|
|
|
| ALBUM REVIEWS 
THE RUTLAND HERALD AS I HEAR IT Duane Carleton stands poised to release his next CD, "American
Boy," at the Paramount Theatre as part of a new event featuring some great
local bands on Oct. 31. For a printable version of this review click here
Duane Carleton’s ‘American Boy’: Rocking Middle America CD Review By Art Edelstein Arts Correspondent Duane Carleton from West Rutland was last year’s Tammie winner in the rock music category. In 2007 he released "Once Lost, then Torn Down," a spirited album of charged Middle America music. That album had some strong songs about real people, showing life in places like Vermont and other rural areas outside of the pop culture wonderlands of New York and Los Angeles. Recently, we received "American Boy," Carleton’s latest release. This 12-song CD continues his exploration of rock music in the vein of John Mellencamp, Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen. Carleton seems to be channeling the above-mentioned trio of rock stars in this very listenable album. I would also add the likes of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts to the performers Carleton has incorporated into his own sound. Both are Southern rock-guitar greats. This is both a plus and a minus. It’s great to be compared to some of the best rock musicians this country has produced, but it’s also hard to create a unique sound when you sound so much like so many other performers. "American Boy" continues Carleton’s exploration of rock themes that hoe to a sound that eschews electronica and other "artificial" electric devices for the basic rock quartet sound of guitar, keyboard, bass and drums. While he plays electric guitar and there is electronic keyboard and bass on this CD the music is fairly straightforward, a basic menu of melodic songs light on complicated chordal complexity. His vocals vary from the highly charged on "Feel the Power" to the plaintive on "The Streets of Jericho," which also features former Band keyboard-wizard Garth Hudson on accordion. The band here is solid. Tim Lynch, Bob Van Detta and Boyer on keyboards, bass and drums respectively do a fine job. Carleton plays over 200 gigs a year so he has a lot of time to hone the songs on this CD. "American Boy" continues with some lyrics that praise small-town America, perhaps it’s the "real America" that Sarah Palin was praising in the recent presidential campaign. She might have done better at the polls had Carleton and his band opened for her speeches. With titles like "Feel The Power," "From a Broken Heart," "Living in a Lonesome Town," "Streets of Jericho" (is that the Vermont town?), "American Boy," "Take Me to Chelsea" (in Orange County?), "Havin’ a Good Time Tonight," "In A Small Town," "Rock and Roll Party Queen" and "Goodbye Rosalie," the listener gets a fine sampling of party songs and a few songs with more social content. This album, while great for dancing to, and technically and musically as good as Carleton’s previous album, doesn’t quite carry the water of "Once Lost, then Torn Down." I’d like to see this fine musician explore lyrical themes with more substance on his next CD. Still, if you like music that favors Middle America and Southern rock, albeit with a New England flavor, this album is worth a listen. Article published Nov 7, 2008 For a printable version of this review click here
VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE - MARCH 2007 "ONCE LOST, THEN TORN DOWN" "Carleton is based in Vermont, but his songs celebrate the ideals and
feelings that records by John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, and Bruce Springsteen have
celebrated for the past 30 years. Not surprisingly, the music has a similar
feel. It's easy to laugh at some of the rock and roll bands making hits these days, but hearing rootsy rock done this well should make you feel a little better." - JH For a printable version of this review, click here THE TIMES ARGUS TAMMIE AWARDS - DECEMBER 21, 2007 "Duane Carleton's "Once Lost, Then Torn Down" stands out as an oasis of highly listenable music in a desert of creativity. Carleton hails from West Rutland and he and his band are regular performers in southwest Vermont. He has 20 year's experience in the business and it shows. While he is not well known beyond Rutland County, he should be. Carleton's music shows keen insights into the malaise of American rural life as well as the reasons why people choose to live in rural states like Vermont. If musical comparisons are in order then Carleton's voice and style comes closest to that of John Mellencamp, Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen. The music here churns and pulses through a variety of rock settings from blues-inflected songs to Southern rock, neo-country and acoustic ballads. Carleton's songs center on life in the mud lane of existence of rural poverty ("Small Town Heroes"), life in rural America ("Looks Like Home To Me"), the waning of American industry ("The True American") and Vermont's declining farming economy ("The Ballad of Horace Greene"). He manages to cover a lot of landscape eschewing maudlin rhymes, or cookie-cutter rhythms. He accomplishes this with a very good backing band that includes Bob Van Detta on bass, Ross Edmunds on drums and Tim Lynch on keyboards. Carleton handles the guitars. While I suspect this CD has not had much airplay it should be listened to, as an example of rock music with substance. THE TIMES ARGUS - MARCH 23, 2007 Duane Carleton transcends schlock rock March 23, 2007 By Art Edelstein Arts Correspondent With so many rock ‘n’ roll albums a wasteland of unresolved teenage angst, high-decibel electronic noise, undecipherable babblings from mock poets or otherwise poorly conceived and badly produced wannabe music, Duane Carleton’s "Once Lost, Then Torn Down" stands out as an oasis of highly listenable music in a desert of creativity. This singer-songwriter-musician has something valuable to say, and he delivers his message in a package most listeners to the rock genre will find very palatable. Carleton hails from West Rutland and he and his band are regular performers in southwest Vermont. His Web site boasts lots of gigs at venues in the Killington region. He has 20 years of experience in the business and it shows. While he is not well known beyond Rutland County, he should be. Carleton’s