Updated: Aug 7, 2024
To say I have been stressed out about America's political scene would be an understatement. I've been stressed out about it since 2000 when I first ran for office for the Arizona State Legislature. My own family disowned me for running for office as the "wrong"political party. The seeds of this division were in full bloom even at that time. I have worked tirelessly since then behind the scenes to make the world a better place, being a poll worker and serving in many administrations. I received more votes in District 24 than any other Democrat in history, because I reached out to the other side. I would go to the doors of the "4 Y Republicans" (Those who voted in the last 4 elections) - something that no political consultant would ever tell you to do! It would be suicidal. In the heat of the Arizona summer I knocked on thousands of Republican doors. Because the district was 3 to one in Republican's favor, I was told by the people who talked to me in their homes many times, "No Republican has ever bothered to ask for my vote and I've lived here for many years, I feel taken for granted and will be voting for you!" Because the district was so heavily Republican and people were in their own silos, they had no idea what a "liberal" agenda even was, they just "knew" liberals were bad and couldn't explain why. If they did know the "liberal" agenda it was completely wrong, or extremely exaggerated. When Republicans poured their heart out to me it was the same issues that Democrats cared deeply about.
A way to make a decent living was priority one, then fairness, safety and much to my surprise at the time... the environment. Everyone wants access to see nature in its full beauty, they all want clean air & water and to live somewhere beautiful with a great climate. Most people are GOOD and we need to remember that, we need to offer LOVE in these times. In times of great hate, love is a revolutionary act they say.
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
The song Love's Echo was written while I was staying with Georgiana Steele Waller and Johnny Echols in Los Angeles. I had just finished an album, but thought this song was too good to not just make another one right now. Since I wrote it there I thought it would be good to mention his band's name in the title - LOVE, and part of his last name, Echo... of course I had to ask him to play on it too, legendary bassist Leland Sklar is also on it. The song leads off my new album Pegasas and Equuleus and is one of the most played songs on it. So the message of Love's Echo is indeed reverberating through the airwaves.
Love’s Echo
Words and Music by: Laurie Larson
Lead Guitar: Johnny Echols
Bass: Leland Sklar
Guitars, Keys, Violin: Laurie Larson
Times like these
Call for more love please
Love’s echo, Love’s echo, Love’s echo right now
May this be the portal where the light comes in
May it reach every heartbeat
Put it on repeat
Love’s echo, Love’s echo, Love’s echo right now
Let it reverberate
It’s never too late
Love’s echo, Love’s echo, Love’s echo right now
May this be the portal where the light comes in
Even in the darkest places
Even in the saddest faces
Let Love’s echo, Love’s echo, Love’s echo
Find them allLet love stand tall
Love’s echo, Love’s echo, Love’s echo right now
Thanks to WHFR in Dearborn, MI for making it on their Top Five & #4 on their Folk chart, thanks to M3 Radio in Brooklyn, NY for putting it in the top 15. Also, thanks to WWUH for the recent airplay.
With Love,
Laurie
I first met my silent type in Phoenix, AZ. I had just sold my house and was waiting for my new one to be built. My neighbor was also moving and he said there is an extra room where they were going. It was Vince Lalor's ranch off Cave Creek Road and the new freeway. Vince was in law enforcement and was also a pastor who had his own radio ministry. The coolest thing about his place was all the horses! He was a horse trainer and even had the pleasure of training horses for John Wayne. Every weekend we would go to some horse auction somewhere in Arizona. This was all new to me so about three weeks in I asked, "What do they do with the horses that nobody bids on?". The answer terrified me. Vince said, "Like look at this next horse, he's doomed, as he is a cryptorchid horse. He is just looking down on the ground and unresponsive to the handler." "No, no, no I said! I'll bid on him". "Please don't bid on him Laurie", was Vince's reply. "No Vince we have to save him!" "$100 I called out". SOLD to the lady from Lalor Ranch. Vince was mad, the young horse would not get in the horse trailer right away and there were no papers for him. He had a barbed wire scar that ran from his leg to halfway up his chest. "I can't have stallions on my ranch, you better hope he heals so I can make him a gelding," Vince said as we eventually got him home. Vince refused to let me pay for rent at his place this whole time, but I demanded to pay him something for all the trouble with the new horse, and I begged him to at least let me pay him for boarding the horse. He reluctantly agreed. I named him after my three favorite rock bands, Poco - Kansas - Spirit.
Every morning and night I would hang out at his stall and try to get him to be happier. He was a sad little guy who just kept his head in the farthest corner and would not turn around. I offered him carrots, apples any kind of favorite horse cuisine and he wouldn't take it. I just kept trying faithfully. After about two months he finally did, and every day from then on we got closer and closer. He overcame his cryptorchid situation, and that made Vince very happy. He's been my silent type except to softly nicker at me in utter horse joy. He's been a best friend forever! I have never heard him cry out or make any other noise until I moved far out into the country. I bought him a lady horse, Lamata in 2023.
They have 40 acres to roam about, but this year, Lamata stopped following Poco around. She just goes off by herself, when she's far away, Poco then cries out with loud, long-drawn out neighing. I had never heard his voice before. Lamata usually ignores him. Which leads to more of this, so I run out of the house to comfort him. Now Poco has been neighing when he want me to come out of the house. He's got me trained! I decided to record him doing this. He is on my latest album! Not only a picture of him and Lamata on the CD itself (he's the one napping),
he is vocalizing on the song "Star Trails of Pegasus and Equuleus", and hoof sounds courtesy of Lamata. Thanks to Mark and Rayna at ProgRock.com Radio for playing the tune and thanks to Cerphe at Music Planet Planet Radio for the kind words about the song. You can listen to it here:
Thanks to 5450' Studios and Jim Roberts, my vocals are sounding better than ever! Jim chose a microphone for my voice that is not only perfect for Easter weekend but records the softer elements of my voice and holy moly it is so much better. Frank Sinatra's mic was a U48. Jim Roberts went to a recording session where Al Schmitt picked the Church mic over Frank's U48. Read more about Al Schmitt's Microphone techniques here (an 18 time Grammy winner). https://www.prosoundweb.com/in-the-studio-al-schmitts-microphone-approach/ Jim's Church mic was made by Dave Pearlman, who also made them for Capitol Records. Jim contacted Dave right after that session and purchased a demo unit Jackson Browne had used. So I got to sing through Jackson Browne's mic! It really catches some of the nuances that got lost in translation on my prior albums. Oh and Leland Sklar of course played on Jackson's albums. My favorite Jackson Browne song:
Jim told me the story of the microphones, only a handful were made from a modified U47. Stanley Church was Chief Sound Engineer for the famed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Sound Department in the '50s. They bought a then-new Telefunken-badged Neumann U 47 but the mic generated too much noise & the output was too hot for their equipment However, they loved the sound qualities of the mic, as its presence peak and sensitivity. They modified a handful of these to make the best of both worlds. Read more about the Church mic here: https://tapeop.com/interviews/107/church-mic-bonus/
