That said 16&1 doesn’t play like some pensive re-examination of the past. It may find the band taking a trip down memory lane at times, but it’s a lane with a big old bush party waiting at the end of it, and a trip Doc Walker seem intent on taking at high speed in a vintage Silverado…
Named for the crossroads of two major prairie lifelines not far from where Doc Walker settled in to record their 5th record on Canadian country label, Open Road Recordings, 16&1 represents something of a homecoming for the Manitoba based band, particularly for lead singer, Chris Thorsteinson. In fact, by choosing a former schoolhouse in Westbourne, Manitoba as the site for recording the album, Thorsteinson is touching down very close to home, literally across the road from the house he grew up in. “From grades one to six it’s actually where I went to school,” he says. “I never thought we’d be recording our seventh record in a town of 100 people, in a classroom where I used to sit, while I’m looking out the window at my parents place.”
Although many the songs on 16&1 were born out of the region the band grew up in, guitarist/vocalist Murray Pulver says, it also represents a departure from past efforts, both sonically and in terms of the band’s recording process, which, for Thorsteinson, involved a dramatic expansion of his role in the studio.
When Westbourne Old School first closed down, Thorsteinson and his father bought the property, but were unsure of what to do with it until the band began looking for a place to record. After going a little gear crazy while trolling E-Bay for equipment to put into his freshly christened ‘Old School Studio’, Thorsteinson soon found himself acting as de facto assistant engineer for 16&1 producer, John MacArthur Ellis (Jane Siberry, Jeremy Fisher, Ridley Bent) – an experience that’s changed his perspective on recording irrevocably. “Assistant engineers are my new heroes,” he says. “They just never stop.”
Typically, when Doc Walker recorded in Nashville in the past, Thorsteinson admits he was often the first to light out of the studio when his vocals were finished – Not an option when you’re both studio owner and the person largely responsible for outfitting the studio with occasionally impenetrable, vintage recording technology.
Overall, however, recording close to home resulted in a far more relaxed vibe says guitarist/vocalist Dave Wasyliw. “When you’re spending $1000.00 a day in a studio, you’re always watching the clock.” It’s very much like taking a long cab ride, he adds. “You’re always watching the meter and that’s not the best way to get your best performance on tape.”
“Musically,” Pulver adds, “it also really made things flow. We had no pre-conceived notions as to what something should sound like.” That’s clear right from the opening riff of lead single ‘Country Girl’, a song that showcases the band’s adoption of a decidedly more freewheeling, riff-based, electric sound that stands in stark contrast to their previous acoustic heavy efforts.
It’s also a product of recording the entire record with their longtime rhythm section, Brent Pearon (bass) and Steve Broadhurst (drums). That approach energized the band’s writing and recording process substantially, Wasyliw says, describing the communication between Pearon, Broadhurst and the rest of the band as being almost akin to telepathy. “On stage, we rely on subtle gestures and expressions to communicate, and that allowed us to really read each other during the recording process to judge what was working, or, more importantly, what wasn’t.”
Ripping it up in the studio with Broadhurst and Pearon also found Wasiliw and Pulver making subtle, but definite nods to the signature brand of prairie rock they grew up on. Particularly on tracks like ‘Never Letting Go’ and the standout ‘Where I Belong’; a celebration of small town life in Westbourne that’s so rich in detail, you can almost smell the breeze off the lake and feel the dust of the back roads settling on your skin.
That doesn’t mean the band has lost sight of the core elements that have traditionally made their music stand out from the pack. Their blindingly tight, trademark harmonies, compact arrangements and relentlessly hooky sing along choruses are all still there. On 16&1, however, Doc Walker have definitely ramped up the rock a notch or six, and nowhere more so than on their blazing cover of the Bob Seger car chase classic, ‘Get Out Of Denver’ and album closer ‘Tailgate Revolution’, with it’s dueling guitars and amped up R&B vocal arrangements.
