Greg Lamboy
San Francisco, California, United States | SELF
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Indie-Music.com review of “Lift”
You might get the impression Greg Lamboy has done too much too soon with the big production on “Some Things You Must Learn for yourself," which opens his Lift CD. It features fiddle, accordion, mandolin, saxophone, and trombone. This big arrangement accompanies the grand idea of pushing forward to a better world. But while the rest of Lift does not meet the opening track's overt grandeur, this is nevertheless one fine collection of songs.
Lamboy is unafraid of taking on the big subjects. “Your World," for instance, tackles intolerance, while “Mantra” is – I think – about fighting low self-esteem. “Phantoms” is clearly about the futility of war. “War of Words” is another good one. We all know that the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a lie. This is not to suggest that there is no such thing as a necessary argument; But let’s face it, many such verbal exchanges only make most situations worse.
The aforementioned “Phantoms” is also the most high-energy song on the CD. On it, Lamboy employs an affected vocal sound while singing over loud rock guitar. But the most of this CD leans to the quiet side. “Reason for the Rhyme," for instance, may remind you of James Taylor’s acoustic guitar folk. Its lyric is also particularly good as Lamboy wonders aloud about the (sometimes unseen) effectiveness of the singer/songwriter’s life. Or, in other words, is there good reason for his rhymes?
Most of these songs have universal appeal. The listener never gets the impression that he or she is an outsider looking in on Lamboy’s world, without a clue on what he’s singing about.
Most all of these songs are keepers. However, “One in a Million” could have used a little more work. Its sentiment is admirable – the idea that everybody is unique. But the way Lamboy words it strays a little too closely to cliche. Lamboy shouldn’t be discouraged by my minor quibbles with this one song, however; especially as the rest of his material is top notch.
The CD’s title is appropriate. Lamboy knows this isn’t a perfect world, and he’s not hesitant to point out our planet’s multiple imperfections. But with his music, he successfully lifts the listener above the muck and the mire. And for a few brief moments, this old crumbling rock (Earth) doesn’t seem so bad. - Indie-Music.com
"Appealingly comfortable and commanding onstage as off..." - KFOG
"From the fun, jamming “(Wally's Backstage) Cafe” track to the blissfully romantic “Under Heaven Tonight,” he weaves magic with music. That same intensity that he brings to his songs of social conscience makes his love songs glow and infuse the spirit with warmth." - Indie-Music.com
- Indie-Music.com
"Appealingly comfortable and commanding onstage as off..." - KFOG
"Acoustic-pop troubadour Lamboy offers consistently melodic songs that are heartfelt observations on everyday life with an emphasis on literate lyrics sung in a spot-on tenor" - Music Connection - Music Connection
"With talent to burn, Greg Lamboy will be a name that the music listening public will be hearing for years to come"
- Evolution of Music
"Acoustic-pop troubadour Lamboy offers consistently melodic songs that are heartfelt observations on everyday life with an emphasis on literate lyrics sung in a spot-on tenor" - Music Connection - Music Connection
"Meaningful lyrics, wonderful chord choices...Oh my! Goosebumps!" - Michelle Jacques, Streetsounds
- Streetsounds
"Well crafted and meaningful songs" - Russ Jennings, KPFA - KPFA
"Meaningful lyrics, wonderful chord choices...Oh my! Goosebumps!" - Michelle Jacques, Streetsounds
- Streetsounds
" GOOD CAUSES - It's about damn time dignity got its own benefit show. Crafty East Bay multimedia haven iMusicast hosts the Concert for Dignity Thursday night, with proceeds benefiting Operation Dignity, a nonprofit charity group focused on the homeless. Greg Lamboy -- purveyor of "acoustic pop with a social conscience," as he puts it -- will serenade you as you bask in your good-deededness." - Rob Harvilla - East Bay Express - East Bay Express
On his debut album Every Drop Of The Good (2002), Greg Lamboy gave us his all with music that was good for the soul with its unabashed insightful pop-rock that definitely made people stop and listen. And now five years later he's finally released his anticipated follow up Lift, which brings you back to his previous musings, and takes you along for the journey called life.
It says a lot when your album is called Lift: in this case, it borders on a kind of spiritual lift, but it also gives you the kind of lift to take you to more thoughtful ones, especially when it comes to some of life's most simplest moments. "Some Things You Must Learn For Yourself" seems like the token "live and learn" track, but it kicks off the album right and lays down the sound for the rest of the album. On "Reason For The Rhyme," Lamboy speaks for anyone who has a dream. "Is the passion worth the price?/Do I really wanna go through this all the time?" he simply asks. It's hard not to think that he might be talking about himself, being in a profession that can eat you alive if you don't have what it takes (luckily for Lamboy, he does). But it's a sweet and sincere song that will definitely resonate with listeners. From there on, Lamboy's music maintains its melodies, but becomes more complex in his meanings. Some songs don't take much to decipher (such as the catchy, why-won't-you-love-me track "Lightning In A Bottle"). But in the beautiful "War Of Words" he speaks of a fallen relationship; but if we think of the state our world is in, it could mean so much more. He delves a little deeper when it comes to the dark metal-influenced "Phantoms," speaking distortedly of "liberty lost." But all of that aside, it's not a pretentious look at the world, but more like an observation from someone who's seen it all (and has had enough). Other high points are "Fate," the fan dedicated "One In A Million," and "Mantra" in which he absolves you of whatever wrong you've done. I say that last part in the highest regard: he sings his message in a way that encourages you to move on.
