Morgan Bracy - The End Of Cinderella

Morgan Bracy - The End Of Cinderella
2011, Morgan Bracy

Morgan Bracy grew up in a small town in Tennessee, singing in church and writing songs from a young age.  It wasn’t until she left home for Middle Tennessee State University that Bracy truly bloomed as an artist, however.  Working with the group Broken Pottery, Bracy found her own voice as a songwriter.  She released her debut album, Dirty Laundry, in 2007, and was introduced to producer John Merchant (Barbra Streisand, The Bee Gees, Celine Dion).   Merchant liked what he heard, and wanted to help Bracy find the full potential of her sound.  The two began working on the album The End Of Cinderella, a song cycle centering on tales of fairy tales gone awry.  It is in this emotional wellspring where Bracy shines brightest, portraying each story and character as if it were somehow her own.

"The End Of Cinderella" is a coming of age song; a heartbreaking realization that real life is not a fairytale. Bracy's performance here is fully committed, and here powerful, sometimes tinny voice (ala Susanna Hoffs or Jess Klein) is compelling. "She Believes" is a middle of the road pop/country number about domestic violence, and how the belief in fairytales can keep someone in a bad relationship. Bracy concocts a solid melody and a memorable chorus here, in a song with moderate commercial appeal. "Silence" decries someone who is absent even when he is there. It's a self-realization that things aren't going to change, wrapped up in an edgy pop arrangement that gets your toes tapping. Bracy's lyrics flow like water, and her voice punches the melody line with conviction.

"The Looking Glass" examines self worth and insecurity in a powerful, musically dense ballad that walks the line between pop and country in style and sound. Bracy continues to show vocal power, but also shows a subtlety of phrasing that contrasts well with her pure force as a singer. Bracy's interpretation of Randy Newman's "When She Loved Me" (from Toy Story #?) is lovely and lush, full of strings and a wonderful counter-melody in the piano part. Bracy ventures into full soprano range at one point in the song, and it sounds, at first, if things might fall apart, but she holds it together and turns in a nice performance. "When The Spell Is Broken" has a more soulful feel, with Bracy's soulful alto getting more exposure. The verses are solid, but the chorus is very memorable - the type you don't shake right away.

"Real Life Fairytale" is a buoyant little love song with distinct pop sensibilities. When Bracy sings about the quiet ecstasy of falling in love, it's as if she's experiencing it all right in the moment. This is a brilliant tune. "Between The Covers" is about the anticipation of what is to come in life and the transformation from looking ahead to living in the moment. Bracy closes with "Love, Believe In Me" is a song of longing from one who sees love all around here but hasn't found it herself. The simple, guitar-based arrangement is simple and lovely, playing the perfect complement to Bracy’s voice and to that of her vocal counterpart.

The End Of Cinderella is the musical portrait of an artist who deserves much more exposure than she's gained to date. Bracy's songwriting is compact and polished, but full of heart. She performs each song as if the ideas and emotions within are occurring at that very moment.  If Bracy carries this kind of presence to the stage, then concert goers will never want her shows to end. Morgan Bracy is the real deal, and The End Of Cinderella is an essential album

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.morganbracy.com or www.myspace.com/morganbracy. 

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Aron Lyrd - Lucid Dreams (aka Hits)

Aron Lyrd – Lucid Dreams (aka Hits)
2010, Aron Lyrd

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania singer/songwriter Aron Lyrd struggles through his fifth album, Lucid Dreams, a messy musical menagerie strongly influenced by 1970's pop that is without focus. Lyrd achieves some nice moments, such as the opening track "All The Time, It Is Mine", sounding like 1970's AM radio rock with a light R&B touch. "Just Wasting Time" is a solid track; mildly catchy with solid energy. This anti-love song advises a friend to kick her current boyfriend to the curb. The deep seated implication that the narrator might be a better option is between the lines. Lyrd channels The Kinks on "The Sun Is Out", a relationship reminiscence that looks back over years. Lyrd's voice is very pleasant here.

