'Common Ground' Second Edition. Owing to excellent sales we are now ordering a further run of CD's! Thanks to everyone who has purchased a copy of 'Common Ground'. Keep an eye on this page for news.
'Common Ground'
The first CD by Spinning Mule is available. The CD release party took place on 14 July 2007 at the Rain Desert, Connecticut. The release party was broadcast live over the internet.
Please go to the next page to find out about purchasing your copy of 'Common Ground'.
To listen to some of the tracks from 'Common Ground' please click on the above link to myspace.com. You will also be able to purchase downloads of the tracks from here or from the myspace site. To purchase the full CD pacakage please go to the next page.
(Cover from an original watercolour by Russell Taylor Ashby)
Buy your downloads from 'Common Ground' here!
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The band completed the recording, editing and mixing of its debut CD, 'Common Ground' at The Studio in Providence, Rhode island. We are very happy to have engaged the professional services of Ben Mesiti, 'the genius on the board', to engineer the CD and to keep the band in order during the intense studio periods. This has been a very exciting time for the band and soon we will be looking forward to realising the fruits of our inspiration and labours over the past 18 months. "Common Ground" will be a collection of 11 original songs showing the full range of styles and musicianship which we feel to be the trademark of our sound.
Ben Mesiti - Studio Engineer
The band is delighted also to have secured the mastering expertise of Jonathan Wyner, Chief Mastering Engineer and President of 'M Works' in Boston. Jonathan's credits include James Taylor, David Bowie and Aerosmith, to mention a few. The mastering of the CD was completed on St. Valentine's Day, 2007. Jonathan was also nominated for a Grammy award at this year's presentation.
Jonathan Wyner, Grammy nominated Chief Mastering Engineer and President of M-Works
CD design and graphics by Michael Haley (The Mighty Vampyre) .
June 8, 2007: 'Common Ground' went for replication! Thanks Michael (Vamp) for the great work on the CD graphics. 'Common Ground' was ready for distribution on June 27, followed by the release party on July 14, 2007. Thanks are also due to Superdups for the fine replication and printing.
The CD includes songs covering so many different genres: country, blues, swing, acoustic rock. We have also ensured that the recordings reflect the sound we produce in live performances. This is no over-produced CD which cannot be emulated in performance. This is the way 'Spinning Mule' wanted to work on their debut CD.
The title song is not so much an indictment of war and friction in the world as it is a plea for co-operation between nations and creeds, and for individuals to look at their world in a different way in order to find the common ground necessary for mankind to live in harmony. We are very proud of all of our songs, both musically and lyrically, and we are now looking ahead to our second CD which is already in its planning stages with many new songs on their way.
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The songs © (in alphabetical order)
Already Gone (3.01)
Between the Lines (4.13)
Common Ground (5.01)
Don't Complain (3.36)
Last to Know (2.52)
More Than a Song (3.21)
One Embrace (4.20)
Run Down (3.18)
Set You Free (4.22)
Sonnets (3.55)
To be Free (2.50)
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Scott Frigon (vocals, guitar)
Russell Taylor Ashby (vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica)
with Jean LaCroix (guitar, slide, violin, 'cello)
At the time of recording this CD, Jean LaCroix was a member of Spinning Mule, but for personal reasons he decided to leave the band. Spinning Mule would like to thank Jean for his contributions to the CD and to wish him good health and happiness for the future.
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Spinning Mule will continue as a duo but, in the meantime, they are auditioning new musicians with the possibility of inviting them to join the band. Watch this space!
The CD Release Party was held at The Rain Desert, CT, on July 14 2007. The event was broadcast live on Paltalk. Spinning Mule would like to thank everyone who came to the party and all of those who supported us by listening and watching live on Paltalk.
"You should take that into account when you write a song - it should be fun to play. When you write a song that's a chore to play, the performances never sound anything but strained."
(Jerry Garcia 1942-1995, The Grateful Dead)