Album reviews new and old in this article…

1. Philip Lynch – “At the Start/At Long Last”
2. Chris Connolly – “Million Colours”
3. Neil Young – “Chrome Dreams II”

“Your Love to the Battle”, the first track on Philip Lynch’s debut new release “At the Start/At Long Last”, caught my ear with its Wilco-ish instrument mix and sophisticated tone.  The lyrics and pace were just right (for me) and the words, catchy and clever. 


After a few listens of “Your Love to the Battle”, I found myself puttering through the collection of songs… and being surprised by how eclectic the style of songs were.  


A friend asked me how to explain the music, I said “Sufjan Stevens meets Flaming Lips meets They Might Be Giants”.  He really liked the punchiness of “Something She Always Wanted to Say”…after a few listens, I also started to really like the tune.  I now have it and the punk “Unwind” on my morning drive playlist in me Jeep.


Click here to hear the album on Bandcamp.  They have a nice player for streaming.


Listen to “The Well” and you will hear a kettle drum sound (a nice touch) like from a Pet Sounds Beach Boy-era song and lyrics that carry you through the song like a good book.


Without prejudice or pretense, this unknown singer has cracked my music dashboard.  I assume he will   do the same for others too!

The sweet sounding voice of Chris J Connolly can make the grumpiest of man mellow. 


Whether its in a Long Island beer pub (for example the Brick House Brewery in Patchogue) or a friend’s flat in Staffordshire, England… Connolly’s bouncy acoustic guitar and tenor-like vocals provide a solid vehicle to be a singer-songwriter that captures people’s attention.

Click here to hear “Million Colours”.  It’s tight and a great showcase for Connolly’s talents. Let me say it again, THIS GUY HAS A GREAT VOICE AND KNOWS HOW TO SING. 


I am looking forward to full album release this winter season.






OLD RELEASES

(Reprise Records)

One of my favorite things to do is talk music with good friends. Talking in person is always preferred, but the phone and text works too. (Remember I am a music junkie and will take whatever I can get.)  

So the other night at around 10:30 when I got a text message from a like-minded bloke that says…

“I’m currently digging Chrome Dreams II – Neil Young. But I’m also drunk (etc.)… 

“Spirit Road” and “No Hidden Path” are my particular favorites, but I am into the whole thing.  If you are feeling adventurous, “Ordinary People” is very good, but its 18 minutes long!”

In 2007 I did not pay attention to Neil Young’s 29th studio album “Chrome Dreams II”, but certainly am now.  Before I looked up anything about the album, I swiftly downloaded it from iTunes and began bouncing around the tracks to get a feel of the theme.  

My initial reaction was, more of Neil Young being Neil Young and sighed… 

Quickly I came to my senses and realized this is the Neil Young I love.  These songs had that something extra that I enjoyed; as opposed to some of the other late career filler Neil has produced.

The New York Times loves it too.  Their story is titled “Vintage Neil Young, Still Working for the Muse”.

When I read afterwards that Crazy Horse, Ben Keith and the Blue Note Horns all played on the album…I was not surprised how good it was.  They have always been Neil’s best backing band and contributed mightily to the 1+1=3 concept.

So where to start for the Neil fan that doesn’t know much about this album (which was initially released on a double vinyl album)…

“No Hidden Path” is a 14 minute classic Crazy Horse-ish rocker. I find that these later career ten minute plus distortion presentations are hit and miss.  This one is a hit…but I certainly missed it. (Good thing that my Bobby Parnell-look alike friend did not.)

Although a nothing “special” country twanger, “Ever After” gets me good.  Ben Keith’s steel pedal work is extraordinary and the walk up bass line gives the song its own identity.

The opening track “The Way” is brilliant.  It’s arrangement is very sophisticated and the more I listen to it the more I love it. It tone reminds me of when Daniel Lanois helped Bob Dylan recreate his sound on Time Out of Mind in 1997.

“Ordinary People” was the only song on side three of the album and, like any 500 page novel, its 18+ minutes has some highlights (trumpets and guitar play) and some fillers (I got tired of hearing the word “people” but I will take it.  It is fantabulous. The whole album is.

Thanks Neil for caring to put the time in.

Here is some telling comments from Neil on “Chrome Dreams II”…

Now that radio formats are not as influential as they once were, it’s easier to release an album that crosses all formats with a message that runs through the whole thing, regardless of the type of song or sound. 

Some early listeners have said that this album is positive and spiritual. I like to think it focuses on the human condition. Like many of my recordings, this one draws on earlier material here and there. I used to do that a lot back in the day. Some songs, like ‘Ordinary People,’ need to wait for the right time. I think now is the right time for that song and it lives well with the new songs I have written in the past few months. 

I had a blast making this music.