Those Around Us is an incredible work by Jim Fusco. How he continues to top himself is an attestation to his ability to improve his own standards and methods. What amazes me continually is how I say “Wow this album is the best I’ve heard” and then the next one is even better.

By Jim Fusco:

A little late with the post this week- I think I just decided that I write much better during the day and not at 2 am.  :-)  I’m still on a “Those Around Us” kick and I’m pretty sure those that have purchased the album are, too!  Remember, the CD version of my latest album is available on my website at http://jimfusco.com/albums/those-around-us.html.  And, it’s also available on iTunes HERE!

Today’s video is an original song that I wrote on piano- I haven’t had a piano-driven song like that since “What About Today?”, as all of the songs on “Halfway There” were piano-based.  I wanted to get back into using the piano again, but only got one song out of it.  It’s a pretty serious song, too.  I had this idea of someone that got in a car crash and lost their memory.  At that point, all of his friends and family would try to make him remember his life.  And, he didn’t remember where he lived, so he had to “follow you home”.  Most of the songs on “Those Around Us”, as I’ve mentioned here on the music blog in the past, don’t deal with actual things or people in my life.  The songs’ subject matter is derived from ideas I’ve had and conversations I’ve had with the people closest to me.  I think somewhere along the line I realized, “Hey, I’ve surrounded myself with good, level-headed people.  There’s not enough to write about!”  So, I took a new direction and thought of some other topics.  Then, I applied my feelings about the matter- almost an exercise in how I would react to a situation.  I like that concept- it makes me think outside the box a little.

I really like the production on the recorded version of “Follow You Home”.  I got to use a great new Native Instruments sampled acoustic piano that I bought, so it sounds really great.  Plus, I didn’t have to mic the real piano we have upstairs- that’s always more trouble than it’s worth.  Also, I got to use the 12-string electric guitar to great effect in this song- I really like the idea of using the 12-string as a sort of second bass line- kind of like a riff that runs through the whole chorus.  The harmonies on the chorus took some time to get right.  On the second time around the chorus, I go to a minor chord (I love that change).  But, it’s such a slight difference in the vocal note- it definitely took a few takes to nail it.

On a personal note, I cannot tell you how happy I am that the Beach Boys are reuniting this year.  This Sunday, they’ll be playing at the Grammy Awards- I can’t wait!  Also, I just bought the tickets to see them live at Mohegan Sun arena.  I know it’ll be a great show and I hope they throw in a few surprises for us hardcore fans.  I’ll definitely be hitting up the merchandise table that night!

I’m always looking for new avenues to distribute my album and for some places to play live.  If any of the loyal readers of my Laptop Sessions music video posts have any suggestions, I’ll be happy to hear them.  I’ll be back with a cover song music video in a couple weeks, so to tide you over until then, order yourself a copy of “Those Around Us”!

By Chris Moore:

Last week, I brought you the first five in a list of ten Jim Fusco rarities in preparation for the release of his new album Halfway There this “new music Tuesday,” April 7th, 2009.  After all, there’s no better way to anticipate an upcoming release than to go back and enjoy all previous releases in a series.

In the case of Fusco, there has been quite a variety of musical projects over the course of the past eight years.  There have been six solo studio albums, three band albums, four releases (of 20 tracks each) in the Laptop Sessions acoustic mp3 series, a single, a greatest hits disc (with accompanying music video DVD compilation), and assorted demos, covers, and other tracks.  Now that I’ve officially finished listening to all the Bob Dylan tracks in my collection (almost 700!), I’ve embarked on my “Jim Fusco Catalog” playlist.

Clocking in at “only” eleven hours or so, this should be much easier to tackle than my Bob Dylan playlist!

For those of you Jim Fusco faithfuls, I hope you’ll enjoy the final five tracks on this second installment of “A Look Back at Ten (Officially Released) Jim Fusco Rarities” worth remembering…

A Look Back at Five More (Officially Released) Jim Fusco Rarities…

6)  “The Red, White, and Blues” – This is yet another album starter that I love.  It is Fusco’s first foray into direct protest songwriting.  Indeed, his March 2008 Laptop Sessions version stirred up some controversy in the form of comments left on the site.  It was nice to see that at least some people listen to the lyrics, even if they misread and/or disagreed with their message.  As he wrote in the blog post, this was the first and last “protest” type song of its kind.

