Brian Parrish has worked with many greats of popular music in his lifetime. Gene Vincent (BeBopAlula), Jerry Lee Lewis (Great balls of Fire), Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Graeme Edge (Moody Blues), Eric Burdon (House of the Rising Sun), Brian has been on the US charts with his band Badger (One Live), Medicine Head and many others. He was produced by George Martin and has participated in numerous hits and produced several solo albums. His latest is Shadowman.

Work on Shadowman began in 2019 with three songs, including the title track. Instead of the normal time needed to record an album, private circumstances and pandemic restrictions made it a three-year marathon. The actual time spent in the studio was probably no longer than usual, but the love involved was more – three years long!

With Moon River as opener, the cover song by Henry Mancini, the journey begins with hopes and dreams. Then the songs of Brian Parrish follow.

Each song has its own story. It is a collection of material that deals with the choices we make and their consequences, using a wide variety of musical styles and moods. Whats Good for You is a Latin groove. Danceable and a warning about a woman you better avoid! Write Your Own Story is a mid-tempo song that says, “Go with love, but do life your own way.” Small Voice has a Jamaican rhythm feel whose message is that your inner voice knows what’s best for you, but listen to it! Run For Cover is an up-tempo song that explores the environmental chaos we have caused and the doomsday the planet is facing, but has an incongruous party vibe. Noir is a cinematic gangster story with a jazzy swing feel. Shadowman, the title song, is about fear – our “inner stalker.” The next song, Casino Paradise, in a New Orleans rhythm, is a lighthearted take on death: “I’m not ready yet – roll the dice one more time!” The blues-style song Dark Night of the Soul is a track about the ultimate decision between light and darkness, using the Crossroads metaphor that may sound familiar to many. Taking Flight is a song about losing someone, but not our love for them when they pass on. A song that asks the question of why war is happening is Gods Children. It is not about a particular war, but asks why God’s children kill each other. It is spoken in the voice of one of those fleeing conflict. Don’t Forget My Name is in the style of an acoustic blues song.

The last song, the second cover song of the album, is We’ll Meet Again, written in the 1940s at the time of a war that had traumatized the world, but gives hope for a sunny day when life will change!