Review of Guy Michetti's CD - All In My Mind Reviewer - Barry Andrews Songs give you a better attitude about life; positive vibrations throughout; clean, understandable lyrics; strong vocal work. Guy Michetti joins the legion of acoustic-styled singer/songwriter types from the United States. Ever since the massive success of John Mayer, there seems to be overflow of artists hanging around the same pub. Thankfully, Michetti is quite removed from Mayer or his clones. In fact, "All In My Mind" seems to originate from an altogether different era, sometime between the mid-to-late '70s, heavily informed by Bruce Springsteen and even John Cougar Mellencamp. Despite the ode to the East Coast, "A New York City Life," this is classic heartland American rock & roll, and Michetti has the vocal punch and ringing guitars to make it sound contemporary. The melodies are strong, and there's one slice of infectious pop after another like "She's My Only One" and "I Believe in Make Believe." I normally avoid songs named after girls because they're usually cliched; however, "Dianne" is downright pretty. In fact, there's nothing ugly at all on this record, pretty shocking for anything released in 2004. Reviewer - Adam Harrington "In a cynical, violent world, the heartwarming acoustic rock of singer/songwriter Guy Michetti seems out of place somehow - and refreshingly so. Free from post-alternative ennui, Michetti has produced a collection of gentle guitar-pop tunes with an emotionally uplifting touch. The opening track, "A New York City Life," sets the style and tone for the rest of the record as jangly guitars and Michetti's understated vocals create an atmosphere of love and peace. To the gloom merchants among you, it may sound old-fashioned and corny; however, after a decade of hearing angry young kids scream suicidal prose in my ears, I welcome Michetti with a friendly handshake. "A New York City Life" has the hummable melodicism of the Byrds while "All In My Mind" soars with Tom Petty's finest. And Michetti isn't afraid to stretch his creative reach, going for a Phil Spector-ish Wall of Sound on "She's My Only One" and classic country on "Who Took My Freedom Away?" Despite the album's overall feelgood appeal, Michetti doesn't shy away from social commentary like on "A Long, Long Time Ago." "All In My Mind" is the sound of a man who has studied the greats - the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan - and passed the exam with an A plus." Review of Guy Michetti's CD "All In MY Mind" Reviewer - Colin Lynch "I first heard 'A New York City Life' by Guy Michetti sometime in March and I was absolutely knocked out! I've always had this thing for New York and New Yorkers and yet I've never been there... maybe it's got something to do with the fact that Liverpool is a port and almost everyone emigrated to the States via Liverpool and New York back in the day. Either way, that 'thing' drew me to the opening track and on to this incredibly talented singer songwriter. Guy has mastered socially perceptive, subjective, and objective songwriting in a way that deserves the kind of praise and appreciation you'd normally expect to find after the fourth encore at a huge stadium, but as we're not at a stadium, Guy Michetti and this magnificent album of his 'All in my mind' are just gonna have to put up with my ramblings for the time being at least! The album opens with A New York City life, and you have to admit that Guy has reinvented a much written and sung about subject theme by making it sparkle with compassion, empathy, and respect in a way that only he could. I love the guitar and vocal work in this track... highly skilled and perhaps more importantly, highly thought and emotion provoking. Guy's vocal athletics are highly captivating and to prove the theory to be true, I've played this track to a whole host of people from varying backgrounds and geographical beginnings. Not one person dared to interrupt the proceedings... not even to cough or to light a cigarette for fear of the peer group bashing that would have been likely to occur! Can't you see the lonely? features a lovely blend of harmonica and streetwise vocal meanderings. This is one of those songs that combines excellent social insight with excellent lyrical mosaics that leave you very impressed indeed. I'm beginning to see lot's of sentiment and heartfelt compassion in Guy's songwriting and we're only at track two! Can't you see the lonely isn't as melancholy as you might expect from such a title, it actually makes you feel good in knowing that the sentiments and compassion that should be etched in all of us, are far more widespread than some people would have you believe! All in my mind is the song that many of the world's best songwriters probably would have wished they'd written. It's a wonderful song played by wonderful musicians and produced with care and an impeccable ear for excellence! The arrangement is truly superb and I can imagine this song doing really well in live performance. In saying that, if you are ever 'out there' at a time when Guy is performing... you'd be in dire need of some truly efficacious medication if you didn't have the sense to go and see this guy perform! One of the most brilliant songs I've heard in a long time goes by the title of My Only Love - it has Brian Wilson flickerings all over it production wise, but the songwriting again is truly spellbinding in this amazing love song for every audio-equiped generation with sensible ears. The guitar, piano, and