Fear and Love (2001)
Fear and Love is a CD recorded by Jim Ocean’s former band ‘The Dogmatics’ in Nashville, TN with the Grand ‘Ole Opry house band. The Dogmatics was comprised of singer/songwriters Jim Ocean, Randy Anger and Sarah Reynolds and was accompanied by the house band for the Grand Ole Opry which included musicians Kerry Marx, John Gardner, Bob Patin and Byron House.
The CD features amazing production values and performances. Most of the songs were recorded in one to 3 takes as the group whizzed through them completing the project in five days. The Opry boys were very pleased to work on songs that weren’t country music, being that they are very accomplished musicians of many styles. (Some of their wives attended the sessions to glimpse the three eccentric songwriters from California.)
The songs (such as ‘Hard to be Real’, ‘America is only as good as your next door neighbor’ and ‘Ghost Towns in Russia’) are journeys into satirical and sometimes difficult conceptual terrain. Randy Anger and Sarah Reynolds perform the lead vocals. With their long histories of performance in theater the album has somewhat of a ‘Broadway’ feel. High energy three-part harmonies are a highlight of the CD with the Nashville guys performing expertly on the solos and rhythms.
Many of these tunes will be available as part of Jim Ocean’s upcoming double-album “Sarcology” project, due to be released in the summer of 2010.
The CD features amazing production values and performances. Most of the songs were recorded in one to 3 takes as the group whizzed through them completing the project in five days. The Opry boys were very pleased to work on songs that weren’t country music, being that they are very accomplished musicians of many styles. (Some of their wives attended the sessions to glimpse the three eccentric songwriters from California.)
The songs (such as ‘Hard to be Real’, ‘America is only as good as your next door neighbor’ and ‘Ghost Towns in Russia’) are journeys into satirical and sometimes difficult conceptual terrain. Randy Anger and Sarah Reynolds perform the lead vocals. With their long histories of performance in theater the album has somewhat of a ‘Broadway’ feel. High energy three-part harmonies are a highlight of the CD with the Nashville guys performing expertly on the solos and rhythms.
Many of these tunes will be available as part of Jim Ocean’s upcoming double-album “Sarcology” project, due to be released in the summer of 2010.