Kenny Young Band

Southern Rock Legends, THE OUTLAWS, who brought you Rock radio favorites "There Goes Another Love Song", "Green Grass & High Tides", "Knoxville Girl", and "Freeborn Man" are bringing their Classic Rock sound to the Ferguson Center in support of their first studio album in nearly 20 years, titled "It's About Pride". Known as “The Florida Guitar Army” by their fans, THE OUTLAWS have earned a formidable reputation as an incendiary live act touring with friends The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Charlie Daniels Band as well as Doobie Brothers, The Who, Eagles and The Rolling Stones. Joining

Joining The Outlaws will be Special Guest and Award-Winning Blues Favorite, Tommy Castro and The Painkillers, the 2009 and 2010 recipient of the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award, 2010 Band of the Year, 2010 Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year, and 2010 Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.

Plus, rising regional Americana music artist, the Kenny Young Band.
- Ferguson Center for the Arts

Southern Rock Legends, THE OUTLAWS, who brought you Rock radio favorites “There Goes Another Love Song”, “Green Grass & High Tides”, “Knoxville Girl”, and “Freeborn Man” are bringing their Classic Rock sound to the Weinberg Center in support of their first studio album in nearly 20 years, titled “It’s About Pride”. Known as “The Florida Guitar Army” by their fans, THE OUTLAWS have earned a formidable reputation as an incendiary live act touring with friends The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Charlie Daniels Band as well as Doobie Brothers, The Who, Eagles and The Rolling Stones.

Joining The Outlaws will be Special Guest and Award-Winning Blues Favorite, Tommy Castro, the 2009 and 2010 recipient of the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award, 2010 Band of the Year, 2010 Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year, and 2010 Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.
Plus, rising regional Americana music artist, the Kenny Young Band. - Weinberg Center for the Arts

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP—A new musical attraction for the South Jersey area will open here on Friday night, Feb. 10, at 7 when a former West Coast musician produces his first Winter Country/Rock Fest at the Performing Arts Center of Middle Township.

Headlining the concert will be the Georgia Satellites, supported by the local Kenny Young Band and Philadelphia singer Sherry Lynn.

Producer Tom Smead, who came to the East Coast from California a decade ago and now lives in Upper Township, is bringing his first New Jersey concert to Cape May County as the curtain raiser of what he plans to be an annual event. He said he chose the1,000-seat Performing Arts Center because of its central location, its state of the art accommodations and free off street parking. In addition to being a producer, Smead, who has been in the music business for 30 years, is the owner and operator of Sound Strike Studios and Tommy Naples Music in Upper Township.

The Georgia Satellites have been a hot act in country/rock music since the band was founded in 1985. Kenny Young, also an Upper Township resident, is a veteran performer, having started in his younger days before taking a break to raise a family after which he resumed his career. He eventually collaborated with Smead in recording the independent full length label “Simple Things.” Lynn became a country music performer after her mother brought home a copy of the movie video of “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and she “wanted to be just like Loretta Lynn.”

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door the night of performance. Call the box office at 609-463-1924. PAC is situated at 1 Penketham Way, Middle Township, just east of the Garden State Parkway in Cape May Court House. - Shore News Today

19. Kenny Young – Simple Things (Tommy Naples Music)
www.kennyyoungband.com - Radio Voce Spazio - Highway 61/ Italy

Back in the mid nineties, KENNY YOUNG was at a crossroads. Torn between family responsibilities and a life in rock n roll that wasn’t paying all of the bills, YOUNG did what GEORGE THOROUGHGOOD sang about. He cut his hair and he got a real job. Once his two sons were old enough (and had demonstrated a certain amount of musical ability of their own) YOUNG stepped back into the light armed this time with the record deal that eluded him years earlier.

