The Rocking Horse Music Club released, “The Last Pink Glow: An Interpretation of Jack Kerouac’s The Haunted Life,” on May 9th of this year. The Rocking Horse Music Club is from New Hampshire, USA.
The Rocking Horse Music Club includes members: Justin Cohn, one of three of the band’s vocalists and one of the band’s five guitar players; Brian Coombes, on keyboards and vocals; Brenden Harisiades, on bass; Myron Kibbee and Mike McAdam, on guitars; Andrew Rotunno, on guitars, and vocals; and Eric Wagley, on drums.
They also included some wonderful special guests. One of particular interest to me, and the reason I took an interest in the project from the beginning, was the return to recording, of one of my favorite keyboard players, (as a lifelong Genesis fan), Special Guest, Tony Banks. But the impressive guest list did not end there. They also included, Kate St. John (The Dream Academy), (one of my favorite bands from the 1980s), who has guested on numerous RHMC albums, and co-produced the strings sessions with Brian Coombes in London. And, Dusty Gray. the band’s friend and frequent collaborator, who co-wrote “The Ballad of Joe Martin.” Evelyn Cormier, Caroline Carter, and Michelle Coombes once again lend their voices to the RHMC vocal blend, this time joined by award-winning New Hampshire singer/songwriter Katie Dobbins.
“The Last Pink Glow,” is an interpretation of Jack Kerouac’s unfinished novella, “The Haunted Life.” Working directly with Jim Sampas, the Literary Executor of the Jack Kerouac Estate, Rocking Horse Music Club has brought Kerouac’s coming of age story to music, often using the author’s own words as lyrics. Set in Lowell, Massachusetts in the summer of 1941. The album tells the story of a bright and restless university student named Peter Martin, his family, and his friends, as they all try to adapt to the economic, social, and political changes swirling around them at the onset of the Second World War. At its core, this is a story that laments the end of childhood innocence,” explains band member/songwriter Brian Coombes. “Peter and his friends try to recreate the carefree summers of their childhood, all the while realizing that people their own age are dying on battlefields in Europe. They know that it will only (be) a matter of time before they are sent off to war as well.”
The Rocking Horse Music club gets this inspired project off to the perfect start, with “Haunted.” It opens just as you would imagine, with orchestration full of a slow approaching eeriness or gloom. Then, lead electric guitar plays, before Justin Cohn sings, “In the shadows in my mind, there’s the man I thought I’d be. We share a vague resemblance but the picture’s incomplete. There’s a fire long extinguished by the downpour of the dream. They never quite amounted to anything. And every night I drift away to a forlorn place. I’m shaken and I’m haunted by the man I’ll never be. I’m haunted by the wars in front of me.” A great opener full of emotion, great vocals, and surrounding professional musicianship. It is so nice to hear real professionals execute extraordinary music this way. Having so many different guitarists gives the music sound, providing such great variety and dynamics. An over 6-minute song of multi-dimensional sound, coming at you full speed, once it gets started. Off to a great beginning. Justin Cohn has a voice like maybe, Randy Meisner of the Eagles, or later, David Gates, from Bread; with a tinge of country-twang.
“It’s the Small Things,” opens with orchestration and background noises. Justin Cohn returns to sing, “It’s bizarre—he tries to live a hundred lives. He’ll take it far—maps out journeys just keep his dreams alive. Follow me—for the greatest adventure of your life. It’s the small things that point in wrong directions. We’re still young but already yearning for the past. It’s not the journey it’s the outline of plans.” This song just bounces along, with Wes Thurber’s trumpet providing the mix with a jazzier feel.
Then, it is the one I was looking forward to hearing. “The Haunted Life (Featuring Tony Banks).” Justin Cohn sings the best song on the album; after Tony Bank’s slow, emotional, morning eye-opening, piano welcome. He sings, “Summer’s here and in this moment, we live a haunted life, as we bid farewell to the carefree days of youth. We venture forth without knowing in a time of strife. And there’s silence now for a moment. In a certain hush our truths reveal too much. A stone, a leaf, a river’s rush. Now in the thaw of this year’s spring, winter touches everything, knowing that we’re living… a haunted life.” A song full of the effects and personal feelings encountered during the changing of the seasons. Time is given to take in the wonder of it all. The guitar solo from Andrew Rotunno is exceptional.
