Birds of My Neighborhood
Encyclopedia
Birds of My Neighborhood is The Innocence Mission
's fourth full-length studio album.
Originally released on the RCA
sub-label Kneeling Elephant in 1999, the album was long-out of print until their current record label - Badman Recording Co. - acquired license to remaster and reissue the material in 2006.
This was the groups first release as a trio following the departure of founding member Steve Brown in 1997. With the exception of his sole contribution to the album - drums and brushes on "Snow" - the album is largely bereft of drums. Don Peris took up percussional duties on "Birdless" and the closing moments of his self-penned "Green Grass, Red Tree," but otherwise the group adapted to its new trio status by replacing Mike Bitt's electric bass with an upright bass and taking on a more acoustic, folk-based sound than their previous guitar-heavy work.
Their cover of "Follow Me" was recorded in late 1997 for inclusion on the John Denver tribute album Take Me Home, which had an estimated release date of 1998. With that record's release being continually delayed, however, Don Peris approached that record's curator, the Red House Painters
's Mark Kozelek
, for permission to include the cover on The Innocence Mission's own record. Mark Kozelek agreed, on condition that the song still be included on the tribute record when a general release was finally given in April 2000.
In 2007, "The Lakes of Canada" garnered significant attention when it was covered by Sufjan Stevens
. Link. He had been referring to the influence the song has had on him, however, since 2004, when he told NPR's "All Songs Considered" section:
The Innocence Mission
The Innocence Mission is an American alternative rock band centered on husband-and-wife singer-songwriters Karen and Don Peris. The original group, including Mike Bitts and Steve Brown , was formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the early 1980s when the members met during a Catholic school...
's fourth full-length studio album.
Originally released on the RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
sub-label Kneeling Elephant in 1999, the album was long-out of print until their current record label - Badman Recording Co. - acquired license to remaster and reissue the material in 2006.
This was the groups first release as a trio following the departure of founding member Steve Brown in 1997. With the exception of his sole contribution to the album - drums and brushes on "Snow" - the album is largely bereft of drums. Don Peris took up percussional duties on "Birdless" and the closing moments of his self-penned "Green Grass, Red Tree," but otherwise the group adapted to its new trio status by replacing Mike Bitt's electric bass with an upright bass and taking on a more acoustic, folk-based sound than their previous guitar-heavy work.
Their cover of "Follow Me" was recorded in late 1997 for inclusion on the John Denver tribute album Take Me Home, which had an estimated release date of 1998. With that record's release being continually delayed, however, Don Peris approached that record's curator, the Red House Painters
Red House Painters
Red House Painters were an alternative rock group formed in 1989 in San Francisco, California by singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek.-History:While in Atlanta, Georgia, Ohio-born Kozelek became friends with Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. He then moved to San Francisco, California, adding guitarist Gorden...
's Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek is an American singer/songwriter Producer and frontman of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters.-History:...
, for permission to include the cover on The Innocence Mission's own record. Mark Kozelek agreed, on condition that the song still be included on the tribute record when a general release was finally given in April 2000.
In 2007, "The Lakes of Canada" garnered significant attention when it was covered by Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
. Link. He had been referring to the influence the song has had on him, however, since 2004, when he told NPR's "All Songs Considered" section:
Tracklisting
All tracks written by Karen Peris, except where noted.Personnel
- Karen Peris — acousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electricElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and nylon stringClassical guitarThe classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Don PerisDon PerisDon Peris, guitarist for the band The Innocence Mission, has also released three solo albums.- Discography :Solo* Go When the Morning Shineth* Ten Silver Slide Trombones* Brighter Visions Beam AfarInnocence Mission*We Walked in Song...
— acousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electricElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and nylon stringClassical guitarThe classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, leadLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Mike Bitts — uprightDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and electric bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Steve Brown — drums and brushesDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
on "Snow"
Album credits
- Recorded and Mixed by Don Peris
- Tracks 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 mixed by Todd Vos and Don Peris
- Greg Calbi: Mastering [Original]
- Shawn Hatfield: Mastering [Re-Release]