"Orange Ambition" has potential, but the recording quality here isn't worthy of a professional release. Lyrd sounds like his vocals were recorded inside of a containment tube, and the overall low-fi quality of the recording sounds amateurish. Lyrd veers into club noise with "Get Up, Come On"; seven-and-a-half minutes of beats and noise that's more like a musical run-on sentence than a song. "Asking For Just Too Much" is a vibrant bit of dance rock that finds Lyrd sounding a bit like Escape Club. We get to hear Lyrd's falsetto voice on "Tough Day, Alright Night", a non-committal bit of dance pop that simply doesn't work. One gets the impression that Lyrd is going for a Bee Gees vibe, but it ends up sounding more like satire than a serious attempt at song. Much the same can be said about "Enter Leave Don't Take My Heart", which perhaps should have been resigned to the archives.

Aron Lyrd is very early in his development as a songwriter. The material here is perhaps meant more as a demo than a commercial release, but sometimes less is more. Focusing on four or five tracks with the most potential and making the most of them might serve Lyrd better than putting out a larger quantity of music with less care. Lyrd seems to have his eyes on the big time with a MySpace page that claims over fifteen million spins. Consequently there is no doubt about Lyrd's creativity, but Lucid Dreams is a stretch that didn't need to be made. There are however kernels here with potential.

Rating: 1.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Aron Lyrd at www.myspace.com/aaronblaird or www.myspace.com/aronlyrdmusic.  You can purchase Lucid Dreams digitally from Amazon.com, CDBaby or iTunes.  Please note that iTunes has the album under the title Lucid Dreams while Amazon and CDBaby have it under the title Hits with a slightly different track listing.

Review: Dallas Doctor - Manhattan

Dallas Doctor - Manhattan
2009, Dangerous Recordings

With the release of Manhattan on January 1, 2010, you might just be able to say that now Dallas Doctor has done pretty much everything. Doctor stated out in the music business as the lead singer of The Sounds Of Freedom, garnering an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show before he was even out of his teens. What followed were gigs with The Family Waye (Dick Clark Concerts) and was a founding member and songwriter of Johnny & The Leisure Suits. Doctor went on to design and build studios across the South and Southwestern US, serving as a session musician or engineer for acts such as Three Dog Night, The Beach Boys and Hall & Oates. His talents as a writer can be heard in jingles on radio stations across the country, and he has also served as the VP of A&R for Centennial Records (nee Dangerous Records).

Manhattan opens with the mooning SongWriter, a hopeful song about someday being in the same company as someone like Paul McCartney. The song is a bit hokey but honest and heartfelt. Scandalous has a similar campy feel but features harmonies worthy of a Bee Gees tribute band. Manhattan is a tribute to all of the little things that make life in New York City what it is. Manhattan sounds like it might have come from an Off-Broadway cabaret show with pretentions to big-band Jazz. Where In The World is a great tune, with the narrator planning to travel the world to find the girl of his dreams. The song has a 70's Rock feel, complete with engaging harmonies and some serious guitar fills. Eat To Live addresses to irony of working to live and having no time or energy to live and enjoy life. The piano-driven rock ballad is brilliant in both message and its humorous accents. The talk/sing verse adds to a novelty sensibility, but there is real melody and composition here and it would be a mistake to write the song off as a novelty tune.

Little Lies addresses the use of imperfections of truth to make life easier both as individuals and social collectives, as well as how those same prevarications can be used to hold people back. The song is not a moral judgment, but rather an acknowledgment of their prevalence and seeming necessity at times. Now She Knows is a song about infidelity. I don't know that as a listener we're ever exactly clear on what "she knows", and the song is more of a relation of events than a story. In the end, Now She Knows rings a bit hollow, but sonically it's very enjoyable. The best song on Manhattan is I Like You, a "like" song, if you will. Pop music focuses on love as the be-all and end-all of ballads, but there's a lot of room for songs that cover the space in-between interest and love. The song is a bit campy, true, but it's brilliantly written, with the same sort of Pop sensibility you might find in one of McCartney's silly little love songs. Doctor says goodnight with Still The Same, a 1960's flavored rock song about the joys of youth and how they've yet to escape him. Sonically this song would seem to define the sunny sound that is Dallas Doctor's trademark, and the melody will be kicking around your brains anteroom for days.

