Issue
#31
Sept.
'01 Venus & Mars by Hi Fi
Automatic thrust me back to 1975
Sitting in the stand of the sports arena,
waiting for the show to begin.
Red lights, green lights, strawberry wine,
A good friend of mine, follows the stars,
Venus & Mars
Are alright tonight
Yes they are, only its not McCartney and Wings and this disc has no
similarity to that classic LP except for the fact that it produces some of the most
Grandiose Rock on the scene at this time. In 75 McCartney awed the music scene (as
he did in 73 with Band on the Run which some would argue was superior to
V&M, but not in these eyes) with an LP of diverse Rock written with such depth of
instrumentation that it captured the attention of the culture waiting for the show to
begin
Keith Ryan (aka Hi Fi Automatic)
has written a masterful album of music and then assembled some of the finest talent that
can be found in New Haven, CT (and believe me, the amount of talent that can be found in
and around the New Haven region nowadays is simply amazing enough for me to be able to say
that it has all the makings of a scene, and that this scene is so diverse that it makes
the head spin) and recorded a disc that encaptures the spirit of all the cultures that
embrace music as their salvation
Picture Bono and The Edge playing for The Waterboys (and if
youre not up on The Waterboys - shame on you! Go pick up Fishermans Blues or
This Is The Sea); a refinely powerful attack with production as smooth and silky as the
Eno/Lanois/Lillywhite produced The Joshua Tree. This music was born, bred and made for
music fans; its creation is rooted in the red lights and green lights of our lives and
allows us to get entangled in the joys of artistic expression.
About the only thing missing from these 12 songs are printed lyrics.
I would like to get more swallowed up in them, as I find them to be provocative in
conjuring images that defy definition as well as unbelievably exploring inner reaches to
the point where the music gives the lyrics a life of their own; The opening track Seems Ive Been Late takes on the
ethereal trip of a man whose questions of life are drawn from situations which cause him
to flee (I think). The thing here is, we flee along with him because of the dramatic use
of the instrumentation and vocals (especially the hurting howling of them). This CD is
filled with songs like this; songs that not only sport enough hooks to keep your head a
buzz for days at a time but make you visualize the intensity of the artists performing
them.
Some good examples of such can be found in: the subtle Ghost-echo
backing vocal used in In Your Room
where the up front production of every instrument adds to the effect in a stunning manner
and Dean Falcones guitar playing rings every possible drop of David Gilmore. Or, the
soaring refrain of Wonderlust that thrusts us into the world
beyond I believe. Then there is the down & dirty rhythm that defies ethics and
gives I Have Faith a different approach to the hard road of life.
Beale Street with its shattering rendition of a lost life uses Ryan
and Falcones acoustic and electric guitar playing as the catalyst, and the explosive
drumming of Scott MacDonald to propel us deep within a musical wall of human emotion so
big in scope that it is beyond words.
Big playing, sweeping broad arrangements, full instrumentation,
soul-searching lyrics and a crisp and energetic production makes Venus & Mars
by Hi Fi Automatic an instant Classic.
Yes this Disc takes us not on a trip, but several, and on several
levels. It allows our inner sanctum to escape, mingle and explore.
To follow the stars,
Venus & Mars
Are alright tonight.
Venus
& Mars by Hi Fi Automatic is available now
for $7.98 +s/h*
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