Pat Haney Ghost Of Things To Come Envoy/FreeFalls by Lance Christian Browder

I heard a baby cryin' in Montana He had truth behind his tears He tried to tell me to head on back But he was just too damn young He's a ghost of things to come Turn around Yeah man you gotta turn around Turn around Turn around turn around These are the words that spur men to reevaluate their place in life. These are also the opening lines to Pat Haney's new release, Ghost Of Things To Come. Haney carefully leads off the disc with the title track and immediately sets the tone for the rest of the album. That tone happens to be introspection. Upon listening to the first track, I had to listen again. I just had to verify that my ears had not forsaken me. Haney's lyrics are very powerful in this song. It's evident that the character is doing some serious soul-searching, as does every man at some point in his life. And if you haven't gotten there yet, you will after truly listening to this. "Ghost Of Things To Come" is a turning point in the character's life, reminiscent of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, where ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future all show the character exactly where he is heading if he continues his current path. After progressing through adolescence and parenthood in the lyrics, Haney sums it up in the final verse. I felt an old man starin' deep inside me When I turned and looked it was me He had sadness on each side of him And whiskey on his tongue He's a ghost of things to come This is definitely a song for evaluation of a personal nature, and one that is reminiscent of the parables told by Jesus to his disciples. The listener is enthralled by the storytelling, yet the story entices internal thoughts from the character's perspective. The next song on the album is titled, " 'Licts." It's a simple song that takes a swath of life and puts it to music. I believe this title is actually an abbreviation for derelicts, as the story unfolds. From start to finish, it appears that this cross-section of life spans roughly fifteen minutes. What is significant is not the time span, per se, but rather the fact that these fifteen minutes of life is a reflection of every single minute of these characters' lives. Haney does an excellent job of describing the characters' environment in this snapshot of life, and he also hints to the underlying reason behind their miserable lives with, "She ain't able to eat a thing since daddy ate his gun/If I knew how, I guess I'd just run." It's painfully evident that these characters have lost their direction in life and now just seem to sit around and wait for something to happen. However, this song isn't as dark as it might seem in my description. Tim Krekel, who plays electric guitar for Haney throughout the album, lays down some impressive licks of his own. They are definitely a nice compliment to Pete Coatney's use of brushes on the drums. Pete's offbeats, combined with Krekel's guitar work, make for a nice instrumental to Haney's lyrics. "Nursing Home" is a tale of the daily trials of America's forgotten elderly told from a first person perspective. It is a sad tale that is all too true in society. A society that, unfortunately, has no time for those that aren't as strong or fast. An excerpt from the first verse: You look at me lying here like that's all I ever did And you treat me like a kid And I don't want to see you roll your eyes We both got better ways to spend our lives Well if I could move, I'd be gone just like the wind And you'd never see me again The character in the song then goes on to reflect about his lost love and times shared that are now merely memories. Although the subject matter seems to be depressing, it actually leans more toward the tone of introspection. Haney and his band, the Well Readnecks, do a lot to lift the mood of this subject matter and deliver it more as a strong testament of elderly America. This is especially evident in the chorus. 'Cause I farmed eighty-three acres with a plow and a mule I got three grown kids who went to school I sent eighteen men to meet the Lord in 1943 And I had friends who loved me There is some extremely nice organ work handled by Paul Hatchett, giving this song a feel of redemption. It's as if all transgressions toward the elderly character are vindicated on Judgment Day. After several listens, I felt the need to jump out of the pew and run down the aisle to cleanse my soul. This is probably my favorite song on Ghost Of Things To Come due to the fact that out of all the introspective songs on this album, this is the one area of life where our decisions not only directly affect others, but because of the aging process, will eventually come back to haunt us. "Out Last Night" is the next track on the album, and Haney tones it down a bit with this tale of his ex-lover being, as the title suggests, out last night. This concept is not new, however Haney does put a new spin on the subject with his use of imagery. What is also refreshing is the repeat of the organ work in back-to-back songs. The arrangement of the songs on the album help to keep the flow smooth, as well as showcase particular instrumentation. This showcase and flow really stands out when Haney's harmonica, which is introduced in "Out Last Night" is followed up immediately in the next track, "Hey There Mister." This is the chivalrous tale of a man taking on the role of guardian to a woman. Haney's lyrics reflect the lengths this character will go in maintaining his role. This is evident in the following lines: I see you out there dancing I see you winkin' at your friends Well she thinks that you're just bein' nice But you're laughin' at her again You better get down on your knees And pray that she don't cry 'Cause you can't call tears and bullets back And you can't change my mind (Chorus) 'Cause she fights the starin' She fights the bitter cold She fights the talkin' She carries a heavy load And I carry me a pistol Hand loaded with a good woman's tears Hey there mister You better get on out of here This story is one that is all too common in today's society. Not that of a protector, but one that reflects the