SONGS ON 'THE SIDEWALK SERENADES' ALBUM

THE SIDEWALK SERENADES ALBUM

BY

STEVEN TRIPP AND FRIENDS

The Freedom Song            

That Old Busking Sing along        

Two sides to every story               

None So Blind       

Modern Civilisation             

Time            

Wake up Australia                  

See You in the Summer          

You Make Me Feel Good                 

The Dance of a Thousand Skeletons                

Beg Borrow or Steal                       

Daytime Nightmare

              

This album is based on material that was composed and recorded at the tail end of Steves early busking years. It starts out with selections pertaining to the street life and the human condition in general then he rolls up his sleeves and gets in among the nitty, gritty realities of what it means to be in love. ‘The Freedom Song’ is spiced with nostalgic longing and it is presented in dedication to the rebels and misfits of the world. ‘That Old Busking Singalong’ is a traditional blues piece about a night out busking on the town. It was the traditional warm up number for the buskers as it never failed to attract a circle of paying spectators and wide eyed young ladies.  The passing parade on the street is described in ‘Two Sides to Every Story’ as it celebrates the boundless joys of summer.  ‘None so Blind’ is a simple, funky chant which outlines the basic requirements of life. ‘Modern Civilisation’ forecasts robot dependence in an overly affluent world.  With ‘Time’ we sense the first hint of foreboding as the finite nature of life is brought into question. ‘Wake up Australia’ promotes a rural based lifestyle and economy with hard work being the true means to glory. ‘Easy Living’ is a musical tribute to the ‘Great Australian Dream’.

Steve’s street performance troupe worked under the name ‘The Roadside Attraction’ before they disbanded in the late eighties to go their separate ways.  The songs that were to follow the break up gave rise to a new evolution in writing style as the happy go lucky tones of earlier works were replaced by more sophisticated musical arrangements to match the current mood.  The lifestyle of a night clubbing, bar fly and party animal was the perfect inspiration for ‘You Make Me Feel Good’ a Rock and Roll chant to sexual attraction and good times.  ‘The Dance of a Thousand Skeletons’ is a haunting portrayal of doomed love between a minstral from lowly beginnings and the daughter of a High Court Judge.  ‘Beg, Borrow or Steal’ encapsulates the pivotal moment where our free roaming gypsy boy pledges to fulfil his marital and parental duties by any available means. The final composition on the album is called ‘Daytime Nightmare’. A hurt and rage driven unearthing of the games people play and the hidden faces behind the masks of love.