from Jean-Jacques Corrio of Le Cri du Coyote, a french review about american music for the Oct/Nov 2010 issue (English Translation):
Fans of Crosby Stills Nash & Young, come closer and listen here. As you might remember, a few years ago John Batdorf was reviewed with his previous album 'Home Again'. Now he's back, with his course of action unchanged: reviving the spirit of the 70's, with vocal harmonies and folk-rock guitars. The long list of vocal efforts in the accompaniment contains a number of people he has worked together with in the past, like Michael McLean and James Lee Stanley. John has written all eleven songs himself and the album comes with a feeling of at least 40 years rejuvenation. Surely, that must be priceless!
Fans of Crosby Stills Nash & Young, come closer and listen here. As you might remember, a few years ago John Batdorf was reviewed with his previous album 'Home Again'. Now he's back, with his course of action unchanged: reviving the spirit of the 70's, with vocal harmonies and folk-rock guitars. The long list of vocal efforts in the accompaniment contains a number of people he has worked together with in the past, like Michael McLean and James Lee Stanley. John has written all eleven songs himself and the album comes with a feeling of at least 40 years rejuvenation. Surely, that must be priceless!
- JJC / Le Cri Du Coyote -
--------------------------------------From Country Fried Rock
posted Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Country Fried Rock usually chats with singers and songwriters at the beginning of their professional careers, and John Batdorf is there, too--after forty years in the music business.
Commercial publications often liken an artist with longevity as "reinventing" himself, but for Batdorf, he has lucked into several opportunities, with a lot of work and the vision to recognize an opening when it presents itself. From a Mid-Western teen seeking sunshine in California, to a one-hit wonder duo, to a great band whose label folded just before the release of their album, to a session musician, to TV theme/jingle/movie composer, to a reunion tour, and now finding his own voice, John Batdorf brings his history, but not his baggage, to today's CD, Old Man Dreamin'.
http://www.johnbatdorfmusic.com/
With overtly biographical songs, Batdorf manages to reminisce without being bitter, but clearly embraces where he is now without longing for the past. Many acoustic guiter-weilding singers faded from the public eye with the rise of disco and punk and then music television (like The Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star") but technology has permanently altered music delivery, so that the "industrial machine" is not the only method of getting one's music to an audience.
Batdorf utilizes social networking and digital distribution like the professional that he is. He runs on the dual fuels of the drive to create and the boost from performing. Country Fried Rock is excited to share our chat with a musician of such depth.
Commercial publications often liken an artist with longevity as "reinventing" himself, but for Batdorf, he has lucked into several opportunities, with a lot of work and the vision to recognize an opening when it presents itself. From a Mid-Western teen seeking sunshine in California, to a one-hit wonder duo, to a great band whose label folded just before the release of their album, to a session musician, to TV theme/jingle/movie composer, to a reunion tour, and now finding his own voice, John Batdorf brings his history, but not his baggage, to today's CD, Old Man Dreamin'.
http://www.johnbatdorfmusic.com/
With overtly biographical songs, Batdorf manages to reminisce without being bitter, but clearly embraces where he is now without longing for the past. Many acoustic guiter-weilding singers faded from the public eye with the rise of disco and punk and then music television (like The Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star") but technology has permanently altered music delivery, so that the "industrial machine" is not the only method of getting one's music to an audience.
Batdorf utilizes social networking and digital distribution like the professional that he is. He runs on the dual fuels of the drive to create and the boost from performing. Country Fried Rock is excited to share our chat with a musician of such depth.