deep-seeded prejudice that still exists within our civilization. Haney's character tries to break that prejudice, but does so in a fashion that doesn't eradicate the problem, it only masks the symptoms. But Haney doesn't stop there. His lyrics shift from storytelling to introspection in the last line of the song as he tells the man while he's driving home, "You can think about how you're still alive/And how you're still alone." "Hey There Mister" is one of the best-arranged tracks, instrumentally, on the entire album. The song seems to revolve around the percussion with all accompaniment extending from there. I believe it was Steve Young that said, "There are three parts to a song, the lyrics, the melody, and how you present them, and they must all intertwine." Well, Pat Haney and the Well Rednecks certainly take that to heart in this song blending Pete Coatney's drums, Haney's harmonica, Paul Hatchett's organ and piano, Byron House's bass guitar, Tim Krekel's acoustic and electric guitar, Tom Osborne's mandolin, and Chet Surgener's percussion work. "Hey There Mister" is a tough act to follow, and unfortunately "Fifteen Years" has that responsibility. This song's melody, tempo, and lyrics all seem to be thrown together like the dinner you had two days after Thanksgiving, and it just doesn't settle well. Luckily, this lull in the middle of the album is quickly picked up with "Like My Daddy Did." This is a song that displays the mistakes of a young man who justifies his actions from examples set by his father. Take the opening verse: I guess I could tear up an anvil Like I tore up everything I ever had Momma was always saying She thought my blood was bad Then I got Ginny pregnant And something just snapped inside my head And I hit the road Just like my daddy did The remainder of the song follows suit with vignettes of times where the character's behavior is attributed to being learned from his father. Musically, "Like My Daddy Did" is a song whose melody fits the lyrics. It's a very nice progression from the previous track on the album. Haney slows things down a bit with "Bathtub Song." This is a tale of a lonely woman who has lost her youthful days and finds herself longing for a family of her own. The woman finds solitude in her candle-lit bathtub alone with her thoughts. Haney does an excellent job of delivering this tale through the eyes of a woman. His voice is softer and the melody lends itself to sweeping flows that lack the rough edges found throughout Haney's musical style. It is a simple song that is orchestrated in the same way. The music tries to not overshadow the story and the entire feel of the song. With only guitar, bass, and drums, I think Haney nailed this song for what it is and delivers it as well as anyone. With the slower tempo provided by "Bathtub Song" Haney kicks it up with "Here Without You." Tim Krekel provides some excellent slide guitar work and really lends the feel that this song takes on. Paul Hatchett's organ fills the background nicely for Krekel's slide to take the front. This song is probably the most rocking track on Ghost Of Things To Come. The lyrics deal with the character reaffirming his good riddance mentality upon getting dumped by his love interest. While the concept on "Here Without You" is not new and Haney's lyrics might not be altering history, there is a special connection between the instrumentation and the edgy delivery of Haney's lyrics. "Nothin' But You" is the next track and seems to follow in the footsteps of "Fifteen Days." The melody, tempo and lyrics all seem to head in different directions giving the feel of teaching a teenager to drive. You never know exactly what's coming next and therefore, you just aren't sure where you might end up. "Nothin' But You" has the potential, lyrically, to be a worthwhile tune. However, Haney and the Well Readnecks just can't seem to pull this one together creatively. "Come On Back To Bowling Green" has an encore feel to it. The music lends itself to that last-song-of-the-night-let-it-all-hang-out philosophy. The lyrics try to convince a girl to leave New York City and her career to come back to Bowling Green, KY, and marry the character. The first chorus goes like this: Won't you come on back to Bowling Green and marry me My mother's on drugs and I need somebody here to take care of me Between Picasso's, the pub, the store, and the club it's gonna bury me Won't you leave the New York City behind Come on back and be that baby of mine Come on back to Bowling Green and marry me The rhyming used in the verses reminds me of Billy Joe Shaver. However, Haney ain't no Billy Joe Shaver and it shows. Also, in the second verse, the lyrics are written somewhat humorously. Only John Prine and Fred Eaglesmith are able to pull this off, neither of which appear on this track. So despite it's effort, as a whole, "Come On Back To Bowling Green" just doesn't quite get the bags packed. On a positive note, there is some rather well done electric guitar work provided by Richard Young, Greg Martin, and Tim Krekel. The final track on the album is titled, "Southern Witch." This is a great tune done acoustically with only Haney on acoustic guitar and Byron House on acoustic bass. I believe that Mr. House uses a bow to rake his bass strings adding that haunting, hallowed feel. This feeling is reciprocated with Haney's dark, brooding lyrics. When rot gut warms your bitter throat And you put on your overcoat And you feel things that Faulkner wrote You're in the middle of it (Chorus) Lay my back open And fill it up with pitch Southern Witch Pat Haney's, Ghost Of Things To Come is a good album. And although not every song on the album is a hit, he definitely hits the mark with the majority of his offerings. There are only a few artists that can put out a CD without one mediocre song, and they don't come around often. However, if Pat Haney keeps coming around like he has with his latest release, he is definitely on his way to being in that illustrious category. You can get your copy of Ghost Of Things To Come at www.freefalls.com   Contact Lance Browder at: mapsco-at-rockzilla.net

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