Search - Bob Franke :: Brief Histories

Brief Histories & quick looks at Salem Massachusetts

06/25/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brief Histories was done in part due to a grant from the town of Salem MA, for the writing of some music about Salem's history. Where my memory fails, I am consulting Bob's songbook. It covers the maritime aspects (Little Yankee Sailor, A visit to 34 Essex St, Under the WIllows), Alexander Graham Bell's courtship (Bell's song--which I had almost expected to hear in a subsequent special on TV about Bell's life), the Witch Trials (I but a Little Girl--a thought-provoking song about how we invest power in people who are not ready for it), Just Life in or near Salem (To plant in Autumn, and this album's whimsy piece: Christine's Return from Paris), and as usual, something from Bob's sprititual nature (often stemming from Just Life): Roll Away the Waters (the biblical Exodus story) and Where the Silence ends, written after the Challenger disaster, and while a small child nearby was enduring chicken pox. There is also a political, in the sense of seeking justice, side of Bob that appears now and then in his songs. On this album, A Still, Small Voice holds that place.I note that I only have this on cassette--time to upgrade to CD! This album is especially good if you are planning a trip to Salem, or to Boston. Make time to visit all the Salems you will find in this album."