Released 1996 Producer Spirit of the West Release date 1996 Genre Folk rock | Recorded 1995 Artist Spirit of the West Label Warner Music Group | |
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Open Heart Symphony
(1996) Weights and Measures
(1997) Similar Spirit of the West albums, Folk rock albums | ||
Sotw open heart symphony wmv
Open Heart Symphony is a 1996 album by Spirit of the West, in collaboration with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Contents
The band recorded two shows with the orchestra on May 12 and May 13, 1995 at the Orpheum Theatre. The shows included several renditions of the band's best known songs, and an entire album's worth of songs written specifically for the symphony shows. The new songs were compiled on the album Open Heart Symphony; several of the hits performed at the shows appear on the band's 1999 compilation Hit Parade.
The shows were also taped for broadcast on the Canadian arts channel Bravo!.
Cover art
The photo used on the album cover was taken in the "Confederation Lounge" at the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton, Alberta. The large painting hanging above the band members' heads is a reproduction by Frederick Challener of the famous "Fathers of Confederation" portrait originally painted by Robert Harris. As the original Harris painting was lost in the Parliament fire of 1916, this reproduction is one of only two versions depicting an historic event in Canadian history.
Reissue
The album was reissued in 2008 on Rhino Records, concurrently with the release of the band's career retrospective Spirituality 1983-2008: The Consummate Compendium.
Track listing
All songs by John Mann and Geoffrey Kelly, except where noted.
- "Williamson's Garage"
- "Daisy's Dead"
- "Frankfurt, I'm Sorry"
- "Christmas Eve" (traditional)
- "Resurrection"
- "The Miller's Daughter" (Kelly)
- "Bare Branches"
- "Strange Bedfellows"
- "Kiss and Tell"
- "Milk, Tea and Oranges"
- "Let the Ass Bray"
Songs
1Williamson's GarageVancouver Symphony Orchestra3:45
2Daisy's DeadVancouver Symphony Orchestra3:50
3Frankfurt I'm SorryVancouver Symphony Orchestra3:37