MP3 Eric O'Connell - Anthology
This album is just what the title states: an anthology of Eric O''Connell''s songs. Most of them are newer tunes, some date back to early in his writing career - around 1989. But these songs are more than a catalogue of music.
9 MP3 Songs in this album (29:29) !
Related styles: FOLK: Free-folk, FOLK: Gentle
People who are interested in Leonard Cohen John Gorka Townes Van Zandt should consider this download.
Details:
Eric O’Connell began studying and playing classical guitar at the age of eight. He was a determined student and soon impressed those around him with his skill and natural talent. As he continued to study with outstanding teachers in the Twin Cities and San Francisco, he had the opportunity to perform in various venues (like the first performance of A Prairie Home Companion in Collegeville – at St. John’s University).
In his early twenties, Eric’s music took a new turn. He bought a beautiful Gurian, steel-string guitar and began to experiment with flat picking, bluegrass, and folk. He performed with his friend, Paul Coffell, in central Minnesota. Soon after, his friend, guitarist and songwriter, Doug Olson, along with the influence of other musicians, inspired him to try writing in earnest. He now considers his early work, “a bit rough.”
In a short time, though, songwriting was an avenue of recording and reflecting on the people and events in his life. He was asked to write a tune for a peace rally, and “Not a Breath of Wind” was created. He has composed and played music for friends and family on the occasion of their weddings – “Over the Moon,” “She’ll Call it Love,” and “Stand by the Water” are all excellent examples. “Flowers on the Mountainside” was written to give thanks for the career of one of his mentors. In the Twin Cities, he was asked to perform “I Needed Shoes” on a variety of occasions as an advocate for the needs of children.
For the most part, Eric’s music is a response to someone he meets – with a poignant life story to tell. “Jenna’s World,” “Tracy,” “Take this Frail Life,” and “Listen to the Songbirds” are all examples. And then there are songs that just state what is going on in life – “Still the Same,” “Cotton Sky,” “Where Have I Been?” to name a few. Music has formed the backdrop of a busy and productive life – working and raising two kids. As he writes in The Hammer and the Sea, “This is the soundtrack of my life, songs you have given to me. This is the background of your life – the music, the hammer, and the sea.”
When asked why he is a songwriter, Eric says, “I was reading Songwriter’s Magazine and came across a quote by John Hiatt which I taped to the back of my guitar. He says he always feels the same way when he starts to write a new song: ‘It''s like I''ve never written one before, I don''t have any idea how to do it, and I''m not particularly comfortable with the idea of having to. And it''s not necessarily a pleasant experience. You just gotta do it, and I hate that, ''cause I''m lazy...You just have to sit down with a guitar and play and try and get something going,’ he says, ‘I guess that''s the discipline, if there is one - the discipline is doing it.’ That about sums it up for me." (From Songwriter''s Magazine)