Album Notes

Tumbledown is a band founded by Alan Collins of Farmington, Maine and Scott Swan, a Maine native currently living in Jacksonville, Florida. Alan plays acoustic and electric rhythm guitars, as well as miscellaneous percussion instruments. Scott plays acoustic and electric rhythm and lead guitars and bass. Both sing lead and backing vocals. Scott's son Jonathon Swan played acoustic guitar on most of the tracks and is considered an "unofficial" member of the band. Additional musicians for this project include Jacob Smith on drums; Stephen and Nate Collins on keyboards; and Kaitlyn Hall, Kay Sue Collins, Tamara Collins and Megan Collins on backing vocals. Sail Away, Tumbledown's first CD, is a completely home-grown project, from the recording to the mixing and mastering. It was digitally recorded and mixed on a PC-based system using Cakewalk's Sonar. Mastering was done using Sony's Sound Forge. The CD is a collection of songs that Alan and Scott have written over the last 25 years, both individually and collectively; as well as a song written by Jonathon Swan (“Comfort Me”). Also included as a bonus track is a song written and sung by Kaitlyn Hall, called “There For Me”. Tumbledown gets its name from one of the many mountains surrounding Webb Lake in Weld, Maine - a place that both Scott and Alan have deep emotional ties to. In fact, most of the songs for the CD were recorded in a cottage on Webb Lake. Acoustic rhythm guitar-driven rock with folk, country, blues and jazz influences; many of the songs have a 70's soft-rock feel to them. This is because it is the bands and artists of that era that most greatly influence their writing and playing style. America is definitely the most influential, with bands and artists like Jim Croce, The Eagles, Poco, Dan Fogelberg, Jackson Brown, CSN(&Y), Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot & James Taylor not too far behind. With simple song arrangements; the cozy, relaxed atmosphere in which it was recorded; and the emphasis on the acoustic guitars, "Sail Away" has a real homespun feel to it. Listeners will feel like they are hearing a couple of guys jamming on their front porch - a refreshing change from much of today's music, which tends to be over-arranged and over-produced. Two songs from this CD ("The Right Thing To Do” and “Make It Up To You”) are also included in a Windows role-playing game (RPG) called “Shady O’Grady’s Rising Star” by Gilligames. "The Right Thing To Do" and "Memories" have also been featured on compilation CDs. UK's Whisperin & Hollerin web site reviewed this CD and gave it an impressive "8 out of 10 stars" rating: "Drift in from an alternate reality, a parallel Earth wherein softly-plucked acoustic guitars, honey-warm vocal harmonies, and soothing country-jazz textures are an integral part of pop music. Actually, we're not talking about the Twilight Zone here. In the early '70s, artists such as Tumbledown provided the backbone for rock radio. But Tumbledown isn't just about baby-boomer nostalgia. This is a group with strong original material, enough to draw comparisons to James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, and especially Poco. The rootsy "The Right Thing to Do" is a work of beauty, a mighty pretty slice of classic country and Van Morrison soul. Although Tumbledown wet their toes in country waters, they never make a complete plunge. The band echoes the eclectic influences and stylistic adventurousness of many FM radio staples in the late '60s. On "Comfort Me," Tumbledown recalls the Latin vibe of vintage Santana but also the dreamy lushness of Classics IV. "Sail Away" is a dead ringer for Crosby, Stills & Nash with its singalong vocals; however, it also includes a spellbinding instrumental jam that displays the group's impressive chops." - Adam Harrington, Reviewer