“A highly personal effort that addresses family, friends and relationships.
There’s an appealing sincerity and simplicity throughout.”
The recording of Young Lions or the Friday Post BBQ Afternoon Key, String and Voice Fest.
For many months a combination of Todd Wright, Gary Smallwood, Prescott Engle and I would meet for lunch at the now closed Moley Brothers BBQ in Leesburg, Virginia. We then proceeded to Todd’s studio for recording. Prescott was also writing and recording his second CD, so ideas were bouncing around the room. The first part of the afternoon was devoted to my project then finishing with Prescott’s.
Before we began the project, Todd and I talked about the “sound” of the CD. I wanted a stripped down, rootsy vibe; a cross between Tom Waits and Elvis’ Sun Sessions. As much as I enjoy Queen I wanted quite the opposite. I only had one request, that the use of cymbals and especially crash cymbals be used sparingly or not at all. I tend to agree with Tom Waits in that cymbals can suck the silence out of song. As you will hear, Todd’s use of percussion is sometimes a lead instrument on many of the songs.
- Todd Wright
Todd, who is one of my favorite singer/songwriters, is also a producer of the highest magnitude. Our friendship blossomed from pure serendipity brought on by “Fear Of Flight.” But that is another story, suffice to say that I am proud he agreed to do this project; I am prouder that my family and I call him friend.
- Gary Smallwood
As far as who would “play” on the record I wanted Gary Smallwood to be all over this thing, and between Todd and him, all the instruments were covered. Todd knew Gary and was excited to work with him; as you will hear he is phenomenal on the album. Gary and I shared a stage side by side for almost 20 years in Raydio Flash Cab, SE&G and SEG&W and we are best friends (more than that we are brothers). Gary knows my vocal tendencies better than anyone and I trust him. He is also one the best guitarists I’ve ever heard and a helluva bass player. One of the best things to come from Young Lions was seeing the mutual respect between Todd and Gary grow and knowing that after working on this project they will continue to work together.
NOTE: A running email or text with the letters TSCP was continually sent back and forth between Todd and I during and after the sessions. TSCP = That Smallwood Can Play.
My goal was to make an album that speaks for me at this stage of my life, looking back, standing still and moving forward. The songs reflect my experiences as a son, friend, husband and father. It is also a sonic landscape of voice, steel, wood and bone. The music is played by flesh and blood and is handhewned instead of polished to audio perfection. You will hear Gary’s slide move along the strings, an intake of breath between verses, mallets on skin, real harmony unbleached by auto-tune, in other words music written and performed by humans. As a producer Todd embraces all the new technology but does not allow it to make the music.
The Songs of Young Lions
The songs are listed chronologically as we recorded them.
Shenandoah – This is a traditional folk song from the early 19th century, its melody may be of Gaelic origin, but no one is really sure. There are so many many different lyrics and variations that it rivals Sugar Mountain. Generally it is thought to be a homesick plea from a Missouri homesteader pining for his home in Virginia; but here it is my last call to my Dad. It is a stunningly beautiful arrangement by Michael Fath who plays acoustic guitar and banjo. Todd Wright played bass and added percussion. Todd double tracked me on the final verse. Later Gary Smallwood added a finger picked acoustic to the mix as well as a beautiful slide guitar.
A Tie That Binds (Greene & Wright) – The lyrics to this piece I wrote years ago at a time when I was overwhelmed with man’s greed and his inhumanity to his fellow man. It was a personal apocalypse moment that soon passed; faith is a great eraser of doubt. The melody Todd wrote hand-in-glove with the words. Todd handles all the instruments and harmonies except for that haunting dobro played by Native Run’s and Leesburg’s own “if it has strings he can pay it” Bryan Dawley. The arrangement is spare and warm with an odd but very cool time signature with the percussion leading the way. And yes, God is watching.
You Can Count On Me (Wright) – I love this Todd Wright penned song and am grateful he allowed me borrow it for this collection. This beautifully sad piece speaks to the heart of relationships and the price we pay by taking loved ones for granted. Todd played all the instruments except drums (JP Evans) and sang the harmony. This song was on Todd’s 40×40 project and, upon first hearing, it spoke to me. I hope my version does some justice to his masterpiece. I also really dig the ambient noise that rises up during the song, a great production choice.
Here-A Song For Tammy (Greene) – I sang this into “VoiceMemo” on my iPhone and sent the file to Todd. It came to me as I was thinking about how lucky I am to have met my soul mate “those years ago” and how my love for her has only grown. Writing “she suffers gladly” is how I see it; living with me through some scary times, Tammy never wavered and her strong German heritage was and remains steadfast. Both the words and melody came like gifts and the song really wrote itself. It arrived on February 10, 2011, Todd and I went into the studio on the 11th and I gave a recording of it to Tammy on February 14, 2011 as a Valentine. Todd plays everything here understated and flawlessly.
When The Night Falls (Greene & Smallwood) – This song was written years ago with Gary when we were in the band Raydio Flash Cab. We both held this tune as something special and we always wanted to come back and visit it. I find it funny that a song written in the late 1980’s rings as true now as it did then. Todd slowed the tempo and arranged it a bit different, much to its betterment. Todd plays acoustic guitar, piano, bass and drums. Gary played all the electric guitar parts (could ya tell) and the harmony vocal (like old times) while he and Todd both sang back ground vocals.
