Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus: “Going The Distance” (2022) CD Review

Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus are a folk rock duo based in Austin, Texas. In 2022, they released Going The Distance, an album of original material written during the pandemic, though not directly addressing it. On this release, they are joined by some talented and accomplished musicians, including Bill Kirchen (known for his work in Commander Cody And His Lost Airmen and with Nick Lowe) and BettySoo (known for her work in Charlie Faye And The Fayettes and with James McMurtry). Jim Patton is on lead vocals and plays acoustic guitar, and Sherry Brokus provides harmonies. Ron Flynt, who produced the album, plays bass, piano, harmonium, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, 12-string guitar, harpsichord, and accordion, and provides backing vocals. Rich Brotherton plays acoustic guitar, cittern, and mandolin. Warren Hood plays fiddle on these tracks. Flynt, Brotherton and Hood also all played on Claudia Gibson’s new album, The Fields Of Chazy. This disc also features John Bush on percussion.

The album opens with its title track, “Going The Distance,” which begins with these lines: “Well, we rolled the Toyota/Out on I-35/When the dust finally settled/Never felt so alive/We drove on in a rental.” Yes, it’s a positive number about persevering, about not letting things hold you back, as they tell us they had “Songs yet to play.” Some of the guitar work makes me think of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling.” This one was written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge. “We’re going the distance/Right up to the end/Yeah, we’re going the distance/I’m right beside you, my friend.” That’s followed by “That’s What I Do.” This one had me smiling pretty quickly with its cheerful vibe. Its first lines speak to me, “Can’t hammer a nail/I can’t fix the fence/Can’t hang a picture.” Okay, maybe I can do two of those things (not well, of course), but these lines continue to feel applicable: “Can’t promise the moon/Can’t pay the rent/Well, I followed my dream/At your expense.” The song is about being able to write a song, about being able to make your loved one laugh (and cry). It’s sweet and delightful. “I can make you laugh/I can make you cry/That’s what I do.” And when he tells us how the song goes, it makes me laugh: “It goes fa la la-la la.” May each of us have someone so supportive in our lives.

“Too many worries, too little cash/And these ends won’t ever meet,” Jim Patton sings in “Struggling,” a song about feeling like you should be better off than you are, farther along than you are. I think most of us can relate to this one. This track has a lot of lines that stand out, such as these: “Groceries have gone sky-high/The car needs to be fixed/These dues that I’ve been paying/Have yet to pay me back.” Those lines about dues in particular strike a chord with me. Last year there was a SAG-AFTRA strike which kept me out of work for eight months. And then SAG-AFTRA sent me a bill for dues for that time. Are they kidding? Though this song is about struggling, there is a bouncy and cheerful sound to it, which I appreciate. The music seems to tell us we’ll make it at some point. We have to keep believing, right? “A lot of people got it worse/I got a home, I got a bed/No sense being bitter/Or cursing how things are/After all, I still have the girl/And I still have this guitar.” Oh yes. I can’t imagine how things would be without my girlfriend and without music. Eric Hisaw plays lead guitar on this track, delivering some nice work. This song was written by Jim Patton and Steve Brooks. There is a light feel to “Words I Can’t Unsay” too, while the lyrics have a serious quality. “Blame it on my mother, blame it on my dad/You ought to see my brother if you think I’m bad/I come from a house of anger and I grew up mad/Saying words I can’t unsay.” There is an introspective bent to the lyrics, though the music seems to reach out, perhaps acting as an apology itself. This track features the great Bill Kirchen on guitar. It was written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge.

“Janey It’s Alright” also reaches out, this time to a specific person. “Babe, I would meet you anywhere/Janey, it’s all right/You name the place and I’ll be there/Janey, it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right/Janey, it’s all right.” And a line like “All the people that we used to know, I wonder where they’ve gone” still works for me on an emotional level, though rationally I respond that you can probably find them all on social media sites. Another line that stands out for me is this: “Sometimes I’m so deep inside, I don’t know how to get out anymore.” This track also features some really nice backing vocal work. That’s followed by “Golden Boy,” which has a pretty feel as it begins, with that sweet work on fiddle. It’s a song addressed to a fallen hero: “You went from hometown hero to a man who lost his soul.” The line “You went from full of promise to another guy getting old” is painful, particularly to those of us who feel we have not lived up to our potential.

“Brand New Love” has a fun vibe. Partly it’s that rhythm, which has a bit of a Bo Diddley thing happening. Partly it’s Bill Kirchen’s guitar work. And also it’s a love song, about the effects of love. “This dirty old town’s a beautiful place/Your boss is a jerk, but you laugh in his face/You got a goofy grin, a secret smile/You haven’t been this happy in a long, long while/Uh-oh, I think it’s true/Brand new love’s got a hold on you.” Ah, yes. Though I’ve discovered love doesn’t have to be new to have that effect. This song has a short section of vocals and drums. I was trained in the 1980s to always love those sections, and that training holds strong apparently. This song was written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge. It is followed by “Facing The Lions,” which features some wonderful work on fiddle. “Now you’re standing alone/A long way from home/And you’re facing the lions.” Then “Gino” begins with some nice work on acoustic guitar. This is a song about a man whose best days are far behind him. “He says he hates his life from the time he wakes up/Until he drinks himself to sleep at night/Never thought he’s ever gonna get this old until it happened overnight.” Interestingly, the character of this song rolls his car, making it the second song on the album to have that happen. In this one too, he is able to walk away from the accident. This is one of my personal favorite tracks, in large part because of Jim Patton’s moving vocal performance.

“Austin Night” comes on strong, with a good rockin’ vibe. It’s a song about getting turned on to rock and roll, and deciding to make a life out of it. The first line reveals it’s Rubber Soul that did it. This track contains some good backing vocal work, and excellent guitar work by Bill Kirchen. “Well, I’ll admit some dreams did not come true/That’s the case for all but a fortunate few/I’m not rich or famous, but I’m doing all right/I’m still making music on an Austin night.” Then “I’m Still A Dreaming Man” has a softer, gentler sound. Interestingly, this one begins with the line, “My dreams did not true,” so feels in some way like it is continuing the thought from the previous song. He then continues: “That I can say the same for you/That’s a secret they don’t tell you as a kid/Your biggest dreams will die/Or if they don’t, you’ll wish they did.” Wow. Those are some striking and powerful lyrics. This is another of my favorite tracks, in part because of lines like those, and also because of the pretty work on fiddle. And it’s a positive song, after all, as he tells us, “I’m still a dreaming man.” The album ends by returning us to the beginning, with a short bit of “Going The Distance,” this time some beautiful vocals repeating the title line.

CD Track List

1. Going The Distance
2. That’s What I Do
3. Struggling
4. Words I Can’t Unsay
5. Janey It’s Alright
6. Golden Boy
7. Brand New Love
8. Facing The Lions
9. Gino
10. Austin Night
11. I’m Still A Dreaming Man
12. Going The Distance (Slight Return)

Going The Distance was released on June 3, 2022 on Berkalin Records.