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Crossing Dragon Bridge
Steve Wynn
Release Date: 2008
Album Notes:
US version now available
The days during my three weeks in Ljubljana were pretty simple. I would wake up early and leave my apartment on Trubarjeva Street and cross Dragon Bridge in search of a good cup of coffee which I would I would sip as I watched the vendors in the open market as they sold cabbage, purses, cheap watches and anything else that might be worth a Euro or two. I'd watch this panorama of commerce and barter and think about which song I would drag into the daily laboratory that was Chris Eckman's home studio.
I had never made a record like this before. I was in Slovenia, far from my New York City apartment and in a musical world that had shrunk down to just two people-me and Chris, the multi-talented producer (Midnight Choir) and bandleader (Walkabouts, Chris & Carla). He had been wanting to make a record with me for many years and seemed particularly intent on stripping things down to my voice and my acoustic guitar and then building up another universe from there.
No band. No session players (until later). No passing of the baton in this relay race. Even Chris would hesitate when I tried to get him to play something. Guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals-if I could do it, I had to do it. And that's why "Crossing Dragon Bridge" sounds different from other records I've done before but also more like the sound inside my head than anything I've done before.
But it's not a record I would have made in New York. Or in Tucson. Or in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Moscow or Mali, It's not like a record I would make on the moon or on Mars or in New Jersey. It has the sound and the mood and the sights and the overall vibe of Ljubljana. I swallowed the city whole and then waited for the meal to work itself into a digestive hallucination before spitting it out again each day at Chris' place. And then it was back for a pint of Union beer by the river before starting all over again.
When I left Slovenia a few weeks later both of us knew we had something special. And then we proceeded to add the extra bits that would take the experience further. An eight-piece orchestra was added in Prague to a bunch of the songs and a woman's choir in Ljubljana was added to others. Linda Pitmon, Kirk Swan, Chris Cacavas and Tim Adams (Teenage Prayers) chimed in from New York, Los Angeles and Germany bringing in elements of familiarity from my past and present.
Finally the whole thing was filtered through the creative and impressionistic mixing skills of Tucker Martine (Decemberists, Laura Veirs) and turned into the record that you hold in your hands. It's a snapshot, a dream, an acid flashback, a tourist guide, a midnight snack, a morning cup of coffee-it's the other world that happened around me and inside my head for three weeks last September. I hope you enjoy taking the trip back there with me.
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| # | Track Title | Play | |
| 1 | Slovenian Rhapsody I
LyricsOn my own againHaunted by the rain Reflections pull the night Into the sea Silence tricks my ear Voices that I hear Drowning in the sound Of my own rhapsody Steve Wynn: lead vocal, acoustic guitar Vlado Kreslin: whistling | ||
| 2 | Manhattan Fault Line
LyricsThey say that LA will fall into the seaTumbling down where the coastline does curve The East Coast, they look down upon the West Say the bastards will get what they surely deserve But geologists point to a line that is drawn From 14th Street to the Upper West Side This city could drop in a minute or two Stunned and surprised but one hell of a ride Manhattan Fault Line When I left LA I was 34 Leaving trouble and uncertainty behind The errors and pitfalls of my youth To the present, they made neatly drawn line New York was just like being born again Which means a rough adolescence can't be far behind A lesson learned is a lesson forgotten Tremors and aftershocks pay me no mind Manhattan Fault Line Will take us down with it someday The boxes were packed and arrangements were made To sneak out and leave by the end of the day Allegations and confrontations hardly feared But we'd just run out of things to say You'd think at a certain point in your life You've learned everything that you're going to learn But sparks lead to fires and fires lead to ashes At least you know for sure you've been burned I can sift through the rubble to track down the blame I can feel righteous and just I can feel nothing but shame But what does it matter when I end up alone The evidence buried beneath cities of stone Manhattan Fault Line Will take us down with it someday Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic and electric guitar, fuzz bass, stylophone Chris Eckman--string arrangement, drum programming Linda Pitmon--backing vocals, percussion Tim Adams--backing vocals Apollon Chamber Orchestra-- Stepan Prazak (concert master), Radek Krizanovsky, Adela Stajnochrova, Jan Marek, Jaromir Stepan, Katerina Parizkova, Jiri Kohoutek, Sasa Kopka, Martina Zuziakova, Stanislav Luks, Libor Kanka, Ludmila Budinska | ||
