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.""The Graham Weekly Album Review #1038" by George Graham 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.Kaplansky's cover of "Blue Chalk" can be heard on "Lucy Kaplansky Live at Beachland Ballroom on 2006-02-10" from the Internet Archive
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 "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.""On the Road" John Gorka's web journal for 27 July 2004 "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