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From Pär Winberg / Melodic Net
Sweden
Direct Link to Review
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Review of OLD MAN DREAMIN' from Indie Showcase in Australia
Posted 9/11/09
Direct Link
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OLD MAN DREAMIN' review by Michelle Williams
Michelle's Music Magazine
Published Monday 24 August 2009
Direct Link
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From the Featured Musicians and Artists
Blog on Blogspot by
Published Friday, August 7, 2009
Direct Link
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From Wildy's World, 7/30/09
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Review: John Batdorf - Old Man Dreamin'
John Batdorf - Old Man Dreamin'
2009, BatMat Music
2009, BatMat Music
John Batdorf has been pleasing audiences since his early days with Batdorf & Rodney in the 1970's. Over the years Batdorf has refused to stand still musically. He's been a top-flight session singer in L.A., a composer for TV shows such as Touched By An Angel and Promised Land, and continued to write and record songs both as a solo performer and with folks such as Mark Rodney and Michael McLean. Batdorf has always had a touch for acoustic pop/rock songwriting but in recent years seems to have developed a deeper love of melody and harmonies and a penchant for story-driven songwriting. These qualities are omnipresent on Batdorf's latest CD, Old Man Dreamin'.
John Batdorf sounds like a cross between The Eagles and Shaw/Blades on much of Old Man Dreamin'. His voice is golden, and the vocal harmonies border on angelic at times. The CD opens with What D'Ya Got, a musical treatise on what love really means to each of us, particularly in tough times. If Batdorf had written this song thirty years ago he'd own half of California by now. Love: All I really Know About It sticks with a similar theme. The harmonies are amazing and the song is intelligently written without getting mushy or cliché. That Don't Seem Right To Me is an anthem for the days we are living in. Batdorf starts with the fact that the current fiscal crisis finds the banks and bankers who caused it getting rescued by the folks it most affects (all of us), while we struggle to make ends meet with disappearing jobs, falling wages and high prices; he goes on to detail a number of things about modern life that just don't fit together. The song is wonderfully written in a strong and steady pop style that could gain it some real attention.
Will I Love You Forever is an honest song about love and what it should be. Old Man Dreamin' is bluesy classic rock gone acoustic. The arrangement on this one is amazing, and the sound highly reminiscent of Shaw/Blades. I Thought I'd Try A Love Song is a cute tune that takes a darkly ironic turn in the closing moments. Ain't No Way turns out to be my personal favorite, with a vibrant bass line to the instrumental magic created by the violin and acoustic guitar. The vocals and harmonies here are gorgeous. Don't Tell Me Goodbye has a classic country heartbreaker sense to it as a plea from a man on the verge of losing all he wants. Sixteen changes pace and gears significantly in a disturbing but well-told bit social commentary. I don't know the specific premise behind the song but a few would apply quite well. I Will Rise closes out Old Man Dreamin' in a musical version of Jack Nicholson's line from As Good As It Gets, "You make me wanna be a better man". This is pure mix-tape material for the more mature crowd; a wonderfully well-written tune.
John Batdorf has always had a distinctive talent for songwriting and a golden voice to deliver those songs, but over time he's really grown into his songwriting in a fashion that borders on transcendental. Old Man Dreamin' is an incredibly vibrant set of songs based in honest thought, word- and song craft and some of the prettiest melodies you're likely to find in Folk or Pop music. Make sure you take some time to spend with John Batdorf's Old Man Dreamin'; it's quite an album.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5). You can learn more about John Batdorf at http://www.johnbatdorfmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/johnbatdorf.
Old Man Dreamin’ is available for purchase through JohnBatdorfMusic.com
or download through ItsAboutMusic.com
John Batdorf sounds like a cross between The Eagles and Shaw/Blades on much of Old Man Dreamin'. His voice is golden, and the vocal harmonies border on angelic at times. The CD opens with What D'Ya Got, a musical treatise on what love really means to each of us, particularly in tough times. If Batdorf had written this song thirty years ago he'd own half of California by now. Love: All I really Know About It sticks with a similar theme. The harmonies are amazing and the song is intelligently written without getting mushy or cliché. That Don't Seem Right To Me is an anthem for the days we are living in. Batdorf starts with the fact that the current fiscal crisis finds the banks and bankers who caused it getting rescued by the folks it most affects (all of us), while we struggle to make ends meet with disappearing jobs, falling wages and high prices; he goes on to detail a number of things about modern life that just don't fit together. The song is wonderfully written in a strong and steady pop style that could gain it some real attention.
