ON THIS PAGE:Track Listing-----Reviews-----Lyrics |
|
The Reason Why (KBMT 2007)Track Listing
|
Reviews:
Kevin Barber and Mark Taylor have something that many musicians will envy. Apart from their ability to write superb songs and play ukulele, mandolin, banjo; electric, bass, slide, steel and lap resonator guitars - they have empathy. And incidentally their harmonies are pretty spot on too.
The acoustic duo needs to be just that, a duo, and by implication that means tight and together. Too many duos rub along with each other, sometimes close, but occasionally far apart. Listen to ‘the reason why’ from Barber & Taylor and you’ll hear a duo with empathy for the music and each other.
This album gives you a mix of styles built on a foundation of American folk, overlayed with bluegrass rhythms, a touch of country and an edge of blues, all suffused with Barber & Taylor’s combined talent. However you attempt to classify them, Barber & Taylor are a superb acoustic duo it’s that simple. The album offers views on life, tinges of sadness and sharp narratives of a Tennessee Williams play or Harper Lee novel put to music.
The album opens with ‘Counting the Minutes’ and wistful lost-love song that perfectly introduces their music and lyrics, and shows the musical understanding between Kevin and Mark. ‘The Endless Possibilities of War’ is one of those songs to catch your soul. Lyrics such as: “Now you’re here and it’s my job to show you the endless possibilities of war.” If that doesn’t touch you nothing will. ‘Children of the Chapel’ is without doubt one of the finest instrumentals I’ve heard in a long time. It conveys a depth of emotion and feeling, and demonstrates their fine musicianship.
‘Flowers in Her Hair’ and ‘I Will Remember’ both tell tales of loss and pain in different ways (and I love the narrative folk song) with powerful lyrics wrapped in gentle tunes. ‘Flowers in Her Hair’ describes murder and loss with a bite that makes you sit up and listen. It’s hard as nails. ‘I Will Remember’ tells the story of a soldier never coming home. They’re both compelling songs with inspired instrumentation to match.
This is an album to listen to again and again, once is not enough, because each time you listen there’s more to hear.
Tim Carroll, Folkwords. www.folkwords.com
Barber & Taylor are a songwriting duo hailing from the Brighton who seem to have been strongly influenced by the folk narrative tradition. "Flowers In Her Hair" is one of the best murder ballads I've heard in a while. There is a darkness to the album, but it doesn't feel doom and gloom. It does feel well written and accutely observed. It also picks its targets well. The anti-war songs go for those that use war as a political tool, rather than those who actually do the fighting on the ground. It doesn't clear those that let it happen in their name either. "The Reason Why" shows words still matter.
LYRICS:
Counting The Minutes (Barber)
Standing at the station on the day that I left you
Heading off to find the place that all my dreams went to
Counting off the minutes I just couldn’t wait to be
On that train to anywhere but where the pain and heartbreak haunted me
Leaving you was easy I had all my reasons clear
I couldn’t wait around to see my future disappear
Time was killing all the dreams I had when I was young
And so I said goodbye to you and headed off to make it on my own
But now I find those dreams I had have disappeared from view
And every night I dream instead of things we used to do
Wishing I was somewhere else with something else to do
Counting all the minutes without you
INSTRUMENTAL
But now I find those dreams I had have disappeared from view
And every night I dream instead of things we used to do
Wishing I was somewhere else with something else to do
Counting all the minutes without you
Now the nights are empty and I find myself alone
I lie awake and fill my head with memories of home
I just can’t remember all the dreams I had before
The things I wanted lie like empty bottles scattered on the floor
But now I find those dreams I had have disappeared from view
And every night I dream instead of things we used to do
Wishing I was somewhere else with something else to do
Counting all the minutes without you
Counting all the minutes without you
Wishing I was on that train to you
Moonlight Becomes You (Taylor)
Moonlight becomes you, my darling,
Moonlight becomes you, my pretty one,
The pale beams dancing on your slender neck,
Far from the clutches of the jealous sun,
It was Munich in spring, Berlin in June,
You made me confess under sky, stars and moon,
Moonlight becomes you but the morning seems to come too soon.
Moonlight becomes you, my pretty one,
Moonlight becomes you, my darling,
All is still now on the Autobahn,
An eerie silence covers everything,
But whenever you walk into the room,
Strange music delights in the gathering gloom,
Moonlight becomes you but the morning seems to come too soon.
Now there are wolves at the gate, my love taken flight,
Don’t leave me alone to howl in the night!
