When Karin Bergquist was backing up Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies on Lilith Fair's main stage in August of 1998, Sarah McLachlan approached Karin backstage after that first set of songs had just wound down in front of 18,000 people outside of Denver and said, "I had no idea you were here." Karin said, "Huh?" Sarah said, "Over the Rhine. You have an amazing voice." While Karin was glancing over her shoulder to make sure the popular kid at school wasn't waving to somebody else, Sarah went on to explain at length that she had been exhausted after years of promoting Fumbling Towards Ecstacy and was suffering from pretty severe writer's block as she struggled to even contemplate her next recording. Pierre Marchand, her producer, eventually played her some of the songs that ended up on Good Dog Bad Dog and in Sarah's words, "They made me love music again. They let me begin writing again."

When Mike Timmins of Cowboy Junkies heard Good Dog Bad Dog while he was mixing at Abbey Road studios, he more-or-less invited Karin and Linford to join the band and lured Over the Rhine away from Ohio on the most extensive tour the band had experienced to date. Over the Rhine opened Cowboy Junkies shows in the U.S.A. and Canada for over four months in 1998, with Karin and Linford (and often Jack and Terri) joining the Junkies on stage for much of their set as well. Karin and Linford joined the Junkies for performances on Letterman, Good Morning America and Sessions at West 54th with David Byrne, and in 1999 toured Australia and New Zealand, and once again, much of North America as part of the Junkies ensemble.

When Mark McEwen of CBS This Morning heard Good Dog Bad Dog, he called Over the Rhine's office directly, booked the band and said, "I don't care if you're signed or unsigned, this record touched me." Over the Rhine appeared on the show in December of 1998 and performed "All I Need Is Everything" as part of a profile on the group. Karin and Linford rolled their eyes as Mark McEwen joined so many in telling the world that Over the Rhine is one of America's great undiscovered bands.

All this to say that this broken bouquet of a recording, the one with the playful name, has somehow survived. Good Dog Bad Dog has been passed secretly around the world and continues to find its way into some most unlikely places.

Good Dog Bad Dog has been hailed a quiet masterpiece by critics and fans alike. Songwise, since its release, it has been the heart and soul of the band's repertoire. It's hard to imagine the existence of Over the Rhine without Latter Days, All I Need is Everything, Etcetera Whatever, Faithfully Dangerous, The Seahorse, Everyman's Daughter, Poughkeepsie and Go Down Easy. To those of you who wrapped your arms around these songs, Over the Rhine offers immense thanks for your exceedingly generous encouragement and support. Seek wisdom. Pursue justice. Roll over. Good dog.

Over the Rhine is pleased to announce that they have signed a record deal with a new division of Virgin records called Virgin/Backporch. Good Dog Bad Dog will be available nationally in record stores as of January 25, 2000. Check out the new artwork and the new track. And again, thanks so much for keeping this very personal record alive and well.

June, 1996. About ten days ago we parted company with our record label. Signing a record deal is a gamble and our hearts (and pockets) were empty. I for one, was relieved to be free to go back home and make a new start.

Much earlier, we had elaborately drawn up various plans to make a record, all of which were postponed or abandoned for one reason or another. Most all we had to show for the time which had lapsed was a backstreet bareboned mess of songs which had been outlined after dark in my third story bedroom. These snapshots of the very first time Karin actually sang these songs into a microphone were usually made a few days after a song was written.

It occurred to us that for better or worse these recordings told roughly the same story we had intended to tell on the record that never got made. Oh, we had plans alright, and this is a much simpler version of the story, but it’s still undeniably our story. And by telling it even in broken sentences, we feel the river begin to move again, making room for new stories.

Last week, Ric was able to take a real handful of the third story bedroom skeletons, flesh them out, and make them feel dangerously close to a record. And once again, we find ourselves with homespun pieces of reality. Memory markers in the meanwhile. The same story. Which, if you’ve read this far, obviously involves you. Enjoy.

P.S. Still waters run deep. Quiet music should be played Loud.

Latter Days (5:34)
words and music: Detweiler
All I Need Is Everything (4:54)
words and music: Detweiler and Bergquist

Etcetera Whatever (4:52)
words and music: Detweiler

I Will Not Eat The Darkness (1:59)
music: Detweiler

Faithfully Dangerous (4:51)
words and music: Detweiler

The Seahorse (4:55)
words: Detweiler
music: Bergquist and Detweiler

Everyman's Daughter (4:10)
words: Detweiler and Bergquist
music: Bergquist

A Gospel Number (4:31)
words and music: Detweiler

Poughkeepsie (4:54)
words and music: Bergquist

Willoughby (3:32)
music: Hordinski

Jack's Valentine (4:37)
words: Detweiler
music: Detweiler and Bergquist

Happy To Be So (4:45)
words and music: Detweiler

Go Down Easy (5:20)
words and music: Bergquist and Detweiler

All songs copyright 1996 Over the Rhine/Scampering Songs Publishing. ASCAP.

