Eric Goetz

Author's Product Rating
Product Rating: 5.0

Pros
Great song writing, sad chords, gentle arrangements and stunning musical landscape

Cons
I would have liked to have heard some horns and more musical solos

The Bottom Line
This is a fine album. Eric plays around town at coffee houses and clubs. The album is a great debut and the song writing is very fine.

Full Review
On the road with Wakeman, Howe, Anderson and Fagen

Eric Goetz began his musical journey in a different vein than a lot of the other kids. He found a more complex music appealing – instead of Kiss and AC / DC he found Steely Dan, Yes and Rush. One is a differing kind of taste than the other. Hell, there are always times when you have to just “shut up and enjoy the Ozzy!” But in terms of long term feeding, Eric discovered symphonic rock, he discovered jazz chords, he discovered a more complex medium.

His music reflects that. He plays multiple keyboards, he plays accordion, and he has a wealth of Seattle’s better players supporting his act. Collin Richey plays the drums, carrying a steady beat and interesting time signatures. Hans York took time out from his solo recordings and brought his touch to bass, guitars, vocals and production. It is a class act and a gathering of great players. This sounds like Seattle, but tender and the music is sophisticated and intricate. The time signatures themselves are enough.


The Tunes Themselves

1 – Everything You Know The introduction is played on accordion and lays the groundwork for some very hip music. The idea here is to hearken back to a time gone and yet not so much. The lyrics are very sixties, but the groove is right on time. Eric’s voice is right out of the new rock scene, but tempered with the old school ideas of Fagen or Jon Anderson. “Forget Everything You know.”

2 – Home This is the best song on the album by a country mile. It is written in 5/4 time, and the emotion and sadness in the melody will make you weepy. The lyrics are about needing your girl home, needing not to lie alone. There is sadness there. The piano and the band they sing to one another. And then Eric tears your heart out of your chest. And those shockingly beautiful chords make this five star all the way!!

”Every time you lie awake, wondering which pill to take
Every time you lie alone, I want you home….”

3 – Say What A break up song, his will is trickling away from him. There is a hint of Alice in Chains in the bridge of this song. The synthesized voice answering in the chorus, but the rock chords hint at something much heavier than this builds. The guitar is building a landscape underneath the Rhodes. The electric piano and subtle drums make you feel the pain of the problems.

4 – Heaven Inside The name hearkens to AIC “heaven beside you, hell within’” but it has nothing to do with that. This is a song that sounds like it was one of the forgotten studio cuts from The Royal Scam. The chord progression is lovely and the changes of pace fascinating. Then the end is Donald and Walter in the final chorus, the vocals and the chord progression. There is a lot of really nice work on this song. The eternal battle of feeling good, and being suspicious of it – how often do we all have that dilemma?

5 – Lied Eric’s vocals are really full of heart, full of passion. The song starts more with a bridge than a verse. The verses come along later. The Rhodes and the drums have a feel together on this one. There is also a lot of pain in the feelings. The music swings at the end and the band interaction is stunning.

6 – Sick This is a harsh song, sort of a slow ballad with a hidden love song underneath. The man worships from afar, and he is driven crazy by this object of his affection, and yet affectation, he wants her or him to be more like him. It is a slow roller, somewhere between Sade and Third World Man.

7 – Song From a Bridge The accordion is acting in a bass capacity in some instances. It has that feel that Brian Wilson got on Pet Sounds with the bass harmonica on Wouldn’t It Be Nice. It is the same vibe, the same idea as that. And at the same time it has that Simon and Garfunkle feel that comes from mature song writing. There is also bass violin being played by Jon Hamar – and it accentuates this unplugged song in beautiful fashion.

8 – Real Life A Latin beat accentuates the beginning of this moody sounding song. No, not The Moodies, just moody, an attempt to get shed of anger and fear, he is trying to look outside of himself for answers. This is a celebration and the band comes roaring in at the end. Another song that could well have been on The Royal Scam. It also has a hidden Santana idea as well.

9 – Dial Tone Some nice guitar work from Peter Schatz, sneaking in and out of the grooves as it goes. There want to be horn parts and they end up encoding them, but then Eric touches vibes and gives us a hint of the dial tone in question. This is a break up song, but a mellow one with a snaky guitar solo.

10 – Not Alone And the last word is the most tender ballad of all. The song builds slowly, Eric hearkening about the love once known. The bridge is a lovely thing as well, with a real feeling of relief. There is a sense of healing in the midst of the song. And then he heads back to the chorus, singing over and over that we are not alone. The chords ring out true and clear, we aren’t alone, and we can take that away from this lovely album.

And In The End

This is an album worth listening to. There is a strong feel to the music that reminds us all that sometimes life is pain. Does it sound like Eric is singing the blues? Not if you are expecting Robert Cray or Sonny Boy Williamson, not even if you are expecting Eric Clapton. But it does if you recognize that the blues can be about pain. Eric is not a Griot to be certain; his music feels more like that of a Shaman.


Recommended:
Yes

Great Music to Play While: Listening
- deaser26 -- Epinions.com top reviewer