At present, and for most of the last 30 years, I find myself without a band. Solo. Lonely like a bull. Past bands include Woody and the Armadillos, the Magic Motion Machine, Cedar Breaks, Rodeo and the infamous Hensley, Hensley and Ryan.
Influences
Jesus - The Beatles - Walt Disney - Harpo Marx - Neil Young - Dr. Seuss
- Flannery O'Connor - Salvador Dali - The Byrds - Peter Sellers - Mark Twain - Frank Zappa - Helen - Bob Dylan - Howdy Doody - Charles Addams - Walt Kelly - Ken Hensley - Maxfield Parrish - J.R.R. Tolkein - The Beverly Hillbillies - MAD - James Thurber - Carlos S. Contreras - Woody Allen - Bruce Cockburn - Richard Brautigan - Joni Mitchell - Robert Zeoli - Marvin the Martian - Robert E. Lee - Buffalo Springfield - C.F. Martin - Merle Haggard - J.S. Bach - Woody and the Armadillos - Maurice Sendak - 007 - T.S. Elliot - The Who - David Grisman - Steve Reeves - The Human Bass - Wonder Wart Hog - The Beach Boys - Edmund Lugge - Guy Levi Ireton - C.S. Lewis - Andrew Wyeth - Garrison Keillor - John Lennon - N.C. Wyeth - Roy Rogers - Charles Dickens - Captain Beefheart - T.H. White - Christopher Parkening - Emily Dickinson - Mort Drucker - The Smothers Brothers - Philbo - Pinky and the Brain - John Prine - David Crockett - G.K. Chesterton - John Sebastian - KXOK - George A. Custer - Friz Freiling - Crazy Horse - Richie Furay - Jonathan Winters - Leave it to Beaver - Jack Davis - Jane Biscan - Hank Williams - CSNY - Firesign Theater - Candid Camera - John F. Kennedy - Paul Simon - Carpy - POCO - Jimmy Rogers - Bill Cosby - Leo Fender - Arthur Rackham - David Crosby - Ed Sullivan - W.A. Mozart - Don Adams - Rocky & Bullwinkle - Dianne Arbus - The Lovin' Spoonful - Al Jaffee - Django Rienhardt - Gahan Wilson - William F. Buckley - The Hollies - Johnathan Winters - Charles Asbell - Gary Larson - Tom Fleming - Leo Kottke - Marvin Meder - Rod Serling - Lewis Carroll - Batman - David Levine - Lisa Perkins - Don Knotts - American Heritage Magazine - Ruben and the Jets - Lord Buckley - M.C. Escher - LBJ - Shel Silverstien - Marge Kasmarzik - Donovan - the Three Stooges - Prince Valiant - Texas - The Modern Jazz Quartet - Elvis - Tim Conway - Homer and Jethro - Larry Groce - Arthur Conan Doyle - Buffalo Bob - The Kinks - Charlie Chaplin - Bobby "Boris" Pickett - Edward Gorey - Brother Dave Gardner - Joshua Rifkin - Winslow Homer - Kas – Buck Owens & Don Rich - George Martin - Phil Timper - Claude Bolling - Frank Jacob - Stephen Stills - The Monkees - Herb Lubalin - Groucho Marx - Chuck Jones - Frederick Remington - Ian Anderson - Matthew Brady - Emmylou Harris - Our Gang/Little Rascals - "Wierd" Al Yankovic - Ansel Adams - The Tick - Norton Juster - Jules Feiffer - Gilbert Sheldon - Jackson Browne - Bob Hensley - Borris Karloff - Edward S. Curtis - Eagles - William Barrett Travis - Angela Cartwright - Manhattan Transfer - Rich Woodruff - Dave Richter - The Kingston Trio - Captain Kangaroo - James Taylor - Walter Cronkite - Paul McCartney - The Celts - Haley Mills - Hieronymous Bosch - Johnny Horton - John Lynch - Miles Davis - George Harrison – Uncle Marsh - Michael Nesmith - Chief Joseph - Jackie Gleason - Vincent Van Gogh – Greg Brown – Smith – Walter Lord – Marty Robbins – Patsy Cline – Pappy & Jerry – Paul Revere & the Raiders – Louis Paul Jaennette – Deputy Dawg – The Ink Spots – The Cosmic Sheriff – KDNA – Mr. Toad – Dean Martin – Officer Furgeson - Blind Lemon Jefferson - The Illinois Speed Press - Eddie Pollatta - Carol Renfrow - Camp Ondesonk - Betty's Records – Desiderata – Mark Heard - The Green-Eyed Midget - The Apostle Paul - Doug Sahm - Gigi - Tiki Pete & Dancing Bear - Eric Satie - Doc Watson - St. Louis - Bill Thrall - Eric Anderson - O'Fallon - Ricky Nelson - Van Morrison - John Hartford - Louis Armstrong - The Band – Os Guiness – Buzz – Sitting Bull - Daniel Amos - John of Patmos – Tiny Tim – Route 66 – Ernest Borgnine – Swampwater – Brian Wilson – The United States Air Force – Reader's Digest – Lewis & Clark – Fever Tree – Ringo Starr – Coreno Man –
Now, you see, those are mostly from the past... Newer Influences?