16&1 is still country to the core, but it’s definitely sonically denser than 2009’s GO, featuring instrumental highlights like the contributions of sax player Kirsten Nash and one man horn section, Colin Weinmaster on ‘I Disappear Now’, for example – a Crash Test Dummies cover on which Brad Roberts also joins Thorsteinson on lead vocals. On every track, however, Ellis’ production style leaves ample room for each voice to shine through. Ellis also lends his own substantial talents as a keyboardist, slide and pedal steel player to songs like ‘Hard Act To Follow’ and country ballad ‘Do It Right’, among others.
While 16&1 finds the band stretching out some musically, that’s a natural extension of the ethic on which they’ve built a reputation as one of Canada’s hardest working live acts; an ethic that’s served them exceptionally well over time, garnering the band some of the Canadian Music Industry’s highest awards. Among them, the 2009 Juno for Country Recording of the Year and a total of 11 Canadian Country Music Awards, including the 2008 CCMA Fan’s Choice Award, as well as Album, Single and Songwriters of the Year for 2008’s Beautiful Life.
On the strength of GO, the band has also received multiple nominations for the 2011 CCMA’s, including Fans’ Choice, Group or Duo of the Year, CMT Video of the Year, and Country Music Program or Special of the Year. Additionally, Pulver and drummer Steve Broadhurst have been nominated individually in the 2011 CCMA All Star Band Category.
Even with several mantelpieces worth of hardware to their credit, and a growing international profile that has resulted in three Australian tours in the past 18 months, Doc Walker refuse to rest on past laurels. “After awhile the ‘tried and true’ becomes ‘been there, done that’,” Wasyliw says simply. “With every new album we evolved to some degree. It’s a little more drastic this time out, but I think it’s exciting to go to work and not know what’ll happen next.”
Even when they first began compiling ideas for 16&1 while jamming on stage and in their tour bus, Doc Walker knew they were on to something fresh. “When we got together and wrote the riffs for ‘Are You With Me Tonight’ I remember thinking, man, imagine playing this live,” says Wasyliw. And although the track sounds like a love song, it’s actually meant to speak directly to their audience, he says. “We had a gig coming up in Dawson, so, in our minds, we were thinking about how to get the crowd on our side, and to do that you have to ask ‘Are You With Me Tonight?’ The ‘relationship’ aspect we actually added later.”
Though 16&1 is a bit of a sea change for Doc Walker, it reflects the values that have made them so enduringly popular over time and speaks as much about their pride in their roots as it does of the affection and gratitude they have for the fans that continue to flock to their shows year after year. And that, at the heart of it, is the most important thing, Thorsteinson says. “Let’s not kid ourselves, everybody wants to sell a million records, but on this record we forgot all about that. All we wanted to do was write a record that we love, and that we know our fans are going to love and want to sing along to.”
Angry Heart
Doc Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wrestled to the ground
I fought it like heaven and hell
And I lost every round
There wasn't anybody I would trust
't was so long since I'd felt love
I'd forgotten what it was
Got ahold of my angry heart
I saw the truth
When you led my way out of the dark
I was draggin' around these chains
Like some ghost in the hall
Swearin' out the pain
And empty from it all
Until you got ahold of my angry heart
Living in the past
Locked up with my rage
Well I built that prison myself
And it's such a lonely cage
I started believing I would never heal
But your love changed my life when I thought my fate was sealed
Baby, 'til you
Got ahold of my angry heart
I saw the truth
When you led my way out of the dark
I was draggin' around these chains
Like some ghost in the hall
Swearin' out the pain
And empty from it all
Until you got ahold of my angry heart
I thought I would disappear without a trace
Until your love washed each teardrop from my face
Baby, 'til you
Got ahold of my angry heart
I saw the truth
When you led my way out of the dark
I was draggin' around these chains
Like some ghost in the hall
Swearin' out the pain
And empty from it all
Until you got ahold of my angry heart
Baby, you've got ahold of my heart
The song "Angry Heart" by Doc Walker is a story of a man who has been holding onto his hurt and anger for too long. He has been wrestling with it, fighting it like heaven and hell, and losing every round. The man has built a prison for himself with his anger and is living in the past, locked up with his rage. He has forgotten what love is and trusts nobody. That is until he meets someone special who changes his life with their love. This person gets ahold of his angry heart and helps him see the truth, leading him out of the dark. The man was dragging around chains of pain, feeling empty from it all, until this person came into his life.
