Why Birds Fly
THE STORY BEHIND WHY BIRDS FLY
WHY BIRDS FLY is John Common’s second release as a solo artist. Recorded from 2005 to 2007, WHY BIRDS FLY continues Common’s experiments in combining words, melody, found sounds and starkly honest songwriting. WHY BIRDS FLY is an audio stroll through the valley of the shadow of relationships.
PRESS FOR WHY BIRDS FLY
“John Common’s WHY BIRDS FLY is a thirteen-song collection of scratched films and charred photos that chronicle how things come together and then fall apart. Call it the dark “disc two” from the sessions that produced GOOD TO BE BORN, Common’s critically acclaimed debut record. Common covers some intensely emotional ground on this unflinching new release. The disc also shows his breadth as both writer and producer, an artist at ease with quiet acoustic numbers, wordless sound landscapes and fully-orchestrated rock stunners. Wrapped in radio static and shot out into space, WHY BIRDS FLY is both a great question and a troubling answer.” — Marty Jones
“Why Birds Fly is even more uncommon than its acclaimed 2006 predecessor…the aural environment Common creates is so sumptuous that it rewards repeated listens even as it confounds expectations.” — WESTWORD MAGAZINE (Why Birds Fly)
“It may seem difficult to imagine a guy named John Common living a highly individual life, but believe it… his creative curiosity and detail-oriented aesthetic distinguish him from the drooling pack of earnest singer-songwriters.” — DENVER POST
“John Common has plenty of natural talent. But a more literal interpretation also applies to his latest recording, Why Birds Fly. Throughout tunes such as “Moonlight” and “Unseen Things,” Common weaves traditional instrumentation with the sort of found sounds heard in forests at night: the ambient noises of creatures that creep, crawl or take wing. These subtle touches make his work seem natural in every sense of the word.” — BEST OF WESTWORD 2008
“He always seems to have the right words… with a repertoire that ranges from haunting to hopeful, pensive to provocative.” — COLORADO LOCAL LEGENDS
“Far too many performers settle for predictability — but Common constantly pushes himself, his songs and his arrangements onto paths that few travelers have trod. While his work can seem inconsistent at times, even the misses are intriguing — and the high points (like “Moonlight” and the preternatural “Not So Bad”) truly take wing. — WESTWORD
“John approaches songwriting as though each song is a scene from a movie. The music and lyrics traverse in opposite directions. Music that grinds and roars, exhales and charges again in a fashion reminiscent of early Rolling Stones or Neil Young Two contrasting streams of expression meet to create an energetic dissonance that is pleasant to the troubled ear, in a word rock.” — BOULDER WEEKLY
“His face is a familiar one around town – although it’s not as recognizable as his voice.” — DENVER POST
“John Common refuses to cave to category.” — DENVER DAILY NEWS
LINER NOTES FOR WHY BIRDS FLY
JOHN COMMON | WHY BIRDS FLY
Produced by John Common
Engineered by Scott Davies, Jeremy Lawton, John Common
Recorded at Emmasaurus Sound
Mixed and mastered by Jeremy Lawton
Art direction and design by John Common
Copyright John Common Music / BMI. All rights reserved worldwide.
Call
John Common – guitar, rhodes
Already There
John Common – guitar, vocals
Jeremy Lawton – conjunculator
Do You Hate
John Common – guitars, wurlitzer, piano, samples, vocals
Scott Davies – drums, samples
Steve Millin – bass
Jeremy Lawton – backing vocals
Moonlight
John Common – guitars, wurlitzer, piano, samples, vocals
Scott Davies – drums
Steve Millin – bass
Jeremy Lawton – conjunculator
Chris Eagleton – samples
Adam Lancaster – guitar
Before You Met Me
John Common – wurlitzer, rhodes, samples, vocals
Matt Gilliam – trumpet, fluegal horn
Flesh Wound
John Common – guitars, wurlitzer, samples, vocals
Scott Davies – drums, samples
Kevin Meyer – bass
Jed Marrs – backing vocals
Unseen Things
John Common – samples
Scott Davies – samples
LGM
John Common – guitar, banjo, samples, vocals
Jeremy Lawton – weisenborn
You Stay
John Common – guitars, wurlitzer, piano, vocals
Scott Davies – drums, samples
Steve Millin – bass
Wrong Number
John Common – guitar, wurlitzer, vocals
Scott Davies – drums
Kevin Meyer – bass, backing vocals
Jed Marrs – backing vocals
Not So Bad
John Common – guitar, wurlitzer, samples, vocals
Jeremy Lawton – weisenborn
Do You Hate (karaoke)
John Comon – samples, vocals
Jed Marrs – casio
Scott Davies – clave
Response
John Common – guitar, Rhodes
