes Down — lyrics
A beautiful riverside urban forest of silver maples was nearly decimated in Guelph a few years ago. James organized a 'funeral service' for the trees before
the chainsaws struck, and wrote this song mourning their loss.
Casey Sheehan Didn't Die For Nothing
The famous American anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan pleaded with George W. Bush to tell her why her son Casey had to die in a meaningless war. This song acknowledges that his death helped to galvanize the peace movement and suggests that anti-war activists are war heroes too.
Short Line
Written by James' son Geordie about growing up along the railroad tracks in Guelph.
Levee's Broken — mp3 | lyrics
Written in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina...this song describes the citizens of New Orleans who received no initial help from government agencies while at the same time being vilified for looting stores to survive.
Shkendemowin
An Ojibway word for "hurting heart"...written after James spent a week doing songwriting with the young people of Pikanjikum, a first nations community in Northern Ontario. At the time of this visit this poor town, ravaged by gas sniffing and alcoholism, had the highest teen suicide rate in the country. Co-written with James' son Evan.
Nine Green Bottles
Another Geordie Gordon song, supposedly written in "James Gordon" style, since according to Geordie it has three essential elements of JG
songs: history, sickness and death!
Manitoulin
About the modern age where times of reflection, relaxation and interaction with our natural environment are too rare.
"Why must a moment like this always seem stolen, and who are we stealing it from?"
Since This Is Just a Song
Songwriters can 'make the good guys win' in a song, something that is harder to do in real life!
Rattle of a Teacup
Written after hearing news reports from the giant Tsunami of 2006. One eyewitness said there was no warning except noticing a rattling of his teacup before the killer wave hit.
The Secret of Rock and Roll
James toured Vietnam in 2006, and in a seedy bar in Hanoi he met an aging American rocker who had travelled the world in search of "the Secret of Rock And Roll"...which was one way to describe a search for one's true passion in life.
|
|
|
|