OVER THE RHINE.
Karin Bergquist: vocals, acoustic guitar, twelve string acoustic guitar.
Ric Hordinski: electric guitars, lap steel, E-bow, mellotron, tambourine (A Gospel Number), acoustic guitar (Willoughby).
Brian Kelley: drum kit, percussion.
Linford Detweiler: upright piano, acoustic guitar, bass, electric piano, keyboards, spoken word.

THE QUINTET.
We have very much enjoyed playing some concerts with upright bass player Chris Dahlgren this past year. These home recordings do not include his playing, unfortunately. We look forward to recording with Chris in the near future.

GOOD DOG BAD DOG The Home Recordings.
Produced by Linford Detweiler.
Co-Produced by Ric Hordinski.
Cello by Norman Johns, arranged by Linford.

Photography and face paint by Michael Wilson.
(Portraits made on location: Ric’s backyard.)
Design by Owen Brock and Linford.
Art Production by Owen Brock.
Notes by Linford.
Mastered by Mark Hood and Grey Larsen at Echo Park, Bloomington, Indiana. Digital Editing by Mark Hood.

RECORDING NOTES (FARTHER ALONG THE SIGNAL PATH).
The vocals, the acoustic guitars and the upright piano, along with any keyboard parts were recorded and mixed by Linford in his third story bedroom. These sub-mixes were sent by courier up the hill to Ric’s house where he added any electric guitar parts and recorded Linford and Brian on All I Need Is Everything and Faithfully Dangerous. Ric recorded Norm’s cello on All I Need Is Everything and coaxed a melody out of his mellotron on Faithfully Dangerous - no mean feat. Ric did the final mixes for Latter Days, All I Need Is Everything, Faithfully Dangerous and Go Down Easy. Steve Harris assisted with the mixes of All I Need Is Everything and Faithfully Dangerous. Everyman’s Daughter and A Gospel Number were recorded a few blocks down Main Street at a jingle studio called Sound Images. Their house engineer, Dale Smith, a pleasant man that everyone calls Smitty, ably oversaw these few afternoons of tomfoolery. Linford re-EQ’d the mixes in his bedroom and passed them on to Ric who added electric guitars and did final mixes at his house. Jack’s Valentine and I Will Not Eat The Darkness were recorded and mixed by Smitty at Sound Images.

The drums and bass and acoustic guitars for Go Down Easy were recorded in Linford’s kitchen, but Curtis and his wife next door have been opposed to this practice for years, so it is not something that happens too much. listen for the furniture.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Special thanks to Todd Kearby, Shelly Ross and Donna Howell.

Thanks to Pierre Marchand, Pat Moran, John Keane, Trina Shoemaker, Tim McAllister, Gerd Muller, Gordon and Hazel Henderson, and Don and Karen Peris for their encouragement. Thanks to Wade Jaynes, Steve Harris, Phil Keaggy, Rob Fetters, Stephen Davis, Kyle Taylor, Jeff Bell, Robin Joyce, Henry Huang, Don Smith, Jeremy Jones, The Nagles, The Mallonees, The Mearkles, Niki Buehrig, Misty Hughes, Katie Laur, Tracy Rains and Marilyn Wilson (TITCH), Willow and Gabe (good, good dogs), the mens group, the small group, the all group. Thanks to our families and many friends. Special thanks to Karen Jean and Mallory.

Thanks also to: Jimmy D’s Music for the years of reliable service and support. Farewell. Chuck Madden at ICB Audio, Rusty at Midwest Music, Jamin Xeiler, Stan Ginn, Mike Tekulve and Mike’s Music. T. J. Schmidlin and Pentode amp works, Dan Dawson and D’Addario Strings, Kerry Faye.

Additional Note: Almost all the electric guitars on this record were at one time either owned, built or lovingly attended to by the sweet spirit of Dave Bodine. We miss you.

Thanks to everyone at Peter Asher Management.

Thanks to all who post us letters.

Thanks to The Imaginary Apple Orchard. Thanks to all Rhinelanders. Pursue justice. Seek wisdom. Be merciful. Good dog.

“Over the Rhine returns to the fierce independent spirit that made them so noteworthy in their beginning... “
- Eightball Indie Report

“Easily the most sublime, passionate and endearing album these gifted artists have ever made."
- The Album Network

“OtR fans will gush over the stripped down sound. On many tracks, lead-singer Karin Bergquist is truly musically naked."
- The Cincinnati Post

“OtR have proven you don’t need a big record label behind you to create valid beautiful art."
- City Beat , Cincinnati

“Possibly the best release of 1996."
- Prism Magazine, Philadelphia

“There’s nothing quite like standing on a foot-wide window ledge in the Hyatt in downtown Chicago watching passersby while listening to quiet music turned up loud. The speakers are very tiny, the sublime piano gets distorted just a bit, and the melancholy beauty of the female lead singer’s voice takes power over the lives of the people walking by on the street. When the Chopin-like piano intro fades a bit to accommodate her voice singing, “What a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be," the heartache of each person on the sidewalk below becomes apparent.

