“Closer to My Home” is the long-awaited, new album from legendary guitarist and singer/songwriter Mark Farner. Bridging past and present, the grit of industry and the calloused hard work of a rural man, “Closer to My Home” champions Farner’s multi-faceted artistry. Celebrating the 55th anniversary of the iconic hit “(I’m Your Captain) Closer To My Home” the album is highlighted with a re-record, finding Farner in exactly the same form as 1970.
From the rebellious “Anymore” to the endearing “Darlin” and to the defiant “Same Game” Farner’s journey as one of rock’s statesmen is undeniable. “Façade”, “Friends For Forever”, “Real”, “Tiny Fingers” Farner’s journey has always called him towards love and light. He collaborated with Jim Peterik (The Ides of March, Survivor) on the CD-exclusive “Friends Forever”*. Farner also enlisted the songwriter of multi-platinum rocker Mark Slaughter on “Same Game”; Slaughter produced “Closer to My Home”. Farner is co-producer. “These songs are honest and from my heart,” Farner said. “The collaboration with Jim (Peterik) and Mark (Slaughter) came from a place of trust and that makes the whole experience so much more rewarding as songwriters. The audience can feel that and these songs reflect those very human moments that you can’t find creating a song from a computer.”
“‘Closer to My Home’ comes from the idea that love is at the heart of all that I do, and music is my home.” As one of the founding members, lead singer, lead guitarist, and wrote more than 90% of the Grand Funk music catalog, Farner has always been known as the energetic driving force on stage, the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk Railroad to the top of the charts. From his soulful voice and power rock riffs, to fueling the Funk with his atomic stage presence.
His story and his imprint on music starts with Flint and since 1969 from his humble beginnings and a blue-collar outlook, Farner has captained a global crusade for love, peace and freedom and became a rock ‘n’ roll icon. More than 60 years later – he commands the stage with the same intensity performing epic hits that defined a generation – “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)”, “Bad Time”, “Some Kind of Wonderful”, “Foot Stompin’ Music”, “Heartbreaker”, “Rock & Roll Soul”, “Locomotion”, “Mean Mistreater” and “We’re An American Band”. “Closer to My Home” is on Righteous Rock Records and is distributed by MVD Entertainment Group and is available via vinyl and CD.
“The Long-Awaited release by Mark Farner entitled ‘Closer to My Home’ epitomizes Marks’ Michigander rooted heart & soul. An incredible mix of Classic Rock, Detroit Funk, love songs and emotional ballads, with several tracks suitable for landing on the Top40 charts. Gratifying and inspiring through and through!”
Heirlooms: The Complete Atlantic Sessions, 2000 (re-release of Farner's two first studio albums)
Red White and Blue Forever, 2002 (mini-album)
Live!! N'rG, 2003
Mark Farner the Rock Patriot, March 9, 2003, Live Extended Versions
MARK FARNER
APPEARS
SEPTEMBER 23RD 2024
ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
WITH RAY SHASHO
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER
BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.
The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.
Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.
The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.
Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks are currently performing live on “YES Epics, Classics, and More” tour. The tour began on May 30th at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ.
Like the 2023 tour, the set list contains numerous YES songs from all stages of the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career that feature Jon as their lead vocalist and songwriter. The tour also promises the introduction of new material. Jon and the Band Geeks have also recorded a brand new nine track cd. “Shine On”, the first single from their forthcoming album “TRUE” was released on August 23rd. The video was filmed in New Jersey before the start of the tour and directed by Tom Flynn. The song has been performed nightly on the tour and has received rave reviews.
6/13/2024 - Chicago, IL - Copernicus 6/15/2024 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheater 6/18/2024 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theater 6/20/2024 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Theatre 6/22/2024 - Concord, NH - Capitol Center for the Arts 6/25/2024 - Boston, MA - Shubert Theatre 6/27/2024 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse 7/21/2024 - Patchogue, NY - Great South Bay Music Festival 7/24/2024 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium* 7/27/2024 - Peachtree City, GA - Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheatre 7/30/2024 - Camdenton, MO - Ozarks Amphitheater* 8/2/2024 - Bonner Springs, KS - Azura Amphitheater* 8/4/2024 - La Vista, NE - The Astro Outdoors* 8/7/2024 - Waite Park, MN - The Ledge Amphitheater* 8/10/2024 - Denver, CO - Paramount 8/14/2024 - Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre 8/16/2024 - Thousand Oaks, CA - Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center 9/11/2024 - Beverly MA - Cabot Theatre 9/13/2024 - Glenside PA - Keswick Theatre 9/15/2024 - Glenside PA - Keswick Theatre 9/19/2024 - Portchester NY - Capitol Theatre 9/21/2024 - Montclair NJ - Wellmont Theatre 9/27/2024 - Staten Island NY - St George Theatre
*w/Special Guests The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
DISCOGRAPHY
JON ANDERSON
SOLO
Olias of Sunhillow (1976)
Song of Seven (1980)
Animation (1982)
3 Ships (1985)
In the City of Angels (1988)
Deseo (1994)
Change We Must (1994)
Angels Embrace (1995)
Toltec (1996)
Lost Tapes of Opio (1996)
The Promise Ring (1997)
Earth Mother Earth (1997)
The More You Know (1998)
Survival & Other Stories (2011)
1000 Hands: Chapter One (2019)
True (forthcoming, August 2024)
Pre Yes
The Warriors
- Singles :
1964 : "You Came Along" / "Don't Make Me Blue" (7", Single)
- Album :
2003 : Bolton Club 65 - Recorded live in 1965 and published on CD in 2003 on Voiceprint Label.
