Album Notes

Marty Siltanen is an Alberta-based singer/songwriter that has traveled extensively from BC to the Great Lakes. Raised in both the northern Ontario wilderness and in the Toronto cityscape, Marty now lives on the Prairies and has combined these views into stories that strike to the heart of living, loving, and laughing as we travel through life.

It's a Long Way to Roam (released March 2007) is ten original folk songs about "traveling through life, love and the landscapes that surround us".

Recorded at Riverdale Recorders, Edmonton, by Scott Franchuk, the clean acoustic sound suits the folk, country and Celtic flavored songs. It typifies a Marty Siltanen performance.

CD Instrumentation:
Marty Siltanen - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass and penny whistle.
Lil Siltanen - vocals
Bill Werthmann - bodhran, vocal
Ron Taylor - vocal

CD tracks:
1. It's a Long Way to Roam -about getting lost on the road of life.
2. Off to the Northern Coast -draft dodgers head up the BC coast.
3. Sagebrush and Pine -a cowboy song about the range and how things change.
4. The Old Songs -singing along with the oldies station.
5. Road Kill -truck vs. porcupine. Should I go left or go right?
6. Your Eyes -a love song for my sweetie.
7. The Isle of Lewis -about a place far away in my dreams.
8. Rowand's Rum -the story of John Rowand's remains and a barrel of rum.
9. Heaven Knows -about the passing of generations.
10. Fork of the Road -fun times in my younger days hanging out at camp.

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A personal note:
From campfires and basement jams to bars and folk clubs, I've kept my fingers moving and ears vibrating for some 30-odd years with sounds of folk, country, country-rock, blues and bluegrass. It all adds up to rootsy "Canadiana".

Inspired as a young adult by the likes of Neil Young, James Taylor, Poco, The Byrds, John Prine, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot, and Valdy, I spent many hours in the stairwell at University learning to play their songs (great reverb in a stairwell ;-). My first paying gig was for $2 at a friends party, first band gig was in the Purple Lantern hall (one week later my wedding reception was in the same hall!). Overall, lots of bar mileage in Northern Ontario playing country and country-rock on guitar and bass. And lots of sand on the strings playing guitar or mandolin at 1001 campfires.

These days around Edmonton it's mostly song-circles, coffee shops and small clubs. Lil Siltanen will often join me adding wonderful harmonies and sometimes playing percussion. My shows are a mix of stories about my songs, flat-picking and finger-picking guitar styles, some slow, some fast, suitable for all ages and never too loud.

I like an honest turn of phrase and a heart-felt melody. I hope that's what characterizes my singing and songwriting. Stories seen through plaid-coloured glasses. Red plaid... honest stuff... I like that.

Cheers,
Marty