Rig,
Sorry it took so long for me to respond. The
thing has laid around for
a couple weeks waiting for me to carve out some
time to listen. Wanted
sit down and give it its due and not blast it
in the car while I was
busy heading somewheres and not really paying
attention. After
prompting by Karla during a phone call (who
loves it), I cozied up with
the cd and gave it a twirl.
Love the cover, pix, & minimal liner notes.
A rather professionally
glossy, yet under-baked package for someone
like yourself. If I didn't
know you, the title "Old Stag" would
lead me to imagine you as an aging
hetero rock star; propped up at the piano stool
by viagra and some
well-earned substance abuse problem.
Of course, I can't keep my love
for irreverence at bay any more easily now than
I could during my purple
spandex days, so I would've probably voted for
a title like "Old Stag
Hag" or something... but that's just me.
I won't go into a song-by-song, note-by-note
critique, cause that
bullshit always pissed me off back in the day.
(On the other hand, I
was also always pissed off by a general offhand
comment like "I didn't
like it", which, in a split second, minimizes
months and months of sweat
& sacrifice slaving over a project... "Half
In The Bag" comes to
mind...)
But yo, the strings hit the fucker out of the
park. I'm not sure I can
verbalize it, but they really ramp up the intimacy
of the songs. Karla
also noted that your voice seems to "fit"
into the string quartet mix
really well, like another instrument. Although
I liked your last solo
piano recording, the fleshing out of these songs
by the strings give
everything more depth & emotion, and, if
I can be a musical snob for a
moment, kind of legitimize your bare-bones composing
style.
The arrangements by Brendan were great. They
gave you a lot of room, and
would suddenly swoop in and take things to a
different, unexpected
level. (I'm also jealous that he got away with
some pretty outside
arrangements on a few songs, something I felt
got squashed on our more
pedestrian gotta-make-a-hit-record offerings.)
Anyway, props to you for
coming up with the quartet accompaniment idea.
Next impression is that the backup vocals really
threw me off in a good
way. They're this kind of goofy element that
drops in occasionally,
taking the more serious edge off the strings,
and then disappear. They
also add a little levity every time they poke
their noses into a song.
Lastly, your voice, low the object of much discussion
over the years.
Well, I think your voice has found its voice,
or rediscovered it anyway.
I hear a lot of nuance that reminds me of the
old, more tender OL
songs.
Great falsetto, as always. Of course, you can
sound like a
grizzled old drunk too, depending on the songs
needs. But at this
point, it's really kind of ageless. One moment
I hear a befuddled,
hormonally charged 17 year old, the next I hear
some world-weary gasping
geezer with one foot in the grave and the other,
gratefully, not far
behind. Ya gots charachtah in them pipes, man.
I have one curmudgeonly jazz-musician grouse,
about which I'm sure
you'll never do anything: learn some new fucking
piano chords fer
chrissake. There, I've said it.
Fave raves: Always. Happy Lesbians. Elle. Michiko.
Love On A Wire.
Psycho. Your Light Is On.
So, a tip of the glass to you, Mr. Kinscherf,
for staying the course.
For living an artistic life. For settling into
your skin. For being an
inspirational magnet to other creative nomads.
For dropping out of Yale
and getting booted out of Moosup. For not stopping.
And for making a
great fucking record. I hope you know how much
you really rock.
X
CHET CAHILL- bass player for ORCHESTRA
LUNA 1 and 2, LUNA, THE SUITCASE BAND, BERLIN
AIRLIFT arranger/producer HALF IN THE BAG
----------------
Rick. just got the Cd. ÝI put it in the Cd player
planning to just listen to a couple tunes before
i started working on some projects i had planned
to do this evening. ÝBefore i realized it I
had listened, totally enthralled, to the whole
album. It sounds fantastic! I love the street
sounds! Truly beautiful stuff man- truly beautiful!
BRENDAN COONEY - String arranger
and conductor OLD STAG
----------------
"OLD STAG" is magnificent. Personal, bittersweet,
lean, heartfelt. I just listened to the whole
album on repeat no less than five times in a
row while painting. I'm absolutely flabbergasted
as to which song to pick for a video project.
Each one presents different challenges, different
joys. The chief problem, besides the fact that
there are too many tunes I enjoy, is that your
lyrics are so illustrative in themselves that
I'd be hard-pressed to adequately sketch them
out. "Buddha" was fairly easy to present in
an abstract fashion ... I mean, what says "It's
a sad, sad world" like the 46 year old Judy
Garland, less than a year before her death?
But these songs on "OLD STAG" are very emotionally
complex, with layered metaphors and a strong
narratives. Tough. These songs are quite revealing.
I appreciate the honesty, the emotional nudity,
the mature assessment of your life. As it stands
now, I'm very attached to "Underground", "Happy
Lesbians In The Snow", "The Fan", and "Your
Light Is On". Not sure which one I'll pick,
but I promise you the result will be stimulating.
You rock. Congratulations on yet another fine
achievement. Hope it gets you some play. Yours,
COREY SMITHSON - film maker,
animator of music videos: BUDDHA, YOUR LIGHT
IS ON
----------------
Fabulous.
How wonderfully appropriate, mad piano playing
on a bed of bows and rosin. Uncontrived writing
on top of carefully crafted notes and noises.
