Praise for
Living Room!! and Hey Man! |
Richard X.
Heyman is an undiscovered treasure.
It is hard to believe the gemlike quality of virtually every one of the fourteen tracks on this album. The songs have catchy hooks, interesting chords, intelligent lyrics, tightly layered harmonies -- in other words, everything." -Rolling Stone
"He captures the
freshness and exuberance of '60's based pop and exploits its expressive
possibilities in songs that can crystallize an emotion, sketch a small
story, or frame a clash of conflicting feelings. Any song form broad
and flexible enough to encompass feelings and ideas like these must
have classic, timeless expressive qualities."
-Los Angeles Times
"As uplifting as a spring morning
full of pure pop songs that shower colors and good feelings in all
directions...A pop savant of the very first rank."
-Stereo Review
"Sparkling original
melodies...His music boasts a joyfulness -- a sense that life will
reward high expectations -- that is more crucial to recreating 60's
rock and roll than all the jangling guitars in the world."
-Washington Post
"Catchy-as-flu melodies and kinetic,
sticks-bouncing-off-skins drumming imbued with a sense of music-making
fun...a joyful racket that's rarely heard on records anymore - rated
'A'."
-Entertainment Weekly
"Melodic yet intense
aggressive rock and roll."
-Cash Box
"There's more to Heyman than catchy
power pop. Hey Man! is a collection of rich melodies that reflects
his love for the Beatles, Beach Boys and Phil Spector. He plays almost
all the instruments himself but unlike many overdub junkies, he's
got kickin' rhythms, too. In fact, he was good enough behind the drum
kit to back guitar god Link Wray before setting off after stardom."
-Musician Magazine
"A veritable pop-rock
feast...Hey Man! is a masterful work from an artist with talent
to spare."
-Goldmine
"Lovestruck pop of uncommon intelligence...he
joins a proud line with his smart, singalongable LP."
-L.A. Style
"Great rock tunes
in the grand Beatles/Byrds/Dylan/Who tradition, with complex lyric/rhyme
schemes that warrant the invention of the phrase Heymanesque."
-East Coast Rocker
"This is one of the most impressive
debut albums I've heard in ages...Living Room!! is brilliant and so
is Heyman's future."
-San Diego Reader
"Living Room!!
is one of those great unknown pop gems that music fans continually
search for...His songs are pure magic."
-Nashville Scene
"Remarkable songs...Heyman's claim
to future fame is indisputable."
-The Musician's Exchange
"His tight pop
song structures stick out from the pack."
-CMJ New Music
Report
"A striking collection of fourteen
brilliant-crafted pop gems...Heyman comes off like a modern day Ray
Davies."
-Friday Morning Quarterback
"Pretty classy
sound for an album that was indeed recorded in a converted living
room...a fine songwriter in the early Beatles tradition."
-Rock & Roll
Confidential
"The most refreshing album I've
heard all year."
-Boulder Daily Camera
"The debut from
Richard X. Heyman knocked me off my seat from the first listen...the
strongest introduction I've had to any artist in quite a while."
-Blow Out Your
Speakers
"Folk melodies sandwiched between
brilliant harmonies, all in the name of pop...a remarkable achievement
of a singular kind."
-Alternative Press International
"This multi-talented
musician sings and plays with the immediacy and directness of a songwriter
who knows exactly how he wants his songs to sound. Hey Man!
is a sonic painting of one man's musical universe, colored with extremely
catchy, rewarding tunes...every other song on this album could have
been released as a single."
-Discovery
"A stunning piece of work...exceptional,
catchy, witty, and meaningful."
LA Express
"Heyman comes
up a winner, full of Byrdsy harmonies and stainless steel riffs -
a convincing case for the continuing viability of 60's pop in the
90's."
-Boston Phoenix
"This is the sound to make pop
music whole again...Heyman's songs have that classic pop air about
them that chases the blues away."
-Alternative Press
"He compromises
none of his creative integrity on Hey Man!, his major-label
debut, again playing virtually all of the instruments and writing
snappy, well-crafted pop songs...once you get beyond the clever hooks,
you'll still be marveling at Heyman's effortless command of melody
and his ability to sound like a terrific rock'n'roll band all by himself."
-CD Review
"A great band which consists of
Heyman, Heyman, and Heyman. Playing everything himself and sounding
like the tightest band around.
-CMJ New Music Report
"Songwriting so
facile and hook-thick it seems a matter of instinct."
-Pulse Magazine
"If there were any justice in
this world, Richard X. Heyman would be a household name. Hey Man!
offers over a dozen well-written and well-played no-nonsense power
pop tunes that are even all the more amazing since every backing vocal
and every instrument is played by none other than Heyman. A+"
-Times News
"From the utterly
addictive, bright opening of 'Falling Away' to the final notes on
this fourteen cut collection, Heyman's music dances with a life of
its own, and it insists that you dance, too."
-Record Journal
"An amazing potpourri of musical
styles and genres, all anchored by Heyman's unique pop sensibilities
and rich voice...Destined for most critics' end-of-the-year top album
polls...Rings with a joy and exuberance that the listener immediately
picks up on; a stunning album.
-Sun 'n' Fun
"Heyman is an
immensely talented and extremely underrated artist."
-Sunday Republican
"Nearly every cut is a pop gem...Hey
Man! is both impressive and fun. 'A'."
-Lincoln Nebraska Journal
"If you were pushing
buttons in the car and came across Heyman's music, you would think
you had found an obscure song on a classic rock station and you'd
stay tuned."
-High Performance
Review
"Meet Richard X. Heyman -- drummer,
guitarist, keyboardist, Civil War buff and pop writer extraordinaire.
Seemingly he dropped from the sky with what may be the year's best
pop/rock outing. Where did this guy come from? He just seemed to appear
out of nowhere with a lifetime supply of stellar tunes. Hey Man! is
unique and magical."
-Republican American
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