Bennett Brier
Austin, Texas, United States | SELF
Music
Press
ROOTSTOWN MUSIC
Lowland’s Leading American Roots & World Music Magazine
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Reviewed in Rootstown Music 10 (06/00).
3 stars = good
That's the way it is in Austin, whether you are a musician or active in computer technology. Bennett Brier is a 43-year-old songwriter who has been employed in Austin for 20 years as a programmer and now has found the time to develop himself as a songwriter.
He invited a number of his musician friends into the studio to capture his songs for all eternity. The album opens with a kind of "back to the '60s" song in a performance by Van Wilks, who really goes after the guitar. Then the unknown singer Deb Schnack appears with Unconditional Love. This lady has a wonderfully vibrating folk voice of which Melanie (no longer the youngest) should be very jealous. Then comes a happy up-tempo baby song (rather clinging) with the veritable fiddle wizard Richard Bowden. One of the nicest (pop) songs is Tender Flame with Van Wilks again playing a main part.
In Just Not the Same we find a surprising act, namely, Mister San Antonio: Joe King Carrasco. I don't know what they put in Carrasco’s drink, but I have never heard this rocker play so flat and uninspired. In addition, the country singer Christine Albert was invited. She offers a fine performance of the song Lost and Found with the help of fiddler Gene Elders. I mustn't forget the title number Anthem. A pretty love song interpreted by the (still unknown) singer Jeri Arsenault. (PJ)
- Rootstown Music
This fresh approach to a songwriter's debut features outstanding artists from Texas and California performing the easy-to-cover works of lyricist, Bennett Brier, making this project the perfect resume for a publishing arrangement. Clearly, Bennett can write for more than one voice and more than one style. "Sweet Sixties Song", for example, is an anthem on it's own for the gray-haired millions who recollect the hopefulness of the flower era. Guitar master Van Wilks plays and sings this rocker. Paul McCartney could cover it just as easily. "Just Not The Same" is an outstanding rock song. Performed here by Joe "King" Carrasco with punk pacing. I'm betting that if you slipped a loop under it, the baggy jeans and skateboard crowd could make it their own. The striking and universal "Lost And Found" is beautifully sung by Christine Albert, who's forlorn voice is perfect for the minimally written and deeply moving piece. Dolly Parton could do it, Whitney Houston could even do it. "Baby At My Knee", "Don't Say Goodbye" and more from this disc should certainly be in the hands of a publisher. And I hear Bennett has more songs equally diverse. Expect to pick up many albums in the future and find his name in the credits. - Local Flavor
Discography
LP - ANTHEM, released 1999.
Radio Play:
Texas Internet Radio (Sweet Sixties Songs is in the "Current Playlist" section!)
Jane Weber Show on Radio Slovenia (Unconditional Love, Communion, You Make Me Sing)
Jean Castro (France) Radio Frequence Verte 92,8 MHz - France (Tender Flame, Anthem, Sweet Sixties Songs, Lost And Found, Another Time)
Eddie Russell (Columbus Texas) "Country Eastern / Outlaw For Peace" radio show airing on JRRI Int.short-wave/Ireland, Costa Brava Spain, Reading VT (Lost And Found)
KFAN (Fredericksburg, TX) (Sweet Sixties Songs)
Photos
Bio
Bennett Brier was born in Beaumont, Texas, he lived his teenage years in Houston, Texas, served as a VISTA volunteer in Arkansas, and currently resides in Austin Texas. He hopes to retire to a life of musical creativity as soon as possible!
Bennett has composed music for over 30 years and has written over 150 songs to date. He is a member of BMI®, the Nashville Songwriters Association
International Austin Chapter, and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. - Texas Chapter.
ANTHEM, his 1st album of original music, was recorded with the help of such outstanding musicians as Van Wilks, Christine Albert, Jay Sims, Jeri Arsenault, Chris Maresh, Art Kidd, Conrad Deisler, Deb Schnack, Richard Bowden, Joe "King" Carrasco, Gene Elders, and his daughter, Jessica. ANTHEM received airplay in the US, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, and Slovenia and was even pirated in Sweden. He is now preparing to record a 2nd album for release.
Bennett's songwriting is recognized by the Southern Songwriters Guild and by Songwriter's Monthly magazine. If it must, his music can be classified as
AAA, Adult Contemporary, Americana, or folk-rock. Bennett blends folk, blues, country, rock, pop, and bluegrass influences into his work.
He cites his major musical influences as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell; the talented friends he's played with over the years and the sensational musicians he's seen perform countless times in Austin.
Bennett says, "The greatest little club that ever was in Austin, was called emmajoes, with a small "e". For $3 dollars tops, night after night after night, I could watch and listen to folks like Nanci Griffith, Butch Hancock, Lyle Lovett, Townes Van Zandt, David Halley, Lucinda Williams, Robert Earl Keen, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore!" For a short time, he and a friend performed in Austin as the duo, the Stragglers.
"When I was 17, I saw Bob Dylan perform twice the same night during his "comeback" tour and left those concerts overwhelmed and transformed by the
raw poetry and timelessness of his music, words, and performance," says Bennett. "Inspired by these shows, I learned to play guitar and began writing songs. One day I wrote something really good that seemed to come from a place I never knew existed. I realized then that maybe I could write songs that mean something to myself and to others."
Bennett adds, "They say that you spend your whole life making your first album. I feel that with my first CD "Anthem", for whatever it is worth, I've realized a lifelong dream to share, through my words and music, something timeless about myself."
You can contact Bennett at bbrier@austin.rr.com.
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