Driver (Ferron album)

Last updated
Driver
Driver (Ferron album).jpg
Studio album by
Ferron
Released1994
StudioDesolation Sound, Maddock Studios
Genre Folk rock
Label Cherrywood Station, Earthbeat!
Producer Don "DB" Benedictson
Ferron chronology
Not a Still Life
(1992)		Driver
(1994)		 Still Riot
(1996)

Driver is a folk-rock album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Ferron. It was originally released in 1994 on her own Cherrywood Station label, and distributed by Earthbeat!, a division of Warner Brothers. [1] Stephen Holden of The New York Times named it one of the top 10 albums of 1994: "These expansive confessional road songs by the husky-voiced Canadian singer and songwriter communicate a lifetime's wisdom with a bone-deep honesty." [2]

Contents

According to Ferron, the album was "the completion of an intention to create a whole body of work." [3]

Production

The songs on the album were informed by the positive feelings generated by Ferron's relationship and family, which by 1994 included a baby daughter named Maya. [4] Relegated to a drawer marked "g" for "garbage," Ferron considered the songs too personal to record until she auditioned them for guitarist Shelly Jennings. [5] Some of the album was recorded Ferron's garage on Vashon Island, using portable equipment.

"It's very peaceful," Ferron told The Province. "But not sleepy. I went through a lot of emotion putting that record out." "There's supposed to be a question mark at the end of the title, but everyone thought it looked stupid," she told The Vancouver Sun. "But I think the question mark is important—because who ever really knows? It may feel like driving, but we all take wrong turns, we all screw up all the time, but we all keep going." [6]

The song "Maya" was inspired by a dream about Joni Mitchell. "Borderlines" had previously appeared on Ferron's 1977 debut album. [7]

"Girl on a Road" has become one of her signature songs. According to a 2017 interview, only one line of the song is strictly autobiographical: "My momma was a waitress, my daddy was a truck driver/ the things that kept their power from them slowed me down a while." The song was written quickly, in Chicago, while waiting for a sound check. She cried while writing it. When recording the song for the album, she asked the musicians to refrain from distracting flourishes in order to maintain focus on the core message. The song also inspired the title of a 2009 documentary about the musician by filmmaker Gerry Rogers. [8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
New York Times Favorable [9]
The AdvocateFavorable [10]
Philadelphia Daily News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
Washington Post Favorable [12]

"...an expansive sigh of joy from this nomadic folkie who has finally found her mate and settled into a rustic idyll in the Pacific Northwest," said The New York Times. "The songs, the best of which recall the dreamy mood of Van Morrison's most enraptured reveries, take stock of life and love in language and music that is startlingly intimate, honest and inspiring." [13]

The Philadelphia Daily News called Driver "an arty gem," singling out "Girl on a Road," "Independence Day" and "Maya" as favorites. [14]

Geoffrey Himes in The Washington Post considered Driver a return to form, appreciating the "chamber-folk" arrangements and the work of producer Don Benedictson. "Ferron is less interested in pat platitudes than in life's most elusive riddles," said Himes. "She pursues them with the tenacity of her fellow Canadians, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young." [15]

"A richly produced, moody meditation on turning 40, accepting aloneness, and learning how to love," according to The Advocate. [16]

Track listing

All songs written by Ferron

  1. "Breakpoint"
  2. "Girl on a Road"
  3. "Call Me"
  4. "Cactus"
  5. "Love Loves Me"
  6. "Borderlines"
  7. "Sunshine's Lament (Prologue)"
  8. "Sunshine"
  9. "Sunshine's Lament (Epilogue)"
  10. "Independence Day
  11. "A Name for It"
  12. "Maya"

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joni Mitchell</span> Canadian-American singer-songwriter (born 1943)

Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her personal lyrics and unconventional compositions which grew to incorporate pop and jazz elements. She has received many accolades, including eleven Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Rolling Stone called her "one of the greatest songwriters ever", and AllMusic has stated, "Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century."

Ferron Foisy, who has mostly been known professionally as Ferron is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter and poet. In addition to gaining fame as one of Canada's most respected songwriters, Ferron, who is openly lesbian, became one of the earliest and most influential lyrical songwriters of the women's music circuit, and an important influence on later musicians such as Ani DiFranco, Mary Gauthier and the Indigo Girls. From the mid-eighties on, Ferron's songwriting talents have been recognized and appreciated by music critics and broader audiences, with comparisons being made to the writing talents of Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen.

