Available Here: Lessons | Karl Eisenhart (bandcamp.com)
Solo album:
In 2019, as part of my master's degree in creative writing, I wrote all the lyrics to a solo project. The lyrical concepts are all snapshots of different parts of my life where I learned valuable lessons with a good dose of artistic license to make them both more universally appealing and more dramatic. With both the lyrics and the music, I chose to weave in references to music and literature that inspired me along the way. Then I set about writing music for everything I had written. This could have taken decades, but a convenient pandemic freed up a lot of my time for a year and I was able to make moving the project forward more of a priority.
The next phase was to finally get to record something with all the excellent
musicians it is my privilege to call friends or family. Guest appearances abound!
Here is the list:
Mike Antonovich—Bass on “Ready Made”
Valerie Borman—Lead vocals on “Eight Things”
John Eisenhart—Guitar solos on “Ninety Years”
Patricia Eisenhart—Flute on “A Different Empire”
Bill Fox—Bass on “Eight Things”
Matt Francisco—Lead Vocals on “Black Telecaster”
Ian Frey—Drums on “Ready Made”
Simon Godfrey—Lead Vocals on “An 80’s Youth”
Tom Hyatt—Bass on “Black Telecaster”
Moe Jerant—Drums on “An Old Photograph of the Future”
Greg Jones—Drums on “Collision Course”
Chris Michels—Violin on “Collision Course”
Art Thompson—Drums on “Black Telecaster”
All other instruments, vocals, and drum programming by Karl Eisenhart
Mastered by Alan Benjamin at Hospitality Suite Studio.
Cover art by Martin Kornick—www.maninthemountain.com
Photography by Sharon Miller
Written and recorded at EverythingToExcess Productions Emmaus (May 2019-April 2020)
and Wescosville (June 2020-January 2024)
Thanks: Tammy, Gage, and Mackenzie. The members of Tribe of Names, Pinnacle, and RED.
The Arts Academy Charter Middle School. The New Jersey Proghouse and Progstock.
Everyone who contributed to the lessons I learned that led to the writing of these songs.
What is he talking about??
It’s not plagiarism if I give credit! Here is a (hopefully comprehensive) list of music and
literature that was either inspirational in the creation of this album or which is quoted by it
in some way.
1. A Different Empire: Kansas “Song for America” and Rush, “Middletown Dreams”
2. I Am. I Think. I Will.: Ayn Rand--Anthem, Robert Frost--“The Road Less Travelled,”
Rush--“Subdivisions” and “Tom Sawyer”
3. Collision Course: Actually, that’s all me.
4. Black Telecaster: Triumph-- “Magic Power,” Echolyn—As the World
5. The Island: “An unexamined life is not worth living.”--Socrates
6. Ninety Years: Marillion--“Estonia”,
7. Ready Made: Harry Chapin--“Cat’s in the Cradle” Zora Neale Hurston--Their Eyes
Were Watching God
8. Downstream: Paul Gallico-- Snowflake
9. An Old Photograph of the Future: Title taken from the poem by Robert Penn Warren
10. Blue Flags (For Sebastian Vettel)--Blue flags are a signal for race drivers who are
about to be lapped to get out of the way. In the heat of battle, Sebastian would
sometimes yell “BLUE FLAGS” over his team radio out of frustration. I now do that
when I’m driving behind someone lollygagging in the left lane.
11. An 80s Youth: Nena--“99 Red Balloons”
12. Eight Things: Michael Lee--“Pass On.” Echolyn--“Never the Same”