CD Review
Anthony Paule
Hiding In Plain Sight
(Blue Dot Records BDR CD 104)
by Dick Houff
Review date: November 2001
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1999 KBA Award Winner
Achievement for Blues on the Internet
Presented by the Blues Foundation
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My favorite lady in the "Bay Area" Christine Vitale put this one in my hands-she also co-wrote four of the original songs on this outing. We have a few months to go before January, and in all honesty, this new disc from Anthony Paule is going to hit my "Top 5" list! If you dug "Big Guitar"-his first on Blue Dot; you'll want to definitely check out
"Hiding In Plain Sight." Anthony Paule is highly original and a fine songwriter. He has that very special "West Coast Blues" sound, and knows how to take it into his own domain. In an unquestionable world of high-tech chaos; we still have our music. Anthony's sound takes the edge off and makes you feel pretty damn good. The first song "Goin' Home" takes off like a bullet; "West Coast" jump with an East coast appeal-think "Duke's Place" ala Charles Mingus in uptempo! The second track totally blew my head off! I have always defended musicians who step outside the so-called norm; the guy or gal that digs taking chances-and man, Paule went way out on a limb and pulled it off with a cover of "Town Without A Pity!" My God, a major hit by Gene Pitney!
Anthony's wife kept bugging him about recording the song, and the rest is history; an instrumental minus the lyrics. I knew a lot of Gene Pitney fans on the way back train-and a few closet guy fans that played the platters when no one was listening: sisters, girlfriends, etc.-so you caught me. Okay, going into the third track "Can't Get The Time Of Day" takes you for a ride via the Hammond B3 and Paule's flawless picking-dig the single string back slides and turn arounds-too cool! A killer horn section takes over on track four: "Sy Spy" -a fantasy conception piece with killer fret work and guitar gymnastics from Paule, one of my favorites. Track five is a very bluesy mood piece with Ms. Dee on vocals as we hit the halfway mark. The final five: "I'm Not
Crazy Yet" / "You Sure Drive A Hard Bargain" / "Cutest Kitten" / "Denise And The Nephew" / and "Twistin' With A.P." go the extra distance into near perfection. My highest recommendations.
This review is copyright © 2001 by Dick Houff, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.
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