Yes
Yes (1969)
Time and a Word (1970)
The Yes Album (1971)
Fragile (1971)
Close to the Edge (1972)
Yessongs (1973) (triple live album)
Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973) (double studio album)
Relayer (1974)
Yesterdays (1975) (studio compilation including rare cuts)
Going for the One (1977)
Tormato (1978)
Yesshows (1980) (double live album, originally intended as triple)
Classic Yes (1980) (studio compilation with two bonus unreleased live cuts)
90125 (1983)
9012Live: The Solos (1985) (live)
Big Generator (1987)
Union (1991)
Yesyears (1991) (quadruple CD compilation box set including rare and unreleased tracks)
Talk (1994)
Keys to Ascension (1996) (studio & live double CD album)
Keys to Ascension 2 (1997) (studio & live double CD album)
Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969–1970 (1997; a.k.a. Astral Traveller)
Open Your Eyes (1997)
Yes, Friends and Relatives (1998) (double CD album compilation including remake of Owner of a Lonely Heart)
The Ladder (1999)
House of Yes: Live from House of Blues (2000) (double CD live album)
Magnification (2001)
In a Word: Yes (1969–) (2002) (quintuple CD compilation box set including rare and unreleased tracks)
The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection (2004) (U.S. triple CD album edition including unreleased acoustic versions)
The Word Is Live (2005) (triple CD live album)
Live at Montreux 2003 (2007) (double CD live album)
Union Live (2011) (double CD live album)
Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two (2015) (14-CD live box set)
Jon and Vangelis
Studio albums
Short Stories (1980)
The Friends of Mr Cairo (1981)
Private Collection (1983)
Page of Life (1991)
Page of Life (1998) (Alternate version not approved by Vangelis)
Compilations
The Best of Jon and Vangelis (1984)
Chronicles (1994)
Anderson, Harley & Batt
Whatever You Believe (1988) (charity single)
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989)
In the Big Dream - A Video Compilation (1989) (video)
An Evening of Yes Music Plus (1993) (double live album, recorded in 1989)
An Evening of Yes Music Plus (1993) (video)
Live at the NEC (2012) (2CD + 1DVD live album, recorded in 1989)
Anderson/Wakeman
The Living Tree (2010)
The Living Tree in Concert Part One (2011) (CD live album)
Jon Anderson & Matt Malley
Family Circle (2014) (download only charity single)
Anderson-Ponty Band
Better Late Than Never (2015) (CD/DVD live album)
Jon Anderson & Roine Stolt
Invention of Knowledge (June 2016)
Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman
Live at the Apollo (2018) (2CD live album)
Guest appearances
With Johnny Harris:
All to Bring You Morning (1969; 1973), on the track "All to Bring You Morning" (also featuring Steve Howe & Alan White)
With King Crimson:
Lizard (1970), on the track "Prince Rupert Awakes"
With Colin Scot:
Colin Scot (1971) Credited as "John Anderson (Dr Yes)" next to Rick "Broken Toes" Wakeman.