Dallas Doctor and I got off on the wrong foot with Manhattan. I admit I was a little put off by the kitschy feel at first; perhaps I've become a bit cynical with all of the modern Rock and Pop I end up listening to, but Dallas Doctor's music recalls a simpler time when Rock N Roll was fun and life's problems didn't seem quite so complicated. Doctor won me over, and he'll win you over too. Even the most cynically petrified listeners will be thawed by Doctor's feel good Rock N Roll. The Beatles-esque melodies Doctor writes practically sing themselves, and the campy feel ends up adding to the fun. It's clear that Dallas Doctor had fun writing and playing these songs. You'll have as much fun listening.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Dallas Doctor at http://www.dallasdoctor.com/ or www.myspace.com/dallasdoctor. You can purchase Manhattan as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
2009, Rhino Records

In reviewing the 2007 Chipmunk Movie soundtrack, Undeniable, we noted that Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. would be mortified to hear his Chipmunks voiced as they were. That really hasn't changed for The Squeakquel. The voices still sound over-processed, losing all of the low-tech charm of the original Chipmunk recordings. Whether it’s the basic recording technique or the use of software to modify the voices, the sound just doesn't work for anyone familiar with the original. That being said, anyone young enough to have missed the 1980's cartoons will likely be charmed by this soundtrack (and likely the movie), particularly if they liked 2007’s Undeniable. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel features singing voices of Ross Bagdasarian Jr. (Alvin); Steve Vining (Simon) and Janice Karman (Theodore). Additionally, we are introduced to the Chipettes: Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor (all voiced by Janice Karman).

The Chipmunks open with a cover of The Kink's You Really Got Me, although it's really a cover of the Van Halen version). Its predictable stuff for The Chipmunks; decent but not a standout track. The Chipettes are next with Hot N Cold (Katy Perry). The vocal effects here are even more cloying than on the Chipmunk recordings. Pink's So What works a bit better for the Chipettes, although the vocalizations still sound highly electronic. Dead Or Alive's You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) gets the Chipmunks treatment, keeping the same feel as the original. This actually works as well as anything on the soundtrack and might even chart as is. The Chipettes tackle Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) in perhaps the biggest misstep on the album. Between the vocalization issues (or EFX issues, if you prefer) and a striving for sound over melody, the franchise seriously begins to lose the heart that made it work for all of these years.

The Chipmunks tackle an overly modernized version of Stayin' Alive that relies more on bass than rhythm to drive the track, leading into The Chipettes brightest moment. The Song features Queensberry and is probably the best offering on the disc. The Chipmunk's It's Ok, on the other hand, is nearly impossible to decipher. The speed, effects and lack of any sense of diction on the song make it an aural mess (albeit with a catchy melody). The Chipmunks move into even shakier territory on Peaches & Herb's Shake Your Groove Thing.

The Chipettes pipe in next with Corinne Bailey Rae's Put Your Records On, an ill-advised choice by the music supervisor on the movie. Rae is one of those artists you just don't cover unless you either have a distinctive take on her song or you can really walk the walk. The novelty treatment here just pales in comparison to the original. Perhaps even more amusing is the Chipmunk's take on Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is. The song is redone in full electronic arrangement that's more about beat than melody, which is the essential core strength of the song. The vocal harmony effect here is nice, but is brought down by the electronic buzz in the vocals. Sister Sledge's We Are Family gets updated as an electro-rock hybrid at super-speed. Once again, sound is given importance over such elements as melody, harmony and pacing. The result is a wreck in the happening. The wheels never come off the car because the computer keeps it together, but there's little gratifying in the end result. The Chipettes' No One and The Chipmunks' I Gotta Feeling close out a disappointing set.