harmonies in this track are cleverly integrated and I can imagine everyone who worked on this track felt like they could walk on water after the final mixdown! You did a fantastic job Guy... and I do hope there's more of this calibre to come! A long, long time ago just happens to have instantly awakened my memories of that 70s girl I lost a long, long time ago and I find myself struggling to get my attention back to the song! Now that takes real lyrical grandeur and the likes of which you'd only find from seasoned professionals if you ask me... talk about thought provoking! In my attempt to become 'all objective' again, I have to rewind the track back to the beginning and concentrate harder... again, the vocals, piano, guitars and drums are absolutely incredibly well performed and produced. When the harmonica comes back at around the 4.35 mark, you are completely and utterly astonished! Thanks guy... but I need a stiff drink before I move on to the next one! The opening of I believe in make believe is just what I needed to escape from the powerful sojourn I embarked upon in listening to the last song where i was involuntarily dragged into a pool of sentiment and nostalgia. I'm beginning to realize now that this is one of the finest albums I have heard in a very long time and I'm also beginning to wish Guy Michetti lived next door! This is a superbly crafted song that does the trick for us adults as well as for us kids! It's self realization time without introspection or negativism.. in fact it's quite the opposite... what a superbly affluent songwriter this 'Guy' really is! Now let me elucidate... how many songwriters do you know that could conceivably attach themselves to this genre and do such a fine job! Watch out for the magnificent keyboard work from Gregg Deppe... it's the stuff of dreams but then so is the song! Who took my freedom away? is laden with some truly amazing musicianship that blankets and caresses the lyrics and vocals magnificently. A whole host of American States and Cities are highlighted in the crafted and skilled lyrics but the musical arrangements are drawn from just about every inch of the United States in this wonderfully patriotic yet socially injured perspective. The fiddle and banjo playing here are absolutely brilliant and help to detract somewhat from any harshnesses in the honesty and integrity of the song. Either way... Who took my freedom away is without doubt one of the best written social commentaries of our times I have seen in years! With Dianne, Guy ventures into the twilight realm of the kind of ballads that stop people in their tracks within the first two sentences being sung and Dianne really is beautifully and passionately sung! The blend of intimacy in the vocals and the sweetness in the guitar playing works magic for your ears and you find yourself quickly drawn into the composer's world of feeling without ever thinking about reaching out to stop yourself! Dianne is quite simply superb! She can cry rakes up the beat and invokes the rock for the roll with expert production and really brilliant collective musicianship. Watch out for the magnificently styled Seventies sax and Seventies superstar piano and percussion work. Guy's vocals are widely engaging but that's something we've all come to expect now... what's particularly ear catching however, is the fact that these guys are obviously having fun in this one and it alI goes in to making me wish I could see them live! I wonder how much a flight to New York will cost me if I save up??? With She'll Be There I'm at the point of exhaustion! Does this 'Guy' not know any creative or inspirational limits? I really like the way the arrangements for all of the songs on this album have their own sprinklings of star light at some of the most unexpected places and the same is certainly true in this song. There's some fine bass playing in this song and, as a bass player myself, I'm actually a little envious of how well the drums and bass work intricately together here. Then there's the now immortalized magnificence in the keyboard work... very well played and positioned and almost certainly the icing on this very fine but rare musically accomplished cake! A castle for your heart is one more of those prize winning Michetti adventures in songwriting wizardry. Prepare yourself for the 2.30 mark... it's where the likes of Elvis Costello and Brian Wilson have often familiarized themselves when they were at the peak of their careers. I mention brian and Elvis in this case because they really do share the same pedestal that I have unhesitatingly placed Guy Michetti upon. The man is a lyrically blessed songwriting Saint and this absolute certainty is also blatantly obvious in the final track on the album I don't want love. Thank God I also have a copy of Guy's other album 'Headin' for the crossroads! The poor guy would have been cajoled into legging it down to the post office at the crack of dawn just to appease my newly acquired but somewhat under-nourished musical appetite for excellence! With I don't want love, we're dragged kicking and screaming into that little rejectful but highly addictive world we'd rather not venture into.. the occasional one we've all encountered were fresh morning kisses are born and night time tears are swiftly brushed away. It's hats off again to a fine band who have delivered a truly magnificent performance and to a man who really should have realized by now that he is much much more than just one hell-of-a-Guy!
