Description

Those who've seen Winnipeg songwriter Greg MacPherson perform solo can attest to the captivating energy and passion he can project with just his vocal chords and a guitar. Maintenance, Greg's first recording since 2002's Good Times Coming Back Again, captures this intensity with 5 solo acoustic tracks recorded at various points and locations throughout 2003. It includes two unreleased songs, two solo renditions of tracks from Good Times and a cover of The Clash's Bankrobber.

Most notable is the inclusion of Company Store, which is one of Macpherson's most popular and requested songs, despite never having been recorded before. The song is a strident, folk-styled true story about MacPherson's grandfather who worked the mines in Glace Bay, NS.

"The song Company Store is my way of pointing out that we have a colourful and acrimonious history that should be remembered and learned from," says MacPherson. "It is a narrative about recognizing injustice and doing something about it. It's based on a story my father tells about my Grandfather's participation in the burning down of a mining company store. This story could describe many of the Cape Bretoners of his generation, if not coal miners then steel workers, if not steel workers then fishermen, if not the working men then their wives, mothers and sisters. It's a testament to who we are, where we came from, and what we're capable of."