JOHN BARNEY AND THE 11TH FLOOR: Best of Days

John Barney and the 11th Floor

Best of Days

© 2005 John Barney (634479657221)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 30% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Captivating lyrics drive a semi-truck of guitar-driven rock, blues and pop down a country road. Small towns, love stories and tall tales from the cosmic campfire named Earth. Kind of like John Mellancamp with an edge.

notes

John Barney loves to tell stories. “I think songs are more interesting if there is a narrative rope to climb,” he states. On “Best of Days, John’s second CD, he combines the power of his lyrics with roots/pop/blues-oriented music to produce lively examples of good songwriting. While John claims all the songwriting, producing, and musical performance credits, he teams up with vocalists Lew Kerns and Reina Sanchez to provide the voice of his musical journey. “I’ve known Lew a long time – we’ve been guitar jamming partners for years, and he has a distinctive voice. Reina I met through work – and her more polished vocals add a nice contrast to Lew.” John does sing on one song, though – the fiery “Waiting for the Sun” where he gets a chance to tear up his guitar in a throwback to the guitar-demon songs of some well-known southern rock bands.

John claims many influences, from Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher and Johnny Winter to Bob Dylan, Counting Crows, CSNY, Tori Amos, and a zillion others. Unlike many of his peers, he distances himself somewhat from the “classic rock” that he was brought up on. “I still like that stuff but there is a lot of good music happening today that is interesting. Life is too short not to explore.”

He specifically steers away from a detailed biography of his life. “So much of that stuff is nonsense – it’s all about the music anyway. If you’re more interested in whether or not I have a tattoo – then maybe this music isn’t for you. It's a CD for grownups. But relax, Reina is the youngest – and she has multiple tats, OK!!”

He also isn’t afraid of tackling controversial subjects – often contemporary religion. “The hypocrisy and profiteering in religious circles provides so much fodder for song material – how can I not write about it. “Bible Blues” is a good example of this – although strangely it was chosen to be included in the soundtrack of a Japanese DVD about car audio – go figure!”

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • "Crystal Clear Production and Exceptional Songwriting"
    author: Here and There Music Ezine

    Wow...this is my 200th review here. So is album worthy or high praise? Hell yeah! John Barney and the 11th Floor rocked my lame ass pretty well. A smooth mix of the late, great Beat Farmers and cult favorite The Pleasure Barons, I was very impressed with this band. It has a beautiful female vocalist in Reina Sanchez,the lady can sing in the best way. Crystal clear production and exceptional songwriting really elevates this release to the Best of the Year ranks for me. "The Worst" really brought home the album,Lew Kerns,whose gruff voice channels Country Dick Montana, and Reina's take on what keeps a couple together despite being so different is pretty damn funny. Going from that romp to the powerful "Wrap Your Heart" showcases just how deep this band can go and this album is like this on every song. Highly Recommended

  • Compelling Stories, Raw Harmonies and Guitar Mixed with Tequila
    author: Mary Beth Cade and the New Review

    I'm an unabashed lyric lover and this cd earns my respect Big Time with fabulous stories unadorned by sloppy attempts at poetry and misguided metaphor - fortunately the lyrics are printed inside the cd booklet! Each song is worth a listen, but "Heaven's Wind," "Widow Jones" and "Something to Believe" are among my lyrical favorites. Strong musical and vocal performances are also apparent, although John Barney might consider narrowing his stylistic choices.

  • Not too shabby...
    author: Prince Valium

    A gallant effort! Especially on the singers part! Most of it's not radio ready or pop material. But I think that's what I like about it! It's real & it's simple. The guitar sounds like a semi-blues guy in a bar somewhere in the South.(Yes, I heard the slide.) Wouldn't mind a follow-up CD, like to see where else this could go.

  • This CD Kicks Butt
    author: Robert Schafer

    I got this cd from a friend and I thought it was one of the best cd’s I’ve heard in a long time. I've never heard of this band. What surprised me was that the songs in the 2nd half were my favorite (I liked the first 6 songs but they were more commercial) I loved “Something to Believe” for the intriguing lyrics and good vocal performance."Coyote Blues" was bluesy but kinda weird, too. “Widow Jones and “Heaven’s Wind” made me actually listen and follow the story line. But my favorite song was the last one, “Waiting for the Sun” - the words kind of summarized the irony of living in today’s world while the last three minutes contain some of the most emotional guitar playing I’ve ever heard.

  • Nice job
    author: T C B~

    It's different, but in a good way! Music to take a drive to. The melodies & harmonies are great! That one song near the end is a little strange. But that doesn't take anything away from the rest of the album. It really is a lot of musical genre's mixed together, but it works!

  • Each song has a life of its own. Thrill to listen to many times over.
    author: M

    Universally appealing and addicting to listen to. Lyrics express a varied experience of the realities of life. Artists are definitely gifted with awesome talent. The CD is a must have.

  • author: Grettelle Amie

    Best of Days is such a fabulous musical creation by John Barney. It's musical diversity is impressive. He had experimented with folk,pop, rock, country and blues. Heaven's Wind touches your heart and magically brings you right there... The Worst is funny but there is enough depth in its lyrics that enables it to say a lot about realities of life... Something to believe is moving... Wrap your heart is charming... you will truly hear a broader spectrum of John Barney on this CD. A job well done!!!

  • author: maribel

    Very interesting music by John Barney...a wide mix of musical genre...truly ingenious...

  • The CD is great but lacking Saturn.
    author: Francesca

    This cd is great but lacking the song Saturn. Heaven's Wind was the certain POP/COUNTRY song that this cd needed to truly get an audience's attention. Overall i give 4 stars, which isn't bad, considering the fact that i don't listen to country music very often. Keep up the good work!!!:-)

  • Listen to the entire CD, it has some guts to it, go Live!
    author: John Bryant

    It is always interesting to hear about bands who try to push the listener into thinking about music and lyrics in different ways. But John Barney does not push...he pulls you along and lets you enjoy the ride while you subconsciously remix your own varied musical memories with what you are listening to. One reason I like this CD is because it is from an artist who cares about sharing his world in a positive way as he shares himself, and his broad musical styles, comfortably with his music. I still want to see them live...pick the worst bar in the world and I will meet you there. JB

email

Please log in to email this artist.