Am partial to Elle and The Fan, though everyone's
a critic. I'd say you did it again, though it's
really a matter of French-wine-gets better-with-age.
Bravo Ricky. It's art without the fart. Thank
you for sending it... IT is in the iPod.
EDOUARD DE SYON - friend, composer,
song writer
oh rick........
i don't even know what to say that is so so
brilliant
i don't think i've EVER sat down and listened
to and entire cd before today
i can't believe all those fantastic songs, your
voice the strings
YOUR PLAYING the production the mix the arrangements
just the whole thing honestly it's one of the
best records i've ever heard ----------------
JANE MANGINI - piano for BERLIN
AIRLIFT, RICK BERLIN THE MOVIE - songwriter,
key boards, arranger for O2L, 1st piano in the
TRANSIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
----------------
i've been listening to this record since you
left. that's all i have to say for now. much
to taking time with it, but it's a "piece",
let me tell you!
TOM JANOVITZ - songwriter SODAFROG
----------------
your album's stuck in my head all the time always.
always always bitterly. gawd ricky it's too
damn beautful,
the strings and YOU.
and don't ever think i'm being 'nice.' really
f'in mean it.
luncheon soon...
luv ya ta bits, j
JEILA FARZANEH - painter
----------------
love!
finally got to listen to your extraordinary
record tonight
i am so sorry it took so long
it is AMAZING
your songs are beautiful rick and so honest
that's the most important thing for me!
to make such honest work and make it so required!
and the strings - wow
really gorgeous and unique and subtle
I LOVE YOU!
so proud of you!
xoxo
joan
JOANASPOLICEWOMAN
I listened to your record on the car ride home
last night and it's fucking incredible man!!I
love the songs and the arrangements.You're quite
the storyteller my friend.Feels like a musical
journey you're taking the listener on.It's all
very colorful and dramatic and heartfelt. I
love the pizzacato too! Congrats Rick!ÝYou've
done it again!!
LEO BLAIS - songwriter
----------------
yr new album is absolutely astounding. i am
floored.
it took me somwhere i've never been before,
man.
that's the album of the year, far as i'm concerned
- no if's, and's or but's.
it's a fucking amazing, brilliant, incredible
album.
i'm going to push it every which way but sideways.
NICK BLAKEY - the in out -
books church
----------------
Rick, What a beautiful record. Might just be
your masterpiece. You're the real deal, my friend.
p
PETER C JOHNSON - songwriter
----------------
HOW CAN I HATE PEOPLE I DON'T KNOW.ÝReally some
great lines and music.ÝYou always have a way
with a word. I of course like JOHN LENNON's
NOSE, but then you knew that would be the case!!!!!ÝIt's
all really good, and UNKNOWN SOLDIER is very
topical.ÝI wish I could say radio will help,
but they don't even seem to matter to the kids
anymore.....no one is listening!!!!ÝBut making
music is the greatest gift one could ask for,
and you certainly have the gift....
love, Bill
BILL PFORDRESCHER - producer
BERLIN AIRLIFT
----------------
album sounds great, Rick. just as touching,
playful and earnest as before
with added layers of warmth, texture and swelling
feeling
(induced by the strings and streetsounds). thanks
for the advance copy.
Bevin really likes it too. I like the Fan a
lot better with the affected vocals and strings,
wasn't as much of a "fan" (haha) of that song
before.
infectious and beautiful album,
it's been swirling about in my inner stereo.
RENE RIVES photographer OLD
STAG, artist, bassist, poet
----------------
Listening to Old Stag today in the rain...kind
of fits...It has a solemn dignity and the strings
often attempt to pull the lyrics up towards
the sky. Then gravity balances all of it back
down to the streets and rooftops - Good work
man....
JASON GRAY musician
----------------
i really like your album, by the way. i listened
to it on a day when i was struggling a bit.
it would be a stretch to say it was uplifting,
but it was real and beautiful and, i thought,
a bit melancholy in a very touching way. at
any rate, it resonated with me
TED DROZKOWSKI
----------------
I was just listening to your new record. It's
great!!! The strings are gorgeous. Songs are
awesome. I love records that are a whole cohesive
work, not just a collection of songs, and this
definitely is on of those. That being said,
Elle and Underground are particularly great
upon first listen.
DAVE AARONOFF
----------------
there is no way I can much more than begin
to do it justice after a single play. But it
presents
an intriguing set of contradictions. For instance,
musically "Old
Stag" is very much in a theatrical song
tradition. Many if not most
listeners should have no trouble whatsoever
imagining someone, age 20s
or 30s, singing some of these songs from a theater's
stage. Yet the
language is occasionally stronger than anything
in, say, "South
Pacific," and certain aspects of the subject
matter have not by any
means traditionally been pitched to general
music and drama audiences.
The first impression is likely to be that Berlin's
voice sounds about
age-appropriate, yet some of the singing on
"Old Stag" would more
nearly bring to mind a young guy. This is actually
one of the
features I like most. Experienced voice, energetic
delivery.
Another thing that is not at all hard to picture
is a few cuts from
this album getting serious airplay. Berlin has
long shown a true pop
sense.
One listen is not enough to capture the essence
of "Old Stag." But it
IS enough to understand why this disc is being
widely praised.
DENNIS BRENNAN
----------------
