No, not John Zorn. This is Bob Zorn.
There are exactly 6 Google results for the combination of “Bob Zorn” and “Lookin’ For A Home.” Because of this, there isn’t a lot of information I can impart about Mr. Zorn or the history of this album. The title track was played on an episode of Terry Coulter’s show on WFMU ten years ago. There’s a Rate Your Music page for the album, with one registered user claiming ownership of a copy. There’s a blurb on a message board. There’s a copyright for “Just Lookin’ For A Home,” a “musical review with pantomime and dance” by Jack M. Gootzeit with music written by Bob Zorn.
Recorded in 1982 and released Hudson Valley Records (3625 Bainbridge Ave. Bronx, NY 10467), on the surface it sounds like a somewhat-hokey country/folk record by a singer-songwriter with a strong voice and upbeat melodies. Upon first listen, the lyrics (written by the aforementioned Dr. Gootzeit) don’t sound entirely unique, but upon closer inspection they absolutely positively require your attention. A note on the back cover written by Gootzeit states, “The songs are vignettes of the lives of the multiple handicapped and the mothers, fathers, and the people who work with them. These songs of struggle, pathos and deep feelings of love and humanity illustrate the bond between those who become involved in their lives.”
Yeah, heavy stuff.
It continues, “Bob Zorn is a professional musician, folk singer, and media specialist. He also happens to be the father of a child whose life is described in some of the songs he sings on this album. In pursuit of care and love for his child, he left San Francisco and travelled East to have her cared for at The Institute Of Applied Human Dynamics. In the process he became intertwined in the lives of the children and families served there, as a music teacher and children’s specialist. This album is a product of his and my efforts in the same humane direction.”
Included is a printed lyric insert. More heavy stuff. “Our Staff Of Life” begins:
Oh, where are my friends who laid on hands,
To the blind, deaf, slow and lame
To the children so disturbed they
Lost all of their tears,
And the parents those fears gave them pain.
Lookin’ For A Home is an unusual and distinct album the likes of which we don’t often encounter. Talk about a lack of pretension…the subject matter is rarely found on albums of any kind. One would figure that in the world of private press/homemade recordings you’d have a better chance at finding something like this among the droves of singer-songwriters who self-produced and self-published their works, but as far as I know that’s not the case. Yeah, there are recordings made by persons who are handicapped or have special needs, but as far as doctors or parents are concerned, it’s a point-of-view not often expressed in music. It can be an uncomfortable listen — it might be described as a “downer” record without the requisite vibe — but it is compelling, offering keen insight into the psychology of working with and caring for children with disabilities.
Bob Zorn
Lookin’ For A Home
(Hudson Valley Records, 1982)
MediaFire DL Link
01. Our Staff Of Life
02. Overactive Children
03. Ballad Of Anna Mae And Lloyd
04. Rhapsody In The Son
05. Lookin’ For A Home [MP3]
06. Made A Bum
07. Father’s Son
08. To Relieve The Cry-O
09. Sister Suffer