Lift does the trick and covers all the ground that most singer/songwriters try to do, and he does it without sounding overly artistic. Lamboy, with vocals to knock you off your feet and break down hearts of stone, surprisingly remains undiscovered-- at least on a level compared to the singer/songwriters that have hitched a ride on the mainstream. Lamboy has the ability to reach out to the audience, connecting him to the listener, and make them think that he's talking only to them. Not just that, but he has the "music with a conscience" mentality going on and he uses it for good rather than it being the in-thing to do. With that in mind, it's apparently clear that his music has the kind of greatness that cannot, and will not, be contained for long. Visit Greg at www.greglamboy.com.
Written By: Caroline Leonardo for Evolution of Media
http://www.evolutionofmedia.com/review.asp?id=677&order=Lamboy,%20Greg&style=Rock
- Evolution of Media
" GOOD CAUSES - It's about damn time dignity got its own benefit show. Crafty East Bay multimedia haven iMusicast hosts the Concert for Dignity Thursday night, with proceeds benefiting Operation Dignity, a nonprofit charity group focused on the homeless. Greg Lamboy -- purveyor of "acoustic pop with a social conscience," as he puts it -- will serenade you as you bask in your good-deededness." - Rob Harvilla - East Bay Express - East Bay Express
Discography
Every Drop of the Good (LP-2002)
Lift (LP-2007)
Where You Are (EP-2009)
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Bio
Greg Lamboy has been singing since he could speak. Starting at age 3 he would sing himself to sleep with the songs he heard on the radio. The music continued through grade school where he got his first taste of indie stardom. “My 1st grade choir teacher found out I ‘played’ guitar and asked me to bring it to class. I stood up in front of a bunch of 6 year olds with my Sears plastic guitar, strummed one open chord and the crowd went nuts. I thought ‘Hey, I could get used to this.’” he says with a laugh.
He started writing songs in high school after purchasing his first real electric guitar (a Fender Strat he still owns), and began playing with local bands near his New Jersey home. From there he attended NYU where he studied Music Technology, showing an aptitude for production and arrangement. After a few years performing on the East Coast circuit, Lamboy moved to West Coast and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. He quickly became a fixture in the local music scene, through his involvement with the West Coast Songwriters organization and in founding the New Acoustic Movement, a series of singer/songwriter showcases around the Bay Area.
Lamboy was fortunate enough to study vocals under the renowned Judy Davis, whose former students read like a who’s who of the music world: From Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett, to 60’s icons like Janis Joplin and Grace Slick to later hit makers like Eddie Money, Journey, and En Vogue. “She was truly a musical mentor.” Lamboy says. “The lessons went so far beyond simple vocal exercises, going into presentation, repertoire, and music business savvy. It was the best graduate school any singer could hope for.”
2002 saw the release of his first full length album, “Every Drop of the Good”, an 11 track fully produced effort about which Music Connection said “Acoustic-pop troubadour Lamboy offers consistently melodic songs that are heartfelt observations on everyday life” and Evolution of Media opined “In a business of mediocrity, ‘Every Drop Of the Good’ is the real deal.” The CD featured songs strong on melody married to insightful, meaningful lyrics, and garnered numerous Best Song Awards from West Coast Songwriters. “Every Drop of the Good” achieved further success with PBS using his track “Dive Right In” for a science program to explain the physics of a diver breaking a plane of water. And in keeping with his dedication to walking his talk, the CD release concert for “Every Drop of the Good” served as a clothing drive for a local non-profit benefiting the homeless, Operation Dignity.Performances to sell out crowds at Oakland’s Art & Soul Festival and the Fremont Festival of the Arts followed where he shared the stage with diverse acts like Ziggy Marley and Guster. Strong concert performances along with solo tours of Southern California marked the expansion of Lamboy’s appeal and popularity. A new acoustic trio complimented his solo and full band shows and outdoor appearances at San Francisco’s famous Cannery added an international following to his fan base.
In late 2003, as he was beginning preproduction on his follow up to Every Drop of the Good, Greg became involved in Presidential politics, feeling it offered an excellent opportunity to effect the change he advocated in his music. An admirer and early supporter of John Kerry, Greg took on a key role as Campaign Liaison for East Bay for Kerry, one of the best organized and most effective Democratic grass roots campaigns in the country. Although the national vote did not go as hoped, Alameda County, home of East Bay for Kerry is on record for having the largest percentage of votes cast for John Kerry in the entire country at 74%. After the election, Greg served in a critical early role in what East Bay for Kerry eventually became, Project Bluebridge, and in fact gave the grassroots organization its name - based on ‘building bridges’ from the ‘Blue’ states to the rest of the country.
After spending the majority of 2004 trying to change the world through politics, in early 2005 Greg returned to changing the world one song at a time and began production on his newest CD in earnest. Not content to simply add songs from his current catalog, Greg strived to create an entire album of engaging material that a listener could enjoy from start to finish. That meant a great deal of writing and rewriting coupled with the patience and discipline to know when something needed to be reworked.
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