Saturday, October 27, 2001 Turning 40 is a benchmark in anyone's life. For musician Bill Toms it also marked an important milestone in his career. "There was a lot of reminiscing, a lot of going back and appreciating of what I've got, both personally and musically". Those sentiments are evident in Toms' new release, "This Old World", an introspective album of songs about desire, yearning and the endless road of rock 'n roll. The CD release party for "This Old World", Toms' third release with Hard Rain, will be tonight in Blawnox. The longtime guitarist in Joe Grushecky's Houserockers has a grizzled, earthy voice that's perfect for the intitmate material that dominates the album. According to Toms, a lot of the songs came from a newfound experience of his lot in life. At 40, he says he realizes he's probably never going to headline Madison Square Garden or sell a million units. But that's OK. "I think the best music I've ever made, the most fun I've had, the most creative moments I've ever had, are when I've been able to say ' I'm doing this for myself', " he says. "People always come up to me at Houserockers gigs and say 'I don't know why you guys haven't made it'. But my theory is we have made it. Look at all the things we've done, and I get to play the music I like". Tom's gigs with Grushecky have taken him to Europe, Chicago, Las Vegas, the Jersey Shore and other music centers. But the experiences that most influence "This Old World" come from the other side of the spotlight. Memories of road trips - "coming home from a gig in the middle of the night from Punsatawney on the Pennsylvania Turnpike during a snowstorm" - are the inspiration for songs such as "Moonlight Mystery" and "Million Miles from Home". "I always try to paint a picture", Toms says. "And in my mind it's sitting in the back of a van for last 15, 20 years, going from gig to gig. You're living for that connection with the audience.". "But there are many other shows that are terrible", he says. "You're not connecting, you sit in the back of the van for eight hours, it's snowing, and you stop and think, "what the hell am I doing?". Yet Toms admits he could do nothing else. As taxing as some of the gigs are, as long and hard as the highway can be, there's an undeniable sense of celebration and joy that infuses "This Old World". In "Here with You Tonight", which is build around a bluesy riff that sound like vintage J. Geils, the simple line, But it's alright, I'm here with you tonight is an homage to his wife and to the fans who come out night after night for a few hours of escape. Then there's "I'm Getting Off This Train", the last song Toms wrote for the album: I'm getting off this train/This scene has got to change/Yeah, I'm getting off this train/and finding a better place. "There's a point in your life when I said I'm doing this because I have to do it", he says. "This is what I want to do and this is what makes me feel whole, this creative release, whether it's with the Houserockers or Hard Rain". Musically, it's clear that Toms has subconciously integrated artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen into his mix. But even as a chord or two echoes one of these artists, there's a greater sense that Toms' music really comes from his own hand. "I've been lucky enough to play and record with Joe Grushecky and Bruce Springsteen", he says. "And the one thing they always said is to find your own voice. And I think the secret of that is not to think about it".
Bill Toms reflects on 40 Years while getting 'Old'
By Regis Behe, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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