Bobbo Byrnes reflects on his life as a musician as a self proclaimed ‘rock and roll goodwill ambassador.’

WHERE TO START…

If you haven’t followed our discovery of Bobbo Byrnes music since 2023 then this album is an ideal place to start. Too Many Miles is a companion to his autobiography of the same name, in which he writes about his life as a travelling musician who has a following in Europe and the U.S.

His penchant for smaller venues with more intimate performances thus building a close relationship with his audience is possibly why he is not a household name in Britain. However, Bobbo has visited venues in the south of England and Scotland.

THE PATH TO MUSIC

Bobbo tells us that his dreams of fame in ice-hockey were curtailed when sustaining an injury leading him to focus on a musical career. Ice hockey’s loss is music’s gain. His songs are as much a diary of his life as the book is.

Heart Like Mine reveals the doubts he had in his future, his worthiness as a musician and as a life long partner to his beloved and ever faithful Tracy. The rock in his life to whom he attributes all his success in music and happiness and is also often his performing partner too. Their harmonies when singing together reflect their closeness. The Neil Young style harmonica and his country feel pedal steel guitar reveal his influences as does the John Prime style Millsboro, which is linked to the time he spent working in a textile mill. An experience which like many a youngster in an industrial environment knocked off some rough edges. Bobbo refers this as one his ‘house concert songs’ and not one he plays that often even though it was popular in Germany upon its 2017 release.

His stories of one of his early groups the Fallen Stars gives a wonderful insight into his life as a burgeoning musician. Using and learning how to get the most out of borrowed or dodgy equipment as well their own, seeking recording opportunities finding gig opportunities and the angst of developing his song writing skills.

CLOSE HARMONIES

His partnership with Ben Riddle and wife Tracy is highlighted in the song This is Happening. There are close harmonies in the simple acoustic intro for this cleverly constructed song but it picks up pace to show their close instrumental harmony too. It shuffles along at a lively pace with a folky rock tempo.

Their experiences in German clubs to varying sizes of audience and now under the management of Songs of Whispers they became a very tight accomplished unit.

Bobbo makes several references to his influence of 70’s British music amongst them The Who and The Faces but in Hold Me we hear a Coldplay style song. Written with Tracy, this is a love song they are practically singing to themselves. By 2013 they were now performing through Europe as Riddle and The Stars. Again, they were discovering more about themselves as performers and songwriters and how to differentiate between a good diner and a bad one! Discovering the joys of touring in a camper van and hire cars, all adding to the voyage of discovery.

SONG IDEAS

In the book, Bobbo often gives details on how a song came about; where the idea came from, why certain instruments and singing styles were chosen, and chord structures. In Massachusetts, he tells us about a song within a song feeling and one which came together speedily. It’s about a change he and Tracy made in their life but the important element being that no matter what changes in his life Tracy is always by his side.

Bobbo’s touring experiences on the road in Europe have been broad and varied. His personal thoughts about them are detailed and interesting whether he is relating facts about the suitability or unsuitability of the venues, the comments from fans which were sometimes supportive, sometimes inappropriate. His reactions to some of which are amusing and you feel his irritation as some of the unwarranted intrusiveness.

With his jovial character and his thick skinned acceptance of many of them makes for some excruciating reading and reminiscent of when this writer performed in groups when you have to learn to experience the thick and the thin but it all adds to getting a full and honest picture of touring. He is a very sociable and approachable artist but this does make him vulnerable to the odd ‘nutter’.

THE WORLD AROUND US

Winter of ’71, goes off a different tack. Bobbo recalls close times with his mother, and inspired by a photo sent to him by his mother of the first Christmas tree he ever saw giving him a long life love of silver Christmas trees. This coincides with a traumatic time for his mother.

Bobbo is able to take his observations, experiences and things he overheard into meaningful songs. The chorus of Nothing Needs To Be Said comes from a comment he heard in a bar and having some empathy with his pain. He recognises that the stimulus for song writing is all around us but he has the gift of sensitively putting these times into song.

To say Bobbo is responsive to political and social issues both global and local is a glorious understatement. His book is full of the effects of the world around him and having the gift of putting an issue like US gun laws in Every Sound That Crashes into a song sensitively with quiet anger is showcased here.

The Song Plain Street, written by close friend Jeff Turner, now sadly passed, epitomises what they saw in themselves as musicians. Accepting that they don’t play huge venues and massive audiences and that they will never be hugely well known and will always be locally recognised. He puts it well when he says that they will be big in small places but small in big places. Through the book, it is clear that the close friendships and rich experiences he has with his fans in Europe and the US more than compensates for huge fame. In a nutshell, “playing for my supper always paid off.”

ESSENTIAL NOTES

Bobbo really gets into the nitty gritty of touring. Noisy fridges, cancelled trains, sore knees, hire cars, camper vans are just a few of the encumbrances along the way. This may not seem like essential information or trivia some might not need to know but with all the highlights of supportive friends, intimate gigs and recording at Hansa Studios, it is essential to get to know what Bobbo is all about and how life has a balance to it.

Bobbo and Tracy combine to write a classic country song about a diner waitress, Diner Door, which epitomises much of his work. Every day themes presented without unnecessary frills , void of any superfluous notes or effects. We hear just enough that is required to get his message through.

It is obvious that touring as Bobbo does either with Tracy or as Ben and the Fallen Stars that you certainly learn about yourself, your strengths and limitations and along the way accepting that mistakes will be made. Written with his chum Morgan Keating Never Learned To Fly expresses this. Bobbo is sometimes his strongest critic but listening to this album we hear the wonderful result of all his self analysis.

GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES

On the whole the book is linear following the story of his life on the road but occasionally there are flashbacks. The raucous Bad Decisions, with three short stories in one, two of which were probably bad decisions or misunderstandings but finally meeting his life partner Tracy. Long relationships that last a lifetime of course may be the right decision but they are inevitably full of wrong ones too. Which really reflect life on the road too. Good times, bad times, you know I’ve had my share, as someone once wrote!

Bobbo has a passionate political side to him too. Good Trouble inspired by American civil rights activist John Lewis. Written with Tracy, it represents their fight through music for justice and fairness wherever they are under threat.

The album ends with a reprise of album track and book title Too Many Miles, although much paired down from the dynamic full sound with keyboards, electric guitar and yearning vocals from Tracy the version recorded at Hansa Studios is more acoustic with echoey vocals. It brings to life the tale of his musical life embellished by some wonderful friendships and experiences mixed with the angst and disappointments of everyday life. As his story unfolds it is clear you can’t have one without the other. Too Many Miles indeed, but in the end music never lets you down!

You can purchase Bobbo Byrnes’ book here.

Bobbo Byrnes: Website

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