It Was Easier Back Then CD Cover


Liner Notes

Welcome to Raker john's CD liner notes page! First, let me say that this is a work in progress as the selection and recording of the songs is currently taking place. This means that there may be some additions/subtractions along the way and I ask your patience (or forgiveness) as the effort continues...

Some time ago I put together a summary of my musical history which presents the different stages in chronological sequence. This also describes the various places I was living and (some of) my personal relationships and professional situations at the time - all part of the influences effecting my music. It may be a little long for some but it became my way of putting it down so I wouldn't forget it - sort of like a memoir. (More like a string around my finger...) Used in conjunction with these liner notes, it should give you a pretty complete picture of "where I was" at the time these tunes were written; I hope you enjoy the ride...

This site is a general collection of thoughts, comments and trivia related to my first CD, It Was Easier Back Then .... I feel lucky to have been able to include some of my dear friends, including John Austin and Pat McConnell in this project since they so often joins me at the bakery on Friday mornings or in other musical groups that I participate in locally. Both bring a totally new dimension to many of these tunes. Each contributor created their own parts with only minimal direction from me (can you believe that?). We hope you have fun with our thoughts and abstract ramblings as well as the detailed instrument listings for each tune. For the sake of brevity (and when did that ever become an issue with me?) Most of the information I provide is to the best of my ability to remember. Things get a bit hazy after 50 or so years... Enjoy!!! Raker john


Introduction

This is the initial recording of Raker john's original material and its purpose, content and style is probably best discussed tune by tune. There were some early recordings made of my early group Rita, Rail & Raker john but they did not include any of my original material. Hence, as usual, I have to do that on my own... This CD collects the music I wrote between 1960 and 1970 which I choose to refer to as my "early period". Where possible, I will list the year each tune was written and where I happened to be at the time...

The CD Tracks Themselves

Early group Roll On Baby Roll On Baby - Ft. Myers, FL 1962

This is one of the earliest surviving songs I wrote. It was my attempt at a "train song" even though, as a junior in high school, I had extremely little real experience with the subject matter. However, even at this young age I had already lived in 6 different states and seven different houses (eight if you count the motel we lived in for several months while we looked for a house in Ft. Myers) so I had already developed a feeling of impermanence about things around me. It also shows that, even at an early age, I seemed to know that I would be inclined to make hasty and, at times, regrettable decisions in my life.

Find Me A River Find Me A River - Ft. Myers, FL 1962

Though not written until 1962, this song had its origins back in 1957 when I was living with my family on 48 acres of woodland outside of Butler, PA. In those days, I'd leave the house after breakfast and often not return until it was suppertime. One of the activities I enjoyed was to bicycle to this wooded area about 7 miles from our house and then follow a path back into the woods for about half a mile to where it came to some large boulders bordering a small stream. You could lie on the warm rocks in the summertime and listen to the water babble over the stones and branches in the stream. I called it my "thinking place" because I never saw anyone else there - even though the path gave evidence that traffic to and from the area was relatively frequent. It was one of the first places that brought me solitude and, at times, clarity. I would often doze off while listening to the wonderful "white noise" of the water. Places like this are becoming harder and harder to find...