KENNY YOUNG is a Jersey boy with a Southern twang and a fondness for rock n roll blasting from below the Mason-Dixon Line (THE ALLMAN BROTHERS and LYNYRD SKYNYRD). Such influences are not difficult to single out on his debut EP ‘THE KENNY YOUNG PROJECT’ (TOMMY NAPLES MUSIC) – a four-track collection with songs that speak of heartbreak, lifelong devotion and having a good time.

At the moment, YOUNG and his label are putting the finishing touches on a full length CD “It is unbelievable!” says YOUNG of being in the studio. “Everybody in those sessions are just unbelievable players. It’s a far cry from the old garage days. To be in the studio in front of a mic and making suggestions to the band and all of a sudden ‘bang! It’s done!’ I always thought I was a decent player but these guys rolled in and showed me.”

ROCKWIRED spoke with KENNY YOUNG over the phone. Here is how it went.

This EP that you’ve released is a step in the right direction. Now that it’s out there for people to hear, how do you feel about it?
I feel very happy. I think it’s pretty cool. I’m completely overwhelmed by how the recording came out and the musicians that participated in the project and how the whole thing was arranged. So I’m very happy.

A full length LP is due out pretty soon. How far a long are you on that recording?
It’s just about done. We had a little bit of a mishap in the studio recently on the hard drive. Luckily, everything was recovered. It was definitely a fumble. It was even a little scary there at first but it did record everything so next week, we are going to start laying down the rest of the tracks.

You’ve got two covers on this forthcoming LP. Would you like to talk about them?
One is an older tune called WALK AWAY RENEE from the LEFT BANKE and the other one is MIDNGHT RIDER from THE ALLMAN BROTHERS. The reason we chose them is pretty obvious. Being a total Southern Rocker, I’ve always loved the ALLMAN BROTHERS and LYNYRD SKYNYRD and all that other stuff. It’s always kind of cool to redo all of that stuff but I like to give it more of a rock twist and give it a real kick in the pants. So that is going to be a little bit fun. WALK AWAY RENEE was a suggestion from the engineer on this album and I never really heard of the song until he brought it up. So I listened to it and I thought ‘…this is pretty cool!’ From there I decided to do an updated version.

You’ve been away from music for a little while. How does it feel being back?
I love it. Once you’re a musician you’re always one. I had to take some time off to raise my kids and I didn’t regret that one bit. I think I made the right choice but now that we’re into it and with help from TOM SMEAD from TOMMY NAPLES MUSIC, it’s cool! I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing.

Talk about how music started for you.
My father plays guitar. He’s played all of his life and growing up I used to follow him around and then eventually I started jamming with him in my early teenage years. I even joined a band with him and we played everywhere in this area doing covers and from there, I got into songwriting and that just took it to a whole other level for me. Music has been with me my whole life just it is with my kids.

Going by what I hear and what I read about you, it’s not hard to hear that strong southern rock influence. What was it that drew you to that sound?
Honestly, I don’t know. I was raised around country music. That was a big thing in my family. I my teenage years, SKYNYRD was a big happening thing along with THE ALLMAN BROTHERS. I liked country and rock and Southern Rock always seemed to cross the barriers of both. I always enjoyed the musicianship of it. That’s the reason I’ve got a twang in my voice.

I know and you’re from New Jersey. That is quite interesting! Explain how songwriting began.
It started when I was in my late teens. I was playing with my father and we had started our own cover band and to be honest with you, you can only play SWEET HOME ALABAMA so many times before it drives you nuts. At the time I was the guitar player and doing most of the lead work. I was always frustrated and bored with playing the same tunes over and over and just decided to write my own. It just took off from there.

And this was the band TRIBULATION?
Yes.

And you were in that band with your father?
With my father and my brother.

What was that like? I couldn’t imagine being in a band with my dad.
It had it’s ups and downs but when it came to music we had a blast. It was great! You - Rockwired Interview BRiAN LUSH

Het kustgebied ten zuiden van New Jersey is de natuurlijke habitat van singer-songwriter Kenny Young, de ruime veertiger die als frontman van de ‘Kenny Young Band’ met “Simple Things” zijn ultieme droom - een uitstekende debuutplaat - heeft klaargestoomd.

