''Can You Fly'' is the second album by singer-songwriter

Freedy Johnston Freedy Johnston (born Frederic John Fatzer in 1961) is an American singer-songwriter based in New York City. Originally from Kinsley, Kansas, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation, an ...

released in 1992 on

Bar/None Records Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio, booking and promoting bands in his n ...

Overview

In order to finance the recording of the album, Johnston sold some farmland that he inherited from his grandfather. This decision is mentioned in the opening lines of the first track, "Trying to Tell You I Don't Know". "California Thing" appeared on the soundtrack of the film ''

Heavy Heavy may refer to: Measures * Heavy, a characterization of objects with substantial weight * Heavy, a wake turbulence category used by pilots and air traffic controllers to refer to aircraft with a maximum takeoff mass of 136,000 kgs or mo ...

'', starring

Liv Tyler Liv Rundgren Tyler (born Liv Rundgren; July 1, 1977) is an American actress. She began her career as a model before making her film debut in '' Silent Fall'' (1994). She went on to receive critical recognition and attention after her starring ...

and

Deborah Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble, July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981. Born in M ...

. "The Lucky One" was also covered by

Mary Lou Lord Mary Lou Lord (born March 1, 1965) is an indie folk musician who started out performing as a busker in Boston. Life and career Mary Lou Lord first gained attention playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston's subway stations, pa ...

on her 1998 album '' Got No Shadow''.

Critical reception

Kristi Coulter of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote, "A giant step forward from his likeable but ragged debut, Freedy Johnston's Can You Fly is a stunningly accomplished and coherent album that recalls the raw lyricism of such quintessentially American writers as Raymond Carver and Richard Hugo." Andy Gill of

the Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

hailed the album saying, "Can You Fly is full of Costelloid little depictions of uncertainty. He has a gift, too, for odd verbal juxtapositions, searching for new expression rather than employing the re- arrangement of old cliches. A small gem."

Track listing

All songs written by

. #"Trying to Tell You I Don't Know" – 4:24 #"In the New Sunshine" – 2:45 #"Tearing Down This Place" – 4:10 #"Remember Me" – 2:54 #"Wheels" – 3:18 #"The Lucky One" – 3:09 #"Can You Fly" – 4:34 #"Responsible" – 5:28 #"The Mortician's Daughter" – 3:56 #"Sincere" – 4:18 #"Down in Love" – 3:04 #"California Thing" – 3:03 #"We Will Shine" – 4:39

Personnel

– vocals, guitar, bass *

Graham Maby Graham Maby (born 1 September 1952) is an English bass guitar player. He has recorded and toured with Joe Jackson since his first album, appearing on most of Jackson's albums and tours. Maby was born and raised in the central south coast town ...

– bass, electric guitar, background vocals * Brian Doherty – drums, percussion *Alan Bezozi – drums, tambourine, wind chimes, percussion, keyboard *Knut Bohn – guitar, organ, percussion, background vocals *Kevin Salem – guitar, background vocals *Jared Michael Nickerson – bass *Bob Rupe – guitar *Jimmy Lee – guitar *

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...

– guitar, bass *

Chris Stamey Christopher Charles Stamey (born December 6, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. After a brief time playing with Alex Chilton, as well as Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, Stamey formed The dB's with Peter ...

– electric guitar * Dave Schramm – lap steel *James MacMillan – bass *

Jane Scarpantoni Jane Scarpantoni (born 1960) is an American classically trained cello player, who has played on a number of alternative rock albums. She was a member of Hoboken, New Jersey's Tiny Lights in the mid-1980s, then went on to play with other musicians ...

– cello *Kenny Margolis – accordion *Syd Straw - vocals

References

{{Authority control 1992 albums Freedy Johnston albums