music shows keen insights into the malaise of American rural life as well as the reasons why people choose to live in rural states like Vermont. If musical comparisons are in order, then Carleton’s voice and style comes closest to that of John Mellencamp, Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen. Mellencamp’s music has always had a Middle America twang; Seger has a solid rock voice and a clear notion of what ails the middle class. The Boss (Springsteen) has made a fortune extolling the virtues and pinpointing the foibles of the common man. Carleton shows similar sensibilities on this CD, which is not his first. He’s put in his time making self-produced singles and other albums and the time spent shows on this new recording. The music here churns and pulses through a variety of rock settings, from blues-inflected songs, to Southern rock, neo-country and acoustic ballads. For the effort, Carleton emerges as a musician with a variety of styles under his belt and this CD kept this reviewer’s interest throughout the 13-track album. Carleton’s songs center on life in the mud lane of existence of rural poverty ("Small Town Heroes"), life in rural America ("Looks like Home to Me"), the waning of American industry ("The True American") and Vermont’s declining farming economy ("The Ballad of Horace Greene"). He manages to cover a lot of landscape eschewing maudlin rhymes, or cookie-cutter rhythms. He accomplishes this with a very good backing band that includes Bob Van Detta on bass, Ross Edmunds on drums and Tim Lynch on keyboards. Carleton handles the guitars. This is a rock solid crew of rock musicians who are not prone to self-indulgence. The fast tunes sizzle and the slower ones ache.The production by Carleton and cohorts is spotless and tight. Self-produced rock music has a tendency to be flabby with too many performer hijinks and lots of self-congratulatory preening. Not this album. Carleton and crew lay down a groove that should be the envy of any band yearning for recognition in this crowded spectrum of the music industry. For his part, Carleton delivers his often-scathing lyrics in a clear baritone void of the screams, yells, howls or other histrionics heard from too many rock performers. He’s a really good singer and his voice sits high in the mix, just where it should be.The lyrics here are well thought out and potent. Carleton has a sharp eye for the way people in rural America live. "The people living in my home town know what it’s like when things don’t go easy/ they’re used to doing things the hard way where things can get a bit greasy. And those small town heroes got to shine on," are from "Small Town Heroes," the opening rocker that exemplifies his sparse, but potent approach. These are lyrics with little waste and a charcoal image of the Vermont he observes around him. On the acoustic "True American," Carleton pays homage to the silent majority, America’s working poor, with words such as: "I am child from nowhere, no one is my name, got no place I need to go havin’ nothing is my shame/ every day when I wake up I do the best I can, I ain’t ashamed of what I am for I’m the true American."On "The Ballad of Horace Greene," which Carleton performs with just acoustic guitar, he writes of the dying dairy economy. "Horace Green was a good man, kind to lend a helping hand, came from a long line of farming men, it started when his great, great granddaddy bought this land/ Well some men’s dreams can fill up the sky/ others dream of just getting by/ Horace dreamed when his boy was a man he’d take up a family way and work this land/ So how many times can you kick a man down till you’ve kicked him in the ground, how much of his soul can you tear away till there’s nothing left to say?"This is fine tight writing. Carleton hasn’t performed in Washington County in recent memory and that’s too bad. As good a talent as his should be heard by a wider audience. Perhaps when ski season is over he and his band will take the drive north and share their talents with our part of Vermont. For a printable version of this review, click here THE RUTLAND HERALD JUNE 26, 2007 "ONCE LOST, THEN TORN DOWN" "There was a time before hip-hop, before grunge and alternative, back not that long ago, when we had this thing called ROCK! Duane Carleton hasn’t forgotten that era, and he serves it up Americana-style on "Once Lost, Then Torn Down." The album also has some moving ballads and some country influence to round things out. A guitar player of Duane’s caliber could easily write songs that centered around his blazing solos, but on "Once Lost" he seems to put serious work into the songwriting. Painting a picture of the struggle of rural America like only someone who has really lived here can, Duane clearly writes from the heart. I find that if you write about something that’s true and means a lot to you, it often hits home for others. The "characters" in Duane’s songs might just be your neighbors. I could hear any number of these tunes on any number of different radio stations. Pick up a copy and support local musicians. Duane’s website is www.duanecarleton.com, where you can find some cool footage too." -George V. Nostrand- For a printable version of this review click here SEVEN DAYS APRIL 4, 2007 "ONCE LOST, THEN TORN DOWN" " (Higher
Road Records, CD) For
a printable version of this review, click here THE RUTLAND HERALD - JANUARY 18, 2007 "This week I've been listening to Duane Carleton's new CD, "Once Lost, Then Torn Down." The first track, "Small Town Heroes," gets the nod for this week's Local Song in My Head. It's got that all-American rock sound that could be compared to the likes of John Mellencamp or Bruce Springsteen. He's also got a great video to boot." - George V. Nostrand For a printable version of this review, click here TAXI - INDEPENDENT A&R COMPANY - SEPTEMBER 2006 Review of the song "Small Town Heroes" "Memorable hook. I can hum this back ten minutes from now. (The) lyric communicates emotion to listener. Vocal does help to sell song. Good accessible subject matter. Great vocal tone and performance. Great title! Good repetition in the chorus as well." THE CASTLETON SPARTAN - MARCH 2007 "Duane Carleton is a legend in his own right. Carleton has been playing music locally for about 30 years. He plays Americana, but his music also has elements of folk and country."