Tom Waits - Jay Farrar - Lucinda Williams – Robert McKee - Gillian Welch - Alejandro Escovedo - Brennan Manning - Calexico - Tord Gustavson - Arrested Development - Billy Williams - Greg Crow - Christopher Guest - The Coen Brothers - Greg Brown - Clem Snide - Son Volt - Beck - Henri Nouwen - Townes Van Zandt - Timothy Keller - Ernest Borgnine - Uncle Tupelo - Lyle Lovett - Peter Case - The Jayhawks - Jeff Del Nero - Pixar - Bosnia & Hercegovina - The Future Friends of Millard Fillmore - David Rawlings - The Simpsons - The Wailin' Jennys - El Groupo De Guyo - The Adriatic Sea - Mark Wenzel - the Men of EBMMAS - Fred Willard - Richard Thompson - William H. Macy - Mladen - Daniel Lanois - The Dodds - Philip Glass - Barenaked Ladies - The Blind Boys of Alabama - Cowboy Junkies - Jack Miller - Homestar Runner & Strongbad - John Hiatt – Stephen Ambrose – Oswald Chambers –The Docker Guys – Polly Baughman – Buddy Miller
Sounds Like
Sounds like?
Well... I suppose I grew up hearing Elvis, Sinatra, Patsy Cline and Marty Robbins, but then I found my own musical road which began by imitating the Beatles and then the Byrds and then Donovan and Dylan and then I found Buffalo Springfield and that really pointed me in some kind of direction. I was a Neil Clone in high school, but also loved Stills and Richie and so did a lot of Poco and CSNY and then became a Christian and didn't know where to go from there, for a lot of years, because I did not know how to be a musician/songwriter and a Christian at the same time. it seemed like a dichotomy to me.
Bruce Cockburn came along and showed me what it was to simply be myself, as a human being, an American, a Christian, a songwriter, a dad and whatever else I was... and report that in song - letting all those interpretive filters just be what they are and have what effect they would have.
Since then, Greg Brown and Jay Farrar and Emmylou and Lucinda and Gillian Welch and a dozen more have added their colorings to what I "sound like" ... but ... I dont sound like any of them.
BR
.. CDBABY LINK for BOB RYAN: The Spirit of Andy Devine -->
So now... we have "the Spirit of Andy Devine" for your listening pleasure.
Another fine Leaping Armadillo product for the discerning palate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpJDS4m4pww
Here's a video created by my sister, Amy Arend (ajarend.com) using video footage and an occasional still shot of our family -- containing some footage directly referred to in the song "All the Good Things." Some of the early video footage dates back as far as 1955. You can see the "little roadside tavern (Leslie's) my grandma counting the change, we "walking with my mother down along a river where the leaves were green and yellow," and my grandfather's old blue Buick --- The "Blue Goose."
Check out the full website, with lyrics to all the songs
at www.bobryanmusic.com!
"The Spirit of Andy Devine" was recorded and mixed by Billy Williams (Grammy winner for Lyle Lovett's "The Road to Ensenada") with additional recording by Jack Miller (More Grammys... Carlos Nakai...)
