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AVANT -POP ROCK
INTERNET RADIO INTERVIEW:
NEW TIMES
Backstage in South Florida: Robert Goodman's Grab Bag
By Lee Zimmerman Wed., Dec. 28 2011
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights,
opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week: Robert
Goodman shares his personal top five.
A few weeks ago, I found myself writing about a new album from a
band I had never heard of, Everything Is Beautiful by the Robert
Goodman Band. It was one of those eureka moments in which I
stumbled across a set of songs so bracing and so engaging that even
on first hearing, it made further listens practically mandatory.
I'll give kudos to the man who produced, engineered, and mixed the
album, Cliff Rawnsley Jr. But I also have to believe that Goodman, the
man responsible for writing the songs, playing the keyboards, and
singing lead vocals, showed some savvy. His colleagues -- guitarist
Dave Rubinstein, bassist Rick Shepherd, and drummer Tim Moss --
are talented as well. Clearly, Goodman is a master of melody and a guy
with an appreciation for genuine pop perfection. Consequently, I
asked him to reflect on his influences via his picks for his top five
favorite albums. Not surprisingly, he wasn't at all reticent to share
them.
1. The Beatles -- Abbey Road
Goodman: "I was a preteen -- 8 or 9 years old -- when I heard my older
brother playing this music. The sound drew me in and took me on a
journey... Both my heart and soul were instantly connected to the
vibe, the production, the arrangements, the melodies... It's like I
automatically understood it, and I was hooked. Our stereo even way
back then had a microphone you could plug in, so when I was left
alone, I sang along and jammed with the Beatles."
2. The Beatles -- The White Album
"It was so trippy that even though I was a young boy, I felt a kinship to
the Beatles. Every song was different, and I think that really
influenced my ear as a singer and writer. I let the songs guide me
when I write as I think the Beatles did. It's either natural or it's not
real!"
3. Elton John -- Yellow Brick Road
"I was 10 or 11 years old, and I had just lost my older brother Carl to a
hit-and-run driver in South Hampton, New York. I had an YBR eight-
track and a pair of big padded headphones, so when "Funeral for a
Friend" would come on, it was like I could commune with my brother.
The music was lush and powerful, dark but uplifting. "Daniel" was also
an important song -- Daniel my brother got on a plane to Spain, and I
never saw him again. Elton John's music saved me and taught me a
different dynamic and the importance of piano in pop music."
4. The Eagles - Hotel California
"In the '70s as a teenager, I was living That '70's Show in real life. This
album brought home a sense of Americana rock for me. First of all,
the Eagles had great songs, and they still do. The melodies and
harmonies were so thick and rich; I would guess that they studied the
Beach Boys and Beatles when they were young. I've always felt like I
had a sense of the West Coast vibe. It's similar to the Southern vibe
but a little more laid-back. But at the same time, it's got balls when it
needs to."
5. Tears for Fears -- Sowing the Seeds of Love
"I was living in L.A. in the '80s when they came out with this awesome
album. Though I love all of Tears for Fears' albums, including Roland
[Orzabel]'s solo years in the '90s, Sowing the Seeds of Love brought a
sense of the Beatles and love, peace, and deep thoughtful music
back to the world music scene.
"This is one of those works of art that needs to be heard with a good
set of headphones and time to ingest the textures. In fact, most LPs
deserve to be heard from beginning to end. It's a shame that the
music downloads have really set back the nature of an album being a
complete work, something to be digested whole. It's hard for culture
to progress when the artist is dissected from their work song by
lonesome song!"
Goodman also adds, "I'd include among my runner-ups Elbow, U2,
Seal, XTC, Jellyfish, among my faves!"
Good choices, all.
MUSOSCRIBE: Bill Kopp’s music blog: features, reviews, interviews,
essays and whatnot
Hundred-word Reviews: January 2012-Asheville
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Robert Goodman Band – Everything is Beautiful
No relation (thankfully!) to the Ray Stevens pop hit, Everything is
Beautiful nonetheless does project a sunny vibe. Shimmering, wide-
screen, orchestrated pop with a bit of rock edge, this release builds
its arrangements around keyboard; there’s lots of piano glissandi
here. Vague hints of everything from Hootie & the Blowfish to Bruce
Hornsby will remind listeners of a time when “pop” music meant stuff
that had a broad appeal – none of this niche-market stuff. Everything
is Beautiful will appeal to (among others) those who used to rock out
and now prefer something a bit calmer and more carefully-thought-
out.
INTERNET RADIO: airplay
JANGO RADIO AIRPLAY-RGBAND
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E8NuhOVgJ4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1SouifZNT0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WheEUF0xQk