the bennett cale project
Goodbye Kirkwood Drive
© 2004 How Lucky Are We? Music (783707826127)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
This new vintage California soul band captures a sound that will transport you back to the start of southern California acoustic rock in the tradition of great albums from the late 60s and early 70s. Crosby Stills & Nash meets James Taylor
tracks
try this
genres you will love
By Location
Recommended if you like ...
links
notes
Last February, singer/songwriter Bennett Cale took the chance of a lifetime. He dumped everything -- his house, his job and his worldly possessions -- to pursue his music. The result is "Goodbye Kirkwood Drive." The album is a perfect musical representation of his metamorphosis from heartbreak to redemption. It unfolds like a novel you cuddle up to read and don't put down until the last page is turned.
Midway through his twenties, Cale owned a cottage in the famed Laurel Canyon section of the Hollywood Hills, had a successful business of his own, a television star for a wife and was a regular player in the Los Angeles music scene. But suddenly his life was turned upside down and he found himself picking up the pieces from a broken marriage. He quit the company and poured his soul into his music. In order to finance a new recording, Cale bet the farm and put his house up for sale. The bennett cale project had begun.
Cale enlisted the talents of producer and engineer Chris Fuhrman (Pat Benatar, Innocence Mission) to transform his house into a full recording studio. He brought together some of his friends and LA's top musicians to simultaneously write and record a live album in the same neighborhood that had given birth to the Eagles, Jackson Browne and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Writing by day and recording by night, the group was inspired by the musical legacy of Laurel Canyon's past -- giving way to a new sound that is now being called "vintage California soul."
"Goodbye Kirkwood Drive" is a unique blend of originality and familiarity. Using graceful melodies melded with classic storytelling lyrics, Cale transports the listener back in time. In the tradition of great albums from the sixties and seventies, "Goodbye Kirkwood Drive" offers an uncensored look into the life of an artist. With impeccable musicianship, Cale shares himself in an honest, unaffected way. From the breakdown of his relationship, "saw your ghost out in the hall, staring down at me watching me fall" ("Green Chair") to healing, "but now there's light where it was dark inside" ("This Time Around"), Cale tells his story of redemption with delicate ballads and memorable rock anthems. A final and hidden treasure on the album is the sound of Cale's actual footsteps on the barren hardwood floors as he walks out of his house for the last time.
reviews
Please log in to review this album.
The Bennett Cale Project
author: Aaron WoolleyAwesome Bennett! Keep it up! You need to get ahold of me, its been too long. We need to get together. Google me: Aaron Woolley Agoura Hills.
One of my favorite albums
I picked up this album when I happened to hear the BCP while having a drink at a bar in LA a couple years ago. Since then, this has become one of my favorite albums. Among a collection of hundreds of albums, this is one of the most beautiful albums I own....beautifully written, beautifully produced. I only wish I could get some news on the band and where I can find them again!
fantastic
author: andreai heard these guys in a little bar in logan, utah. they were so good there i had to buy the cd. it has been well worth it. i like the mix of music they bring. and i only hope they come back on tour soon.
- author: Dana Duffy
BUY! BUY! BUY! This is defanetly a must get! The music is so great and so heartfelt! I know that every inch of Bennett went into this music/CD, and thats something that comes across. I am so looking forward to more music... O and the "extras" that are on the CD are great as well! It is a defanet one of a kind in a world where things are conforming.
Sincere, Real, Enjoyable and Pleasant to listen to!
author: Gregg StewardIn a time when there is so much music coming out with a loud sound and words that are either non-comprehensable or full of hatred, I found this CD to be extremely enjoyable to listen to. The Bennett Cale Project is on to something and I want more!
kicks some butt
author: Eric DavisI never have written a review, but here are some of my thoughts...(I just saw these guys in concert and had to immediately buy their album) It has a mixture of so much...Beattles (Kirkwood Drive), Eagles (California), (little that reminds me of Edie Brickell (I Know I'm Right) - my personal favorite atm - i love the refrain and the bouncy beat, little Velvet Underground feel too, (But I do). Some things are just unique. The fire and venom in (This Time Around) and flange of (As My Love) just kicks. I also find myself singing Built This Road in the car... Ok..nuff said
New music with clear passionate vocals...he's got that "thing"
author: Terri PattonThere wasn't one song that I did not like. I liked them all. The album is really good. The album has variety. New music with clear passionate vocals creates a unique signature of his own saying to me he's got that "THING" - that special thing that lasts and lasts. It's golden and alive. I like this sound! The sound is full and moving, emotional and bonding. The musicianship is top of the line; I can tell they really loved doing this album. The album pulls the music styles from the 70's and 80's together with a fresh new sound. Bennett's vocals and music, the band and really good songwriting create a much needed change in the music industry. The trend is writing good songs like the old days past, when artists had a unique sound created by music, vocals and most importantly, the song. He's a trend-setter on the rise. As a songwriter myself, his music on this album makes me want to write again. The song "Green Chair" starts out like a folk song with the vocal and guitar, and then breaks into a rock-edge backdrop. It was like being on a highway riding as the sun comes up breaking into your world, brightening your world and you. "Groove With You" and "I Know I'm Right" remind me of Al Green and the Spinners because of the guitar, piano, organ and drums. It'll have you rockin' your head and dancing in your seat. The pulse of "Kirkwood Drive" is fun, and the lyrics are so memorable. The music is "I-want-to-sing-along-with-you-every-time-I-hear-it" music. That's just what everyone will do with they hear this one. I also hear it as a soundtrack song for film or a TV show theme song, even a commercial. "As My Love" reminds me of Prince and that sound from that time. His vocals fully express what the song is saying. Bennett has a real honesty in his vocals and guitar playing that comes through with each song. "But I Do" has got a sound that is a mix of Steely Dan, George Benson and Bennett and friends. I like the groove and the words. "Built This Road" is so powerful, expressing how hard it is to let go, as does "As My Love" and "Green Chair," but each song is different. What are appealing are the many ways and reasons for letting go and how. The words are fresh and moving. The guitar and vocals are so good. "Between You and Me," "This Time Around" and "California" are really good songs also. They have that "Hotel California" feel to them and we all know how big that song was and that it is still being played and covered. I love the ending song - it makes you want more, like, "Hey wait! Is that it? Is there more? I want to hear more!!"