With Iron Butterfly:
Scorching Beauty (1974) co-writer on the track "Pearly Gates"
With Vangelis:
Heaven and Hell (1975), on the track "So Long Ago, So Clear"
Opéra Sauvage (1979), plays harp on the track "Flamants Roses"
See You Later (1980), on the tracks "Suffocation" and "See You Later"
With Alan White:
Ramshackled (1976), on the track "Spring - Song Of Innocence" (also featuring Steve Howe)
With Rick Wakeman:
1984 (1981), on the track "The Hymn"
With Mike Oldfield:
Crises (1983), on the track "In High Places"
"Shine (Extended Version)" Single (1986). Included on "The Platinum Collection" (2006)
Soundtracks:
Metropolis (1984), on the track "Cage of Freedom"
St. Elmo's Fire (1985), on the track "This Time It Was Really Right"
Biggles (1986), on the tracks "Do You Want to Be a Hero" and "Chocks Away"
With Tangerine Dream:
Legend Soundtrack (1985), on the track "Loved by the Sun"
With John Paul Jones:
Music from the Film "Scream for Help" (1985), on the tracks "Silver Train" and "Christie"
With Lawrence Gowan:
Great Dirty World (1987), on the track "Moonlight Desires"
With Hiroshima:
Go (1987), on the track "Go"
With Toto:
The Seventh One (1988), on the track "Stop Loving You"
With Jonathan Elias:
Requiem for the Americas: Songs from the Lost World (1990), on the tracks "Within the Lost World" and "Far Far Cry"
Prayer Cycle: Path To Zero (2011), on the track "Devotion"
With Kitaro:
Dream (1992), on the tracks "Lady of Dreams", "Agreement", "Dream of Chant" and "Island of Life"
With London Philharmonic Orchestra:
Symphonic Music of Yes (1993), on the tracks "Roundabout" and "I've Seen All Good People"
With Charlie Bisharat:
Along the Amazon (1993), on the track "Along the Amazon"
With Steve Bailey:
Evolution (1993), on the track "Evolution"
With Ayman:
Dancing with My Soul (1994), on the track "Opionium"
With Milton Nascimento:
Angelus (1994), on the track "Estrelada"
With Tadamitsu Saito:
It's About Time (1995), on the tracks "Doshyamo", "Cascadia", and "It's About Time"
With Cielo Y Tierra:
Heaven and Earth (1996), on the tracks "El Dia" and "La Segunda Oracion" - Mexican CD edition is self-titled and includes "La Segunda Oracion (Mountain High Remix)" as a bonus track.
With Sir John Betjeman & Mike Read:
Words/Music (1998), on the track "Youth and Age" - Album re-released several times under different titles, including Centenary (2006) and "Sound of Poetry" (2008).
With 4 Him:
Streams - Various Artists (1999), on the track: "The Only Thing I Need". Also on "The Best of the 2000 Dove Awards" (2000)
With Steve Howe:
Portraits of Bob Dylan (1999), on the track "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"
With Béla Fleck and the Flecktones:
Outbound (2000), on the tracks "A Moment So Close" and "Aimun"
With Eduardo Del Signore:
Captivated (2001), keys on the tracks "Cocos Azules", "Captivated" & "Sight". wind controller on "Boabdil" and vocals on "Hope"
With Robert Downey, Jr.
The Futurist (2004), on the track "Your Move"
With Paul Green School Of Rock Music:
Rock School Soundtrack (2005), on the track "Heart of the Sunrise"
With The Fellowship:
In Elven Lands (2006), on the tracks "Dan Barliman's Jig", "Eléchoi", "The Sacred Stones" and "Verses to Elbereth Gilthoniel"
With Dream Theater:
Systematic Chaos (2007), spoken word guest on a section of the track "Repentance"
With Glass Hammer:
Culture of Ascent (2007), on the tracks "South Side Of The Sky" and "Life by Light"
With Alan Simon:
Excalibur II: L'Anneau des Celtes (The Celtic Ring) (2007), on the track "Circle of Life"
With Fritz Heede:
Ritual Path (2007), on the track "Come By"
With Tommy Zvoncheck:
ZKG (2008), on the track "The Rain in Florida"
With Peter Machajdík:
Namah (2008), on the track "Sadness of Flowing"
The Lynx Liaison (Návrat Rysov) (Soundtrack) (2010), on the track "Cats Alive"
With Michael Mollura:
The Highest Pass Soundtrack (2011), on the tracks "The Highest Pass Title Song'" and "Waking Up"
With Marco Sabiu:
Audio Ergo Sum (2012), on the track "Limitless Lives"
With Dennis Haklar:
Lizard's Tale (2012), on the tracks "Leap of Faith", "Prelude to Dawn", "Dawn of an Era" and "Crossing Over"
With Jean Philippe Rykiel:
Inner Spaces (2012), on the track "Close to You"
With Jeff Pevar:
From the Core (2012), on the track "River of Dreams"
With Wave Mechanics Union:
Further to Fly (2012), on the tracks "It Will Be a Good Day (The River)" and "Wonderous Stories"
With Everyday Animals:
Under the Tyranny of Good Weather (2013), on the track "False Awakening"
With Todmobile:
Úlfur (2014), on the track "Wings Of Heaven" - Also includes a DVD of a live concert performing several Yes songs.
With The Spaces Between:
Let's Leave It at This for Now... (2014), on the track "Orchasm"
With Wanabi Farmeur:
Wanabi Farmeur (2014), on the track "Floating Stick"
With HuDost & Steve Kilbey:
The Word Is... (2015), on the track "OMEGA"
With Andrew Rubin:
Guitar Concerto (2016), co-writer, does not perform.
With Oakes & Smith:
Between The Earth and the Sky (2016), on the track "Closer to Home"
With Battles:
Juice B Crypts (2019), on the track "Sugar Foot" (also featuring Prairie WWWW)
With Trip the Witch:
Trip the Witch (2021), on the track "Saturn We Miss You"
JON ANDERSON
APPEARS
august 28th 2024
ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
WITH RAY SHASHO
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER
BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.
The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.
Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.
The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.