Chicago is cold, very cold in March, and though the room is warm, breath on the window fogs it anyway. The fog seems like a part of the music. Only the most beautiful music can do this, envelop the environment, absorb the world into itself. Beautiful music changes the way the world is seen.

This is just “Latter Days", the first song on Over the Rhine’s new album Good Dog Bad Dog, released on their own label, Imaginary Records, (*currently available on Virgin/Backporch). It’s been almost two years since the Cincinnati quartet’s last album, Eve. That album was just like its namesake: very feminine, yet dark and spontaneous, almost primitive in its wash of electric guitars and muddy blues.

Good Dog Bad Dog is quiet, like the river Eve must have found after being ejected from the Garden. The title suggests the simplified version of the Lutheran doctrine of total depravity that circulates Sunday School classes: “There’s a good dog and a bad dog inside each of us, and we must choose to make the good dog win." Of course, no one ever tells us how to make the good dog win, and that is where this album sits, with its eyes toward heaven and its feet in the mud, Eve remembering life before the apple.

Good Dog Bad Dog is a collection of tunes that bassist Linford Detweiler describes in the liner notes as a “bare-boned mess of songs which had been outlined after dark in my third story bedroom." Over the Rhine had planned to re-record the songs with a producer until they unexpectedly parted ways with IRS Records, their label at the time, which went out of business shortly after.

So Over the Rhine released the homespun versions of the songs instead. (If you listen closely, you can hear kitchen sounds behind the music.) The result is probably their most powerful work to date. Reminiscent at times of R.E.M.’s powerful Automatic for the People, or Innocence Mission’s Glow, Good Dog Bad Dog surges with deep, still emotion that swells to fill whatever room it happens to be played in.

It’s not all quiet, soulful piano, though. The second track, “All I Need is Everything" is a moving, unplugged rock song about rebirth. Vocalist Karin Bergquist’s voice has never been more subtle and powerful. She showed her skill at bringing jazz and blues vocal technique into rock music on Eve, but here she adds a range of quieter skills to her arsenal.

When she emotes, “I’ve been fingering the flame like tomorrow’s martyr," her voice breaks just enough and then fattens with a full melancholy that makes Morrissey seem like the happiest fellow in merry England. The refreshing thing is, the mood never stays sad. “All I Need is Everything" is a song of joy, of rebirth and Bergquist directs the mood to that joy as easily as she tugs at the sadness.

Each song is its own world of emotion. “Etcetera Whatever" is a gorgeous, working-class love song, while “I Will Not Eat The Darkness" is a pulsing instrumental, no doubt referring to both Eve, the biblical figure, and Eve, the album.

“Faithfully Dangerous" surely could be Adam singing to his Eve: “No matter what they say you’ll always be faithfully dangerous, lost and lovely, so beautiful to me." “The Seahorse" finds the couple longing for perfect love again, and for eternity.

“Everyman’s Daughter is a striking ballad that twists the Beatles’ “All is One" idea into something actually interesting and true: “Who am I and whose invention? This armour’s full of dust. There’s so much of us in each other. If I hate you you’re my best reminder of all I wish I was."

“A Gospel Number" is well, just that, while “Poughkeepsie" rings in the ears like an old Lutheran hymn. Bergquist’s voice soars and dips into canyons here. She proves that white girls can sing with true soul when she elates, “I ride on the backs of angels tonight. I take to the sky with all their might."

The album segues into a classical acoustic solo piece by Ric Hordinski, the band’s skilled guitarist on “Willoughby," and then romps through the jazzed-up spoken word serenade of “Jack’s Valentine."

The record closes out with two love songs, one to God and then one to a human lover. “Happy to Be So" is Eve yearning for the former closeness of the Garden: “If I try to pray, it’s like a game of red rover. I take a real good run at it, but I can’t break through. Don’t matter anyway. I’m so redhanded. The game is over, I’ll just tell the truth." Still, hope is not lost as she realizes, “I know a love that will not let me go." The song reaches chill-bump perfection when the French horn/mellotron movement mixes with Bergquist’s sullen voice to close the number. Then, the album fades out with the airy, happy-go-lucky country ballad, “Go Down Easy."

With Good Dog, Bad Dog, Over The Rhine have achieved what few bands do. They have created a work that dips into the regions of the soul and inspires new sight, new life, and creativity. This is an album to fall in love by, or find God with. Unfortunately, since they’ve released it on their own label, it takes a bit of work to get.

It is definitely worth that work."
- John Davis, East Carolinian Review