<i>The Hissing of Summer Lawns</i> 1975 studio album by Joni Mitchell

The Hissing of Summer Lawns is the seventh studio album by Joni Mitchell. It was released in November 1975 on Asylum Records. The album continues the jazz-influenced sound of Mitchell's previous album Court and Spark while featuring more unconventional and experimental material than its predecessor. Additionally, the album saw Mitchell experiment with sampling and synthesizers such as the Moog and ARP. Contributors to the album include jazz-rock groups the L.A. Express and the Jazz Crusaders alongside backing appearances by James Taylor, David Crosby, and Graham Nash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coyote (song)</span> 1977 single by Joni Mitchell

"Coyote" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell from her eighth album Hejira (1976). It was released as the album's lead single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borderline (Madonna song)</span> 1984 single by Madonna

"Borderline" is a song by American singer Madonna from her debut self-titled studio album (1983), written and produced by Reggie Lucas. In 1982, Madonna was signed on by Sire Records for the release of two 12-inch singles; after the success of first single "Everybody", the label approved the recording of an album, and the singer decided to work with Lucas. "Borderline" is a pop song with post-disco elements whose sounds recall the music of the 1970s, while the lyrics find a woman complaining of her lover's chauvinism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Achy Breaky Heart</span> Single by Billy Ray Cyrus

"Achy Breaky Heart" is a song written in 1990 by Don Von Tress. First released in 1991 by the Marcy Brothers with the title "Don't Tell My Heart", it was later recorded by American singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus and released on his debut album, Some Gave All (1992). The song is Cyrus's debut single and signature song. It became the first single ever to achieve triple platinum status in Australia and also 1992's best-selling single in the same country. In the United States, it became a crossover hit on pop and country radio, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the first country single to be certified platinum since "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in 1983. The single topped in several countries, and after being featured on Top of the Pops in the United Kingdom, peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. It was Cyrus's biggest hit single in the U.S. until he was featured on "Old Town Road" by rapper Lil Nas X, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 27 years later.

<i>Shadows and Light</i> (Joni Mitchell album) 1980 live album by Joni Mitchell

Shadows and Light is the second live album by Canadian musician Joni Mitchell. It was released in September 1980 through Asylum Records, her last release for the label. It was recorded in September 1979 at the Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, California.

<i>Turbulent Indigo</i> 1994 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Turbulent Indigo is the 15th album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in 1994, it won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Album. John Milward, writing for Rolling Stone, wrote that it was Mitchell's "best album since the mid-'70s".

<i>New! Improved!</i> 1969 album by Blue Cheer

New! Improved! is the third album by American rock group Blue Cheer. Released in March 1969 by Philips Records, it is their first without original guitarist Leigh Stephens. The album features songs recorded by two different group lineups: in addition to bassist and vocalist Dickie Peterson and drummer Paul Whaley, side one includes Bruce Stephens on guitar and Burns Kellogg on keyboards; while side two includes Randy Holden on guitar and vocals.

<i>Mas Canciones</i> 1991 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Mas Canciones is an album by American singer/songwriter/producer Linda Ronstadt, released in late 1991.

<i>Speeding Time</i> 1983 studio album by Carole King

Speeding Time is an album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1983. King's 13th album in 14 years, Speeding Time was poorly reviewed and was her first album not to chart. Following the album's release, King did not record again for six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cucu Diamantes</span> Musical artist

Cucu Diamantes is a Grammy nominated Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist. Her 2009 debut album Cuculand received a Latin Grammy Nomination for Best Alternative Song, "Más Fuerte". Diamantes is also cofounder and lead singer of Grammy nominated New York City fusion band Yerba Buena. A frequent collaborator, Diamantes has worked with Carlinhos Brown, Yotuel Romero, Lenine, Fat Boy Slim, Meshell Ndegeocello, Vico C, Les Nubians, Rossy de Palma, John Leguizamo, Paulina Rubio, Aleks Syntek, and Beto Cuevas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Por Debajo de la Mesa</span> 1997 single by Luis Miguel

