Reid Paley: Revival

Review by Joe Bendik

Going back further than I care to mention, I have known Reid's work at first through his early Pittsburgh based combo: The Five. Now, I was part of a rival band at the time, but had to admit that these guys ruled. There was something that was knowing in Paley's sneer, -still is too.  Now, back then, the volume might have been louder and the noise- noisier than now, but Reid's latest work has an emotional depth that can only come to fruition as a result of all of those years of experience/life. Drinking is a running thread through this collection, and there is a self-examination that can be disarmingly candid yet hilarious at the same time. Musically, blues & jazz elements compete with Paley's (still) post-punk vocal delivery. He comes across like a Tom Waits filtered through hell. There aren't many discs that I actually enjoy listening to all the way through, but this one just keeps on moving. Having Eric Drew Feldman (Pere Ubu) on board, as producer and musician, puts the whole package in some strange time warp where 1943 meets 2010 by way of 1977.

WebMistress Note: Click on Web Site button to buy Reid Paley's newest cd. Joe Bendik and The Heathens next gig is on January 3rd @ The Cutting Room