Thanks to the additional musicians: Billy Williams, Amy Quinn, Dallas Ryan, Bob Hinke, Mike Smith, Rachel Harris Mazzullo and Allen Ames. Thanks also to Dallas Ryan for the Photos and Bob Hensley: excecutive producer.
I ran across a quote from Elie Wiesel the other day that summed it up very nicely:
"...the act of writing is, for me, often nothing more than the secret or
conscious desire to carve words on a tombstone: to the memory of a town
forever vanished, to the memory of a childhood in exile, to the memory
of all those I loved and who, before I could tell them I loved them,
went away."
.. CDBABY LINK for BOB RYAN: The Spirit of Andy Devine -->
BOB RYAN: The Spirit of Andy Devine a beautifully-produced and thoughtfully arranged set of songs -- lyrically rich and steeped in classic, iconic American imagery. Co-produced by grammy award winner Billy Williams (The Road to Ensenada/Lyle Lovett)
Buy the individual songs from iTunes __Buy "Wide Miles of Mystery" on iTunes
__Buy "Rachel" on iTunes
__Buy "Just Like You Mean It" on iTunes
__Buy "This Train Goes Nowhere" on iTunes
__Buy "Back Behind My Eyes" on iTunes
__Buy "The Spirit of Andy Devine" on iTunes
__Buy "Heroes" on iTunes
__Buy "South Dakota Bound" on iTunes
__Buy "Coachella Rain" on iTunes
__Buy "Life on the Mississippi" on iTunes
__Buy "All the Good Things" on iTunes
__Buy "Where Have They Gone" on iTunes
__Buy "Never Want to Go" on iTunes
__Buy "Hopeful" on iTunes
Also available on CD by Bob Ryan: 2004 Release "A Prison in the Heart." Click the icon below to preview and/or order through CDBaby. And don't miss the FREE download track above!
Just stoppin in to see what you've been up to. Your new songs sound great... Good work... Looks like you've been busy.. I've been doing a little writing and recording this year... Still all basement work.... Maybe someday I'll make it to a real studio... If I ever write anything worth spending the money on...
Anyway, take care... cheers woody (the other woody woodruff)
Hello, it's me, Ruby Jane.To those who don't know me, I am a 14 year old fiddler, songwriter. I have some songs posted that are fresh out of the studio. Let me know if you like the new songs..be one of the first to hear, even before they are released!Thanks! new videos too! Ruby Jane
I have two bottle of an awesome stout called "Bourbon County Stout" by Goose Island Breweries, ever had it? I am making no promises, but if I can manage it I am saving two bottles for the next time you stop by, bring cigars, its an incredible Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels...
~HELLO FROM NASHVILLE TN~ Thank you for addin' me to your space Bob. You have a nice smooth voice. Hope you get a chance to hear my Poco song. Nice to meet another brother in music:)
Going down to the homebrewing store next week to buy the raw ingredients for 5 batches! Two stouts, two pale ale's and a Belgian. You really need to sample some one of these days...
Hi Bob, yes you were the first(be gentle) thanks for the comment. I am finaly part of this world. I am looking forward to networking.I have started on my next music project. have you started on your next one?
Stopped by and listened to "Just Like You Mean It." That song takes me to that place that only a special song can. Thanks for sharing the message.......God bless!
So we made fish tacos for Alex's Birthday feast the other day, and the recipe called for "dark beer". I choose Negra Modelo over San Miguel just to try it out on your say so. And I am telling you it IS one of the best Mexican beers out there, I'd easily put it on a shelf next to Pacifico! It lacks the full mouth-feel I'm used to in darker beers, but it more than makes up for it by also lacking that "typical" Mexican beer after-flavor that I dislike so much.
Thank you so much for agreeing to be Luanne Hunt’s friend at Patsy Cline’s Lost Christmas Classic page.
Luanne is busy doing press interviews and radio promotion for her new holiday CD, but I passed along your kind message to her. She said to say hello and tell you how much she appreciates your friendship on myspace.
Keep in touch and know that we wish you all the joy, peace, success and abundance your world can hold.
