专辑简介

Per Sempre is Ian Stephen's eighth album. In fits and starts, it took about a year to write and record, and features Randy Bulpin (ex Mondo Rock, The Aliens) who co-wrote and plays guitar on four of the ten songs on the album. Ian's daughter, Jo who spent three months hanging out in down state NY Newburgh at the end of last year, provides some angelic backing vocals on the second track, (It has to be) New York, and It's a New Day in the USA. Without wanting to wax too philosophical, these tunes represent a time period that is almost like looking at a Diorama in a natural history museum. Little vignettes, stuck in time. Everything changes, but love stays eternal, whatever love is. The driving force of the universe, it is hoped. So in effect, this album is all about love and/or hate, and nothing else. The last track "It's a New Day in the USA", focuses on the love/hate relationship many people, including Americans, have with the USA. "where we're goin' I don't care" but maybe let's hurry up and get there, and get out of this mess we're in now. Tracks like "93 Degrees on a Bender" and "(It has to Be) New York" have an almost soundtrack like quality to them, while "Another Wet Kimono Night" might be perceived as going on a surreal journey through a desert of frustration, confusion and guilt. Some of the songs sound almost like raw, live recordings, such as "No Good Reason" and "Home" a mid tempo country outing, complete with the sound of a vibrating snare in the guitar solo. It perhaps adds realism to an unreal perception of what might actually be happening in the world. Per Sempre, Italian for "For Ever" or "For Always". Perhaps "For Always For Never". Who the hell cares anyway? It's a record, whaddya want from me?