‘fathersonbrotherfriend’ is an expression invented by and loved by my late big brother Bob. It speaks to relationships that transcend age and family ties.
That’s what this album is all about. The songs span 77 years, from 1939 to 2016, and traverse through a multitude of styles.
Heads You Win/Tails I Lose…I came across the lyrics to this song that my dad wrote in the late forties/early fifties, in 2016. I had no idea what music he had for it, so I wrote what you hear. It certainly gives you a glimpse into how goofy (and clever!) my dad could be!
Shine it on Down the Road … This song was written in 1971 in Ace’s pizza in Monterey, CA. It was a time when Big Bob, Lou, and I were living the hippy life, playing music, and letting the wind take us where it blew…
Sweet Kentucky Home … When my dad wrote this he put it to a pretty straight-forward 4/4 beat. Wayne Rau thought it could benefit from a wee bit of Texas Swing. I think it was a brilliant idea, and I love how it came out! How about Wayne and Andy Stidham trading leads!
Windy City …I remember my parents singing this together when I was growing up. I always liked the back and forth lyric. When I began putting the musicians together to begin the recording, I knew I wanted Barb Robertson on the second vocal, having sung with her numerous times before. Ironically, especially the way it ends, our work in the studio turned it into a kind of parody…lots of fun!
Sweet Dreams…I wrote this coming out of a dreary winter in 2010. As to who brings “sweet dreams”, I purposely made it ambiguous. Different listeners have different interpretations of who that may be, In any event, it’s a song of hope, and we can all use as much of it as we can get in these trying times.
Ocean Behind Your Eyes…The night before setting out to drive the Alcan Highway to Talkeetna, Alaska, my son Josh met a young woman in a pub in Post Falls, Idaho. Unfortunately they didn’t exchange contact information. While driving all alone for the next three to four days, through desolate, but beautiful, British Columbia, he wrote this song about her. Maybe someday, if she hears this, she’ll remember the serendipitous encounter with Josh!
Lovlier Than Roses…My late father, Ralph, wrote this for my mother when they were courting in the late 1930’s. Even though he could be quite the character, this song displays his sweet, tender side. I believe it’s one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. It should become every bride’s and wedding planner’s favorite!
Love Letters…I had known the chorus of this song, that my dad wrote in the late 1940’s, but it was simply that - a chorus with no verses. So, in 2015, I wrote the music and lyrics to the two versus. The song is clearly tragic, but an all too common story. it definitely needs “ Highest and Best” to follow in the album’s order of songs.
Highest and Best…My big brother Bob was an atomic veteran. As a young marine in the early 1950’s he and a number of other fellow marines were taken to a secluded place in the Nevada desert where they were subjected to an above ground detonation of an atomic bomb. Needless to say, this event shaped his live in immeasurable ways. One serious consequence was multiple battles with cancer. One night while visiting him sometime during his last year, I asked him, “how is it with what you’ve gone through in your life, you’ve never become bitter?” He paused and reflected for a minute and then said, “Terry as you know I am very familiar with malignancy, but the one malignancy you cannot allow to matasticise internally is bitterness. Forgiveness is the highest and the best.” Not long after, my son Josh, wrote these powerful lyrics and I wrote the music.
Fathersonbrotherfriend…This instrumental sums up, and concludes this album in a powerful and emotional way. I wrote it on my Taylor baritone 8 string guitar, and all the other musicians added layer upon layer, and depth upon depth. To me it’s a celebration and grand finale to this project which, I hope, links my heart to yours.
I was blessed to be surrounded by enormously talented ‘fathersonbrotherfriend’ musicians, and sound engineer, who all completely bought into this timeless project.
I can see the smile on my son Josh’s face and know that my brother Bob and father Ralph are smiling too, from the other side.
I trust these songs will take you to your own ‘fathersonbrotherfriend’ moments and relationships. Thank you to everyone involved from the depths of my heart.
terry sherven- vocals, acoustic guitar, baritone 8 string guitar
wayne rau- mandolin, 5 string electric mandolin
gary lawrence- fender bass, vocals
andy stidham- acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
josh sherven- djembe
jim lien- bass
dave sims- piano, keyboard, strings, percussion
barb robertson- vocals
‘long sisters’, vicki, carolyn, and lexie- vocals
evey sherven- vocals
studio photography- mary rawlsky
front and back covers and inside graphics- levi bonnell
recorded 2018 and 2019 at quad-rocker-records, cda, idaho
engineered by dave sims
produced by dave sims and terry sherven
mixed by dave sims at quad-rocker-records, cda
mastered at terra nova mastering by jerry tubb, austin, tx