| 3 | Love Me Anyway
Lyrics"Lord", she says, "I'm tiredOf living life this way Hiding what I'm feeling, Keeping you at bay Love me anyway "Look upon my secrets The things that I can't show Understand my sickness Know the things I know Love me anyway "Tell me that you love me, Tell me that you care Tell me that you hate me Make me unaware Love me anyway" "Love is never easy Love is never free If it seems that easy You're not doing it properly" "Tightly wound and careful Surreptitiously Knowing that you're knowing Only part of me Love me anyway" "Listen to my words, Forget the things I say Climb inside my skull And then quickly go away Love me anyway" Steve Wynn--lead vocal, electric guitar, organ Chris Eckman--electric guitar solo, drum and bass programming Linda Pitmon--backing vocals Tim Adams--backing vocals | ||
| 4 | She Came
LyricsShe came silent through the skin of winter daysAnd she held between her palms a secret cage Came and filled it with abandoned birds nests (nests of abandoned birds) And the sound of night She sat beside you and she unwound her hair Around the bars, timeless strings resounding there That you're a field, ploughed down to a stone And full of signs As a bird flies off into the autumn day Then wind lifts up and turns the papers page Within the lane of lovers that have gone You're no longer known Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic guitar Chris Eckman--acoustic guitar, electric piano, string arrangement Carnice Vocal Group--choir Ziga Golob--upright bass | ||
| 5 | When We Talk About Forever
LyricsI've gathered myselfFrom bits and remains And the pieces I've pulled From all of my days And I'm handing them off Not to me or to you But the world that we're making On this very day Come take my hand Try to understand The things we can only see together What we mean when we talk about forever I look in your eyes And see all of the days And all of the words That you've ever heard And all of those words Just pour into my soul Leaving me stronger Leaving me whole (ch) Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic guitars Linda Pitmon--drums, backing vocals, percussion Apollon Chamber Orchestra--strings Ziga Golog--bass Chris Eckman--string arrangement | ||
| 6 | Annie & Me
LyricsAnnie and me, as far as we can see,We're not taking any bets, just playing the house Slashing the tires on the restrictive ride that Keeps us in the lanes between the lanes We just never slow down It doesn't even hurt when we hit the ground We don't slow down for anyone Who says it's so hard when when you get old We don't shy away from taking chances, we double our romances Got plenty of time for everyone Sometimes we share, sometimes we're not there Love is the drug for the young Americans (ch) Annie is only fifteen-and-a-half, I'm barely a year older than that Stripping down naked behind the Hollywood Bowl Stuffing our trunk with all the things that we stole (ch) Pt. 2 I woke up and I thought You were here with me But I knew it was It wasn't reality Holding onto every day Is tougher as time Pulls away Trying not to let go of the feeling But something always gets in the way Like dreams that fall through the cracks And friends who will never come back And all of the strangers you see And just how cruel they can be And it's so hard to get by sometimes It's just so hard to get by Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic guitar, handclaps, bass Kirk Swan--lead guitar Chris Eckman--backing vocals, mellotron, drum programming Linda Pitmon--backing vocals, percussion, handclaps | ||
| 7 | Wait Until You Get To Know Me
LyricsCharmed, I'm sureIt's a strange allure Our intentions aren't Exactly pure I'm the bait You're the lure Let's me cast my line Some things just get Better and better Some things don't --whatever Imagine how we'd be Together Let's find out Wait until you get to know me Wait until you get to know me Sky's above me, earth's below me Wait until you get to know me I'm a finger of Scotch In a cold Manhattan I'm a car wreck That's just waiting to happen The damaged goods Beneath the wrapping Let me open it up If it was 8pm You would be wary If it was 10pm It might be scary But the bar's closing And you can carry me Home Wait until you get to know me Wait until you get to know me Something that you want to show me? Wait until you get to know me Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic and electric guitar Tim Adams--backing vocals Linda Pitmo--percussion Ziga Golog--upright bass Blaz Celarec--drums Chris Eckman--vibes, treatment | ||
| 8 | Punching Holes In The Sky