"Por Debajo de la Mesa" is a song written by Armando Manzanero and performed by Mexican recording artist Luis Miguel. Arranged by Bebu Silvetti, it was one of the two original compositions written for Miguel's fifteenth studio album Romances. It was released as the lead single from the album on 15 July 1997 and it became his thirteenth number-one single on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States. The music video features Miguel performing at a fine-dining restaurant in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Right Thing to Do</span> 1973 single by Carly Simon

"The Right Thing to Do" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon that first appeared on her 1972 album No Secrets. The song was recorded at Trident Studios in London's Soho. It was released as the second single to the album, following "You're So Vain" and reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached No. 20 on the Canada Top Singles chart and No. 9 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. It reached No. 17 in the UK.

Jennifer Berezan is a Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and activist. A native of Alberta, she has released ten albums, which explore themes in environmental, women's, and other justice movements. Her work spans several musical genres and often includes other artists, and large-scale multicultural events. Berezan's 1993 album, Borderlines, was nominated for a NAIRD Award for independent music.

<i>Bringing Back the Sunshine</i> 2014 studio album by Blake Shelton

Bringing Back the Sunshine is the ninth studio album by American country music singer Blake Shelton. The album was released on September 30, 2014, by Warner Bros. Nashville. The album was produced by Shelton's longtime producer Scott Hendricks. "Neon Light," the album's lead-off single, was released on August 18, 2014. The album's second single, "Lonely Tonight", received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

<i>Testimony</i> (Ferron album) 1980 studio album

Testimony is a folk album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Ferron. The album includes new material as well as songs that had previously appeared on earlier recordings, re-recorded with local session players and singers. It was first released in 1980 by independent label Lucy Records.

<i>Phantom Center</i> 1990 studio album by Ferron

Phantom Center is a 1990 studio album by the Canadian female singer-songwriter Ferron.

<i>Ferron</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Ferron

Ferron is the debut album by Canadian singer-songwriter Ferron. It was self-produced and released in March 1977 by independent label Lucy Records and subsequently distributed by Ladyslipper Music.

<i>Backed Up</i> 1978 studio album by Ferron

Backed Up is the second album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Ferron, accompanied by a backing band. Produced by Ferron and Keith Maillard and released in 1978 by her own independent label Lucy Records, it includes early versions of several of the artist's most notable songs. The album was distributed by Ladyslipper Music.

References

  1. ↑ Obejas, Achy (November 17, 1994). "FERRON STILL FOLLOWS HER OWN PATH IN MUSIC". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Holden, Stephen (January 5, 1995). "The Pop Life: Review". New York Times.
  3. ↑ Harrison, Tom (March 10, 1994). "Ferron brings it all back home". The Province.
  4. ↑ Obejas, Achy (November 17, 1994). "FERRON STILL FOLLOWS HER OWN PATH IN MUSIC". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Japenga, Ann (February 22, 1994). "Ferron's incredible journey". The Advocate.
  6. ↑ Monk, Katherine (February 9, 1994). "Her Driver brings her round". The Vancouver Sun.
  7. ↑ Harrison, Tom (March 10, 1994). "Ferron brings it all back home". The Province.
  8. ↑ Warner, Andrea (July 10, 2017). "A candid interview with Ferron, an unsung Canadian treasure". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Holden, Stephen (September 9, 1994). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; In the Flux And Flukes Of Pop Fads, 21 Albums For Adults". New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  10. ↑ Kort, Michele (February 22, 1994). "Music: Ferron-height". The Advocate.
  11. ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (October 7, 1994). "October fest of rising stars". The Philadelphia Daily News.
  12. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (October 7, 1994). "Ferron steers 'Driver' expertly". The Washington Post. ProQuest   750866732.
  13. ↑ Holden, Stephen (September 9, 1994). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; In the Flux And Flukes Of Pop Fads, 21 Albums For Adults". New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  14. ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (October 7, 1994). "October fest of rising stars". The Philadelphia Daily News.
  15. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (October 7, 1994). "Ferron steers 'Driver' expertly". The Washington Post.
  16. ↑ Kort, Michele (February 22, 1994). "Music: Ferron-height". The Advocate.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.