‘A Part of You’-his sixth- and ‘Midnight Garden’ featuring Crash Test Dummies’ Brad Roberts In Rob’s words: When I was hospitalized in September 2011 with a termnal brain tumor, I hoped that I would have time to finish the record I was currently working on, ‘Ghosts Before Breakast’. And maybe, if I was lucky, I could squeeze out another, sixth album. Two days after brain surgery I was back in the studio and finished ‘Ghost’ in the month that followed. Then I started work on what became ‘A Part Of You.’ Musically, I had long wanted to bring together my work as a composer with my songwriting life, and many of these songs were adapted from instrumental scores I had composed for television. So there is a quirky chamber music sensibility here, in a departure from previous records that featured my longtime band. The album is dedicated to my youngest son Elan, whose hand I am holding on the cover. In the title track, I assure him that ‘I will always be a part of you’. In another song, which features his (very contagious) laughter, I encourage him to laugh in the face of life’s unfairness, and ‘You Son’, written with bassist Zev Katz, imagines the grown-up young man I am not likely to meet. The Russian Cartographer, was a roomate I briefly had while in hospital, and I enjoyed imaging his story. ‘An Inside Place’ channels the words and feelings of my autistic co-writer on that song, Anthony Rutenbeck. Other collaborators include Suzzy Roche and Brad Roberts (of Crash Test Dummies); our duet, ‘The Man and The Birds’ was the beginning of what became yet another new album, ‘Midnight Garden’.
After finishing ‘A Part of You’, I was looking for an album project I could create quickly, since apparently there is not much time. Brad Roberts had a pile of lyrics and we decided I would create a latter day song cycle with some 19th century models: Schubert, of course, with a nod to Stephen Foster and Gilbert and Sullivan. I had worked with Brad on the last CTD album, had toured with him a bit, and we were friends. His lyrics were so compelling, and so simpatico, that the songs seemed to write themselves. Sometimes a song would form in my mind as quickly as it took to read the words. ‘Midnight Garden’ is scored for our two voices, piano, and string quartet. It is an interesting hybrid, one part claasical music, but definitely still connecting to the pop world. And with Brad’s weird, wonderful, compelling voice, which I thought would work so well in this context. The lyrics that make an epitaph to this cycle are stunningly beautiful as well as a propos:
The far and wide,
The near afield;
The great divide,
The mighty shield –
The ship that’s wrecked
Upon the shore;
The Flies, their Lords
The metaphors
The bride bedecked,
The nuptial couch;
The groom, erect
His shoulders slouched
The comfort in
The moon that shines
Distilled until
Of the Divine;
The nectar of
These last few drops
Before the final
Drizzle stops.
Here is a preview of A Part of You
A preview of Midnight Garden
| Pledge | Reward |
|---|---|
| $25 | A pre-release digital download of either album, and hard copy mailed out 9/18. |
| $50 | Pre-release downloads of both new albums, and hard copies mailed out 9/18. |
| $75 | A rare CD single of ‘Mystic Redemption’ and all of the above. (While supplies last.) |
| $100 | A 2011 ‘Ghosts Before Breakfast’ tour t-shirt, and all of the above. |
| $250 | An extraordinary, one hour concert film (on DVD) from filmmaker Dave Davidson of Rob and band, with record-quality audio, and all of the above. Featuring Jon Herinton, Robin Gould, Zev Katz, and special guest Ina May Wool. |
| $500 | All of the above, plus a personal greeting on each CD and a beautiful signed poster from the Tarrytown premiere of Midnight Garden. |
| $1,000 | I will perform a 90 minute concert in your home, or a place of your choosing, and all of the above. |
| $2,500 | I will write and record a song for you, on a subject of your choice, as well as all of the above. This is a really cool option. For one example (from the ‘Ghosts’ campaign), listen here. |
| $5,000 | You will be listed as executive producer, as well as all of the above. |
| Pledge | If you prefer not to receive any reward, you can specify any amount you'd like to pledge. |