Can You Fly Explained

Can You Fly
Type:	studio
Artist:	Freedy Johnston
Cover:	FJ CYF.jpg
Released:	April 14, 1992
Recorded:	January–December 1991
Genre:	Alternative rock alternative country^[1]
Length:	49:42
Label:	Bar/None
Producer:	Graham Maby, Knut Bohn
Prev Title:	The Trouble Tree
Prev Year:	1990
Next Title:	This Perfect World
Next Year:	1994

Can You Fly is the second album by singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston. It was released in 1992 on Bar/None Records. Can You Fly appeared on Fast Folks year-end list of the ten best albums of 1992,^[2] and The Village Voices Robert Christgau later dubbed it "a perfect album".^[3]

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".^[4]

The song "California Thing" appeared on the soundtrack of the film Heavy, starring Liv Tyler and Deborah Harry.

"The Lucky One" was covered by Mary Lou Lord on her 1998 album Got No Shadow.

Track listing

All songs written by Freedy Johnston.

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

Personnel

• Freedy Johnston – vocals, guitar, bass
• Graham Maby – 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 – guitar, bass
• Chris Stamey – electric guitar
• Dave Schramm – lap steel
• James MacMillan – bass
• Jane Scarpantoni – cello
• Kenny Margolis – accordion
• Syd Straw - vocals

Notes and References

1. Blender Staff . May 2003 . 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die! . . New York . . April 1, 2023.
2. Allen, Jim, "The Ten Best Albums of 1992", Fast Folk Musical Magazine, 6:9-10, (February 1993) p.12-13
3. Book: Christgau, Robert . Selling Dirt to Pay the Band: Freedy Johnston . Grown Up All Wrong: 75 Great Rock and Pop Artists from Vaudeville to Techno . Robert Christgau . . 1998 . 0-674-44318-7.
4. Freedy Johnston: This Perfect World . . July 14, 1994 . May 19, 2017 . O'Dair . Barbara . 102 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081007214436/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/freedyjohnston/albums/album/261913/review/5940643/this_perfect_world . October 7, 2008.