• Source: Between Five and Seven

Between Five and Seven is (as the name suggests) the sixth studio album by folk singer-songwriter John Gorka. It was released in August 1996. It is the last of the five albums Gorka recorded for Windham Hill/High Street Records before returning to the smaller Red House label. Gorka produced the album with John Jennings who also produced Gorka's previous record, Out of the Valley. Unlike the previous record made in Nashville, Tennessee, the recording was done at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, Minnesota, and the instrumentation has been described as "more acoustic, less pop-oriented." Paisley Park is southwest of Minneapolis and is the studio designed and owned by the artist Prince.
The album includes several lyrical portraits of Gorka's misfit characters, love songs, and philosophical musings. The songs are also full of the wordplay for which Gorka has become known.
The album features an impressive array of supporting musicians. Lucy Kaplansky and Jennifer Kimball add carefully placed harmony vocals to many tracks. John Jennings also brings along several other musicians who had worked with Mary Chapin Carpenter including drummer Robbie Magruder, guitarist Dean Magraw, and pianist Jonathan Carroll. Gorka's fellow Minnesotan Peter Ostroushko sits in on mandolin. As with many of Gorkas recordings Michael Manring plays fretless bass on nearly half of the songs. The tracks alternate between two different sets of instrumentalists which varies the pace of the music. The two bass players styles are distinct enough for the listener to recognize the difference.




Track listing


All songs written by John Gorka.

"Lightning's Blues" – 3:54
"Blue Chalk" – 4:41
"Can't Make Up My Mind" – 4:10
"The Mortal Groove" – 3:25
"My Invisible Gun" – 2:58
"Part of Your Own" – 3:29
"Two Good Reasons" – 4:07
"Airstream Bohemians" – 5:20
"Paradise, Once" – 3:09
"Campaign Trail" – 4:05
"Edgar the Party Man" – 3:27
"Scraping Dixie" – 6:27




Songs


This is one of few John Gorka albums without explanatory liner notes which leaves Gorka's source of inspiration for these songs unknown or up to speculation.




= Lightning's Blues

=
"Lightning's Blues" appears to be a love song written from the unusual perspective of lightning—complete with references to forest fires, Benjamin Franklin, pressure systems, and weather fronts.
Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
J. T. Brown – bass
Jonathan Carroll – piano
Duke Levine – electric guitar
John Jennings – percussion and noises
Jennifer Kimball and Lucy Kaplansky – vocals
John Gorka – vocal and acoustic guitar




= Blue Chalk

=
The title of "Blue Chalk" refers to the chalk used in billiards. The song introduces a pair of Gorka's characters a woman and a man. Gorka describes the male character's addiction:

"Blue Chalk" was first recorded by Irish singer Maura O'Connell for her 1995 album, Stories. More recently it has also been recorded by the New England–based bluegrass band, Northern Lights for their 2005 album, New Moon. It has also been covered in concert performances by Lucy Kaplansky.
Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
Michael Manring – bass
Dean McGraw – acoustic guitar
Peter Ostroushko – mandolin
John Jennings – percussion
Jennifer Kimball and Lucy Kaplansky – vocals
John Gorka – vocal and rhythm guitar




= Can't Make Up My Mind

=
In "Can't Make Up My Mind" Gorka creates a song about indecision through a series of paradoxical statements. Some of these are humorous in nature. For example:

Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
J. T. Brown – bass
Jonathan Carroll – piano, organ, and vocals (Ooh Baby Now)
John Jennings – the ubiquitous backpacker guitar,
tambourine & vocals

John Gorka – 12-string guitar and vocals




= The Mortal Groove

=
"The Mortal Groove" is one of only two tracks not to include drums. Michael Manring's fretless bass is featured as a lead instrument and is even given a solo. The late winter mood of the song is like the classic "brooding" often used to describe Gorka's earlier work. The lyrics also revisit the urban themes of blue-collar jobs and gentrification found in writing for his earlier albums such as Land of the Bottom Line and Jack's Crows.
Musicians:

Michael Manring – bass
Dean McGraw – acoustic guitar
Peter Ostroushko – mandolin
John Jennings – piano
John Gorka – acoustic guitar and vocals




