Perfect Strangers 15th Anniversary!
For what it's worth - My Sunday Best #49
I guess I missed my window of opportunity. I never realized fifteen years ago when I ordered 1000 CDs that they were on their way to becoming a thing of the past, like their predecessors—cassette tapes, 8-tracks, and vinyl records. Even though a song may last forever, its tangible representations do not.
However, I don’t think these hand-held time capsules of creative masterpieces ever completely go away. Even though they may disappear from bookshelves and glove compartments, somewhere nearby, there is a shiny wad of cassette tape blowing in the wind, a CD scratched beyond recognition, and a warped vinyl record.
I think this continual process of evolution, beginnings, and endings, is how it’s supposed to be. I can’t imagine what kind of space I would live in today if I had kept every kindergarten drawing, blue ribbon, or photograph that proves I was here and destined for greatness. It makes me laugh to even think about how funny it would be if you came to my house and I immediately pulled out the popsicle string sculpture I made in 2nd grade.
Everything has its time, its twenty minutes of fame, they say. And some things come around again, like Tracy Chapman’s song Fast Car. I can only imagine how mind-boggling it must be for her to watch her life change overnight with a song she wrote over thirty years ago. I’m sure, like me, she thought its time was past.
But that’s how creativity works. It’s not concerned with the future, only the process—creating and letting go, creating and letting go, over and over again. Even Mother Nature is gracious enough to show me how it’s done— the orb spider that builds a beautiful web at night and then dismantles it every morning or the stunning sandcastle reclaimed by the incoming tide.
Friday night I watched the Jason Isbell documentary Running With Our Eyes Closed. There was one part in the film that struck me. When he goes into the studio to record, none of the other musicians have heard the song. They sit around in a circle while he plays the song on his acoustic guitar and they make notes on a piece of paper. Then they go to their instruments and play the song, while the engineer hits the record button. I would have to go back through the documentary to quote Jason’s words correctly. In my paraphrase, he said that the most important part of any song is when it’s being created. Once it’s finished, then it’s a matter of memorization and remembering.
I have witnessed this in the recording studio. Things happen that can’t be explained or reproduced. Not long ago, my husband Mickey and I were preparing for a show and listening to a recording of one of my songs. As he tried to relearn the guitar lead he played on the recording, he said, “I don’t know what I did there, I don’t even know how to do that.”
So, this brings me back to the box of Perfect Strangers CDs and clearing space for something new. Even though I display this CD at every gig with a $12 price sticker on the front, I will probably still have hundreds left when I take my last breath. So I decided before I repurposed them into coasters or modern art, I would make an effort to share this part of me. I know it’s kind of like showing you my early finger paintings. But it’s also about sharing a few stories and human experiences that connect us.
As I took the time to reminisce about the details of Perfect Strangers, I found there is so much I still love about this album.
The title track Perfect Strangers is a song I wrote about my dad. I didn’t grow up near him. I mostly know him through the stories of others. I wrote this song after a short visit with him. A few months later I finished the CD and sent him a copy. I’m told he loved the song and listened to it repeatedly for the last few years of his life.
Running Away features my friend Ronnie Fruge on lead guitar. I love the chord progression and the toe-tapping melody of this song. Every time I hear it, I can see Ronnie bent over his guitar doing that magical thing he does.
I Won’t Quit You is a song about the ups and downs of relationships and staying the course. I just found out that of all the songs I’ve written, this is one of Mickey’s favorites. When I asked him about what he played he said, “I still don’t know where that came from.”
One Eye Closed is a song inspired by being the mother of two boys. I can’t count the number of times I heard, “Watch this Mom,” only to witness an epic bicycle crash.
I Don’t Wanna Play is a song I wrote when I felt wounded by other people’s words and wanted to give up on my dreams.
“My skin is thin, like an old woman’s. My emotions run with the blood in my veins. Threatening to spill with the slightest scratch.” Yeah, my feelings were hurt.
I Can’t Stop and You Caught Me By Surprise are songs about the powerful force of falling in love. Mickey came up with a very cool vibe in the latter.
Save it For Later is a song about not waiting until it’s too late—giving all my love every day. “I’m not going to save it for later, I’m going to spend it all in one place.”
Space Between is about the continuous flow of precious and magical moments we are gifted with every day. Mickey played his Tennessee Rose Gretsch guitar on this song—a gift from my mom.
Can You Feel My Love is a song inspired by a young family separated by war—another story for another day.
This was my first time recording in Nashville and working with fantastic session players—I was awestruck! It was very similar to what Isbell described. We all stood around a table and listened to my raw demo, and then everyone went to their respective corners and created something I’m proud of.
The cover photo was taken in the historic mining town of Silver Plume, Colorado. When I got the proofs back, the photo with a dog walking down the street in the background was my favorite—the perfect photo bomb. ❤️
Of course, this album is available digitally. Meanwhile, I’ll just put this out there
https://checkout.square.site/.../BXCXEZJ2FNERANB4YD2NE3HJ