Our old refrigerator used to be filled with pictures of friends, family, and other loved ones. When we renovated our kitchen and purchased nicer appliances, the magnetic picture frames, magnetic note clips, and magnetic business cards for the local pizza place became off-limits – nothing but stainless steel now.

However, we still have those pictures around – they’re just flat against some other wall in our home instead. I’m glad these people can’t see inside our home from the picture frame – they’d be privy to all of the chaos that sometimes occurs, the occasional fights, the shouting matches, the threats. If those people really knew what went on inside our home, they might think… well… they might think we’re just like them!

Worse yet, what if they could read my mind around the Thanksgiving table? And even worse, what if I shared my honest thoughts around the Thanksgiving table? Maybe your family does that anyway… but ours doesn’t. We’re generally polite, cordial, and less than forthcoming in large group situations. Is that bad?

In this book and in our songs, we’re willing to reveal some deeper aspects of our lives to the public. We consider it in some ways to be a mirror in which we can all see our own reflection. 

But there are some things that for the sake of peace are simply not worth sharing. If my brother-in-law knew that I _____ _______ or ________ ___ _________, that could open up an unnecessary can of worms and drive a wedge into an arms-length relationship. 

Some of the most seemingly well-adjusted stars (music, film, etc.) seem to have figured out how to reveal enough while retaining a good amount of privacy for their own well-being. I respect that.

Yes, I have skeletons in my closet – they look like yours, only mine may have a larger frame! I’m honest with God and myself about these failings, and as honest as necessary with you. But some aren’t worth sharing, and what you don’t know can’t hurt me. 

Lyrics & Music by Bob Young

• Bob Young: vocals, keys, blues harp
• Tom Kozanecki: rhythm & lead guitar
• Jake Burdock: lead & rhythm guitar
• Leland McCann: drums
• Kenny Szymanski: bass

Every year tens of thousands of songwriters descend upon the website www.fawm.org  to take the FAWM (February Album Writing Month) challenge – write and record 14 songs in 28 days.

2010 was my first year, and I was so inspired that I wrote 15 songs in the first five days! I was spent. A few of those songs made it into our repertoire (All Thumbs Up, Three Is A Crowd, News At Eleven).

In 2011 I wrote an album of solo acoustic songs that I still play to this day (again in only five days). And in 2012 I completed the challenge in five days again, this time focusing on lyrics that might hopefully become Delta Twins material.

In most cases I wrote the lyric, then sought to match it up with the spirit of either a John Lee Hooker song to explore the Detroit Blues better, or a J. Geils Band song to capture the energy and spirit of their earlier work back the 1970s. The music for this was fashioned after the latter. However, when I listen to it now I hear strains of Carl Perkins, Elvis, and Little Richard – not my intent, but it kind of logically follows J. Geils Band’s influences some.

It is easily the shortest song on this album, and perhaps any album of ours. But that’s consistent with the genre, and extending it any longer seems like a disservice to the song. By the way, the bass solo is a great example of digital editing – Kenny played all of those notes, but if you see the original YouTube video of this performance, you’ll easily spot the differences. He’s not alone…

There is a certain rhythm and flow to the universe…which makes sense, since “universe” literally means “one song”. Rivers flow downstream. The sun, moon, and stars groove to their own cycles. Seasons turn and repeat. Organisms and organizations follow life-cycle patterns. It’s inherent in the design of the world. 

The key is for each of us to discover that universal rhythm and get in sync with it, grooving to its frequency, dancing to its beat, and singing in harmony with its melody. We need to be one with it.

At the same time, we have to find our own place in this flow. My life is MY life, not yours (and vice-versa). I have to be brave enough to make my own choices for good or bad. It is this unabashed attitude I’m referring to in my favorite part of the song:

I’m gonna sing to the sky
Like there’s nothing to hide

As a matter of fact, “Sing To The Sky” was the first working title for this album. I liked the notion that in this collection we were being unapologetic about the genres we’re playing, the lyrics we’re singing, the message we’re conveying, and the passion involved.

We make no bones about playing original Blues AND Americana AND Rock AND Soul music. That costs us at certain venues and makes it more difficult to build a fan base.

We do not hide the fact that there are layers of meaning to our songs, including a spiritual angle that a select few may find fascinating and invigorating. We won’t cover up our faith, or our many doubts for that matter.

Though “Sing To The Sky” didn’t capture the essence of the collection, this accident of a song is still one of my favorites on the album. When I think of the 2012 Delta Twins “sound”, this is the song I picture because the music was conceived as a band as we combined our own influences and followed the unique flow within each of us. Thank God for Jake, Leland, and Kenny. 

Lyrics & Music by Bob Young 

• Bob Young: vocals, keys
• Tom Kozanecki: rhythm guitar
• Jake Burdock: lead & rhythm guitar
• Leland McCann: drums
• Kenny Szymanski: bass 

This funk-rock tune has a riff and groove that reminds me of Joe Walsh with the James Gang. And it was kind of an accident.

When we first started setting goals for the band, we analyzed other bands who were as good as or a bit better than us and where they were playing. That seemed like a proven path – go where they have already gone. That flow seemed to work. 

As we progressed and discovered more and more what the “Delta Twins sound” was, we adjusted and refined these goals and the list of venues where we thought we could play at some point. One of them was Dick O’Dow’s Pub in trendy Birmingham, Michigan. 