“If We’re Silent and We Listen,” opens with cool keyboards and synthesizer innovations, before Justin Cohn sings, “The wind is rising and the rivers flow. Do you remember years ago? In the distance a long dim cry. Mothers mourning, last goodbyes. Those on the front lines, can’t you see they’re just like us? I want to know why they are covered in blood. Now the wind is rattling and the train will wail for us. Remember… If we listen and be quiet, we can hear the guns roar.” The fear is real and you can hear it in Justin’s voice; along with the grinding guitars and drums. The string arrangements sound like a coming tornado of discord, like something out of ELO or Kansas’ best works. Sounds like some of the feelings we are having today in America. Yes, this album was a relevant release at this time in the USA. The correlation between a young person of today, having to face what looks like the onset of fascism in America.
“The Ballad of Joe Martin,” opens jazzy with drums and country-like guitars. Justin sings, with a slight, Southern drawl, “Smoke-filled kitchen and low dim lights. Radio playing in the summer moonlight. Pop’s a man of opinions and he voices them loud. I turn Benny Goodman up just to drown him out. He always takes from the past cause the present’s too much. He says his daddy worked too hard for y’all to fuck this up. Fuck this up. Oh, this haunted life. He’s got a chip on his shoulder never keeps his mouth shut. Raged like a lion around the house, Mom never said too much.” Sounds so much like what we are all going through lately. Oh, how the times haven’t changed, huh?
“Changing Channels,” opens with powerful drums, bass, and orchestration, along with guitar and keyboards. Justin sings, “I need to change—change the channel, find a new angle for me. I sit here now—and wonder how, I’ll never find something better to be. Maybe I’ll change my ways like my thoughts from yesterday.” A song about wanting to make changes to avoid getting left behind a world gone mad. There is a great keyboard section which reminds me of some of Tony Banks multi-level keyboard arrangements. But no, this is Brian Coombes, playing, synths (MPC, Prophet 6, QSR, MS20), piano, CP70, and optigan,
“The Ballad of Wesley Martin,” opens with Brian Coombes on piano. Justin sings, “If I could I’d like to know why it is you haunt us so. If it’s true why you went away, I wish you knew you could have stayed. Your haunted legend still remains, blurred with time and a truth that stains. In the cold you left your home to find your life out there alone. So sad and lost that night, you left without a trace.” A sad, country-like song, complete with slide guitar. The band does some wonderful guitar and drum soloing after the lyrics end.
“Splitting Atoms,” opens with drums, guitar, and soft keyboards. Justin sings, “When I look back on it now, through the colored lens of time, did your dreams just disappear? And then I wonder to myself as I wander through our past, why did it all just fall apart? What makes a man be true? It’s not a lie to you. I’m falling deep into all we choose to lose. All we choose to lose.” A tough song, full of tough choices, all around.
“Restless Wanderers,” is the sole instrumental song on the album. The song was written by Brian Coombes, Justin Cohn, and Andrew Rotunno. Eric Wagley’s drum playing figures prominently throughout the song. There is a late album era Genesis, feel to this one. Brian Coombes and Justin Cohn sing “We are wonderers,” in the background. But this is a showcase for Brenden Harisiades’ bass playing, and Brian Coombes’, synths, vocoder, Rhodes, mellotron, and fun machine. Along with, Andrew Rotunno’s guitar playing, and Simon White, playing alto saxophone.
“Big City Small Town Blues,” is a full-hearted blues song, complete with the rambling guitars and drums. Justin returns to sing, “If the war doesn’t get us the boredom will. I’ll travel long and hard just to seek a thrill. And if the town doesn’t kill us the city will. I’ll sell my soul just to pay my bills. There’s a train rolling down the tracks, it’s rolling north every day. We sit here and watch it pass, with no words but so much to say.” The kind of song, where you are just waiting for something to happen. That opening guitar sound reminded me a little of something Joel Walsh might have added. We all love the blues, when it’s played right…just like this.
