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MP3 Gregg Burns - Head
12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: 90''s Rock, ROCK: Hard Rock
Details:
"Head" is the highly anticipated full-length release from Los Angeles musician Gregg Burns. For those familiar with this talented artist (he is an acclaimed guitar player and singer), this album has been a long time in coming, and I can tell you, it was well worth the wait. To put it simply: front to back, this album kicks ass.
When new listeners are being introduced to an "unknown" artist or group, the inevitable question asked is, "Who does he/she/they sound like?" In the case of Gregg Burns and "Head," this is not easily answered, and that is a good thing. Elements of hard rock, blues, alternative, progressive, and heavy funk are intertwined throughout the album in a way that is immediately recognizable, but delivered with an original and unique voice.
The album opens with "Strawman," a flat-out barnburner with a heavy guitar riff reminiscent of King''s X, and a funk underpinning that alludes to Lenny Kravitz (on his good days). Add a tough chorus and a burning, bluesy, wah-drenched guitar solo, and you have one of those songs you go back to hear again, even before you get to the rest of the disc (which you should). "Straight Through My Head" keeps the hard rock/blues/funk train rolling, but in an altogether different manner, more of a Stevie Ray Vaughn-meets-Prince vibe, with driving guitars propelling the tune forward. This song rocks.
The album gets more progressive with "Time," seamlessly utilizing odd meters, and introduces some jazz/fusion flavor in "Videoctomy," with the growl of Burns'' guitar lurking ominously in the background all the while. A more relaxed, R&B feel permeates the keyboards-based "Without"; the sexy, slow burn of "Images of You" reveals yet another, more erotic facet of this artist''s vision. The strongest material, however, is the heavy stuff. "Drown," its wistful lyric driven by an absolutely crushing guitar riff, should be a hard-rock radio staple; the sparse muscularity of "Go" and its searing outro guitar lead make it one of this album''s highlights.
"Head" is full of strong material, delivered with an intensity that never lets up. Burns sings with a powerful, distinctive, clear voice, and he''s not afraid to rasp it up when it''s necessary. There are intriguing melodies, lush harmonies, and hook-laden choruses throughout, made even more memorable by some truly compelling lyrics: check out "Load" one time, and you''ll be humming it for a week. According to the liner notes, Burns produced, mixed, and engineered "Head," in addition to writing, singing, and playing almost all the instruments here. This is a first-rate effort from a true talent. Even the artwork is cool.
-F. Rienbaum, 2001 (*some excerpts previously published)
***UPDATE***
November 8, 2002: ''Gregg Burns "Head"'' has just been nominated for "Hard Rock Album of the Year" by Just Plain Folks (https://www.tradebit.com), a worldwide organization of over 25,000 Songwriters, Recording Artists, Music Publishers, Record Labels, Performing Arts Societies, Educational Institutions, Recording Studios and Engineers, Producers, Legal Professionals, Publicists and Journalists, Publications, Music Manufacturers and Retailers and about every other type of member of the Music Industry. The winners of JPF''s Annual Awards will be announced in the Spring of 2003.
***UPDATE***
March 7, 2003: Just Plain Folks (https://www.tradebit.com) held their annual Music Awards Show this past Saturday, March 1st, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, where they recognized the best in independent music for the last year. The nominees were selected from over 100,000 songs and nearly 8000 albums; the final round winners were chosen by a panel of more than 300 judges. The award for 2002''s "Best Hard Rock Album" was presented to Gregg Burns for his debut release, "Head." This album is now available online at CD Baby; Burns'' live band is currently preparing for a Summer 2003 tour.
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