Temporary Road

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Temporary Road
Temporary Road cover
Studio album by John Gorka
Released Dec 8, 1992
Genre folk, singer-songwriter
Length 45:53
Label High Street
Producer Steven Miller and Dawn Atkinson
Professional reviews
John Gorka chronology
Jack's Crows
(1991)		 Temporary Road
(1992)		 Out of the Valley
(1994)

Tempoary Road is the fourth album by folk singer-songwriter John Gorka. In 1992 there was strong critical consensus that Gorka was one of the leading male voices of the "new folk" movement of the day.[1] As titles like "Looking Forward" and "Gravyland" might imply, the album has an overall optimistic tone. High Street Records produced videos for the upbeat "When She Kisses Me" and "I Don't Feel Like a Train", both of which received some airplay on CMT. Gorka would later credit bluesy numbers like "Baby Blues" to the influence of the legendary "Slow Blind Driveway."

Despite the upbeat tone of many tracks the album also contains some darker political commentary. The title track, and "The Gypsy" life offer reflections on the first Gulf War. "Can You Understand My Joy?" is asked in an ironic, sarcastic way. The mix of moods in Gorka's songs helped earn him the description of "the dark optimist."[2]

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by John Gorka

  1. "Looking Forward" – 4:03
  2. "Baby Blues" – 3:40
  3. "The Gypsy Life" – 4;23
  4. "Vinnie Charles Is Free" – 4:27
  5. "Gravyland" – 3:38
  6. "Temporary Road" – 3:30
  7. "All That Hammering" – 3:21
  8. "I Don't Feel Like A Train" – 3:06
  9. "When She Kisses Me" – 2:44
  10. "Grand Larceny" – 3:24
  11. "If I Could Forget To Breathe" – 2:28
  12. "Can You Understand My Joy" – 3:17
  13. "Brown Shirts" - 3:52

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Notes and sources

  1. ^ a b Roch Parisien, "Review: Temporary Road", All Music Guide (link)
  2. ^ Anil Prasad, "John Gorka: The Dark Optimist", Interviews, January 19, 1992