Daarop staan dertien nummers waaronder twee covers, namelijk “Walk Away Renee” van de groep ‘The Left Banke’ uit 1966 en later populair gemaakt door ‘The Four Tops’ en het prachtige “Midnight Rider” van The Allman Brothers Band, dat Kenny Young hier in een bijna onherkenbare ‘Bad Company’-achtige rockversie brengt.

Kenny Young schrijft en zingt zijn liedjes voornamelijk in het countryrockgenre, een stijl waarmee hij al op zeer jonge leeftijd kennismaakte via zijn ouders. Hij was amper 8 jaar oud toen hij al zelf nummers componeerde op zijn akoestische gitaar. Samen met zijn vader en zijn broer speelde hij eerst in het covergroepje ‘Tribulation’, maar na een tijdje speelde deze band ook door Kenny geschreven liedjes.

Op “Simple Things” horen we moderne Southern rocksongs in tracks als “Where Do We Go From Here”, “We’ll Find Love Again”, “Krazy”, “Nothing Without You” of “Strong Man” en een nog meer swingende sound in “Carousel”.

Voor wat zachter gebrachte countryballads kan je terecht bij de liedjes “Lay A Rose”, “Waiting” en de met vioolklanken gedrapeerde titeltrack “Simple Things” die aan het einde van de plaat nog eventjes kort wordt hernomen met Afrikaanse gospelzangers die ‘Mambo Rahisi’ zingen of Swahili voor ‘Simple Things’.

Dit debuutalbum van Kenny Young brengt een mooie variatie aan songs en muziekstijlen met ruimte voor ballads en stevigere rocknummers, naast een eigenzinnige coverversie van twee klassiekers uit de muziekgeschiedenis, waaruit blijkt dat deze muzikant zijn ‘classics’ wel degelijk kent en ze met een grote mate van respect van een eigen interpretatie kan voorzien.

Translated:The coastal area south of New Jersey is the natural habitat of singer-songwriter Kenny Young, the spacious forties as frontman of the "Kenny Young Band" with "Simple Things" his ultimate dream - an excellent debut album - has prepared.

Then are thirteen songs including two covers, namely "Walk Away Renee" by the group The Left Banke "from 1966 and later made ??popular by The Four Tops' and the beautiful" Midnight Rider "by The Allman Brothers Band, Kenny Young here in an almost unrecognizable "Bad Company'-like rock version brings.

Kenny Young writes and sings his songs, mainly in the country rock genre, a style that he became acquainted at a very young age through his parents. He was only 8 years old when he was already composing her own songs on his acoustic guitar. Together with his father and his brother, he played first in the cover band 'Tribulation', but after a while the band played songs written by Kenny.

On "Simple Things" modern Southern rock songs we hear in tracks like "Where Do We Go From Here", "We'll Find Love Again", "Krazy," "Nothing Without You" or "Strong Man" and a more swinging sound in "Carousel."

For softer put country ballads, you may contact the songs "Lay A Rose", "Waiting" and the violin sounds draped title track "Simple Things" at the end of the plate a little while briefly retaken with African gospel singers 'Mambo Rahisi' sing or Swahili for 'Simple Things'.

This debut album by Kenny Young brings a nice variety of songs and music with space for heavier rock songs and ballads, along with a quirky cover version of two classics from the musical, musician, indicating that these are 'classics' and she certainly knows a great deal respect of their own interpretation can provide.
(valsam) - RootsTime/ Belgium

The Kenny Young Band hail from New Jersey and play countrified rock with a distinctive Southern twist. An unlikely cover of Walk Away Renee hints at a history of earning a crust playing crowd pleasers and, if this example is anything to go by, they really know what they’re about. The restrained vocal lets the heartbreak story shine through, whilst the glorious soaring tune gets a guitar band arrangement that suits it down to the ground. The other cover on this album is more indicative of where this band’s heart is. Greg Allman and Kim Payne’s Midnight Rider sounds really good, complete with authentic harmonising vocals as per proper Southern Rock. Andy Schlee has fun with his guitar part, sliding with dirt and fuzz all over the tune, and it’s not the only chance he gets to do his Allmans tribute act.