7)  “The Second Time” – All I have to say is: this better be at the wedding reception!  In 2003, Jim recorded and released Formula, an album whose material was clearly inspired by his now-fiance Becky Daly.  She joins him near the end of this track, offering up a preview of 2/3 of the Chris, Jim, and Becky trio that would go on to perform around the state and release a “live in the studio” album.  While this isn’t necessarily one of my favorite Jim Fusco songs, it’s always been one of my favorites from Formula and — if it’s not “best of” material, then — it’s “top ten rarities” material.

8)  “Sideshow” – There are so many different tracks that were up for inclusion on this list of rarities — there’s the simple, piano-based vulnerability of “My Angel” or the folky storytelling style of “Vision of Cobblestone Town,” to name just a couple.  “Sideshow” earns a spot in the top ten for its unique sound.  There’s something about this track that is controlled and yet sort of wild; it’s one of those songs whose sound truly meshes with and contributes to the meaning conveyed by the lyrics.  In addition, as the penultimate track on What About Today?, it’s truly the point at which the recurring instrumental section comes to a climax before the first chords of “Harmony” and the close of this concept album.

9)  “Never Taking Your Chances” – This is one of those songs that benefits from my memories surrounding its conception, recording, and release.  I vividly recall my conversations with Jim about the situation that resulted in the writing of this song, and I recall the then-groundbreaking recording methods that he was pioneering.  This is a clear example of early blending between vocals and distortion guitar.  With each album, Jim’s use of guitar effects has become more effective and more interesting, and I can’t wait to hear his latest leap forward on Halfway There.

10)  “Another Backwards Day” – Speaking of guitar effects, “Another Backwards Day” is a track that I always felt was left forgotten about, sandwiched between the live favorites “Can’t Count on Words” and “Sometimes.”  This song is every bit as upbeat and rocking as the other songs around it, and it boasts a Frampton-esque series of guitar solos and riffing.  If “She Waits” (another favorite and one that ALMOST made the list!) demonstrates Jim’s softer, piano-driven side, then “Another Backwards Day” pulls out the stops and allows him to flex his electric muscle.

By Jim Fusco:

Hello everyone to another special edition of the Laptop Sessions music video blog!  I’m happy to officially announce that my new album, “Those Around Us” is now available on iTunes and on CD!  If you’d like the album on CD, you can purchase it on my website at http://jimfusco.com/albums/those-around-us.html.  If you’d prefer to download the album on iTunes, you can get that by clicking here!

“Those Around Us” features twelve new original songs.  I hope you’ll go and check out my website for the full write-up on the new album.  I honestly believe it’s my best effort to date and I’m proud to bring this new album to you.

As you see from the album cover above (which looks AMAZING, by the way), I was able to secure Ben Quesnel (at http://bqartstudio.com) to paint the cover for me.  As you may know, Ben painted the “Halfway There” cover.  I couldn’t be happier with the results of both album covers!

On January 13th, 2012, I had a big CD Release Party with my closest friends, family, and co-workers.  Words cannot describe how honored and humbled I was by the great turnout.  The crowd loved the seven new songs I played acoustically for them and everyone had a great time.  I even got to play a special encore cover song of “Two of Us” by the Beatles with my fellow Traveling Acai Berries member, Steve.

I recorded the entire show in multi-track audio and mixed and mastered it for all to hear.  You can listen to the entire CD Release Party concert for free on my website!  That’s right, just go to http://jimfusco.com/albums/those-around-us.html and click on the music player in the middle of the screen.  I’m really happy I had the opportunity to record it with my multi-track recorder because I was able to mix and tweak it after the fact.  I tried to record the show on video, as well.  But, something went wrong with the tape and I was only able to salvage the last song I played, “Good Enough”.  But, I made the most of that short video and put it on YouTube to show (even for just a few minutes) what a good time we all had at the CD Release Party.  I’m presenting that video for you here on the Laptop Sessions music blog, too.

I sincerely hope you’ll go and at least listen to “Those Around Us” on my website and on iTunes.  I know you’ll love the album, especially if you’re a fan of the cover songs I play here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs blog.  I think you’ll notice the influence of the bands I love and the music that inspires me.  As always, I’d love to hear what you think!  Write a comment here on the blog, tweet me @jimfuscomusic, or visit my Facebook page at http://facebook.com/jimfuscomusic!