Will I Love You Forever is an honest song about love and what it should be. Old Man Dreamin' is bluesy classic rock gone acoustic. The arrangement on this one is amazing, and the sound highly reminiscent of Shaw/Blades. I Thought I'd Try A Love Song is a cute tune that takes a darkly ironic turn in the closing moments. Ain't No Way turns out to be my personal favorite, with a vibrant bass line to the instrumental magic created by the violin and acoustic guitar. The vocals and harmonies here are gorgeous. Don't Tell Me Goodbye has a classic country heartbreaker sense to it as a plea from a man on the verge of losing all he wants. Sixteen changes pace and gears significantly in a disturbing but well-told bit social commentary. I don't know the specific premise behind the song but a few would apply quite well. I Will Rise closes out Old Man Dreamin' in a musical version of Jack Nicholson's line from As Good As It Gets, "You make me wanna be a better man". This is pure mix-tape material for the more mature crowd; a wonderfully well-written tune.
John Batdorf has always had a distinctive talent for songwriting and a golden voice to deliver those songs, but over time he's really grown into his songwriting in a fashion that borders on transcendental. Old Man Dreamin' is an incredibly vibrant set of songs based in honest thought, word- and song craft and some of the prettiest melodies you're likely to find in Folk or Pop music. Make sure you take some time to spend with John Batdorf's Old Man Dreamin'; it's quite an album.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5). You can learn more about John Batdorf at http://www.johnbatdorfmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/johnbatdorf.
Old Man Dreamin’ is available for purchase through JohnBatdorfMusic.com
or download through ItsAboutMusic.com
----------------------------------
From RadioIndy, 7/9/09
"Old Man Dreamin'" Reviewed by RadioIndy.com!
| POSTED BY: momof5pacs | POSTED ON: 09 Jul 2009 07:34 PM |
-Diane and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team | |
From Bob Lefsetz 7/8/09
Click to read the wonderful OLD MAN DREAMIN' Review by Bob Lefsetz
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From MIDWEST RECORD, 6/25/09
BATMAC MUSIC
JOHN BATDORF/Old Man Dreamin’: There’s a bunch of singer/songwriters, mostly focused in California, who never really grabbed the gold ring but never really went away either. In the last few years, maybe because of the net, these ‘old friends’ have been coming out of the woodwork with new stuff that simply connects. Without fear of failure or judgement, they’re playing from the heart and making music that makes sense to them. Batdorf is certainly one of the leaders of this pack. His latest set, which has the least to do with nostalgia than his recent run of indy releases, finds him back on the front lines like Nixon was still in office, but he’s looking at the problems of today. It’s not all a bitchfest, he just gets the problems of the common man off his chest with the fiery opening track. The rest deals with the changes we didn’t expect to be hitting at this point of life at this point in time. He’s on point throughout with a contemporary set on aging, whether he planned it that way or not. A great lion in winter singer/songwriter effort from someone that shows he did deserve the brass ring all along.
JOHN BATDORF/Old Man Dreamin’: There’s a bunch of singer/songwriters, mostly focused in California, who never really grabbed the gold ring but never really went away either. In the last few years, maybe because of the net, these ‘old friends’ have been coming out of the woodwork with new stuff that simply connects. Without fear of failure or judgement, they’re playing from the heart and making music that makes sense to them. Batdorf is certainly one of the leaders of this pack. His latest set, which has the least to do with nostalgia than his recent run of indy releases, finds him back on the front lines like Nixon was still in office, but he’s looking at the problems of today. It’s not all a bitchfest, he just gets the problems of the common man off his chest with the fiery opening track. The rest deals with the changes we didn’t expect to be hitting at this point of life at this point in time. He’s on point throughout with a contemporary set on aging, whether he planned it that way or not. A great lion in winter singer/songwriter effort from someone that shows he did deserve the brass ring all along.
Volume 32/Number 237
June 25, 2009
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2009 Midwest Record