Kenny Young’s own songs are plenty strong enough to be in this company, drawing on a variety of styles but certainly having quite a strong 70s air (in the best possible way) – formative years shine through, I guess. I can’t find any sign that he has plans to make it over to the UK though the fact this disc (from 2010) recently appeared in the post suggests there’s something afoot. Well worth checking out, anyway, because this is solidly entertaining fare from a real craftsman.

John Davy - John (Biscuits and Gravy) Davy/ Flyin' Shoes Review/ Ireland

New Jersey’s own Kenny Young releases his debut CD in 2010 entitled Simple Things. Influences include but are not limited to - Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC & Allman Brothers.

The CD quickly takes flight with “Where do we go from here” a full tilt rocking guitar groove that serves up driving rock rhythm against slamming solo guitar & well placed harmonies from Young & company. Track 2 “Well Find Love Again” keep thing moving in the right direction with its steady flowing rhythm, hooky chorus, amazing harmonies & straight forward vocal passion from Young. Track 3 shifts gears a bit with its delicate acoustic guitar intro, eventually lending itself into an impressive ballad that flows & ebbs it’s way through to emotional fruition with passionate vocals from Young. The CD makes a great first impression dashing out 3 solid songs in a row. I would classify this music as classic Americana with a strong rockabilly & country, R&B flair. Also along the way you will find flashes of Americana, rock & roll, R&B, & Country. Along the way you will notice lush instrumentation with things like impressive southern rock solo guitar, Hammond Organ chops & keyboard accents, slide guitar, fiddles & lush harmonies layered everywhere. The musicianship of everyone involved is clearly above the bar. One of the most impressive aspects of this band is how well the harmonize together. Now turning our attention over to Young as for his vocal abilities, his voice works extremely well within the confines of this catalogue. Young knows how to push hard, but he also knows how to sit deep within the pocket & sing a song with amazing fluidity. His voice goes down smooth & fills the space peacefully & unobtrusively with an amazing vibrato with a jagged edge. The music reminds me of classic acts like the Eagles, Allman Brothers, & even John Cougar, Bob Segar & Jackson Browne.. All songs are well crafted & consistent across the board. This CD from Young delivers 13 solid tracks. From passionate “Simple Things”, “Pure as Rain” & “Waiting” to striking “Going Home” to slamming “Krazy” to upbeat “Nothing Without You” & “Strong Man” this CD pretty much has something for just about everyone. There’s even a few classic cover songs on their as well like ”Walk Away Renea” (The Left Banke) & “Midnight Rider” (Allman Brothers.)

Track 14 & the Rap segment on Track 1 sound really out of place within the confines of the catalogue – it just sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s fair to say all songs over 4 minutes tend to drag you to the finish line. Overall the catalogue sounds a bit dated, for a 2010 release. It reminds me a lot of some of the rock music popular in the late seventies & early eighties. If it was 1977 this would be a cutting edge musical production. Unfortunately it’s 2011, so the bar is set high for artists like Young. Perhaps Young’s needs to modernize his sound a bit. I also wish Young would really push the emotional envelope a bit harder on some of the finale moments. His vibrato – though impressive is a bit repetitive, predictable & way overly used. I fully understand this is a subjective art form but all of the above does effect the records overall marketability.

