"Actually, I can, and do, and will continue to." -- Kevin Bacon on the song "Can't Complain"
Can't Complain, their third release, is another step forward for The Bacon Brothers, expanding their instrumental palette and broadening their lyrical focus, while still maintaining the spark that made their last two albums (Forosoco and Getting There) so fresh.
Towards the end of basic track recording for Can't Complain, Kevin asked Michael to bring his classical composing skills to the project. Kevin says, "I wanted Michael to write a string intro for "She Is the Heart" and of course, he ended up writing a symphony for that song, a great string quartet part for "Paris" and these amazing Motown style string charts for "Heart Half Full". Michael says, "For me this is the first time I intertwined my singer/songwriter life with 'legit' composition and orchestration. It was an absolute blast conducting the string orchestra for our own music."
"Can't Complain contains as much as the six band members could wring out of themselves," says Michael. "First, Paul Guzzone is a brilliant music producer (Can't Complain was produced by Paul Guzzone and Michael Bacon). On the first 2 CD's, Paul was a bass player and vocalist. Now, his input is a critical part of our sound. Marshal Rosenberg was amazing while tracking or inventing loops with all sorts of strange percussive instruments. Frank Vilardi really reached for this CD. The drums in Paris are a great example of his extraordinary chops. Our last CD included 5 different electric guitar players. The only electric guitarist on this record is Ira Siegel. He's a virtuoso, but can play really simply when the track calls for it. My personal favorite is the nylon string lick on "Can't Complain".
"My brother continues to amaze me with his songwriting" says Michael. "He is constantly finding hidden places of the soul and illuminating them with fresh light that reaches me and a lot of other people. It takes courage to do this but enormous talent to wrap these feelings into a beautiful or rockin' song."
In the 4 years since their first release, Forosoco, the Bacons have gone from industry curiosity to a viable recording and touring act. "When we first started, the people who attended our shows came strictly to see Kevin Bacon, the movie star," says Michael. "Now people come to see and hear The Bacon Brothers."
An invitation to perform at a local hometown club in Philadelphia was the driving force behind the creation of The Bacon Brothers. The response to the band was so overwhelming it proved to both Kevin and Michael that they were offering audiences something fresh and new - dynamic lyrics backed by beautiful melodies and harmonizing vocals. Live appearances across the country soon followed with sold-out concerts in such major cities as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Nashville. Concert highlights include opening for The Band at New York's Carnegie Hall and TNT's "The Gift of Song" benefit concert in which they appeared along with Shania Twain, Wyclef Jean and many others.
After a musically diverse childhood, Michael Bacon joined the folk-rock band, Good News, which toured extensively in the 1970's and recorded for Columbia Records. After moving to Nashville, he recorded two solo albums for Monument/CBS. Jerry Lee Lewis, Carlene Carter, Perry Como, Peter Yarrow and Claude Francois are just a few of the artists that have recorded songs written by Michael.
In 1985, he moved to New York City to compose music for films and television. In 1993, Michael won an Emmy Award for his score for the documentary "The Kennedys," an ACE Award nomination for "The Man Who Loved Sharks," and both the Television Music Award and the Chicago International Film Festival Gold Plaque Award for "LBJ." The television shows he has scored have won numerous awards, including three Academy Awards ("The Johnstown Flood" in 1993, "A Time For Justice" in 1995 and "King Gimp" in 2000) and several Emmy Awards. Michael also provided the score for Kevin's directorial debut, the Golden Globe and ACE -award winning film "Losing Chase." Recent scores include the critically acclaimed ABC television series, "The Century," and PBS documentaries "Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided", and "Napoleon". Michael Bacon has a degree in music from Lehman College where he studied composition and orchestration with John Corigliano.
Kevin Bacon's strongest musical memories are of listening to his brother and the music he brought home. As a teenager, he decided to pursue an acting career, rather than music. Today, though he is recognized around the world as one of the film industry's most enduring and respected actors, Kevin's love of music and the influence it has had on his life is as strong now as it was back then. He has always retained his love of music and throughout his acting career has continued the musical collaboration with Michael that was formed back in his early teens.
Kevin has appeared in such diverse, and award-winning, films as "Apollo 13," "Sleepers," and "Murder in the First," for which he was voted Best Actor by the Broadcast Critics Association and received Best Supporting Actor nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild and the London Film Critics Circle. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his searing performance in "The River Wild," opposite Meryl Streep and, over the years, has appeared in such diverse films as "Diner," "Footloose," "The Big Picture," "JFK," "A Few Good Men," "Wild Things," and "Stir of Echoes." He recently starred in "My Dog Skip," and "The Hollow Man." Kevin has completed production on two new films, "Novocaine" with Steve Martin and "24 Hours", with Charlize Theron and Courtney Love.
The Bacon Brothers are backed by Paul Guzzone on bass/vocals, Marshal Rosenberg on percussion, Frank Vilardi on drums, and Ira Siegel on electric guitar. In support of Can't Complain they will embark on a national summer tour.