The lyrics are very powerful and convey a message of hope and healing. The man in the song has been through a lot of pain and has felt alone for a long time, but with the help of this special person, he begins to heal and see the world in a new light. The love that he receives changes his life and frees him from the prison of his own anger.
Overall, "Angry Heart" is a song that speaks to many who have experienced pain and anger in their lives. The lyrics are relatable and the music is uplifting, making it a great song for those who need a message of hope to hold onto.
Line by Line Meaning
I held onto the hurt
I held onto the pain and couldn't let go
Wrestled to the ground
I struggled with it physically and emotionally
I fought it like heaven and hell
I fought it with all my might
And I lost every round
But I couldn't win the battle against my own pain
There wasn't anybody I would trust
I had lost faith in everyone around me
't was so long since I'd felt love
It had been a very long time since I experienced love
I'd forgotten what it was
I didn't even remember what love felt like
Baby, 'til you
But then you came into my life
Got ahold of my angry heart
And you helped me confront and overcome my pain
I saw the truth
I finally understood what was happening to me
When you led my way out of the dark
You showed me the path to healing and happiness
I was draggin' around these chains
I was carrying a heavy burden of pain and sorrow
Like some ghost in the hall
I was haunted by my past and my pain
Swearin' out the pain
I was struggling with every ounce of my being to overcome my pain
And empty from it all
I felt drained and hollow inside
Living in the past
I was unable to let go of my past mistakes and hurts
Locked up with my rage
I was trapped in my anger and couldn't escape
Well I built that prison myself
I was responsible for my own pain and suffering
And it's such a lonely cage
It was a very lonely and isolating experience
I started believing I would never heal
I had given up hope on ever finding peace and happiness
But your love changed my life when I thought my fate was sealed
But then you came and showed me that there was still a way out of my pain and suffering
I thought I would disappear without a trace
I thought that my pain would consume me completely
Until your love washed each teardrop from my face
But your love helped me to overcome my pain and sadness
Baby, you've got ahold of my heart
And now you have my heart and my love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Radney M. Foster, Stephany Delray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@skeetv123
These guys are just fucking awesome in every sense of the word. They write masterpieces and sing incredible three part harmonies. This song along with One Last Sundown could have been Eagles hits, I kid you not. Doc Walker remind me of the Canadian version of Rascal Flatts. It's a shame they are not #1 in the U.S, where it seems to me everything is so overproduced and phony. That's why I pride myself in Canadian country. You have to be an exceptional artist who plays REAL country to get on radio
@gerrybourque7676
We played this song when I married my beautiful wife a few years ago. I always tell her "Babe, if you ever fall I will carry you home!". ❤️
Love this band! 😁
@irishcanadian4205
One of my favourite Canadian country bands❤️Proud to be a Irish-Canadian
@bikergirltoni
They so remind me of the Eagles Excellent Musicians !! Love Doc Walker!!
@Asfirnal
I just can't believe this world class talent comes from a little town in Manitoba. Portage la Prairie. Who knew? Like Loreena McKennitt is from Morden, MB. I'm so proud of our Canadian artists.
@wisers001
I haved the pleasure of having a beer ok (many) with these great talented guys. Lots of fun and down to earth boys, no bullshit. Cheers !!
@CaptainMarvel1982
You guys have a sound that is reminiscent of Restless Heart. The harmonies for sure remind me of Restless Heart. That is a big plus for me because l am a big fan of Restless Heart. I am coming to be one of you guys. It is a shame you don't get airplay here in the states. Thanks for sharing with us.
@guitarman5560
I saw this band a couple of months ago in Toronto. To me they have a little of that Restless Heart" vibe going on. I like this band a lot.
@jameslanders2315
i saw these guys live in my small hometown of souris may 9th and it was a really great experiance
@craigconley1872
Saw the boys in Kingston, Oct 13 16...If you get a chance to see them...dont miss it!!!!