From start to finish “Simple Things” is an impressive musical collection from Kenny Young. The music is grooving, upbeat, & entertaining. The songwriting – all consistent musical experiences, each one possessing a unique personality, flair, & signature groove. The writing, playing & singing abilities of Kenny Young & his band are rock solid, the melodies & harmonies are masterful, & the lyrical content is packed to the hilt with conventional wisdom & messages full of whiskey, bar brawls, & all things Americana. Last but not least the vocal presence & persona of Kenny Young is something folks in smoked filled establishments across the country will die for. - Indie Music Digest Cyrus Rhodes

June Round Up: Kenny Young Band, Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons, Jonah Tolchin.

June 7, 2012 by Paul Kerr

Kenny Young Band. Simple Things.
This album from New Jersey based Kenny Young popped through the door as recently as April and after a couple of listens we put pen to paper. It was only then we discovered the album was actually recorded in 2010. That said Kenny had added a nice hand-written letter to the package and he covers one of Blabber’n’Smoke’s favourite songs so here goes.
A jobbing musician for most of his life this is Young’s debut album so he’s had plenty of time to hone his songwriting and it shows. While he’s not a wordsmith per se he manages to come up with strong verses and choruses that fit well with the muscular delivery of the band be it the jaunty pop of We’ll Find Love Again, the radio friendly ballad Going Home or the pell mell Southern rock’n’roll that is Krazy. While young’s voice can be grits or honey depending on the song the highlight on most of these cuts is the guitar playing of Andy Schlee whose slide playing on Nothing To Hear is indeed a joy to hear. He really lets rip on Strong Man where his solo is reminiscent of vintage Thin Lizzy. While there are some ballads including Waiting which again features some fine playing from Schlee the overall feel is of a band that has its roots firmly in the mid seventies and especially that of the southern Rock bands of that time which takes us to that cover version, Duane Allman’s Midnight Rider. While this doesn’t have the stoner groove of the original it packs a punch and I daresay goes down a treat live. - Paul Kerr/Blabber 'n' Smoke/a UK review

Country rock singer/songwriter, Kenny Young Sr., grew up jamming in the trailer behind his Tuckahoe home.

At age 21, the Upper Township native took his music to a new level, leading a local band called Tribulations where his dreams of traveling the world, making it big and having the world know his name were born. In the '90s, back when tape cassettes where still popular, Tribulations released their first cassette - a step towards something big, Young thought.

But, then life happened and happy as he was, the music career hit a hurdle. In '91, his wife, Tammy, gave birth to their first son, Kenny Young, Jr. and in '93, their second child, Tyler Young, was born. In order to raise and support his family, Kenny Sr. had to put his music on hold and began contract work.

Still taped on the wall of the trailer out back is a hand-drawn sign with "TRIBULATION" written across it. Taking it down would mean saying goodbye to his dream. But that wasn't an option.

On Friday, Sept. 23, Kenny Young Sr., who signed a record contract with Tommy Naples Music, LLC, will pick up where he left off, kicking off his three-month tour through the South and celebrating the release of his album "Kenny Young: Simple Things," at Levari's Seafood & American Grill in Upper Township. The Kenny Young Band will perform at 9 p.m., after Outlet at 7 p.m. and Shelly Rann at 8. Outlet features Young's sons, Ken and Tyler, along with their cousin Josh Wise.

"Kenny Young: Simple Things" tells the story of his life, he said, including lyrics of love for his wife of 25 years, memories of a grandmother who died in 1989 and all the simple things that made his life worth living.

He will be traveling with fellow musicians Mitch Sutton, on guitar, Steven Kyle, on guitar; Mike Contino, on bass, and Jim Kelly on drums. After the two area shows, the tour moves to Nashville and continues on to Las Vegas, where the guys will play at the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo which will be held from Dec.1-10.

"I'm throwing all my eggs in one basket," Young said. His plan is to make a career out of his music and quit contracting. "My biggest dream is to fill a venue by my name, or at least hit the B-list," he said.

Is he nervous? Yes. Is he confident? Of course, he said. Is he ready? More than ever.

"There is no looking back now. It's not like building a house or working on a car. Once you go, you can't take a break," Young said. "You better be in key because you can end it all right here."

