With this release, singer songwriter (and actor) Tim Grimm decided to re-record his 1999 debut album 'Heart Land' to reaffirm his love for rural Midwest.
It contains warm-hearted reflections on memory, longevity and fidelity from a contented family man who considers himself blessed to have found his own "slice of heaven" on earth.
Better Days was the first song he wrote after moving from Los Angeles with his wife to an 80 acre Farm in southern Indiana with lyrics about "people growing old together, families working hand in hand".
80 Acres tells the story of this "hallowed ground" which is remains his belovedc home. The song is based on all the names on the deed of those who have lived in this house since the late 1830’s.
The nostalgia the singer felt 20 years ago was strong then and is even more pronounced now. Too Hard Drivin' is about commuting between LA and this country idyll.
Grimm’s sons Jackson and Connor were five and seven when the original album came out; now they are all grown up and are have followed in their fathers musical footsteps. They make their presence felt. Sowin' on the Mountain , a tune was learned from Ramblin’ Jack, appears here with a slicker and superior new arrangement courtesy of Jackson.
Their contribution emphasises the sense of experience and wisdom being passed from one generation to another. Take for example, That Old Man, the oldest song in the collection. This was composed for Grimm's 86-year-old Grandpa who his sons never met. Grimm reflects proudly that, as his offspring play on this, they are probably thinking about their own Grandfather, his Dad.
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One of the two new songs is a kind of companion piece to this track. Staying in Love is dedicated to Grimm's father who recently passed away.
The other new song is Love More which manages to be optimistic even though it is "influenced by our current struggles as a nation".
The affirmative mood is best summed up by Pumpkin the Cat. In 1999 the lyrics to this expressed a feeling that he had found a home for life. "I can stay here the rest of my days" he sang and, 20 years on, he hasn't changed his mind one jot.
Grimm adds blissfully "I still sing these songs; for me, they’re ‘keepers’ after all these years, and it brings me great joy to show them in a new light.”
Tim Grimm's website
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