THE LONGEST YEAR - LINER NOTES
Extra big thanks to Josh Powell, Katie Sawicki, Jeff Lipton, Dylan McConnell, Sebastian Renfield, Jaime Holub, Andy Alseri, John Craigie, Iris Valentine. Special shout outs to; Amanda Tweten and Lee Dororthy for asking for the songs, Alana Petraske for all the pandemic generosity, Ben Cosloy for the use of his guitar. Thanks to Susie Giang, for her integrity, dedication and support. Thanks to all the musicians and creatives that helped make this project happen. Deep thanks to all of you all who tuned in to the live streams and put money in the tip jar and have supported me in making music through the pandemic and for the last 20 years.
- THE LONGEST YEAR -
Are we still here? Are we still here? Are we still here, so many vultures but the doves still gather round us when the sky starts to blush. The longest year, we feel our lungs fill up with lead, it is a heavy time to have a beating heart. And all I know is we are enough, so keep on and keep your head up. There is a stain around us. There is a question hanging loud, is there any way to get back from where we’ve been? But it’s quiet in the meadow, there is a bridge right to the sun, there is always a way back to yourself. And all I know is we are enough, so keep on and keep your head up. I know you know it, ‘cause we used to sing it, just hang on, hang on. So for the sleepless mothers, and for the tangled souls and for the brokenhearted, with chests like empty rooms, and for the walking wounded and for the restless sons and for the weary fighters, for everyone… I know we are enough so keep your head up. I know you know it, ‘cause we used to sing it, just hang on, hang on. I know you know it, ‘cause we used to sing it, just hang on, hang on. The longest year, we took the longest way around, but we’re still here, shoulders to the wind.
Chris Pureka – acoustic guitar, electric guitars, vocals
Jon Shaw - upright bass
Jean Mastaler - viola
Katie Sawicki - backing vocals
Sebastian Renfield – backing vocals
- SKY SPINNING -
Sky Spinning, cloud drift, fog in the back room, wonder if I’ve lost you, wonder if I want to, nauseous from the thick of my failing, wishing I could steal back the evening, slip into the side of your sleep. Rewind the clocks of our failing, coming home with daisies, coming home, praying, praying, for time to stand still, it never will, the next best thing is forgiveness. It’s a rigged game the ways we remember, the sunrise is gone it’s just the fear, caught in the net of the stone-weight-sinking, lashed to your shame, it’s the loneliest feeling, caught in the space in your throat when your speaking your past lovers name and I know, I know, I know, I know… On a layover somewhere, just trying, trying to get home, I don’t know how to save us, I just know how to let go. It’s a puzzle you can’t solve, inside a lingering bad dream, I don’t know how to save us, I just know how to save me…
Chris Pureka - acoustic guitar, lap steel, vocals
Zanny Geffel - drums
Jon Shaw - upright bass
Katie Sawicki - backing vocals
- HELPLESS-
(Written by Neil Young)
Chris Pureka - acoustic guitar, lap steel, vocals
Sebastian Renfield - electric guitar, backing vocals
Liz Kelly - backing vocals
- SONGBIRD BLUES -
Every time the sun comes out, every time the sun comes out, every time the sun comes out, the clouds roll in and oh my god, I wish you’d leave my mind. Every time the rains come, every time the rains come, every time the rains come they fill my eyes and oh my god, I wish you’d leave my mind. Oh let it out like a songbird, let it out in the wild world, ‘cause the saddest notes still ring the bells…. Every time I walk back home, passing all the signs of you, every time I walk back home I stumble on and oh my god, I wish you’d leave my mind. Oh let it out like a songbird, let it out in the wild world, ‘cause the saddest notes still ring the bells, yeah the saddest notes still ring the bells.
Chris Pureka - electric guitars, vocals
Piper Denney – drums, percussion
Jon Shaw - bass
- AIRPLANE MAN -
Song commissioned for Phil Dorothy (1948 - 2021) for the celebration of his life and what he loved.
Note from his family: He loved airplanes, music with poetic lyrics, art, wine and good food with friends and family. And he would be tickled if you end up singing about him :)
Can you build me a Skyhawk* with the grace of a dove? Can you draw me a map without any lines? We are lonely strands twisted together dears, we are threads in an intricate design. People used to talk as a way of remembering. Just a few lonely pictures, mostly of holidays. But I’ve got a mind full of photographs. I have a mind full of elegant machines. Hey my friends, I always knew I’d be famous someday and now you’re all singing about me, I guess that’s famous enough. Hey my friends, don’t worry I’m on the horizon, ‘cause I’m not a deep sea diver, I’m an airplane man. Roll me back to the top and I’m just a curious boy. Fill my old wooden rowboat up with sand. One more time around the mulberry tree. One more sunset over Lake Michigan. Yeah, me and my old man, back in the balsa days….Cigar in his mouth, glue on my hands. Well, I’m not much different from that curious boy, yeah I have always been an airplane man. Hey my friends, I always knew I’d be famous someday, and now you’re all singing about me, I guess that’s famous enough. Hey my friends, don’t worry I’m on the horizon, ‘cause I’m not a deep sea diver, I’m an airplane man. Hey my friends, don’t worry I’m up in the sky, ‘cause I never was a railroad guy, I’m an airplane man. I’m an airplane man. Can you build me a skyhawk with the grace of a dove?
*Skyhawk referenced is a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, not a military plane.
Chris Pureka - acoustic guitar, electric guitars, bass, tambourine, vocals
Katie Sawicki - organ, backing vocals
- IRIS VALENTINE -
For my heart dog.
Chris Pureka - electric guitar, bass
Zanny Geffel - drums
- WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD -
(Written by George Douglas and George David Wiess)
Chris Pureka - acoustic guitar, electric guitars, vocals
Jon Shaw - upright bass
Produced by Chris Pureka.
Mixed by Josh Powell.
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 engineered by Josh Powell and Katie Sawicki at The Map Room in Portland, OR with additional engineering by Chris Pureka/ home studio. Tracks 5, 7 engineered by Chris Pureka /home studio with additional engineering by Katie Sawicki at The Map Room, Portland, OR. Additional engineering for Helpless by Mark Stockart at Underwood Recording in Minneapolis, MN and by Liz Kelly/ home studio.
Mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA.
All songs by Chris Pureka © 2021 (Sad Rabbit Music, ASCAP) except:
- Helpless (Written by Neil Young (Broken Arrow-Cotillion, BMI)
- What a Wonderful World (Written by George Douglas (A.K.A. Bob Thiele) and George David Wiess (Abilene Music Co./Abilene Music Inc/IMAGEM Sounds OBO Abilene Music LLC/Imagem Sounds OBO KAZZOOM Music, Inc. (Hfa)/Quartet Music/Quartet Music Inc./Range Road Music/Range Road Music/Range Road Music Inc./Songwriters Guild Of America/Songwriters Guild Of America OBO Abilene Music Inc/WINDSWEPT Holdings LLC)
Cover illustration: August Lamm
Photo credit: Andy Alseri
Design layout/concept: Chris Pureka and Dylan McConnell
Additional graphic design: Dylan McConnell