Great Big Boy

History

Kottke's fifth album on the Private Music label, Great Big Boy is unique in the later Kottke canon in that every song includes a vocal part. The disc consists of nine Kottke originals and a cover version of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone". Complementing the often-oblique song lyrics is a strange short story included in the liner notes.

Margo Timmins' vocals were recorded by Peter Moore at MDI Productions, Toronto, Canada.

Though Kottke would not release another studio album until 1994, he was a frequent guest on various projects. He guested on Joshua Judges Ruth (1992) and I Love Everybody (1994) for Lyle Lovett, Troubadour (1992) by Larry Long, Other Voices, Other Rooms by Nanci Griffith and Traffic From Paradise by Rickie Lee Jones (both 1993) and Out of the Valley (1994) by John Gorka.

Great Big Boy was re-released on CD as a "twofer" with Peculiaroso by Acadia (8182) on Oct 29, 2007.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Chip Renner wrote of the album "Kottke sings on this record to good effect."

Track listing

All songs by Leo Kottke except as noted.

1. "Running Up the Stairs" – 3:16
2. "The Other Day (near Santa Cruz)" – 2:55
3. "Great Big Boy" – 3:40
4. "Driver" – 3:34
5. "Pepe Hush" – 3:43
6. "Big Mob on the Hill" – 2:42
7. "Ice Cream" – 4:36
8. "Nothin' Works" – 2:54
9. "Summer's Growing Old" – 2:53
10. "I Still Miss Someone" (Johnny Cash, Roy Cash, Jr.) – 3:28

Personnel