The Endless Possibilities of War (Barber)
When we were young we played at war
We fought battles with the kids next door
The wars we would never lose
We went to school and learned to be
Believers in democracy and liberty
The path to freedom we knew well
They built us up and made us strong
Taught to know when we were right or wrong
They said we were the chosen ones
Then they sent us out to defend our land
Told us we didn’t have to understand
All we had to do was trust in God
And the sergeant said welcome to the army
I hope you know just what you’re fighting for
Now you’re here and it’s my job to show you
The endless possibilities of war
They are bad we are good
All the possibilities are understood
We know that God is on our side
Our way of life is under threat
Terrorists have left us with a lethal debt
But who it is we punish we can’t tell
And the sergeant said welcome to the army
I hope you know just what you’re fighting for
Now you’re here and it’s my job to show you
The endless possibilities of war
It’s house to house and door to door
I wonder if they know what we’re searching for
We share confusion in our souls
The body count is all we hear
But who are the terrorists is never clear
The guilty stay hidden from our view
And the sergeant said welcome to the army
I think we know just who we’re fighting for
Now you’re here and we’ve all seen the answer
The endless possibilities of war
From Here to Eternity (Taylor)
I search in a room; I search in an open space,
Looking for you and the love that still haunts this place,
But where are you now? You’re not where you said you’d be,
I’ve waited so long, from here to eternity.
West of Heaven, East of nowhere,
I’ve been waiting from here to eternity I swear.
There is no map to navigate human hearts,
Compass points south, captain consult your charts,
So where are you now? I’ve waited so patiently,
I’ve waited so long, from here to eternity.
West of Heaven, East of nowhere,
I’ll be waiting from here to eternity I swear…
How Many Tears? (Barber)
How many grains of sand upon the shore
How many stars stand high above us all
How many days to wonder
If all my tears will end
And if my aching heart will ever mend
And how long has it been since I have seen
The light shine in your eyes when you look at me
And how long will the journey
Back to forgiveness take
The past seems not to want us to escape
INST
And where will sadness take us in the end
This lonely road is long without a friend
And if we ever get there, how many tears will be
Left on the road behind both you and me
Left on the road behind both you and me
Flowers In Her Hair (Barber)
Sunday morning, walking by the river
I came upon a young girl walking there
She said she was the new wife of my neighbour
And I noticed she had flowers in her hair
Many times I saw her by the river
Often she would stop and talk to me
Then one day, we sat down together
And picked some of the flowers growing free
The sun shone down upon us
As we were sitting there
We lay down together
And then I put flowers in her hair
Every Sunday morning I would meet her
We passed the time as lovers always do
I told her that one day we’d be together
She told me that she hoped it would come true
INSTRUMENTAL
The sun shone down upon us
As we were laying there
She told me that she loved me
And then I put flowers in her hair
Then one Sunday laying by the river
In each others arms without a care
We heard somebody calling out her name and
We looked up and saw him standing there
He looked down upon us
As we were laying there
He lifted up his shotgun
And then I saw blood all in her hair
The sheriff came and took away my neighbour
He’s waiting in the prison soon to die
My love lies still and cold beneath the flowers
And once again I’m laying by her side
The sun it shines above us
As we are laying there
I tell her that I love her
And then I put flowers in her hair
Long Gone (Barber)
I came home from work last night
As tired as a man could be
Looking forward to my baby
Taking good care of me
Seeing that she wasn’t home I asked
My landlord where she’d gone
He told me that she’d packed her bags
And she was long gone
Long gone
I went down to my best friend’s house
To see if he would know
Why my baby she would leave me
And where on earth she’d go
His wife she met me at their door
And told me that he wasn’t home
She said that he had packed his bags
And he was long gone
Long gone
Well I went home and sat right down
And poured myself a beer
Tried to figure out why my best friend
And my baby left me sitting here
Didn’t take me long to figure out
The best thing I could do
Now I’m living at my best friend’s house
Cos he’s long gone
Long gone
I Will Remember (Taylor)
In the evening I will remember
And to memory I will surrender
And sing a song so sweet and tender
Such a sad song that bears your name
Could a soft voice stop your blood’s flow
Could my poor heart bear such sorrow
Stand aside I carry precious cargo
Such a sad song that bears your name
INST
For my young boy was a soldier
Under burden of his orders
Lift him up and carry him across the water
An sing a sad song that bears his name
In the evening I will remember
And to memory I will surrender
And sing a song so sweet and tender
Such a sad song that bears your name
Such a sad song that bears your name
Such a sad song that bears your name
The Reason Why (Barber)
She’s standing at the bus stop in the morning
Another day is heading for a fall
She goes each day to work down at the factory
A ten hour shift in dirty overalls
At least by working hard she keeps from thinking
About the dreams that she’s allowed to die
And when the things she’s done will help to tell her
The reason why
Once she had a sweetheart in the army
The plans they made together seemed so fine
But the politicians sent him off to serve them
And all the dreams they had were left behind
The letter that she got one Monday morning
Said she should be proud of how he died
But no-one ever came around to tell her
The reason why
INST
He looks down from the photograph beside her
She lies in bed and stares into his arms
But memories so sweet will never tell you
The reason why
She’s standing at the bus stop in the morning