Steve Richard Review

Artist: Steve Richard
Title: Steve Richard
Website: http://www.steverichardmusic.com/
Style: Country/ Southern Rock
Rating: 7.95 out of10
By C.W. Ross

 

This is the self-titled debut album from Steve Richard. What you'll find on it is a country artist looking to push the genres boundaries with a significant southern rock musical flavor found on it.

 

When asked about the album's style Richard says,  "The album is about that exciting place where country meets rock and roll, and it's a very 'LIVE' kind of record, with songs that come across very well onstage. The idea was to do songs that tell honest stories which reflect the way I feel whether I wrote the song or not."

 

"My style of music reflects the love I have for bands like Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, along with classic sounds of George Jones, Waylon Jennings and Buck Owens, to the Cream, Who and The Stones...you've got the picture. It's very much a rocking record, but is completely steeped in country tradition."

 

Richard has also toured the Midwest and South as both a headliner and opening act for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dickey Betts, .38 Special and Van Zant.

 

The releases first two tracks are all out driving southern rockers, "Faster, Faster" and  "Stomp." It isn't until track-3"Everything Beautiful to Me" that the release lets the country side take the spotlight for a while.

 

Track-5 "Tried-and-True another rocker gets the blood pumping again. Quickly followed by the country bar-rock song, "We Ain't Saints."

 

Track-7 "Make it into Heaven" has a real Jimmy Buffet like tropical island music feel to it. Track-8, "I'll Never Leave You" is the releases only ballad.

 

From there it goes, track-9 pop country, track-10 southern rocker, track-11 country gospel and ends it with track-12 "Write This Song" with it's standard country sound.

 

This release hits most of the marks. The only thing that might turn some people off is the wide variety of different styles ( southern rock, traditional country, modern country, pop, gospel, and island music) found on it that does make it seem a bit schizophrenic at times.

 

Go ahead and get this release and enjoy the music, just be prepared to hit the next track button a time or two.

 

You can view a well done video for the first single, "Faster, Faster" from the album at: 

 

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=VQf_iSRiGBY