LyricsPeel away the morning skyPlace it in a jar I'll collect it when I die Sliding from a star And down though the clouds Strip away the mystery Lash out at the night I can change the story line But cannot make it right But I'll try The words come drifting by But I could not reply Punching holes in the sky Punching holes in the sky You don't have to be afraid The rage is all for show I can always draw the line But sometimes it's hard to know Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic guitar Apollon Chamber Orchestra--strings Chris Eckman--string arrangement | ||
| 9 | Bring The Magic
Lyrics10,000 watts from the back of my ImpalaWolfman Jack is on the line tonight Everybody's hungry for someone or something And everything I care about is clean out of sight Bring the magic Bring the magic Bring the magic to me All I do is dream inside my radio Cadillacs and Bonnevilles are taking in the scene Lipstick kisses blown across the double line Landing lightly on a stretch limousine When I dream I dream of nothing I just wait for something to take me away I keep a good friend in the backseat of my ride I drive until I see the light of day Steve Wynn--lead and backing vocal, acoustic guitar, bass Chris Cacavas--casio Apollon Chamber Orchestra--strings Nick Luca--string arrangement | ||
| 10 | God Doesn't Like It
LyricsGod doesn't like it when you hold out on meGod doesn't like it when you set me free God doesn't like it when you keep control God doesn't like it Listen and learn Defy and get burned Chip away the days And you won't return. Are you higher than the world Are you greater than he Can you surrender And give yourself to destiny He killed his only son He wiped the face of the earth So what makes you think That you're of a greater worth Someone made mistakes In the evolution chain But the one's who pay attention Are the ones who will remain Cast your eyes on this mosquito and notice this Just how slight what you deny me is It feasts on your blood and then it takes mine And together our blood forms a new design You don't deny this bug, you don't curse his intent But you deny me the chance to make the same statement. So I smash that mosquito and I smear our blood Rather than let it drain in the rain and the mud Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic guitar, bass, harmonica Tim Adams--backing vocals Linda Pitmon--backing vocals, percussion Chris Eckman--drum programming | ||
| 11 | Believe In Yourself
LyricsHistory's been decided by the bullies and the freaksWho tried to move the mountains and drain all the creeks Wiping out the things that just didn't fit I wonder what they ended up doing with it I've always been content to take the pieces that I've been given Make a mess with the results, justify it all Everybody's using all their breath telling everyone else What to do with their own breath I can't believe it, I never was the type To worry that much about everybody else It's okay if you fall You stumble, you get up. That's all Believe in yourself for a while Everybody wants to know how the story Is going to end. I wonder if they knew if they'd do the same Things all over again Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic guitar Linda Pitmon--backing vocals Chris Eckman--mellotron, Persephone, moog bass | ||
| 12 | I Don't Deserve This
LyricsI made my own wayGot lost in the game Wandered out in the desert And came back just the same Searched for a place where a man could be free I saw the enemy staring back at me I don't deserve this Sacrificed my love Tore a hole in my heart Tried to fly the flag And then ripped it all apart .....And then at the moment when it seemed least likely, I found my salvation. I felt the blood drain from my body and my arms reached up to the sky. The skies parted and a gentle rain fell down upon me and everyone I ever knew and everything I had ever done and everything I had ever seen was all laid out before me in a path of my life. And I let myself go. I let myself go. I just let myself go Steve Wynn--lead vocal, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards, bass Linda Pitmon--backing vocals Carnice Vocal Group--choir Chris Cacavas--sound treatments Chris Eckman--mellotron, treatments, banjo, drum programming | ||
| 13 | Slovenian Rhapsody II
LyricsOn my own againHaunted by the rain Reflections pull the night Into the sea Silence tricks my ear Voices that I hear Drowning in the sound Of my own rhapsody What this world allows Not a dry eye in the house Shots lined up on the bar The next one's on me Distant sounds of cheer Fading but still clear Drowning in the sound Of my own rhapsody Steve Wynn--lead vocal, acoustic guitar Vlado Kreslin--duet vocal Chris Eckman--backing vocals, harmonium, zither, banjo, mellotron Anda Eckman--backing vocals Ziga Golob--upright bass | ||
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Crossing Dragon Bridge
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NoDepression.com