Reviewer - Barry Andrews Songs give you a better attitude about life; positive vibrations throughout; clean, understandable lyrics; strong vocal work. Guy Michetti joins the legion of acoustic-styled singer/songwriter types from the United States. Ever since the massive success of John Mayer, there seems to be overflow of artists hanging around the same pub. Thankfully, Michetti is quite removed from Mayer or his clones. In fact, "All In My Mind" seems to originate from an altogether different era, sometime between the mid-to-late '70s, heavily informed by Bruce Springsteen and even John Cougar Mellencamp. Despite the ode to the East Coast, "A New York City Life," this is classic heartland American rock & roll, and Michetti has the vocal punch and ringing guitars to make it sound contemporary. The melodies are strong, and there's one slice of infectious pop after another like "She's My Only One" and "I Believe in Make Believe." I normally avoid songs named after girls because they're usually cliched; however, "Dianne" is downright pretty. In fact, there's nothing ugly at all on this record, pretty shocking for anything released in 2004.
Reviewer - Adam Harrington "In a cynical, violent world, the heartwarming acoustic rock of singer/songwriter Guy Michetti seems out of place somehow - and refreshingly so. Free from post-alternative ennui, Michetti has produced a collection of gentle guitar-pop tunes with an emotionally uplifting touch. The opening track, "A New York City Life," sets the style and tone for the rest of the record as jangly guitars and Michetti's understated vocals create an atmosphere of love and peace. To the gloom merchants among you, it may sound old-fashioned and corny; however, after a decade of hearing angry young kids scream suicidal prose in my ears, I welcome Michetti with a friendly handshake. "A New York City Life" has the hummable melodicism of the Byrds while "All In My Mind" soars with Tom Petty's finest. And Michetti isn't afraid to stretch his creative reach, going for a Phil Spector-ish Wall of Sound on "She's My Only One" and classic country on "Who Took My Freedom Away?" Despite the album's overall feelgood appeal, Michetti doesn't shy away from social commentary like on "A Long, Long Time Ago." "All In My Mind" is the sound of a man who has studied the greats - the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan - and passed the exam with an A plus."
Review of Guy Michetti's CD "All In MY Mind" Reviewer - Colin Lynch "I first heard 'A New York City Life' by Guy Michetti sometime in March and I was absolutely knocked out! I've always had this thing for New York and New Yorkers and yet I've never been there... maybe it's got something to do with the fact that Liverpool is a port and almost everyone emigrated to the States via Liverpool and New York back in the day. Either way, that 'thing' drew me to the opening track and on to this incredibly talented singer songwriter. Guy has mastered socially perceptive, subjective, and objective songwriting in a way that deserves the kind of praise and appreciation you'd normally expect to find after the fourth encore at a huge stadium, but as we're not at a stadium, Guy Michetti and this magnificent album of his 'All in my mind' are just gonna have to put up with my ramblings for the time being at least! The album opens with A New York City life, and you have to admit that Guy has reinvented a much written and sung about subject theme by making it sparkle with compassion, empathy, and respect in a way that only he could. I love the guitar and vocal work in this track... highly skilled and perhaps more importantly, highly thought and emotion provoking. Guy's vocal athletics are highly captivating and to prove the theory to be true, I've played this track to a whole host of people from varying backgrounds and geographical beginnings. Not one person dared to interrupt the proceedings... not even to cough or to light a cigarette for fear of the peer group bashing that would have been likely to occur! Can't you see the lonely? features a lovely blend of harmonica and streetwise vocal meanderings. This is one of those songs that combines excellent social insight with excellent lyrical mosaics that leave you very impressed indeed. I'm beginning to see lot's of sentiment and heartfelt compassion in Guy's songwriting and we're only at track two! Can't you see the lonely isn't as melancholy as you might expect from such a title, it actually makes you feel good in knowing that the sentiments and compassion that should be etched in all of us, are far more widespread than some people would have you believe! All in my mind is the song that many of the world's best songwriters probably would have wished they'd written. It's a wonderful song played by wonderful musicians and produced with care and an impeccable ear for excellence! The arrangement is truly superb and I can imagine this song doing really well in live performance. In saying that, if you are ever 'out there' at a time when Guy is performing... you'd be in dire need of some truly efficacious medication if you didn't have the sense to go and see this guy perform! One of the most brilliant songs I've heard in a long time goes by the title of My Only Love - it has Brian Wilson flickerings all over it production wise, but the songwriting again is truly spellbinding in this amazing love song for every audio-equiped generation with sensible ears. The guitar, piano, and harmonies in