Ireland Fallen (Greene) – It was early March when this song came to me. The melody popped in my head as I was driving home one afternoon, I knew by the time I got out of the car, picked up the mail and let the dogs out, it would leave me as the hairs on top my head have. So I sat in my car and hummed it into my iPhone and sent it to Todd for safe keeping. Over the next few days the words came to me. I know that the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day influenced them, but so did my Grandfather. He always spoke of his father and the proud Irish tradition of land and life being intertwined. Just google The Red Hand of Ulster (sometimes called the Red Hand of Erik or Eris) to understand this union. I used “Erik” in this song, it just sang better. Todd plays piano and percussion, while Gary played bass, acoustic and the hell out of slide guitar.
Come To The River (Greene, Wright & Smallwood) – The Mississippi River is host to more baptisms and suicides than any American body of water. You also should know that Tupelo, Mississippi is the birthplace of Elvis Presley. This is my Southern Gothic song: robbery, murder, religion and UFOs. I wrote the lyrics after reading The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock. Todd here shows some big producer-engineer chops by putting my voice though a filter so it sounds like a preacher on an old AM radio. Todd plays acoustic guitar, drums, some wild ass percussion and keys; Gary plays acoustic guitar and the coolest, dirtiest electric guitar solo I’ve ever heard. Cassidy Ford brought her vocal talent to the River chorus.
Hardly A Day (Greene, Wright & Smallwood) – One afternoon after Gary and Pres had left, Todd and I were just just hanging when he asked if I had anything for the next song. I said I had a title and two lines and the embryo of a melody for those lines. After I sang the first two lines, Todd, with guitar in hand, nails the melody and structure. I recorded it with VoiceMemo on the iPhone, I swear the app deserves an album credit. I wrote the rest of the lyrics but I was thrown by a bridge the song needed. At the next session we wood-shedded the bridge; Gary wrote the music and Todd wrote the bridge lyrics. You can tell because there’s hardly a space to breathe in a Todd Wright bridge. I swear the man is half lungs. Todd plays acoustic guitar, drums, percussion and keyboards. Gary plays bass (Todd to Gary: “McCartney the bitch up”), acoustic guitar, electric guitar and verse harmony; both sing background vocals. It’s for my Dad but I hope is universal enough in its scope to be relevant for everyone?
NOTE: Todd is one of the best rhythm guitarists I’ve ever heard, not many rhythm guitar players have a totally unique style that you can pick out as their signature. Listen to the acoustic guitar on Hardly A Day, you will hear Todd’s personal style with impeccable timing and a dynamic approach to chords, it must be his drumming DNA coming through the strings.
Crows (Greene, Wright & Smallwood) Updated August 2, 2012. I long denied myself the seedling of this song, but now after hearing it finished I will admit that it is about my heart attack on February 9, 2006. It didn’t start that way or even end that way, but now that it’s out and I’ve listened, it is. My Mother knew it before I did, and it makes her sad and happy. Sad that I was almost called and happy that I was given a reprieve. My experience on that day and the following days seem dream-like now, I think Crows captures that incident for me. As a nod to our collective Beatle love, backwards instrumentation paves the bridge. Todd plays keyboards, percussion and drums, Gary sings harmony, BGV and plays bass and electric guitar. My first bridge, and just like Todd’s, I’m coming up for air. My wife Tammy calls this song creepy, but good creepy.
NOTE: They have discovered, if a crow feels you are a threat, they will learn your face after seeing you only one time and they will remember it for years.
Harder Than The Fall (Greene, Wright & Smallwood) It’s hard to see someone falling apart with a broken heart, especially someone you love. This is a note to the brokenhearted. I had the words written and a spare melody for the last two lines of the chorus, from there Todd did the music and Gary wrote the haunting guitar solo that says as much as the lyrics. Todd plays piano and Gary plays electric guitar. Again we conjure a Beatle nod in Todd’s McCartneyish piano riff. Of all the songs on Young Lions this one was the hardest one for me to sing, not because of any physicality of it but the emotional connection to it. All the songs here are very personal and come from different spaces and times of my life, this piece comes from a very sad and hard time and in the vocal booth it just hit me. It was also the last song to sing, and the last piece for this collection, with that came relief and sadness. It ends the album on a sad but, I believe, hopeful note.
- Todd Wright, Stilson Greene & Gary Smallwood
The Mix
Through the months of recording Todd did not let hear any of the rough tracks, he told me that he did not want me to fall into “demo love” with them. He also said that the mixing of the record was going to be important and that he had someone in mind he knew could give the tracks the organic vibe I wanted. Well, Jared Bartlett was the guy. This album is so well mixed that it is a sonic landscape of texture and depth. I could not be happier with the results, Jared did a brilliant job.
End notes
Music has been a part of my life since memory ever served its first grace in my mind. I remember the yellow 45’s of Disney music I would play over and over, then those 45s turned black, then bigger, then those discs became Beatle music and the rest is why Young Lions exists.
I had the honor to share chords with great musicians and great people throughout my life. And every one of them is on this record, their DNA is intrisnic to the muse that I share with them.
My heart and hands do the artwork that has served me well as a trade and as a conduit to people and business.
But part of my soul sings through the songs, be it Jiminy Cricket or John Lennon.
Young Lions ~ Stilson Greene 