1-30-2017

Laurie Freelove died. On Jan 22, 2017. Two days after Trump's inauguration and right after the women's marches around the world. Why did she die then? Did she say, "Shit, this Trump time is going to be cruel and I can't take much more cruelty. Oh, but these women's marches are amazing…maybe things are gonna be ok in the long run. Alright, then I leave this planet in your hands and I'm out of here to the next thing." ???? Seems possible, knowing her.

Mostly I knew her 30+ years ago. We met in the summer of '85 and she left the band that we formed, Two Nice Girls, almost exactly 4 years later. She had a solo career after Two Nice Girls, but she was never, (to the best of my knowledge) a band member again. After 2NG she called the shots. Then eventually she stopped playing. When I asked her how she could possibly quit performing she told me that "playing music is like praying for me, and I got tired of praying in public."

That's just the kind of eloquence she was capable of off the cuff. I was so drawn to her musically because she was so different from me. We are two very different songwriters. I'm rather conventional. Laure was not. She played her Martin D-28 in alternate tunings. She was a wonderfully rhythmic guitarist. And her melodies! Melodies I've been singing for these 30+ years that continue to astonish me with their beauty.

In a lot of ways her song structure and arrangements were quite avant garde. I have an Ibanez modulating delay that I "inherited" from her, which means that I know she's the one who bought it and used it, but somehow it ended up in my possession after our break-up and I never returned it. Maybe she told me it was ok to keep it? Maybe I just never mentioned it? I don't recall. But I use this crazy delay in my crazy bands and people always want to know what it is and it's something that the singer/songwriter girl with guitar Laurie Freelove bought because she thought it would be useful. She was really outside of the box.

I wonder if Kathy Korniloff and I were the folks privileged enough to know the funnest times of Laurie Freelove? Certainly, in the beginning of that band we were all three so enamored of each other and we would have a blast at our band practices and at our shows. I am suddenly flashing on some practice where we ended up running around in her backyard naked and then laughing until we almost fell over in a group shower. That honeymoon did end. That's for sure. But in addition to memories of band drama I very clearly recall the three of us laughing so hard we peed our pants.
Laurie and I were like songwriting opposites and Korn was the sweet membrane that bound us together. Laurie was very clear on how she wanted her songs to sound and she would often write our parts. I would choke at that yoke but in retrospect she clearly wrote great parts that served her songs beautifully. Heaven on Earth is a good example. She told me exactly what to do on that song and it's not what I would have come up with and it's really great.

But it was Getting Close that I loved the most. That's one of the first songs she brought to us and we came together in its arrangement so easily, organically. I never tired of singing it. I never tire of hearing it. I'm only sorry that we never got the perfect studio version of it. But all of those live versions live on in my mind.

Oh, Laurie. How come you're gone? You, with the sweetest speaking voice so full of music. Really, did you ever hear her speak? She had so many notes going on in one sentence. So musical. And she really was very kind and loving. She called me up not too long ago wanting to work on a new project and I said I was too busy. She said, "that's ok, I'm sure you are. Sounds like you're doing exciting work, Gretch. (she always called me Gretch)" Oh and then she was just so sweet and effusive in her praise of my musicianship. It felt kindof weird but sweet at the time, but now that she's gone I'm so grateful that I heard from her recently and that we got to share a little love and mutual admiration. Oh, I just wanted the best for her. And now…now…I mean I have no idea where she really is. But I hope she's in some awesome place, shooting thru space or resting or living inside celestial music or even getting to play some guitar with her beloved Michael Hedges…WTF, I have no idea. But Laurie, please know that I love you and that you changed my life for the better. We got to do really amazing things together when we were really young. So many fun and stupid shows where we did whatever we wanted just because it cracked us up. That's how I remember you: laughing.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Written by Laurie Freelove

There's light
And it plays in every shadow
While the moon,
Well it tugs at ocean tides
And there are roots
Growing underneath the gravel
This is life, eternal on the prowl

And it's born into our living
Like a breath of ancient wild
We're anchored to its wisdom
We're in the orbit of its power
Somehow
Oh, but somehow

(Chorus)

We are still longing
Soul after soul
Dancing in shadows
That fall from the moon
We are still yearning
Touch after touch
Reaching to heaven
For what's here on this earth
Here on this earth

All that binds this fate to us
Is hidden away in
Gods and flags and walls of faith
That fear has some place
But fear has no place
Not on this earth

There is love behind an angry eye
And there is hope
Inside a fearful heart
And this is truth
Just waiting to unravel
Our lives, eternal in its power
Oh

While the earth and moon
Are spinning
Romancing satellites
Faithful to the rhythm
Of an extraordinary rhyme
Somehow
Oh, but somehow

We are still longing
Soul after soul
Dancing in shadows
That fall from the moon
We are still yearning
Touch after touch
Reaching to heaven
For what's here on this earth
Here on this earth

All that binds this fate to us
Is hidden away in
Gods and flags and walls of faith
That fear has some place
But fear has no place
Not on this earth