“The Last Pink Glow,” is the epic closing track. The song that puts it all back together. It opens with some magnificent synths and keyboards, and wonderful nylon stringed guitars. Then, Justin sings, in his slowest, most deliberate, David Gates, (Bread), like voice, “The last pink glow of dusk fades on a haunted life. As summer sings its evening hymn, we’re left with dreams of our youth. The last pink glow of dusk fades on a haunted life. Silence now for a moment, the river hush, a trembling of leaves. Your creed is like a fragile thing swept away like a fume with the breeze, a trembling of leaves. Life is lovely, fragile like a rose. A rose you’ll find years from now, a relic of the past.” The guitar playing is exceptional, as is all the keyboard innovations, drum, and bass support. This one reminds me of so many folkie-pop songs from bands like Poco or Bread, that I remember from the 1970s. easily, the second-best song on the album. Justin sings, “Life is lovely, fragile like a rose. A rose you’ll find years from now, a relic of—a relic of the past. There’s nowhere left to go. Nowhere left to hide. The sun is setting on this life. We pine for the old golden past. Someday youth gives way to a cruel and unforgiving life. But I don’t want to know the fate. I don’t want to know what lasts. I can’t shake the weight of this nameless longing. Nowhere left to go. Nowhere left to hide. Every man must one day die. Nothing left to show. Across the great divide. All the world is in decline. Swept away in the abyss. Where will we be when the winter blazes cold and sets aflame the world of old? The first pink light of dawn, shines on our haunted life.” The melody on this song reminds me a little of Bread’s “Make It with You.”
Rocking Horse Music Club’s “The Last Pink Glow,” will definitely make many of the music media’s “Top Ten Albums,” list for 2025. And it probably will make mine too. This synopsis of Jack Kerouac’s unfinished novella, “The Haunted Life,” is everything you could want in a novella set to music. The musical performances throughout are professional and well played by all members and guests. A return to the straight-line perfection I remember from Bread, who had multiple hits. Justin Cohn’s voice throughout this masterpiece is “straight on…for you,” as Heart once sang. This is a master class in how to showcase a legend’s deep, emotional novella. Since it’s baseball season, this album is, all hits, no strikes, and no errors. Immaculate music, played and recorded by professionals, with no fillers. An amalgamation of progressive rock, the blues, jazz and straight-ahead rock n’ roll. Imagine the Eagles and Bread got together to memorialize Kerouac. I think they probably would have come up with something like Rocking Horse Music Club’s “The Last Pink Glow.” Nothing is missing people. Well, except you. Go and give this a listen, and I’m sure you will also be in line to buy it. Their shop address is https://www.rockinghorsemusicclub.com/shop; when you are ready.
Album Track List:
- Haunted – 6:08
- It’s the Small Things – 3:53
- The Haunted Life (Featuring Tony Banks) 4:41
- If We’re Silent and We Listen – 5:51
- The Ballad of Joe Martin – 3:38
- Changing Channels – 4:13
- The Ballad of Wesley Martin – 5:24
- Splitting Atoms – 7:41
- Restless Wanderers – 2:41
- Big City Small Town Blues – 4:40
- The Last Pink Glow – 12:48
“The Last Pink Glow: An Interpretation of Jack Kerouac’s The Haunted Life,” was recorded primarily at Rocking Horse Studio with additional recording at Abbey Road Studios and Angel.
Band Website and Social Media Links:
Band Website: https://www.rockinghorsemusicclub.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RockingHorseMusicClub
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rockinghorsemusicclub/
Shop: https://www.rockinghorsemusicclub.com/shop
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dtD6qYdq087eRJilshUdt
Burning Shed: https://burningshed.com/store/rocking-horse-music-club_store
YouTube and Music Video Links:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@rockinghorsestudio