Fare Well by Uma (1997)

Available on iTunes

Tracks: Friday Morn', Downtown, Cemetery, Lullaby, New Year's Day, Palisades, Slow, Mailman's Blood, Untitled, Ghosts, Deep End, Jealousy, Under the Water, Wheel

Cemetery:
Friday Morn':
Under The Water:

Andy Kamman and I worked on and off for about two years with producer/engineer Jeff Peters at Sonora Recorders in Los Angeles. We struck an old-fashioned type spec deal with Richard Barron, the studio owner, to record during off hours for a low price in exchange for a percentage of our record. Richard passed a tape along to Melanie Ciccone who would become our manager and before we knew it, we had several record labels interested in the band. We signed with Refuge/MCA Records, a new label started by producer Don Gehman. We kept a few of the original recordings but re-recorded most of the record with Gehman producing. At the same time, Sally Dworsky, who had done background vocals on the original recordings, joined the band. Uma toured with Jonatha Brooke, Todd Snider and others... The best part of the Uma experience was a final tour with Chris Whitley. It was truly great to watch Chris Whitley each night, a beautiful artist.

Uma: Andy Kamman, Sally Dworsky, Chris Hickey

Contributing Musicians: Jon Brion, Patrick Warren, James Harrah, Rusty Anderson, Jennifer Condos, Greg Herzenach, Rami Jaffee, Greg Leisz, Dan McGough, Mike Meros, Robby Scharf, Martin Tillman, Al Wolovitch

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My Old Kentucky Blog (12/31/10):

Once more, I find myself staring at the ass end of a year, wondering, “Is that all there is?” I could try to explain my thoughts about signing on for another go round the sun, the uncertainty, anticipation and ennui, but Chris Hickey beat me to it. Way back in 1997, Hickey’s band Uma released Fare Well. That record contains the song New Year’s Day (Stephen Hawking), the impetus of which Hickey explains as follows:

I saw Stephen Hawking on New Year’s Eve outside a movie theater in North Hollywood in 1994. He was the last person I expected to see that night. I was pleasantly shocked and wrote this song the next morning. “I don’t remember what the future will bring, I should have checked with Stephen Hawking last night.”

No way I can do better than that. Be good.

  

"...remarkable debut disc, "Fare Well", a collection of resonating folk-pop reminiscent of R.E.M.'s early reckoning period... -Oregonian

"...serves up compositions both melancholy and urgent... "Fare Well" is a heartfelt, unobtrusive disc that begs to be played late at night , as you contemplate such weighty issues as life and love." - Entertainment Today

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