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Brad Bensko

by Brad Bensko

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    A special edition, high quality vinyl pressing of Brad Bensko's debut LP, complete with some extras, such as a bonus track and a page of lyrics from the album!

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1.
Shallow Eyes 03:37
So quick to judge, so slow to change your mind Believe it to be truth, but in truth it’s just unkind The world has so much to say But you throw it all away because you can’t accept the gray Oh, it’s your life vest Saves you from those greater depths Shallow eyes, realize Life comes and goes with nothing in tow You hide behind your holy Sunday walls As the stale sermons ring down the inner halls Condemn any contradiction With a smile, then a cold and swift eviction Your soul is good and well So go through your mundane hell Shallow eyes, realize That when they close, there’s nothing to show
2.
Long Gone 02:47
My baby’s long gone, she’s long gone Gone to find some other life far away from here Ain’t it a drag, such a drag To think she’d leave so suddenly, oh how’d all this come to be? Pinch me, hit me, oh I’m cracking up Just tell me that she is not the one for me What will I do? So blue Sitting by the fireside, long and lonesome nights Oh why would she just leave me? Don’t my love mean anything? Oh I can’t say a thing Pinch me, hit me, oh I’m cracking up Just tell me that she is not the one for me My baby’s long gone, she’s long gone And every day she’s gone away I’ll just sit and pray That one day she might see me Until that day I’ll think away all the things I meant to say Pinch me, hit me, oh I’m cracking up Just tell me that she is not the one for me
3.
Waiting Game 04:31
So you say your time has come to grow? At the casual glance nobody would know Still, your masquerades are all that show I’m going to pack my things and leave Can’t stand much more of Ms. Misery I won’t play your waiting game Oh, you seek the words you like to hear ‘Til nobody’s there, then you’re in my ear Asking “Why am I running in circles, dear?” Something inside you has changed for the worse Still, you feel it’s simply luck’s callous curse But I won’t play your waiting game Whatever happens in this cold passing of time? Your dreams of yesterday? Well, I’ll keep them with mine Oh, the rest is not for me to say Not that you would hear it anyway Best of luck to finding brighter days Something inside you has changed for the worse Still you feel it’s simply luck’s callous curse But I won’t play your waiting game
4.
Keep me in this darkness, blind to what is real So many surrounding me, it’s funny how I feel So alone, but then, so are you Victims to the things that we do And it pulls me back to a time When thoughts of you weren’t such a crime I could say I was younger then, foolish too But now I’m a man still hung on just what to do Oh, this loneliness just won’t end It’s pitiful to find I spend All day long, tired and alone Hanging on to your songs Such a slave to this crave It’s sending me to my grave I could throw on the light and say that I’m through with you But that wouldn’t save me from these shades of blue Will I stay forevermore Caught within the hindsight of your gaze?
5.
When you’re harping on your wind chimes, lost in all your selfishness Take a minute, give a dime, and try on some selflessness Recognize me and advise me, but don’t take my point of view Surely you must know and see I just need something to do Oh, I don’t want to waste my life on foolish games But what’s killing you is that you never did feel the same Stop this madness that you’re showing You’re just trying far too hard Surely you must be knowing You’re just playing the wrong card Just drop me an ice cold six pack, throw me a guitar and a harp While I play and softly kick back, and make this music start Oh, I don’t want to waste my life on foolish games Oh, you’re pointing at me, but you know that you’re the one to blame If there comes a time when I have rectified immobile dreams I’d be in for having some fun, have a hand in all your schemes But for now I’ll leave this with you, at the risk of sounding cold I don’t want to miss or kiss you, less your shaky hand to hold
6.
7.
The autumn leaves colored Main Street And lit the day for our landmark getaway A year to date, no one near And nothing much to fear Kodachrome memories Caught in time like the smiles we exchanged for a while Soon undone No sign of the cold to come This tipping point, the wake of all this change Still, I can’t get around The beauty of those leaves before they hit the ground You gave your love with such an ease And with that ease, started turning away from me To betray the certainty You said you had in me We spun toward the inner track Sang our song until the final chord You made your move And left me in the runoff groove This tipping point, the wake of all this change Still, I can’t get around The beauty of those chords before they ceased to sound How it all comes back to me A slightest pause in the day And I’m swept away In the sepia shade Of all those plans we made This tipping point The wake of all this change Still I can’t get around Those chords we made, the heights we climbed The beauty of those leaves before they hit the ground How close someone can be before they let you down
8.
Alexandra 02:54
Alexandra, you know that you’ve got me reeling Such a spender on all of my daytime dreaming Is it just my misled intuition That sends me deep reading through your disposition? Sitting in your chair, just painting to pass the time It’s never been your care to join in life’s age-old rhymes Oh, there you go with your playful teasing And I’ll play along ‘cause it’s oh so pleasing Alexandra, what is this deep affection That floats in the air toward me from your direction? Paint me the words that you’re longing for me to say And I’ll sing them all so that we can start loving today
9.
Why do you do that? Can’t you see I’m off the edge? You’ve gone and done an unforgivable thing Was falling slowly, but I’ve stepped off of the ledge Now falling fast, but that’s what mistakes will bring You didn’t know just what was meant when she said, “Stay for a while” as you crawled into her bed? I’m burning out Come on, what else can I do? I’ll shout out loud, Try to scream some sense into you The one I saw yesterday was pure as gold Now blackened down to a grain of sand Is there no turning from this life that you now hold? Can you back down and make this all end? You didn’t know just what was meant when she said, “Stay for a while” as you crawled into her bed? I’m burning out Come on, what else can I do? I’ll shout out loud, Try to scream some sense into you Is there no turning back From this life you now hold? You didn’t know just what was meant when she said, “Stay for a while” as you crawled into her bed? I’m burning out Come on, what else can I do? I’ll shout out loud, Try to scream some sense into you
10.
I’ve known your sadness It seems to have no end The kind that darkens Blinds you from the bend But rest, honey dear Comfort can be near Your eyes reveal a certain sense of sorrow But don’t you take them off tomorrow And when it starts to get you down, take a look around Smiling faces all around to pick you up without a sound It’s gonna be alright Worries go with the night The past has made you So familiar to alarm Thoughts you shared Were turned around to harm Though it’s easy to say It won’t always be that way The past had grown you so much thicker skin But don’t you let it hide what lies within And when it starts to get you down, take a look around Smiling faces all around to pick you up without a sound It’s gonna be alright Worries go with the night And when it starts to get you down, take a look around Smiling faces all around to pick you up without a sound It’s gonna be alright Worries go with the night
11.
*An instrumental passage for your reflection*
12.
Kathleen, you color each day you choose to grace the scene Warm, kind, and ever caring to me You’re one of a kind The solitude you sometimes feel compels me to remind Some, they place so little faith in your thoughts Worry not, for it’s only their loss A life friend, I know The comfort that we find in a moment’s silence tells me so Wintertime 2016; winter solstice dreams Singing “Someday Soon” to the crowd; cheers rang out loud For you and me, Kathleen Saugerties was shining so bright that winter night Didn’t think to say our goodbyes ‘til the morning light A life friend, I know The comfort that we find in a moment’s silence tells me so Long, sad days since that winter round Some have gone, others let me down Colors lost in the gray Waiting for the day when she comes Here she comes singing, “Na, na na…”