VERMONT WOMAN - NOVEMBER 2004 Alyssa Todd of Big Heavy World is quoted as saying, " 'Leaving Despair' by Duane Carleton is probably the most beautiful, honest album I have ever listened to. He really captures life in semi-rural Vermont. With all the crap you can hear on the radio today it is refreshing to hear someone sing from their heart." For a printable version of this review, click here
SEVEN DAYS May 5-12, 2004 Duane Carleton/"Chasing After the Stars" (Higher Road Records) West Rutland musician, composer and music producer Duane Carleton does it all on his self-produced and totally homemade recording, Chasing After the Stars. In addition to engineering, mixing and creating the artwork, Carleton plays guitars, bass, pedal steel, keyboards, mandolin and percussion - sometimes all at once. At his best, Carleton sings like a young Bob Seger. He writes catchy pop songs concerning his life and loves. The music here is full of riffs and chord patterns familiar to fans of the Eagles and a whole generation of "classic FM" semi-acoustic music. Whether or not you like the genre, it's hard to fault the musicianship in this project. Carleton has been performing for more than 20 years and seems quite comfortable in front of a microphone as well as behind the console. Chasing After the Stars is a professional-sounding recording that could have come from Nashville as easily as from Rutland County, even with the "Vermont-specific" references in the lyrics. by Robert Resnik For a printable version of this review click here
APRIL 14-MAY 4 1999 VERMONT REVIEW 35 TIN PAN ALLEY/'VEGAS (Higher Road Records 1997) Vermont natives' Tin Pan Alley are at it again with their pulsating guitar/hard driving rock backed with original sound and lyrics. This time with their latest release, 'Vegas. The band consists of Duane Carleton: Vocals, Guitar, Steve Mulholland: Bass Vocals, Bob Boyer: Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Mandolin. Track one starts the cd with the impressive "Primadonna", explosive guitar beats to begin matched with catchy lyrics about an obvious madonna of the '90's. The song also evokes the agressive rythym work provided by Mulholland and Boyer. "Wading In The Sun", "King Of Me", and "I Am", three Alley tunes fans will definitely identify, "Wild Dogs" takes you on the softer side of the Alley repertoire. The song is lyrically sound, with an uptempo acoustic melody, featuring a piano and cello. "'Vegas" "Bright lights, big city-shine no more-my gift my pity-your time has come and gone" finishes with an excellent jam. The cd ends with the rocking "Faeries Wear Boots". The cd implements passion for the simple structure of the '80's/90's classic style rock. Influences throughout the cd range from Sabbath to Haynes. In this day of multi mix styles, it's nice to hear something real that's well composed. 10 tracks 35 mins. For a printable version of this review click here. JULY 1998 MAGAZINE MAGAZINE This Rutland Vermont trio (plus 3) kicks some serious ass on this explosive sounding compact disc entitled 'Vegas. Elements of King's X, Metallica, Alice in Chains and Ritchie Blackmore shimmer through these eight originals and two covers ("Wild Dogs" and Black Sabbath's "Faeries Wear Boots") that feature torrid guitar work, intense drumming, blistering bass lines and over the top vocals doled out in equal parts by guitarist Duane Carleton and drummer Bob Boyer. Bassist Steve Mulholland's backup vocals are also a solid compliment to the entire power trio image. Best cuts include the opener "Primadonna", "King of Me", and "2 Mary's". A formidable group at the top of their game. Good Stuff! by Douglas Sloane For a printable version of this review click here.
THE FOLK TIMES - January 2007 CARLETON/GILMOUR Jim presents new sounds and grooves using multiple and partial capos and alternate tunings. His lyrics, sometimes veiled, sometimes chillingly frank celebrate the mystery of life. Duane's songs rock and sway with an old country and modern country sensibility and span deeply personal roots rock and alternative acoustic. SEVEN DAYS 2005 in a review for Johnny Azer's "Brand New and Lost Tracks" "Duane Carleton lays down some particularly incendiary guitar work on the punky "More Than Ever"
|
