|
Walrus Releases CD of
11 New Rock Music Classics
(November 2006) -- The Walrus, the Bellingham band known for performing
covers of the Beatles, Eagles, Queen
and other classic rock bands,
has finally completed its first CD of original music, appropriately titled,
'Uncovered.'
The band's first CD release
party (yes, there will be more than one!) is
scheduled for 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Wild Buffalo House
of Music on
Holly
Street in Bellingham. Opening for the Walrus will be Vadinska.
The five seasoned professionals who make up The Walrus have been energizing
nightclubs, community festivals and private parties in the Pacific Northwest
with classic rock cover tunes since
the band formed nearly 11 years ago. Now they are poised to delight their
growing fan base with a collection of original, "uncovered" tunes
that combine the melodic harmonies of the 1960s and the psychedelic
musical arrangements of the '70s with present day inspiration and high-tech
recording techniques.
Of the 11 new songs on 'Uncovered,' seven are written by lead guitarist
and vocalist Joe Young, a prolific singer-songwriter; two are by singer
and guitarist Chuck Dingée; and another two are written by vocalist
and keyboard player Jamie Shea. Drummer Michael O'Neal and bass guitarist
Walt Burkett provide the backbeat and also sing on the new tracks.
Dingée, of course, is the soulmate, husband and first mate of
Sheehan World publisher Kathy Sheehan, for whom one of his "Uncovered"
songs was written.
In addition to the sound produced by current Walrus band members, haunting
strains from the violin of the late Guy Mulford (known as Kathy's "other" husband)
are heard on 'Guy's Song,' a tribute to the beloved
musician who died on Jan. 1, 2001.
Mulford's
posthumous fiddling is also a tribute to the top notch recording equipment
and talent at Bayside Recording in Bellingham, where the album was produced
and recorded over the last two years.
"Each of the 11 songs is so different that the debut album defies categorization
in a single musical genre," Sheehan said.
Chip Westerfield of Bayside Recording, agreed. "It
sounds more like a 'Walrus
Greatest Hits' collection than a first album," Westerfield said.
The
new songs range from 'The Garden,' inspired by the
1992 New
Age novel,
'Ishmael,' and employing Crosby Stills Nash & Young-style harmonies
to the deliciously vampy 'Tongue in Cheek' to the psychedelic-sounding
'Gaia.' The Walrus CD is rich
with classic
rock, pop and folk vocal arrangements; ballads about friends who
are like a 'Second Family' and about empowerment; screaming electric,
acoustic
and pedal-steel guitar licks; and love songs about absent lovers and
cheating hearts. The synergy of original themes and lyrics combined with
Sgt. Pepper-inspired rock song melodies points to the versatility and
experience of Bellingham's Rockin' Sea Mammals.
 Two songs on the long-awaited album are directly inspired by the Beatles,
the Walrus' favorite band to cover. Young's 'Abbey Road' describes the
ups and downs of rock music stardom, and 'Hold Your Hand' is a 96-second
dance number with harmonies as crisp as The Beatles' No. 1 hit, 'All
My Loving' (and reminiscent of a number of early Beatles songs including,
of course, 'I Want to Hold Your Hand').
"Audiences where some of the 'Uncovered' songs have been played
have told us they are certain they've heard these rock songs before because
they have such a familiar sound," Dingée said.
Shea adds that the classic rock sound has an ageless popularity. "It's
not only the Baby Boomers who can relate to the Walrus' classic rock
style," Shea said. "Some of our most appreciative fans are
kids in their 20s whose parents serenaded them with songs like the Beatles
'Golden Slumbers' instead of 'Rockabye Baby.'"
She added: "Given a choice between angst-ridden teen rock and over-produced
pop, many young people prefer to turn to the more cheerful and down-to-earth
classic rock groove."
Shea says she looks forward to singing and playing the group's new songs
as well as cover tunes by Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Kansas,
Mamas and Papas and others at a series of CD release events over the
coming months.
In addition to the Nov. 18 gig at Wild
Buffalo House of Music, the Walrus will be performing – and selling the 'Uncovered'
CD – at the Fairhaven Pub & Martini Bar in Bellingham on Dec.
1. Opening for the Walrus on Dec. 1 will be the popular Seattle acoustic
band, The Senate.
'Uncovered' can be purchased for $15 from members of the Walrus, local
music stores and CDBaby.com. It will also be available from the iTunes
Music Store and other online music sites.
For more information about the Walrus, including photos, a list of songs
and booking information, go to http://www.tusktusk.com.
Print-quality photos of The Walrus are also available on PRWebPhotowire.com by searching for "Walrus" or "classic rock."
About The Sheehan World:
The Sheehan World is the world's leading online newspaper for
all things important in Kathy Sheehan's world and has been in continuous
circulation since 1995. To read a blog that Kathy contributes to, go
to: http://captkathy.prweblogs.com/
|