Bill Delaney, Young's tour manager and booking agent, said he has never been more sure of anything in his life than the coming success of Kenny Young.

"You can feel his music," Delaney said. "I've been around music for 28 years, and I believe in this project, or I wouldn't be on board."

Delaney, too, will be on tour.

As for his wife's feelings about him being away for three months, "she said, 'You would be a fool if you didn't do it, because you can do it,'" Kenny said of Tammy. "Everyone I tell says I should have done this a long time ago. When you're a musician, you're strumming 'til the day you die."
- ELISA LALA / Press Of AC

Music has always been a big part of musician Kenny Young’s life. His father was an accomplished guitar player and by age 8 Kenny had already taught himself to play guitar. In grade school (5th grade) Kenny joined the school choir. At the young age of 12 he was in his first official band playing drums. At age 21 he started a group named Tribulation that also included his brother and father in the lineup. The band started out as a cover band but Kenny started incorporating original material that he had written into the band’s sets.

After taking some time off to raise his family, fast forward to today, and the 40-something has released his debut full length release, ‘Simple Things’ on Indie label Tommy Naples Music. The new album offers a total of 14 tracks, 13 + a reprise of the title track- “Simple Things.” All of the songs are original music except for, “Walk Away Renee”, and The Allman Brothers Band classic song, “Midnight Rider.”

The press material that came with this release mentioned several of Kenny’s musical influences including, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, and The Allman Brothers. I didn’t get much of any AC/DC influence in his music but there’s definitely a southern rock connection especially on up tempo tracks like, “Where Do We Go from Here”, “Krazy”, “Nothing without You”, and “Strong Man.”

‘Simple Things’ also offers a more melodic tender side on songs like, “Lay a Rose” and “Carousel.”

You’ll also find different sounding tracks like, “Simple Things-Reprise”, that features background singers chanting, ‘Mambo Rahisi’ which the album’s liner notes says means ‘Simple Things’ in Swahili. Young’s cover of The Allman Brothers song, “Midnight Rider,” also offers up a different take on the song with its mix of guitars, congas, bongos, tambourine, organ, strings, and cowbell instrumentation found on it, along with guitar and loop effects.

‘Simple Things’ offers up a lot of well done songs, with music that entertains the listener’s ears. - C.W. Ross/ CW's Place

Listening to Kenny Young's first full-length album Simple Things presented this listener with more than a little consternation when writing commentary. I think I'm still ambivalent to this veteran singer-songwriter from New Jersey. By overview, a listen to the cover of the Allman Brothers' Midnight Rider will give you a sense of Young and Simple Things things direction: southern and blues flavored American melodic rock.

Honestly, I was skeptical seeing Young posing with an acoustic guitar within the CD booklet. Putting a guitar in the hands of a singer or songwriter can be like a putting a gold ring in a pig's snout: it don't belong. However, Mr. Young is a self-taught accomplished guitarist, and contributes acoustic guitar to several songs on this project. As a songwriter, he has lyrical prose that expresses honesty and feeling. Where Do We Go From Here, We'll Find Love Again, and Simple Things display both Young's wisdom and talent. To song composition, he's a mere contributor to the arrangements, mostly handled by producer Bob Kimmel. Nevertheless, the music throughout Simple Things is still satisfying and entertaining.

My dilemma, and ambivalence, comes with Kenny Young as a singer. Certainly, he's talented: there's a definite soulful and deliberate delivery to his performance. I don't think there's a single song where Young does not perform well. However, with a few exceptions, Young sounds mechanical and dispassionate. On the aforementioned songs and others Kenny barely rises above the music. Krazy and Going Home might be the exceptions. Actually, throughout Simple Things, the music betters him. It sounds like Young did not get enough sleep the night before recording, was indifferent to his listeners, or quite bored with himself and the songs.