Steve Wynn Returns: Former Dream Syndicate frontman/paisley underground enabler Steve Wynn has been on a roll lately, releasing a disc with the Baseball Project (his collaboration with Young Fresh Fellow... (click here for more...) -
Phoenix New Times
After three stellar albums known as the “desert trilogy” because they were made in Tucson, singer/songwriter Steve Wynn set off for a change of scenery for his new disc Crossing... (click here for more...) -
2theadvocate.com
Steve Wynn’s lengthy discography includes recordings by Dream Syndicate, his influential, guitar-centered ’80s band; Gutterball, a raucous ’90s group that featured members of House of Freaks and the Silos; his... (click here for more...) -
PopMatters
Living for any length of time in a foreign country—particularly one where you don’t speak the language—is a curiously detaching experience. You watch people you don’t know, events you’re not... (click here for more...) -
Allmusic.com
According to his liner notes, when Steve Wynn went to Ljubljana, Slovenia to make a record with producer Chris Eckman (songwriter, guitarist, and founder of the Walkabouts who also does... (click here for more...) -
Pop Matters
Living for any length of time in a foreign country—particularly one where you don’t speak the language—is a curiously detaching experience. You watch people you don’t know, events you’re not... (click here for more...) -
Chart Attack
Crossing Dragon Bridge, Steve Wynn's first solo studio album since 2001's Here Come The Miracles, will receive a North American release through Rock Ridge Music on Sept. 9. The album, which... (click here for more...) -
Magnet
Straight outta Ljubljana, baby. When Steve Wynn dropped in on his old pal Chris Eckman (Walkabouts) in Slovenia last year, he probably didn't realize he'd return home to New York... (click here for more...) -
BLURT
For his latest album, former Dream Syndicate mastermind Steve Wynn not only went outside his comfort zone, he went half a world away, leaving his Miracle 3 bandmates (save drummer Linda Pitmon) back home. Working with producer Chris Eckman in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the basic framework of Crossing Dragon Bridge was built entirely with Wynn shouldering the load, playing acoustic guitar and keyboards while backing vocals and instrumentation were added later. The result is Wynn's most stripped-down, enchanting and intimate work to date. Wynn still has a deft hand with the written word: the biographical "Manhattan Fault Line," for instance, is about rising, phoenix-like, from the ashes of past failures. Wynn is at his best when viewing the world through wistful eyes, and Crossing Dragon Bridge is a diary of his observations, written with a folk poet's heart and a rock "n"roll soul. -
MILWAUKEE SHEPHERD EXPRESS
The title of Crossing Dragon Bridge was inspired by the landmark that Steve Wynn regularly traversed during a recent three-week stay in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where the founder of '80s alternative-rock... (click here for more...) -
MOJO, UK
While Wynn's band Dream Syndicate was leading LA's Lou Reed-inspired Paisley Underground, up in Seattle with The Walkabouts his (now) Slovenian-based producer Chris Eckman took the first steps towards grunge. But neither of them got to be big stars so, er...they wound up recording in Ljubljana. With basic vocals and guitar hammered through in three days, then string section, choir and such added elsewhere, it has an odd air of jerry-built incompletion. This suits one sequence of four menacing seduction songs. ("God Doesn't like it when you hold out on me" the creepy protagonist warns) And Wynn's enduring originality lifts ruminations like "Manhattan Fault Line" (New York gets the earthquake instead of LA) and "Annie & Me" (lovers desperately denying tempus"inevitable fugitabiliity). But overall, Wynn's 13th solo feels as if he recored it in mid-sentence, rather than when he'd completed the thought process. -
UNCUT, UK
For all their merits, Steve Wynn's most recent works have sometimes felt like those of a man privately indulging his garage-punk youth. Ditching his Miracle 3 troupe, this eighth solo LP finds the prolific Californian turning down the volume and embracing his inner folkie. Produced by the Walkabouts Chris Eckman in Slovenia, the songs are mostly stripped to acoustics, though Wynn often attacks them with the gusto of a full-on rock band. "Annie & Me" and "Manhattan Fault Line" are great, thumping examples with a women's choir and mini-orchestra adding extra flavor -
Jerseybeat.com
Why Steve Wynn’s name does not instantly come up in conversation of rock’s great songwriters baffles me. With incredible detail and poetic grace, Wynn weaves tales of love and other... (click here for more...) -
Bullz-Eye.com
Steve Wynn’s never been a slacker. Since founding L.A.’s neo-psychedelic Dream Syndicate in the early ‘80s and subsequently establishing himself as one of the godfathers of the so-called “Paisley Underground,”... (click here for more...) -