this track are cleverly integrated and I can imagine everyone who worked on this track felt like they could walk on water after the final mixdown! You did a fantastic job Guy... and I do hope there's more of this calibre to come! A long, long time ago just happens to have instantly awakened my memories of that 70s girl I lost a long, long time ago and I find myself struggling to get my attention back to the song! Now that takes real lyrical grandeur and the likes of which you'd only find from seasoned professionals if you ask me... talk about thought provoking! In my attempt to become 'all objective' again, I have to rewind the track back to the beginning and concentrate harder... again, the vocals, piano, guitars and drums are absolutely incredibly well performed and produced. When the harmonica comes back at around the 4.35 mark, you are completely and utterly astonished! Thanks guy... but I need a stiff drink before I move on to the next one! The opening of I believe in make believe is just what I needed to escape from the powerful sojourn I embarked upon in listening to the last song where i was involuntarily dragged into a pool of sentiment and nostalgia. I'm beginning to realize now that this is one of the finest albums I have heard in a very long time and I'm also beginning to wish Guy Michetti lived next door! This is a superbly crafted song that does the trick for us adults as well as for us kids! It's self realization time without introspection or negativism.. in fact it's quite the opposite... what a superbly affluent songwriter this 'Guy' really is! Now let me elucidate... how many songwriters do you know that could conceivably attach themselves to this genre and do such a fine job! Watch out for the magnificent keyboard work from Gregg Deppe... it's the stuff of dreams but then so is the song! Who took my freedom away? is laden with some truly amazing musicianship that blankets and caresses the lyrics and vocals magnificently. A whole host of American States and Cities are highlighted in the crafted and skilled lyrics but the musical arrangements are drawn from just about every inch of the United States in this wonderfully patriotic yet socially injured perspective. The fiddle and banjo playing here are absolutely brilliant and help to detract somewhat from any harshnesses in the honesty and integrity of the song. Either way... Who took my freedom away is without doubt one of the best written social commentaries of our times I have seen in years! With Dianne, Guy ventures into the twilight realm of the kind of ballads that stop people in their tracks within the first two sentences being sung and Dianne really is beautifully and passionately sung! The blend of intimacy in the vocals and the sweetness in the guitar playing works magic for your ears and you find yourself quickly drawn into the composer's world of feeling without ever thinking about reaching out to stop yourself! Dianne is quite simply superb! She can cry rakes up the beat and invokes the rock for the roll with expert production and really brilliant collective musicianship. Watch out for the magnificently styled Seventies sax and Seventies superstar piano and percussion work. Guy's vocals are widely engaging but that's something we've all come to expect now... what's particularly ear catching however, is the fact that these guys are obviously having fun in this one and it alI goes in to making me wish I could see them live! I wonder how much a flight to New York will cost me if I save up??? With She'll Be There I'm at the point of exhaustion! Does this 'Guy' not know any creative or inspirational limits? I really like the way the arrangements for all of the songs on this album have their own sprinklings of star light at some of the most unexpected places and the same is certainly true in this song. There's some fine bass playing in this song and, as a bass player myself, I'm actually a little envious of how well the drums and bass work intricately together here. Then there's the now immortalized magnificence in the keyboard work... very well played and positioned and almost certainly the icing on this very fine but rare musically accomplished cake! A castle for your heart is one more of those prize winning Michetti adventures in songwriting wizardry. Prepare yourself for the 2.30 mark... it's where the likes of Elvis Costello and Brian Wilson have often familiarized themselves when they were at the peak of their careers. I mention brian and Elvis in this case because they really do share the same pedestal that I have unhesitatingly placed Guy Michetti upon. The man is a lyrically blessed songwriting Saint and this absolute certainty is also blatantly obvious in the final track on the album I don't want love. Thank God I also have a copy of Guy's other album 'Headin' for the crossroads! The poor guy would have been cajoled into legging it down to the post office at the crack of dawn just to appease my newly acquired but somewhat under-nourished musical appetite for excellence! With I don't want love, we're dragged kicking and screaming into that little rejectful but highly addictive world we'd rather not venture into.. the occasional one we've all encountered were fresh morning kisses are born and night time tears are swiftly brushed away. It's hats off again to a fine band who have delivered a truly magnificent performance and to a man who really should have realized by now that he is much much more than just one hell-of-a-Guy!