The Chipmunks, in essence, have crossed over the line from character to commodity. Cheap/easy computer animation and electronic effects tied to a desire to appeal to the lowest common entertainment denominator have stripped Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.'s creations of their inherent humanity. They are now officially a product rather than their long-standing status as cultural icons. If you're interested in The Chipmunks, I would suggest you take the time to listen to some of the older recordings made by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. There was more craft, humor and humanity in one of those original recordings than you'll find in either movie soundtrack. Good natured humor and an essential love for the characters has been replaced by a cynical, hollow humor driven more about return on investment than a desire to entertain.

Rating: 1 Star (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alvin And The Chipmunks at http://www.chipmunks.com/. You can purchase Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Bee Gees - The Ultimate Bee Gees

Bee Gees - The Ultimate Bee Gees
2009, Reprise Records

It's hard to believe that the Bee Gees first started out fifty years ago, and you'd be hard pressed to find a band, other than The Beatles, to achieve as much commercial success as the Brothers Gibb. Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb won a total of seven Grammy Wards, a BMI Icon Award, Lifetime Achievement Award from both the BRIT Awards and the RIAA, have been inducted in both the Rock N Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame. Aside from their own recordings, the Bee Gees have written for or had countless artists record their material. At one point in 1978 five of the top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart were written or recorded by The Bee Gees, becoming the only artist to get close to The Beatles' record of having the top-5 singles on the same chart at one point in 1965. To celebrate The Bee Gees' 50th Anniversary, Reprise Records has released The Ultimate Bee Gees, a 2-CD collection featuring some of their best known songs, including tracks they wrote for other artists. A deluxe edition featuring a bonus DVD is also available.

While I was never personally a huge Bee Gees fan, it's a bit mind-boggling realizing just how many hits the brothers were responsible over the years, and hypothetically speaking, I might have gotten more into The Ultimate Bee Gees than I would have expected. All the hits are here: You Should Be Dancing; Stayin' Alive; Jive Talkin'; Night Fever; How Deep Is Your Love and I've Gotta Get A Message To You. But the highlights biggest highlights are the three live tracks on the second disc. Islands In The Stream, Heartbreaker and Guilty come alive in the hands of their creators; stripped down to their cores and showing the simple beauty of the melodies. For longtime Bee Gees fans, The Ultimate Bee Gees is a must. Even if you have all of the old albums, the updates in sound from the original CD/album/tape releases is worth picking it up. For those of you who didn't grow up with their songs ever-present on the radio, this is what quality pop songwriting sounds like. Even if you're not a fan of their style, the composition and execution of these songs speaks of a brilliance that only comes along once or twice in a generation.

The DVD included in the Deluxe Edition is pure eye/ear candy for Bee Gees fans, featuring a collection of unreleased videos from across the career from television and live performances and promos. Liner notes by none other Tim Rice seek to give perspective to the raw talent the Bee Gees encompassed.

Reprise hits one out of the park with The Ultimate Bee Gees; the ideal collection for both long-time fans and new initiates into the music of The Bee Gees. If you still know where your bell bottoms are, you need this CD.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Bee Gees at http://www.beegees.com/. You can purchase The Ultimate Bee Gees in the Standard Edition (2CD), Deluxe Edition (2CD+DVD) or as a Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Janyse - Dreamers/This Day Is Mine

Janyse - Dreamers/This Day Is Mine
2009, Magical Voice Productions

Canadian pop singer and voiceover artist Janyse lives a life of inspiration. Injuries from a car accident once had doctors telling her she might end up in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Hard work, perseverance and faith have kept her from that chair, but also driven her to become one of the top voiceover artists in the world. Janyse has voiced characters in projects such as Hulk Vs. Thor, Hulk Vs. Wolverine, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, Batman: Black & White, My Little Pony, and Ed, Edd n Eddy. She is also an acclaimed Pop singer/songwriter in her native Canada. Taking cues from artists such as ABBA, Diane Warren, Peggy Lee and The Bee Gees, Janyse infuses light Pop dance beats with a positive outlook and a strong positive message. Her two most recent singles are prime examples.

