Sony Music Canada Inc.
This release marks a new direction, revealing more than just a sense of humour for this talented singer/songwriter. ...but you can call me Larry may be Larry Gowan's most relaxed and intimate recording to date, reflecting a renewed interest in instrumentation with an emphasis on guitar instead of Gowan's trademark keyboard flourishes. "I wanted to get back to where I started...as a songwriter and musician. I think for a time, the "video Gowan" had begun to detract from what I really am...and that's a songwriter".
"The path of this new record was determined by the success of two singles from the previous album, Lost Brotherhood. All the Lovers in the World was my first co-write. Up until that time, I had written all the songs on my previous albums. Working with Eddie Schwartz (Doobie Brothers, Pat Benatar, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon) on that song pointed me in a new direction and people seemed to like it. Out of a Deeper Hunger was also a single that was really well received in our live shows. Both musically and lyrically, it most closely aproached what I have tried to do with this new record".
On this album, Larry continues his collaboration with Eddie Schwart on the first single When There's Time (For Love), where J.D. Souther also share a co-write. For this album, he also worked with Bryan Adams' long time songwriting partner Jim Vallance, who has recently written hits for Aerosmith and Motley Crue. Annette Ducharme was the third colaborator with whom Larry wrote Soul's Road. Ducharme is perhaps best known for writing the Tom Cochrane hit, Sinking Like a Sunset.
From the lilting ballad When There's Time (For Love), to the rockers Soul's Road and Innocent, Gowan returns on this album with the now familiar rhythm section of Jerry Marotta and Tony Levin, with Marotta tackling the role of producer as well. Collectively, Jerry Marotta and Tony Levin have played with everyone from Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, Paul Simon, Warren Zevon, Paul McCartney, Hall and Oats, to the Indogo Girls; a considerable resume to say the least. The fact that they have accompanied Larry on his last four albums is a testament to their belief in him as a musician and songwriter.
"This is Jerry's first time at the helm as producer and his knowledge as a hands-on musician proved invaluable to the project", says Gowan. "Though the album took over a year to record, there was never any pressure in the studio and the songs came together very naturally in a collaborative environment that was very nurturing". The majority of the album was recorded in Morin Heights, Quebec, with some additional recording at various studios in Woodstock, New York, and Metal Works in Toronto, and Larry's home studio. As with most Gowan albums, some surprising guests contribute their talent to the record. Robert Fripp, an old Marotta alumnus from King Crimson, was brought in to play guitar on Little Face. Larry was impressed, "He's like a traditional English college professor with a terrific sense of humour. He was in Woodstock recording with David Sylvian and Jerry just thought he would be great for the track and that's all it took".
Canadian songstress, Jann Arden, is featured in a duet with Larry on Last Laugh. Larry heard Jann on the radio and was immediately smitten by the honest unaffected quality of her voice. "There is something in the way she delivers lyrics that made me feel she was the right person to communicate the sentiment we were trying to convey with Last Laugh". The track was recorded live off the floor, and John Sebastian (yes, the John Sebastian from Livin' Spponful fame) dropped by to play harmonica and acoustic guitar. Larry described Sebastian as a "genuinely kind, unassuming man who plays a wicked harmonica. It was great fun working with him".
The remaining guitars were handled by Kenny Greer and Larry himself. Kenny Greer played on Lost Brotherhood and is best known for his work with Tom Cochrane. Another prominent Canadian player, Colin Linden, also shows up on the first single When There's Time (For Love), playing slide guitar.
Larry views ...but you can call me Larry as an attempt to return to his musical roots. "I wanted to write within a band setting again, not write to an image. I want to reinforce, with this album, that I am a musician first of all, and a performer as well". Larry's talents have served him well over the last decade and now with his fifth album for Anthem Records/Sony Music, he is consolidating his career and taking it in a new direction with a more heartfelt approach to songwriting, set amidst the sound of some of the finest musicians recording today.
He's still Gowan...but you can call him Larry.
