David Hayes Project

I loved David Hayes’ previous two discs. So, I expected to like this one. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do, though. In fact, I’d say this one is a contender for my best of 2014 list. There are still quite a few months left in the year, but I think the chances are good this will make the cut. It’s got a lot of Beatles elements here, but also sounds like modern prog acts, ELO and more. The thing is, it never seems to lose track of the hook, no matter how complex it gets. This is smart and very effective prog rock.




Track by Track Review

Backwards
Keyboards bring this in with a texture that feels classical. As it works to the song proper, though, there is a real 1960s pop rock vibe to this. It definitely has touches of psychedelia in it. It rocks out more further down the road and there are definitely Beatles-like elements to this. I love the guitar solo on the tune. At times Klaatu seems to be a valid reference here. This gets a parental advisory for one “f-bomb.”


Black
Although this is more of a straightahead rocker, it still has plenty of progressive rock and classic rock references built into it. Like the opener, this is hook-laden and very classy.

Persistent Memory
Starting off mellow and very delicate in nature, that sort of sound holds it for a while. Later, though, it powers out to some killer melodic hard rock. This is very much set in a 1960s or 1970s sound. It definitely has Beatles-like sounds at play. It’s another great song on a disc with no shortage of them.

Odyssey
As the hard rocking introduction this one plays out, somehow I’m reminded of The Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour” just a bit. It drops to a ballad-like section for the first vocals and that reference is gone, though. Although those mellow concepts hold it for a while, this eventually works out to some hard rocking progressive rock.

Crazy
This comes in with a very metallic sound. The vocals come in over the top of that hard edged riffing. It gets dropped back after the first vocal section. This has plenty of progressive rock in the mix, but it’s a safe bet the prog purists will run screaming for the exits as this will be too metallic for them. That’s their loss, though. This is actually a great tune. - Gary Hill

“David Hayes Live in Rockford, Illinois, January, 2011 Review by Gary Hill One part progressive rock band, one part power trio, one part jam band and one part guitar hero – all fun, entertaining and powerful, David Hayes and his cohorts put on a killer show that covered all kinds of musical territory, but never failed to gel. The hour they spent on stage was packed with killer sounds. They played several songs from Hayes’ recent album, but also a number of new tunes. In addition they covered Led Zeppelin. You have to love it when someone covers Led Zeppelin and does it well. You have to like it even more when it’s not one of the more obvious pieces, but rather a deep cut like “Over the Hills and Far Away.” They also closed the set with a Van Halen two-fer of “Eruption”/”You Really Got Me.” If you get the chance to see Hayes, don’t pass it up. His album is great, but the live show is even better. ”




Gary Hill - Music Street Journal - Gary Hill, Music Street Journal

“ Progressive Rock CD Reviews David Hayes In with the Old David Hayes is a musician from Chicago and this is his debut disc. It features considerable variety and a lot of musical maturity for a first outing. The music, for the most part, fits along the lines of progressive rock, although none of the tracks qualify in terms of being epic in length. This should appeal to progressive rock fans, but also might be of interest to those more interested in classic rock. Overall, it’s an excellent disc that showcases a musician and songwriter with a lot of talent. Hayes is going to be releasing a follow up in the near future and I, for one, am interested in hearing what he does with that one. ”




Gary Hill - Music Street Journal - Gary Hill, Music Street Journal