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An album of songs reworked from earlier songs (but still completely original) covering over thirty years of songwriting in a folk and sometimes classical vein.
Genre:
Folk: Political Folk
Release Date:
2008
Albums you will love
Paul Kaplan
After the fire
Folk: Traditional Folk
The Folk Process
© Copyright-Paul Kaplan
(659696179929)
Record Label: Old Coat Music
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Paul Kaplan proudly announces the arrival of his new CD “The Folk Process.” With this album Paul makes available for the first time on CD his classic songs "Henry the Accountant," "I Had an Old Coat" and "Call Me the Whale." In all "The Folk Process" contains fourteen of Paul’s original songs that were inspired in some way by earlier songs. The album spans more than thirty years of writing, from 1976's "Siegfried" (Swan Lake in four verses) to 2007 ("Run, Al, Run" and "To Stop the War"). Paul has been called “one of the best lyricists America has” (Chatham Magazine). “The Folk Process” will show you why.
1. Call Me the Whale 2:49
From the 1982 LP “Life on This Planet;” uptempo, clever and biting.
2. Henry the Accountant 4:36
Also on “Life,” but rerecorded for this album; humorous uptempo story song, played on the cuatro.
3. Just Another War 4:31
From 1985’s “King of Hearts;” timeless antiwar song with fiddle, bagpipe and harmony vocals.
4. Underneath the Stars Above 1:11
From “After the Fire” CD (2003); humorous ditty about the art of songwriting.
5. I Had an Old Coat 3:15
Off of “King of Hearts;” classic song, from an old Yiddish story (and song), covered by dozens of artists, most recently recorded by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason.
6. I Can’t Remember Wintertime 4:19
Poignant antiwar song with a classical feel; first of four in a row from “After the Fire.”
7. Halls of a Hospice 3:55
Ballad of an AIDS victim, with parallels to (and the tune of) “The Streets of Laredo.”
8. So I Could Get to You 4:51
A love song, finally! Bits of music borrowed from “Rolling Down to Old Maui,” bits of lyric from Shakespeare (always steal from the best!).
9. Vacation Time 2:03
Quiet, jazzy tune, inspired by McCoy Tiner’s piano on Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things.”
10. The Voice of Pete 1:53
Homage to Pete Seeger.
11. The Promise 3:58
A slow ballad, based on a gorgeous instrumental written by Dáithí Sproule of Altan.
12. Run, Al, Run 2:40
Political songs do not have to be dull! We tried our best, but Al wouldn’t listen.
13. To Stop the War 2:00
Recorded for YouTube with a video camera. I would have rerecorded it for better sound quality, but couldn’t hope to get such a stellar group together again.
14. Siegfried 3:49
The story of Swan Lake in four verses. From my first demo, recorded on a four-track in 1976, with lots of synthesized sounds. Like many of these songs, it is a serious song that just might make you smile.
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author: Paul Kaplan
CD Review
"THE FOLK PROCESS"
Paul Kaplan, OCM002
Paul Kaplan is a super-talented singer/songwriter, with a fine repertoire of serious AND funny songs. This, his latest album, with 14 numbers, contains a wide variety of pieces inspired from other sources, and backed up by a truckload of talented musicians (and even an enthusiastic group of choristers). All the words are included.
Included is one of the best parodies of all time, "Henry, the Accountant" (John Henry). Then there's a marvelous tribute to one of our favorite people, "The Voice of Pete" (Joe Hill), with many great lines -- "Though some would say my voice has died, it's never been as strong//as when it comes back amplified by those who sing along..."
Other winners include "Call Me the Whale" (Greenland Fisheries), with its unexpected upbeat moral; the funny, toe-tapping "I Had an Old Coat"; an unusual survival song, "So I Could Get to You" (Old Maui); a poignant AIDS song, "The Halls of a Hospice" (Streets of Laredo); the charming "Underneath the Stars Above"; and "The Promise", a touching song of love, loss, and hope, after dropping his daughter off at college: "...Then you learned how to talk and you learned how to sing//like a little bird inside a nest, but birds all have wings...".
There are anti-war numbers, serious ones like "Just Another War" (Rule Britannia); thoughtful ones like "I Can't Remember Wintertime" (a lovely little song of reconciliation); and even a fun one, "To Stop the War" (a version of the familiar round, "To Stop the Train".) Also fun is the irresistible political song, "Run, Al, Run" (Shortnin' Bread).
Lots of good stuff, ending with a 'swan song', "Siegfried," very funny and clever, using the beautiful ballet music of Tchaikovsky. Paul says he wrote it so he could perform "Swan Lake" without having to put on tights.
Highly recommended.
---Sol Weber
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