The album opens with "Wish You'd Said," a lively number with a good energy, its first verse taking us back to youth. "You were the hippest kid in school/I can picture the place, I remember the time/You weren't who I thought you were, 'cause I caught you in a lie." This song was written by Julia St. Pierre, who sings lead on it. "The thoughts that circle round my mind/Become conversations in my head/Of all the things I wished you'd said/All the things I wish you said to me." Isn't that interesting? Usually when I play fanciful conversations in my head, they usually focus on things I could have said, things I maybe should have said myself. This track features a good, though short, lead on electric guitar in the second half. The song concludes with the lines with which it began. That's followed by "Fine Ride West," also written by Julia, who sings lead. This song puts us on the I-10 from Texas to California. "Fell in love with the music scene/No idea where life would lead back then." Ah, I still am unsure where life is going to lead, and that is partly what the song is about, being unsure of your direction but trusting the road. By the way, the photo of the couple on the inside of the CD cover shows them next to an Interstate 10 highway sign. "Where we'll end up, who can guess/But I love where I lay my head to rest/I've lived my life with no regrets/All in all, it's been a fine ride west." Ah, yes!
"Takin' Me Back" has a pretty opening section, then kicks in, taking on a good country vibe. This song also mentions Texas in its first lines. "And I can't believe that I'm leaving again/Been doing things these days that don't make much sense/And now I'm living with the consequence." This song was written by Danny, and on this one he has lead vocal duties. It's a song of leaving home, chasing dreams, and finding that they lead him back. "Back to the faces of the people I knew/It's taking me back to you." Going home always has great appeal in song, maybe especially for those of us who are torn between two very different places, two distant places. This is one of my favorite tracks. It's followed by the album's title track, "Luck And Gravity," a country rock gem written by Julia. It's about wishing someone would feel the way he or she used to feel. "You've got to wake up and know it's true/That you can't make somebody care about you." And she tells us, "Love's just luck and gravity." This track also contains some really nice work on guitar.
"Love Who You Love" is a song that shouldn't be needed at this point, but still is very much needed. Wouldn't it be great if people would simply mind their own damn business? How can anyone be against gay marriage? Why should anyone care about other people's relationships? That's what this song is about. "Real love is no small thing, you know how it makes you feel/When somebody makes your heart sing, others don't get to decide if it's real." Exaclty. And love is what this whole thing is about, this entire existence, in all its delightful absurdity and brevity. I like that the band has made this a rather joyous song. It was written by Julia St. Pierre. That's followed by another song of love, "Meant To Be," this one written by Danny St. Pierre. "You helped me realize that true love lasts, it can't be torn apart." They go on to sing, "We were meant to be." Sometimes it feels that way, doesn't it? When it is so right that there is no way that it couldn't be. "This life is short, and it's just hard to know/We found each other, and we won't let go." That is the best any of us can do in this strange and short and incredible life.
"All I Ever Wanted" is a relationship song written by Julia St. Pierre, with a sweet vibe. "All I ever wanted/It's simpler than you think," Julia sings. And she soon clarifies, "All I ever wanted was someone to hold my hand/When we walk down the street." I still get a little thrill when my girlfriend takes my hand when we go for a walk. What a wonderful feeling. So simple, yet perfect. That's followed by "Pretty Is As Pretty Does." In this one, Julia sings, "You want folks to think you care/That there's no one you'd ever hurt/There's some nice people out there/You'd just as soon see in the dirt." I find that people who are awful inside can't help but let that ugliness show on the outside too (take Melania Trump, for example; a brief glance her way might lead you to think she was pretty, but a slightly longer look reveals her horrid, soulless interior). "You're not so pretty." Then "You Know Where To Find Me" has a bright, friendly vibe, fitting for the lyrics. "Right when you think that all is lost, just know I'll see you through/It's time to leave sadness behind and move in toward the light." We all need one person who will always be there for us. And what a great feeling when we do! This song captures and conveys that feeling.
"Coming Around" is a good, lively number about meeting that special someone and knowing she's the right one. Maybe comes off a bit cocky, sure, but it works because "She's coming around, coming around/Coming around to me." This one was written by Danny, who sings lead. It features a really good guitar part, and even includes hand claps. That's followed by "You Steady Me," a wonderful, uplifting song with Julia on lead vocals. "In the morning when we wake, you steady me/At the end of a long day, you steady me/In an unexpected year, every day it's oh so clear." This is especially important in these unsteady times. Things are mad out there, and we all need a special someone to keep us from going mad ourselves. This is another of my personal favorite tracks, and the line "When I miss my daddy, you steady me" had me in sudden tears. The album concludes with its sole cover, Tom Petty's "Keeping Me Alive." Julia and Danny perform in Petty Theft, a Tom Petty tribute band, so this is not such a surprising choice. By the way, Petty Theft is the perfect name for a Tom Petty tribute band, and it turns out at least two other bands landed upon it; there is one in San Francisco, another in Dallas. This song was intended to be included on Tom Petty's Long After Dark, and eventually ended up on the Playback boxed set. These guys deliver a excellent rendition, each of them taking turns on lead vocals. "These days money don't go very far/It's hard enough keeping gas in the car/But sometimes we ride around/We play the radio up loud/If I was sad, well, I'm happy now."
CD Track List
- Wish You'd Said
- Fine Ride West
- Takin' Me Back
- Luck And Gravity
- Love Who You Love
- Meant To Be
- All I Ever Wanted
- Pretty Is As Pretty Does
- You Know Where To Find Me
- Coming Around
- You Steady Me
- Keeping Me Alive
Thanks for listening, Michael!
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