 Four Thirty 2006 Many bands try to capture in recording the energy and magic felt onstage, in the practice studio or at the kitchen table late at night when all that is present is a notebook with inconsistent markings, an acoustic guitar and empty bottles of beer. Many fail. The Great Crusades newest album, Four Thirty, does all of this and much more. Four Thirty is The Great Crusades. The album represents the band at their collaborative best, giving their live shows greater justice by infusing that same gritty, raw energy into a collection of tracks that winds listeners through the depths of Chicago, New Orleans and the stories they’ve created and remembered along the way. Recorded at Rax Trax Studios in Chicago, The Great Crusades – singer, songwriter and guitarist Brian Krumm, bassist Brian Hunt, drummer Christian Moder and multi-instrumentalist Brian Leach – and longtime friend and producer/engineer Blaise Barton (Bob Dylan, Liz Phair) spent three 12-hour days putting their music to analog tape. The band’s goal for the session was to create the warmest reflection of their ability while harnessing their raucous energy. The outcome reveals boisterous, yet well-balanced vocals and colorful harmonies coupled with guitar playing reminiscent of rock and roll’s storied past. And while all of this is happening, the driving drums and bass hold the band on a course somewhere between the shoulder of the road and its median, but by no means strictly along the dotted line. On Four Thirty, the band admits to using a writing process unique to their previous recordings. All of the lyrics were written after the music was already completed, allowing for a greater level of collaboration. “Usually, I would bring near-complete songs to the group so that we could then finish at the practice loft,” said Krumm. “This time, I wrote all the lyrics after the music. The result is an album that is less forced and more collaborative. I consider the music on Four Thirty as a natural progression for us as a band.” Added Hunt, “The idea on Four Thirty was to keep everything moving and to avoid the habits we’ve picked up throughout our years together that would have ultimately slowed down the creative process. Our writing sessions were about picking a beat and a key and just playing on that for as long as it felt good. On this album, we never got hung up on one aspect of a song. We would simply play through it, and sometimes, make it right on the fly in the studio. All of us ended up in new places because the songs were driving the process and we had to keep up.” Ultimately, Four Thirty is an album that melds unique experiences, special friendships and a collective passion for music into an extraordinary effort greater than any one moment. It is quality storytelling meets rock and roll meets classic Americana that then chooses to hang out for a bit with the blues. Album credits and liner notes FOUR THIRTY Was that the number of the room he stayed in downtown? In the hotel by the Lower Wacker lights? Maybe Four Thirty was the address of that place. Maybe it was the time of day he got to the room after “getting the job done.” But was it 4:30 A.M. or P.M.? He couldn’t remember, but he knew that it didn’t matter at the time. All he wanted to do was sleep. But sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, he stared out the window down at the city streets. Everything seemed normal, but how could anything ever be the same? He had gotten away with it all again, like he always did. Afterward, he had disappeared for a while. Not far enough away from the city, he had thought at the time, but apparently it was far enough. Now, it was good to be back in the city. Where nobody knew his name. He stared out the window and caught his reflection in the glass. What had that guy at the bar been saying to him? He thought he understood now, but at the time it was all crazy mumbles and spit. He hoped he didn’t turn out like that guy. Had he already? He thought of what he could have done differently in the past. He thought back to hanging out on that decrepit porch downstate, with all the peeling paint surrounding the porch saint. And that girl from Missouri. He could have stared at her for days. But right then, none of that mattered. It was good to be back in the city. Where nobody knew his name. Lyrics by Brian Krumm Music by The Great Crusades Brian Hunt Brian Krumm Brian Leach Christian Moder Recorded September 10–12, 2005 at Rax Trax Studios in Chicago Mixed by Blaise Barton & Brian Leach at Artists’ Pipeline Productions & Scientific Recording Mastered by Blaise Barton at Scientific Recording Sincere thanks to our families, friends and fans. Package Design by Brian Hunt Photography by The Great Crusades, Patrick Stork & Stephen Austin Welch Dedicated to Donald Leach 2005 THE GREAT CRUSADES | ASCAP | GEMA |GRCD 642 LC 08323 |
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