Hybrid Magazine
24 years after The Dream Syndicate burst onto the LA Paisley Underground scene, Steve Wynn is still going strong as a great American singer/songwriter. Since 1990 he's been putting out... (click here for more...) -
Caught in the Carousel
Somewhere in Slovenia, Steve Wynn drank a cup of coffee. Or, more specifically, somewhere in Ljubljana, Steve Wynn was searching for a cup of coffee while observing the vendors in the... (click here for more...) -
Soundsxp
Ultimately, you learn some tricks on the way but you're not going to be a novelty act after 25 years. This will call out to people who've already fallen in love with the Dream Syndicate, Danny and Dusty or his earlier Wynn works; it echoes that classic 80s-90s Americana on songs like "Love Me Anyway"with its dominating organ sound. Think of it as a postcard from the more mature sort of tourist, one who's given up the beach for an art gallery. -
TinyMixTapes.com
Steve Wynn (ex-Dream Syndicate) is on something of an unlikely comeback swing. His last three albums were hailed by critics, and his latest, recorded mostly by himself in Slovenia, was... (click here for more...) -
Leaky Sparrow
To quote directly from Steve Wynn’s self-written liner notes from Crossing Dragon Bridge: “…It’s a snapshot, a dream, an acid flashback, a tourist guide, a midnight snack, a morning cup... (click here for more...) -
Gaffa
Det er en vemodig og lœngselsfuld Steve Wynn, der på sin nye langspiller er draget ud i den store verden. Crossing Dragon Bridge er indspillet i Ljubljana i Slovenien i... (click here for more...) -
ostlendingen.no
Steve Wynn har fartstid i legendariske Dream Syndicate, han har gitt ut en rekke soloskiver og medvirker dessuten på en mengde forskjellige samarbeidsprosjekter. ?Crossing Dragon bridge? er likevel blant hans aller beste utgivelser. Dette er Wynn når han er på sitt mest tilgjengelige, melodiøs, leken og vanvittige sjarmerende. Albumet er innspilt i Ljubljana, Slovenia med Chris Eckman fra Walkabouts ved spakene, og gjett om de gutta har kost seg. Dette er et ?feel-good-album? hvor den ene perlen etter den andre (13 stykker) trylles fram. Til sammen 50 minutter med ualminnelig trivelig musikk, egentlig bare høydepunkter, men midtveis i albumet får du på rekke og rad ?When we talk about forever?, ?Annie & me? og ?Wait until you get to know me?, og hvis du ikke lar deg sjarmere av dette trekløveret, er det du som har et problem. -
UNTFREDAG.SE
Steve Wynn, en gång med i Dream Syndicate, har hittat hem med sin musik, skriver Björn G Stenberg. Fast då var han tvungen att lÄmna New York och åka till Ljubljana. DÄr spelade han in med Chris Eckman från Walkabouts och resultatet Är riktigt bra. Han fortsÄtter att skriva underfundiga popberÄttelser med ovÄntade iakttagelser och texterna genomsyras av hans milt absurda humor. Med Eckmans hjÄlp har dessa låtar också fått en perfekt, sparsmakad, inramning. Det måste vara roligt då han hållit på i et par decennier minst nu med sin musik. -
GD.NO
Mye vann har rent under brua siden Los Angeles-bandet Dream Syndicate, med Steve Wynn i front, dukket opp først på '80-tallet som en slags miks av Velvet Underground, R.E.M. og... (click here for more...) -
Hamar Arbeiderblad
Steve Wynn, tidligere frontfigur i Dream Syndicate, er ute med albumet Crossing Dragon Bridge (Blue Rosa/Tuba). Dragon Bridge er brua over elven Ljublanica i Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her har Chris Ekman (The Walkabouts) studio, og det var her Wynn spilte inn platen. Han har laget ei stillferdig visepopplate med klare referanser til 1970-tallets enkle uttrykk. Wynn gj??r mye ut av lite, og de myke melodiene flyter over i hverandre. Dette er musikk for dem som liker The Walkabouts, Minor Majority og Leonard Cohen. -
ABC Nyheter (Norway)
I september reiste Steve Wynn til Ljublana for å spille inn sitt nye soloalbum, «Crossing Dragon Bridge». Noe som skulle vise seg å vœre et klokt trekk av mannen som... (click here for more...) -
Dagbladet.no
Steve Wynn (48) er amerikaneren som i 1993 ga Somebody's Darling en pangstart med låta ?That's Why I Wear Black?, som han først året etter spilte inn sjøl. Da hadde... (click here for more...) -
Ox-Fanzine / Ausgabe #77
Zwei Jahre ist es her, dass Steve Wynns letztes Album "...Tick...Tick...Tick" erschien, für mich nicht unbedingt eines der Besten in der Karriere des ehemaligen DREAM SYNDICATE-SÄngers/Gitarristen, aber immer noch weit... (click here for more...) -
musicheadquarter.de
Der Titel von Steve Wynns achtem Soloalbum deutet bereits darauf hin, die berühmte Drachenbrücke (Zmajski most) in Ljubljana hat einiges mit dem neuen Werk des 48-jÄhrigen zu tun (er musste... (click here for more...) -
Soundslike
Steve Wynn is één van de eerlijkste muzikanten die ik ken. Bij Dream Syndicate, met Miracle 3, en solo. Als je mij zou vragen met welke muzikant ik op een... (click here for more...)
