(The Walrus) - A CD of 11 new rock classics by the Walrus, one of the Pacific Northwest's favorite classic rock bands, is now available on CDBaby.com. "Uncovered," the Walrus' debut CD of original classic rock music, is obtainable for personal listening and as a holiday gift for $15 at www.CDBaby.com/cd/walrus.
I Want to Hold Your Hand "Uncovered," officially released Nov. 18, features rock, pop and folk vocal arrangements and harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles and Crosby Stills Nash & Young combined with classic rock melodies inspired by music from the 1960s and '70s. Because there is little new classic rock available at a time when classic rock is experiencing a resurgence, the new album's availability is a welcome gift to multi-generations of fans of rock 'n' roll.
"People of all ages appreciate classic rock music, and the only classic rock they can find is the old stuff," says Chuck Dingée, a Walrus vocalist and guitarist who has been playing Beatles-style rock music since he saw the Beatles in Chicago in 1966. "These new songs are our holiday gift to our loyal fans and fans of classic rock everywhere."
Of the 11 new songs on "Uncovered," two were written by Dingée whose acoustic guitar and lead vocals have entertained audiences from Florida to Philadelphia and Chicago to the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years, and two songs were written by lead vocalist and keyboardist Jamie Shea, who has lived and gigged from Los Angeles to Seattle to Vancouver, BC.
The majority - seven - were written by chief "Walrus-izer" Joe Young, lead vocalist, guitarist and a prolific songwriter who has played in numerous rock and country bands in the Midwest and the Northwest. Young's "Second Family" was written a few years after he joined the Walrus in 1998 and celebrates the friendship of the Baby Boomers who make up Bellingham's Rockin' Sea Mammals. This original song has been a staple part of the Walrus set list over the last few years as the band developed a strong following at a number of rock music clubs and private parties throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The Walrus' rich vocal harmonies - all five members sing - and sizzling musical arrangements on classic rock cover tunes have energized audiences of all ages for the last 11 years. Drummer Michael O'Neal and bass guitarist Walt Burkett provide the backbeat and also sing on the new tracks.
"It's fun to play songs that people know and love because it's like they own a piece of that song when they sing along and join in," says Shea. "Now we're heading into new territory with this new CD of original music."
The new Walrus CD is bursting with rock harmonies and ballads about empowerment, absent and cheating lovers and friendship. The songs range from "The Garden," inspired by the 1992 New Age novel, "Ishmael," and employing CSN&Y-style harmonies to the deliciously vampy "Tongue in Cheek" to the psychedelic-sounding "Gaia."
The music conveys an ageless popularity with electric, acoustic and pedal-steel guitar licks and both male and female lead vocals. Each of the 11 songs is so different that the album has been likened to a "Greatest Hits" collection.
Two songs are directly inspired by the Beatles, the Walrus' favorite band to cover. Young's "Abbey Road" describes the ups and downs of rock stardom, and "Hold Your Hand" is a 92-second dance number with harmonies as crisp as The Beatles' No. 1 hit, "All My Loving" (and reminiscent of a number of early Beatles songs including, of course, "I Want to Hold Your Hand").
In addition, haunting violin strains from the late Guy Mulford, who played at the Walrus' first public gig in 1996, are heard on 'Guy's Song,' a tribute to the beloved musician who died on Jan. 1, 2001. Mulford's posthumous fiddling (from a recording in 1998) is also a tribute to the high-tech recording equipment and talent at Bayside Recording in Bellingham, where the album was produced and recorded.
The Walrus will perform Friday, Dec. 1, at the Fairhaven Pub and Martini Bar in Bellingham, Wash. Autographed CDs as well as T-shirts and Walrus bumper stickers will be available.
To encourage one-stop holiday shopping at CDBaby.com, a 10-percent discount off the $15 list price is available for purchases of more than one Walrus CD if purchased online at www.CDBaby.com/cd/walrus.
For more information about the Walrus and the new CD of original classic rock music, go to www.CDBaby.com/cd/walrus, www.MySpace.com/iwalrus, https://blog.MySpace.com/iwalrus/ or www.tusktusk.com/uncovered.