Dreamers is feel good dance pop at its finest. The song encourages listeners to not give up on their dreams, irrespective of what life throws at you and of what other people might think. As dance music goes it's relatively light 1980's Dance/Pop; probably not a threat to the dance charts of today but a pleasant listen. This Day Is Mine keeps up the positive attitude with a proclamation about working hard toward your goals and celebrating each and every day for what it is. Again, light Dance/Pop with a 1980's bent. Janyse can pull this material off because she's lived it; it's hard to be this positive in the popular realm unless it's very clear you genuinely own the message, and that comes through in Janyse's delivery. Dreamers and This Day Is Mine are songs for folks who long for a sweeter age of Popular music.

Ratings:

Dreamers 3 Stars (Out of 5)
This Day Is Mine 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Janyse at http://www.janyse.com/, where you can purchase downloads of both Dreamers and This Day Is Mine. Dreamers is also available through iTunes.

Rod Stewart - Atlantic Crossing/A Night On The Town Ltd Edition Collector's Editions

Rod Stewart - Atlantic Crossing/A Night On The Town Limited Edition Collector's Editions
2009, Rhino/Warner Bros. Records

The period of 1975-1976 was one of great transition for Rod Stewart; moving to the United States and saying goodbye to The Faces for a solo career opened new musical avenues to Stewart. Stewart traded the British Folk-Rock sound for one steeped in American Rhythm & Blues, a move that was fostered by producer Tom Dowd who introduced Stewart to Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson, Jr. (otherwise known as the MG's minus Booker T and occasionally as the Swampers). This association fueled Atlantic Crossing, Stewart's first "American" album which went on to be a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, gaining Gold certification from the RIAA. The album is presented here with a bonus disc featuring an alternate version of the album plus great covers of the Bee Gees' To Love Somebody, Lee Dorsey's Holy Cow and Elvis Presley's Return To Sender. One of the alternate takes that's a pleasant surprise is Too Much Noise, a very early version of Stone Cold Sober that Stewart fans will go ga-ga over. Also notable is Skye Boat Song, done by the Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band in a stirring rendition that will have you reaching for your kilt.

In 1976, Stewart followed up with A Night On The Town, which achieved double-platinum status (2 million copies sold) on the strength of the #1 hit, Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright). This is perhaps Stewart's most recognizable tune, still getting regular airplay on Adult Contemporary stations 33 years later. The backing band here is referred to as "The Garage Band" in the liner notes, and again included the MG's as well as Joe Walsh and David Lindley among others. The album also features a great cover of Cat Stevens' The First Cut Is The Deepest and the Southern Rock/Roadhouse The Wild Side Of Life. The bonus disc here is a real treat, with an early take of a cover of The Beatles' Get Back and early versions of the album and one B-Side, Rosie.

The Collector's Editions of these albums will be around for a while, but if you want the 2-disc versions with all of the alternate takes you'd better act fast. Warner Bros. is only selling these limited edition sets through the summer. This fall they'll be replaced with single-disc versions with less bonus tracks. Very often these sorts of expanded editions are take-'em-or-leave-'em affairs, but Atlantic Crossing and A Night On The Town are exceptions. The re-masters are flawless, and the alternate takes give fans real insight into the creative process of these two great albums. Plus, it's great to hear Stewart dig into some classic sounding Rock N Roll. If you're a hard-core Rod Stewart fan, or if there's one in your life, then these two sets are must haves. If you're not familiar with Rod Stewart other than a few fluffy ballads he's done in recent years, then it's time to see where the man come from.

Ratings:

Atlantic Crossing Limited Collector's Edition: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)
A Night On The Town Limited Collector's Edition: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Rod Stewart at www.wbr.com/rodstewart. You can order the Limited Edition Collector’s Edition of Atlantic Crossing and the Limited Edition Collector’s Edition of A Night On The Town at Amazon.com.