Submitted by Don Graham
Celebrated America writer William Faulkner said in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech “it’s a poet’s, or writer’s, duty to write about courage, honour, hope, pride, compassion, pity, and sacrifice.” Eric Andersen, songpoet, visionary, and figurehead of the ’60s folk singer songwriter movement from its Greenwich Village and Woodstock roots through its 21st century Americana and alt-Americana renaissance is a living example of that edict.
It would have been easy, and no doubt acceptable, for him to sit back and be satisfied with his extensive body of work starting in 1965 with his most famous early compositions like “Thirsty Boots,” “Violets of Dawn,” and “Close The Door Lightly When You Go” being covered by the likes of Bob Dylan, Ricky Nelson, Judy Collins, the Brothers Four, the Kingston Trio, the Blues Project and a host of others. But not acceptable to Eric. Being a true artist and writer Eric continues to create new works, seven decades in.
Eric has released a new double album, Dance of Love and Death, 17 new songs available on CD and LP form as well as digital platforms globally. This is Eric’s first album of new material since 2003’s Beat Avenue and is one of Eric’s finest pieces of work to date. The songs are all excellent and his voice has never sounded better, more real and authentic. If his heart has vocal cords, this is what it would sound like. From his home in the Netherlands Eric said, “I’m proud of this album. I look at this work as “gestalt”, meaning the total is greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the same way I felt about my Blue River album.”
Watch and listen on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDYxROnHfOo
Dance of Love and Death was recorded in three locations, at long time partner in crime Steve Addabbo’s Shelter Island Sound in New York, Turin, Italy, and Amsterdam. The players include the likes of Lenny Kaye on guitars and bass on the opening track, “Dance of Love and Death.”
Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/4xVp9UnaMmRs0lkruEE14C
Bob Dylan bassist Tony Garnier on “Don’t It Make You Wanna Sing the Blues,” with Eric on piano, and the sweet voice of Eric’s wife Inge contributing on the background vocals. Of the 17 tunes only “Cross of Gold” is not written Eric. It’s written by Robin Batteau. One of my favourite tracks is “Singin’ Man,” a tribute to all the buskers and street singers from London to France/ New York to Frankfurt and all the way back,” Paris, Zurich, Rome, Milan, Copenhagen, Berlin, and beyond. “Call me the busker with the songs in my sack/ With my guitar in hand and a drum on my back/ I’ll sing in your subways; your trolleys and trams/ I am a street singer and I’m proud that I am.” This track features Larry Campbell on guitar, mandolin and violin.
“After This Life” is another gem “After this life, I’m gonna swim the Amazon/ After this life, I’m gonna be a real blonde/ After this life, gonna ride a chestnut mare/ After this life, after this life, after this life.” A bucket list put to music. Other tracks that stood out were “Troubled Angel”, “Map of a Woman’s Heart “and “Sinking Deeper Into You” although there isn’t a weak track on the album.
DANCE OF LOVE AND DEATH by ERIC ANDERSEN
Track Listing:
CD 1
1. Dance of Love and Death
2. Love Is a Sacred Thing
3. Don’t It Make You Wanna Sing the Blues
4. After This Life
5. Troubled Angel
6. River Spree (Berlin)
7. Every Once in a While 8. Season in Crime (Crime Scenes)
9. Map of a Woman’s Heart
CD 2
1. Color Blind (True Colors)
2. Inevitable
3. At the End of the Day
4. Story of Skin
5. Cross of Gold
6. Singin’ Man
7. Sinking Deeper into You
8. Broken Bone Blues
Eric will be out on the road promoting his new work and of course performing his classic hits. Here’s a list of upcoming dates.
Eric Andersen accompanied by Steve Addabbo Date Venue City
Sept. 4 The Falcon – Marlboro, NY (co-bill with Jon Pousette-Dart)
Sept. 5 Caffè Lena – Saratoga Springs,
NY Sept. 7 The Turning Point – Piermont, NY
Sept. 13 The Sounding Board – West Hartford, CT
Sept. 14 Cold River Radio Show (The Barnstormers Theatre) – Tamworth, NH
Sept. 20 Rose Garden Coffeehouse – Mansfield, MA
Sept. 25 Nod Hill Brewery – Ridgefield, CT
Oct. 3 Avenel Performing Arts Center – Avenel, NJ
Oct. 4 Club Passim – Cambridge, MA
We asked Eric how he felt about going back on tour “I’m excited about touring again after the pandemic. It will be over a year & half since I’ve been in the States. I look forward to returning and working with my guitarist Steve Addabbo again plus recording and performing a new song called “Stand Up” (and resist) along with other new songs from my recent new album, ‘Dance of Love and Death. I regret we don’t have any Canadian shows scheduled this round but hopefully next tour. Canada always has great enthusiastic audiences! I miss my friends there!”
For more info visit: https://ericandersen.com/