about

The debut album from Brad Bensko. After years of building up a collection of vintage studio gear and writing and arranging songs, Bensko sought to record an album in the vein of some of his favorite musicians (Paul McCartney, Todd Rundgren, and Harry Nilsson just to name a few.) Taking on the majority of the recording, arranging, and performing tasks, he crafted these songs from the basics and up, all on an old Otari 1" 8 track reel to reel tape machine. Bensko wasn't completely on his own, however, and with a little help from his friends (Kathleen Parks, Tyler Bensko, Jason Banta, Danny Motta, Chris Rival) the record was seen to completion. We hope you enjoy!

credits

released August 24, 2018

The Players:

Brad Bensko: Vocals, guitars, bass, organ, piano, mellotron, harpsichord, drums, percussion

Kathleen Parks: violin and backing vocals on “Winter Solstice Suite”

Danny Motta: trumpet on “Winter Solstice Suite”

Tyler Bensko: backing vocals on “Long Gone”


Produced and Arranged by Brad Bensko

Recorded onto 8 Track Reel To Reel Tape (HAL) by Brad Bensko at Bearded Cat Studios in Mystic, CT

Mixed by Jason Banta and Brad Bensko at Bearded Cat Studios in Mystic, CT

Mastered by Chris Rival at Middleville Studios in North Reading, MA

All songs written by Bradley Joseph Bensko © 2010-2018

Front & back photos by Catie McClelland of Fox & Laurel Photography

Additional photos by Catie McClelland, Jennifer O’Malia, Alee Rogan, Jason Banta, and Brad Bensko

Artwork and design by Paul Wallen

Thanks to all else who made this record possible:

Brian, Debra, Jill, Tyler, and Jenna Bensko for supporting me and putting up with the noise throughout the years.

Bill Scheniman, Matt Hamilton, Nick Johns, Jason Banta, and Thom Hyde for lending your ears from time to time.

Courtney Bothur for “bringing out the poet in me.”

Kathleen Parks, Paul Rishell and Annie Raines for your ears, your friendship, and for being constant inspirations to me.

A special thanks to Tyler Bensko and Kathleen Parks for your input; these recordings would not have been the same without you.

This album is especially dedicated to the memory of my grandparents, Robert and Sheila Church.

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about

Brad Bensko Boston, Massachusetts

Hailing from Mystic, CT, Brad Bensko is a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter who plays solo as well as with the likes of Paul Rishell, Annie Raines, and Kathleen Parks of Boston based band, Mojo Rodeo. Drawing from his love of 50s and 60s pop, American Songbook, and American Roots, Brad weaves these influences together to create fresh songs with ties to the past. ... more

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