Album Notes

"Left In The Wake" features songs written by six different members of The Ship. All nine of the musicians who played with the group, from its beginning in 1971 through 1977, are represented somewhere in this collection of previously unreleased recordings. Rescued from a slow death in a cardboard box and digitally re-mastered, most are studio recordings, but two live tracks from a concert in November, 1974 are also included.

It's always been difficult to fit The Ship's music into any one specific category, and this CD is no exception. Much like attending one of the group's live concerts, it will take listeners through a wide variety of songs and styles, lead singers and instruments - from the simplicity of two finger-picked acoustic guitars and two voices on "Les Fleurs," to the jazz flavor of "Saturday Night Breakup" or the rocky, electrified sounds of "What She Saw In Me" and "Baby's Coming Home." The bridge on "Annie" will, no doubt, remind listeners of portions of the original Elektra album "The Ship." "Hard Years" is simple and sticks in your brain. "Northern Star" sounds like one of those great songs that was always meant to be out there somewhere. "George Washington Bridge" is almost funk and "Suicide Rag" is just plain fun!

Though these recordings were literally "left in the wake" of The Ship and never released for over three decades, they're far from being leftovers and this CD may well be the most interesting compilation of the group's efforts yet. It is certainly the most varied.

What does music by the The Ship sound like? It sounds like this.