Yet, after several spins Simple Things, I want to hear Kenny Young sing. Strange. Simple Things will be his signature song, Carousel a definite miss. His best stuff might be the sound cover of The Left Banke 1966 hit Walk Away Renee, and the heavier interpretation of the Allman Brothers' Midnight Rider (but I'm still not impressed by his vocal performance.)

By now I think you've caught the jist of my ambivalence. I liked Kenny Young's Simple Things, even though my doubts remain about his vocal performance. At this point, I'm sure my critics and Young's fans will rise up and defense. Good for them. The more I listen the more I'm convinced. Kenny Young's Simple Things is the culmination of lifelong dream: he should be proud of it, and the listener entertained, impressed, and satisfied. Recommended. - Craig Hartranft,

Kenny Young is one of those soulful, inoffensive, good ol' boys expressing the blues-rock aesthetic that gave folks like Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp, and most recently Kid Rock their renowned Midwestern empathic comfort-food style of music. This is not to say that Young is hopping on a bandwagon or biting off of a tried-and-true formula for the sake of making money.

The man's delivery bears a natural sincerity that invokes a crossover appeal between rock and country. There is something tangibly romantic in Young's vocal performance that, as sappy as it seems, reminds you of your first love. His balladry is warm and poignant to the point where it can be both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

It is actually a shame that this kind of music is not more prevalent in the mainstream music marketplace, because it is a sound that is not easily manufactured - it must be felt, and Kenny Young spouts emotion in buckets! Each track is chock-full of explosive melodies and fiery sing-along choruses. SIMPLE THINGS is just as easily a boot-stomping date-night romp as it is a kick-back and get tanked epic.

While the album probably would have achieved a massive success during the late 1970s or early 1980s - rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Thorogood, The Eagles, and Eddie Rabbitt - it is still refreshing to stumble upon an album that is simple, pure, and real. SIMPLE THINGS delivers a message that is relatable to anyone of any creed - love, loss, and simply living life despite its inherent tribulations. Although "simple," it is a message that often goes overlooked in the bubblegum nature of modern music.
- Mark Morton / Music Emissions

Neufutur.Com
James McQuiston
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There is no equal to the absolutely sizzling opening that will hit listeners with the beginning of “Where Do We Go From Here”. Any fan of guitar work will appreciate this track, which has a little down-south, Southern rock feel (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama) to it. Instead of sticking with a seventies or eighties sound, Kenny Young infuses each of the tracks on “Simple Things” with a current and contemporary feel.

“We’ll Find Love Again” calms down the guitars slightly, but allows for a more mainstream sound to dominate. The richness of the composition here benefits considerably through the inclusion of steel guitar, numerous vocal layers, and even different inflections at points. Where the first track had a Southern rock feel to it, “We’ll Find Love Again” is a track that is in the vein of artists like Jimmy Buffett, Warren Zevon, and even Jackson Browne. “Simple Things” continues to impress with the disc’s third effort, “Lay A Rose”. Much more slow in tempo than either “Where Do We Go From Here” or “We’ll Find Love Again”, “Lay A Rose” avoids the pitfall of slower tracks and strips things down to create a very simple and soulful song. “Carousel” shows that middle-disc tracks do not need to be always seen as filler.

This is due to the compelling story told with the track. Where the track could comfortably be played on either contemporary country or rock stations, this story is something that all listeners can understand and appreciate. “Midnight Rider” is the final track of “Simple Things”, and even at this late stage, it showcases Kenny Young as an experimental type of guy. This cover of the classic Allman Brothers Band track continues to contain the same vocal hooks that made the original so damn catchy, but Young’s version of the track contains enough grit that even fans of today’s acts like Godsmack or even Stone Sour can love it. Funnily enough, that’s what all of “Simple Things” does.

Top Tracks: Where Do We Go From Here, Lay A Rose

Rating: 8.0/10

Kenny Young – Simple Things / 2010 Self / 14 Tracks / www.brokenpoets.com

Read more: http://neufutur.com/?p=18783#ixzz22uzo1hFe - James McQuiston