Can't Get There From Here

Released July 6, 1999
Portrait Records

Song by Song in Jack Russell's Own Words

"Rollin' Stoned" (4:09) (Lardie, Russell, Blades)

"The musical idea came from Michael [Lardie]. The lyrics are self-explanatory. I wrote about people that I knew in high school, when I was growing up. Where they were then, where they are now, and how unbelievably my life turned out — even being alive at this point is amazing considering what we used to do to ourselves. We all go through that phase in our lives, killing ourselves and paying for the privilege. I can't believe I lived through it. The people I wrote it about have no idea. I can't wait till they hear it and think, 'Maybe he's talking about me!'"

"Ain't No Shame" (4:19) (Lardie, Russell, Dokken, Blades)

"When you're in love, that's all that matters to you at that point. Your whole life is on hold. But it ain't no shame to be loved. It's also about someone you want to be involved with who is going through a bad relationship, and they're so involved with their problems that they don't realize what they have right here."

"Silent Night" (4:49) (Russell, Lardie, Blades)

"A guy's looking back at his life thinking about a past relationship, reminiscing, thinking of the things he should have done and things he would have changed to make it work out. We've all done that. You wonder how it would have been, and most of the time we realize we're where we should be, but it's human nature to think about it, if just for your own ego or just because you wonder."

"Saint Lorraine" (4:04) (Russell, Lardie, Blades)

"Another one where Jack Blades came up with the bulk of the idea and Michael [Lardie] and I contributed to it. It's just a good rock 'n' roll song about the one chick who just makes you feel you can do everything."

"In The Tradition" (3:00) (Burr, Blades)

"We were almost finished with the record, and Gary Burr had left the idea for this on Jack Blades' answering machine. Jack finished it and wrote the lyrics, and we went in and knocked it out. It's one of those songs about heartbreak — the guy sitting in the bar telling the bartender or the piano player what he's been through."

"Freedom Song" (4:36) (Kendall, Russell, Lardie)

"Mark [Kendall] came up with this and we worked on it about two years ago. It's about being on the road, that feeling where you need to keep moving. Everyone needs that kind of thing, whatever takes them away. I'm really thankful I have the life I do because it's enabled me to satisfy that part of my personality, that Sagittarian thing that needs to keep me moving. I wouldn't be happy if I was home every single day. I'd feel stifled. My wife and I have talked about it. It's a good thing for our relationship that we're not with each other 24-7. We have a chance to be apart and appreciate what we have when we're together."

"Gone To The Dogs" (2:42) (Russell, Kendall, Lardie, Dokken)

"I hummed the riff and Mark took it and Kendallized it. Then Don Dokken took it and Dokkenized it. We started jamming on it and the next thing we knew, the song was written. Basically it's about totally abusing yourself — you've totally gone to the dogs, but you're loving every minute of it."

"Wooden Jesus" (4:23) (Lardie, Russell, Dokken)

"Another Don Dokken-Michael Lardie-Jack Russell composition. It's about these guys who do drive-by shootings, and have Jesus on their dashboard. 'I shot three people but if I say a few Hail Marys and a few Our Fathers I'll be good to go.' Totally hypocritical. I'm not bagging on religion — if people need that in their lives, fine. But if you're gonna preach it, at least live by it."

"Sister Mary" (4:55) (Lardie, Niven)

"It's an old song — we had it left over from Psycho City but we never used it. We had a feeling that the record company was going to drop us and we didn't want to waste the song. We were waiting for the right moment to use it. We wanted people to have a chance to hear it. It's about that perfect person, the one that can make you feel that anything's possible."

"Loveless Age" (5:23) (Russell, Lardie, Blades)

"This world is so full of hate, it's amazing that we can even survive. The things that are so important to people seem so trivial when it boils down to it. The song is about a relationship and all the feelings you go through in that situation. You feel like you're upside down. Why are things changing? You feel like the whole world's a pit and nothing seems to make sense."

"Psychedelic Hurricane" (4:15) (Russell, Griffin, Henely)

"I worked on this with Todd Griffin, who was the singer for Graveyard Train and has written with me before. I wanted to do something where I could put effects on the vocals. To me it's the most out-there song on the record. It talks about love from that '60s kind of viewpoint. I think it's as close to the Beatles as we'll ever get. The song is about being so wrapped up and infatuated with somebody that your whole world seems to be completely blown away, like a psychedelic hurricane. Your head's spinning around and around. We were going more for words than for meaning."

"Hey Mister" (5:08) (Russell, Lardie)

"I'd written this for my second solo album and at first I didn't think it was a Great White song — I thought it was a little dark and almost grungy for Great White. But when Great White played it, it became a Great White song. We played it live on the road and people dug it. It talks about homeless people. There are a lot of people who are one paycheck away from being on the street. You see people on the side of the road, who lost their job and don't have any family or friends. It's a sad thing. In my small way I'm trying to do what I can to help."

Japanese release includes the bonus track, “The Good Die Young” (5:12) (Pilson, Dokken)

Jack Russell — Lead and backing vocals, percussion
Mark Kendall — Lead guitar, backing vocals, percussion
Michael Lardie — Guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion, lead guitar on “Silent Night”
Sean McNabb — Bass guitar
Audie Desbrow — Drums
Additional backing vocals — Jack Blades

Produced by Jack Blades
Except “Psychedelic Hurricane” produced by Jack Blades & Don Dokken
Engineered by Michael Lardie

You can sample tracks from Can't Get There From Here at Portrait Records

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