= My Invisible Gun

=
Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
J. T. Brown – bass
Jonathan Carroll – piano
Duke Levine – electric guitar
John Jennings – backpacker guitar and percussion
Jennifer Kimball and Lucy Kaplansky – vocals
John Gorka – acoustic guitar and vocals




= Part of Your Own

=
Apparently a song written for Gorka's mother.
Soloist:

John Gorka – vocal and guitar




= Two Good Reasons

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"Two Good Reasons" is a love song.
Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
Michael Manring – bass
Dean McGraw – acoustic guitar
Peter Ostroushko – mandolin
John Jennings – piano and percussion
Jennifer Kimball and Lucy Kaplansky – vocals
John Gorka – vocal and acoustic guitar




= Airstream Bohemians

=
"Airstream Bohemians" introduces another pair of Gorka's characters apparently living in an Airstream, recreational vehicle.
Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
J. T. Brown – bass
Jonathan Carroll – piano
Duke Levine – electric guitar
John Jennings – baritone electric guitar and percussion
John Gorka – vocal & guitar




= Paradise, Once

=
Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
Michael Manring – bass
Dean McGraw – acoustic guitar
Peter Ostroushko – mandolin
John Jennings – baritone acoustic guitar, and percussion
Jennifer Kimball and Lucy Kaplansky – vocals
John Gorka – vocal & acoustic guitar




= Campaign Trail

=
Between Five and Seven was released just months prior to the 1996 U.S. presidential election, this song, however, appears to be several years older. "Campaign Trail" is spoken from the point of view of a candidate who is apologetic, but still seemingly insincere:

At times the message appears to be of a more personal nature. Perhaps as a touring and performing songwriter, Gorka sees parallels between himself and the politician on the trial:

Unlike the other songs, the basic tracks of this one were recorded by Eric Paul at Imagine Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. An earlier mix of the song appeared on the EP, Motor Folkin' (Windham Hill/High Street Records, 1994).
Musicians:

Dave Mattacks – drums
J. T. Brown – bass
John Jennings – electric guitar, lap steel, organ, and percussion
John Gorka – vocal & guitar




= Edgar the Party Man

=
Following his own forty-sixth birthday (nearly eight years after this album's release) Gorka proclaimed on his web site, "I am now officially older than Edgar The Party Man." "Edgar" is one of Gorka's characters, a middle-aged divorcé looking for a good time.

Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
Michael Manring – bass
Dean McGraw – acoustic guitar
Peter Ostroushko – mandolin
John Gorka – vocal and guitar




= Scraping Dixie

=
"Scraping Dixie" is by far the album's longest track. The song profiles yet another of Gorka's misfits, this time a war veteran working various jobs throughout the south to avoid winter's cold. The imagery in the lyrics include lines such as, "I'll be fighting 'till they put that tree suit on."
Musicians:

Robbie Magruder – drums
J. T. Brown – bass
Jonathan Carroll – piano
Duke Levine – electric guitar
John Jennings – acoustic guitar, backpacker guitar,
percussion, and vocal

John Gorka – vocal and guitar




Credits


Produced by John Gorka and John Jennings
Bob Dawson – Engineer, Mixing
David Glasser – Mastering
Fred Harrington – Engineer, Second Engineer
Shane T. Keller – Engineer, Second Engineer
Laura Levy – Layout Design
Ann Marsden – Photography
Eric Paul – Engineer
Chuck Peters – Production Assistant
Jim Robeson – Engineer
Tommy Tucker, Jr. – Engineer
Candace Upman – Art Direction
Rudy T. Zasloff – Design




External links


Between Five and Seven, lyrics and samples from official John Gorka web site
Between Five and Seven entry at the Allmusic




Notes and sources

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Cipriano de Rore
• Daftar karakter Game of Thrones
• Lee Hoi-chuen
• Islam
• Brightline
• Bronx
• MBTA Commuter Rail
• BTR-60
• Arctic Monkeys
• Taliban
• Between Five and Seven
• Five Seven Live
• Five Six Seven Eight
• First language
• Soon-Yi Previn
• Armenian language
• 500 (number)
• The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants
• Ankole (cattle)
• Prelude, Op. 28, No. 15 (Chopin)