Bend in the Road


Bend in the Road is an album by British blues musician Jeremy Spencer, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1967–71. It is his fifth official solo album and was released on the Propelz Records label on 21 April 2012, to coincide with Record Store Day.

Recording

Spencer continued his tradition of recording songs by Elmore James and Homesick James, and also took inspiration from poetry and passages from the Bible. Some of Spencer's songs were written during his time with Fleetwood Mac, while some others dated from the 1970s and 1980s. The track "Refugees" is a re-working of "Flee", from Spencer's 1979 album of the same name.
The album was recorded during the first half of 2010, at Tempermill Studio in Ferndale, Michigan. For his backing band, Spencer used a new group of Detroit-based musicians: guitarist Brett Lucas, bass guitarist James Simonson and drummer Todd Glass. Together, the trio have formed their own band called Saint Cecilia, and they also released their own self-titled album in 2012.

Release information

Bend in the Road was first released as a double vinyl LP in the US, with a CD release following on 28 August. The LP features a cover painted by Spencer himself, whereas the CD uses a photo. The track listings are also slightly different, with four tracks exclusive to the LP, and one exclusive to the CD.

Track listing

Disc 1 Side A

  1. "Homesick" – 3:52
  2. "Cry for Me Baby – 4:02
  3. "Whispering Fields" – 3:19
  4. "I Walked a Mile with Sorrow" – 4:18
  5. "Earthquake" – 3:25

    Disc 1 Side B

  6. "Aphrodite" – 4:01
  7. "Secret Sorrow" – 3:57
  8. "Jambo" – 4:02
  9. "The Sun Is Shining" – 6:15

    Disc 2 Side A

  10. "Stranger Blues" – 6:04
  11. "Strange Woman" – 4:42
  12. "Blind Lover" – 5:20
  13. "Desired Haven" – 4:02

    Disc 2 Side B

  14. "Come to Me" – 3:38
  15. "Merciful Sea" – 4:31
  16. "Refugees" – 5:45
  17. "Bend in the Road" – 5:08

    CD

  18. "Homesick"
  19. "Cry for Me Baby"
  20. "Whispering Fields"
  21. "I Walked a Mile with Sorrow"
  22. "Earthquake"
  23. "Aphrodite"
  24. "Secret Sorrow"
  25. "Stranger Blues"
  26. "Homework"
  27. "Desired Haven"
  28. "Come to Me"
  29. "Merciful Sea"
  30. "Refugees"
  31. "Bend in the Road"

    Personnel