As we gained more credibility in the area, we finally landed a gig at O’Dow’s in June 2012. It was cramped for a five-man band, but we worked it out and it was a magic night for us. One of the things we did for the first time was an impromptu jam at the end of the first set, and then again at the end of the night. And it was a good thing we were using our Korg D3200 12-channel mixer/recorder that night, because these jams turned out very, very cool. 

As I listened back to the jam from the first set, I started hearing words in my head that went along with the back-and-forth groove. I furiously started writing them down. In the process, other melodies and chords suggested themselves outside the simple jam on an E chord. The next time we played O’Dow’s (six weeks later), we performed this new song in its entirety. Four months later when we performed at the Hard Rock Café, we skipped the bridge; I like it better without it.

On the surface, this is a light-hearted historical nod to the blues greats who influenced me directly or indirectly. It starts with the man who first documented sheet music for the blues – W.C. Handy. He was an accomplished songwriter in both the blues and jazz forms, and made it possible for people who could read sheet music to play blues music written by others.

There were many great early blues artists, but the man who seems to cast the longest shadow is Robert Johnson. His haunting work has been covered countless times by many artists including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin.

I also appreciate a number of the old Delta Blues greats like Jack Owens & Bud Spires, Son House, Sonny Boy Williamson, Skip James – it’s such a primitive sound and it reminds me of listening to music at the Front Porch stage of the Chicago Blues Festival.

The blues I most enjoy, however, begins with Muddy Waters (thanks to Bob Seger’s recommendation on the Westwood One Radio Network back in the 1980s). Muddy’s real name is McKinley Morganfield. He and his harmonica cohort Little Walter recorded for Chess Records in Chicago (see the movie “Cadillac Records” sometime as a reference). Also on the Chess Records label was Howlin’ Wolf (actual name Chester Burnett) – what an awesome voice that hulking man had…and what stunning songs!

I’ve always loved the famous Bo Diddley beat (used on Quick Fix). I was alerted to Elmore James via the movie “The Blues Brothers”. And the king of the blues B. B. King is unavoidable – I’ve enjoyed his live performances on several occasions. T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, Etta James – also very influential performers.

At the end of the song I provided a special shout-out to Detroit Blues artists John Lee Hooker, Alberta Adams (whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting), and the recently departed Johnnie Bassett (which was a late but appropriate change to the lyric – sorry I had to bump you Joe Weaver – rest in peace!). 

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Lyrics & Music by Bob Young 

• Bob Young: vocals, keys, blues harp
• Tom Kozanecki: rhythm guitar, 1st solo
• Jake Burdock: lead guitar, 2nd solo
• Leland McCann: drums
• Kenny Szymanski: bass 

Bob and Tom formed Delta Twins in May 2009 (though the name Delta Twins didn’t become official until October 2009). Our other band experiments never had goals, but for this project we decided to set a few and see what happens. One goal for the first year was to perform respectably in the Detroit Blues Challenge.

Read More

We are working on a book!

It is intended as a “companion” to our new album, The Seasons & The Scars. It will provide facts, details, and insights on multiple levels.

We realize that songs become very personal for each listener; we love that about music in general. This work is not intended to undermine that personal experience at all.

Instead, we’re simply trying to provide ways for you to experience each song more deeply, more richly, through whatever strikes home with you. Thank you so much for reading… and listening. 

When we were contemplating album titles, we considered about 40 different phrases from the 12 songs, looking for something that seemed to capture the essence of the collection. While it’s in no  way, shape, or form a “concept album”, the songs are sequenced in a manner that flows musically and does seem to form kind of a concept for us.

The title we settled on was taken from a phrase in the song “On The Night Train”:

Looking back I see the reasons
And the seasons and the scars
But wherever you go, baby,
There you are…

Looking back on the last few years, there have been so many ups and downs personally, financially, spiritually, career-wise, band-wise, gig-wise… it’s been rather overwhelming at times.

When we add to that other seasons of life we experienced in the distant past that left scars deep and thick enough to inform a number of these songs, it seemed the most fitting title to gather these disparate tunes together.

Despite singing about the pain of the scars and re-living the seasons of life, we hope you’ll see that in true Delta Twins form hope prevails in the end. After all, what is life without hope?

We hope you will join us on this journey. Over the next 12-14 weeks, we plan to roll out portions of this Companion through our blog to whet your appetite for the more detailed book we hope to release in May or June.

So tell your friends and family; subscribe to our blog; and let us know what you think - in the end we would love for this to be a collaborative effort between us and our listeners. Thanks!

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Like a prisoner… in chains no one can see
Like a dead man walking… down the hall to eternity
If I could shake it I just might make it – at the corner I’d break free
But hope just smolders… like a ship on fire… at sea

  I’m a desperate man… a slaver’s son, a holy mess… with a smoking gun
  I’m a desperate man… with empty eyes, praying “carry me to paradise…”

(this week’s lyric by Delta Twins)

There are people in your life who’ve come and gone
They let you down, you know they hurt your pride
You better put it all behind you baby; cause’ life goes on
If you keep carryin’ that anger, it’ll eat you up inside, baby

I’ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it’s about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore.

- This week’s amazing lyric by Don Henley