''Temporary Road'' is the fourth album by

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

singer-songwriter

John Gorka John Gorka (born July 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. In 1991, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine called him "the preeminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement." Personal life Gorka was raised in the Colon ...

. In 1992 there was some critical consensus that Gorka was one of the leading male voices of the "new folk" movement. As titles like "Looking Forward" and "Gravyland" might imply, the album has an overall optimistic tone.

High Street Records High Street Records was a subsidiary label of Windham Hill Records from about 1990 to 1997. Notable acts who recorded for the label include John Gorka, Pierce Pettis, Patty Larkin, The Subdudes, Downy Mildew, and Dots Will Echo. Several singer-song ...

produced videos for the upbeat "When She Kisses Me" and "I Don't Feel Like a Train", both of which received some airplay on CMT. Despite the upbeat tone of many tracks the album also contains some darker political commentary. The title track, and "The Gypsy Life" offer reflections on the

first Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

. "Can You Understand My Joy?" is asked in an ironic, sarcastic way. The mix of moods in Gorka's songs helped earn him the description of "the dark optimist."

Anil Prasad Anil Prasad is a music journalist and music industry commentator. Career Prasad is the founder and editor of '' Innerviews,'' the Internet's first online music magazine, initially launched in 1994. Prasad’s writing has appeared in ''Guitar P ...

"John Gorka: The Dark Optimist"
''Interviews'', January 19, 1992

Track listing

All songs written by John Gorka # "Looking Forward" – 4:03 # "Baby Blues" – 3:40 # "The Gypsy Life" – 4;23 # "Vinnie Charles Is Free" – 4:27 # "Gravyland" – 3:38 # "Temporary Road" – 3:30 # "All That Hammering" – 3:21 # "I Don't Feel Like A Train" – 3:06 # "When She Kisses Me" – 2:44 # "Grand Larceny" – 3:24 # "If I Could Forget To Breathe" – 2:28 # "Can You Understand My Joy" – 3:17 # "Brown Shirts" – 3:52

Personnel

– Vocals, 6 & 12-string guitars *

Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'' starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award fo ...

– Backing vocals *

Cliff Eberhardt Cliff Eberhardt (born January 7, 1954, in Berwyn, Pennsylvania) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is a founding member of the Fast Folk Music Cooperative in New York City. Eberhardt joined Red House Records in 1997 and has recorded fiv ...

– Backing vocals *

Lucy Kaplansky Lucy Kaplansky (born February 16, 1960) is an American Folk music, folk musician based in New York City. Kaplansky has a PhD in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University and plays guitar, mandolin, and piano. Life and career Kaplansky was or ...

– Backing vocals *

Lee Satterfield Lee Satterfield is an American diplomat who has served as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Biden administration since November 2021. Early life and education Satterfield is a native of South Carolina. S ...

– Backing vocals * Dawn Atkinson – Backing vocals * Denise Mininfield – Backing vocals * Jennifer Newell – Backing vocals * Charlene Moore – Backing vocals *

Tom Corwin Thomas Corwin (July 29, 1794 – December 18, 1865), also known as Tom Corwin, The Wagon Boy, and Black Tom was a politician from the state of Ohio. He represented Ohio in both houses of Congress and served as the 15th governor of Ohio and the 2 ...

– Backing vocals *

Darol Anger Darol Anger is an American violinist and founding member of The David Grisman Quintet. Career Darol Anger entered popular music at the age of 21 as a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet. Anger played fiddle to David Grisman's mando ...

– Baritone violin * Mike Marshall – Mandolin, nylon-string guitar * William Gallison – Harmonica *

John Leventhal John Leventhal (born December 18, 1952) is a musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for William Bell, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Sarah Jarosz, Rodne ...

– Electric guitars *

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

– Slide guitar, National steel guitar *

Sean Hopper Hopper or hoppers may refer to: Places *Hopper, Illinois *Hopper, West Virginia * Hopper, a mountain and valley in the Hunza–Nagar District of Pakistan *Hopper (crater), a crater on Mercury People with the name * Hopper (surname), a list of pe ...

– Synthesizer, organ *

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as "In Your Eyes", "Slip ...

– Organ * Steve Gaboury – Synthesizer *

Michael Manring Michael Manring (born June 27, 1960) is an American bass guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Biography Michael Manring was born in Annapolis, Maryland,Tom Mulhern, ''Bass Heroes: Styles, Stories & Secrets of 30 Great Bass Players : from ...

– Fretless bass *

Todd Phillips Todd Phillips (né Bunzl, born December 20, 1970) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He began his career in 1993 and directed films in the 2000s such as ''Road Trip (film), Road Trip'', ''Old School (film), Old School'', ...

– Acoustic bass * Rich Girard – Bass * Denny Fongheiser – drums

Notes and sources

{{Authority control John Gorka albums 1992 albums Albums produced by John Leventhal