“Dandelion Wishes and Atheist Prayers” – Phil Burdett (Released 1 April 2006)
Review by Jago Bernicci
I confess to having used a CD copier to make copies of Phil Burdett’s first three CDs….I hasten to add that this was not for a bootlegging operation (I bought the originals – honest!), but simply because they wore out through over-use!
I fear the same fate for his fourth offering – “Dandelion Wishes and Atheist Prayers”, released in April 2006.
Burdett’s aforementioned first three CDs (“Deisel Poems”, “Patchouli Electric” and “See You Later, Forever”) all demonstrate his ability to write and perform songs which cross a multitude of musical genres (Folk, Blues, Rock, C&W etc., etc.). The new album does this more than ever.
“Dandelion Wishes and Atheist Prayers” features the talented “Phil Burdett Group, who along with some renowned session artists join with Burdett’s guitar and gravel voice to create the sound, or to be more accurate - “mood”.
In my opinion, this album has the potential to launch Burdett as a cult artist who will appeal to enthusiasts of several musical genres, and like watching your favourite film, you get something new each time you listen to this album.
Burdett has in the past been compared with artists such as Van Morrison, Jeff Buckley, Brian Wilson and others. For me, “Dandelion Wishes and Atheist Prayers”, adds Johnny Cash to this distinguished list, particularly in the tracks - “Be that Woman” and “Ballad of the Bear”. I am not suggesting plagiarism here, just illustrating the ease with which Burdett jumps from style to style without compromising his credibility or ability to put together great songs, which are performed and arranged brilliantly.
“Let madness Waltz” and “Whenever” are thoughtful ballads from the top drawer, “Mother of Pearl ” and “Honeymind” are up-tempo catchy numbers, and the haunting fiddle (Jerry Bloom) on “Darkness in Exile” complements Burdett’s emotion-laden voice perfectly.
Review by Jago Bernicci
I confess to having used a CD copier to make copies of Phil Burdett’s first three CDs….I hasten to add that this was not for a bootlegging operation (I bought the originals – honest!), but simply because they wore out through over-use!
I fear the same fate for his fourth offering – “Dandelion Wishes and Atheist Prayers”, released in April 2006.
Burdett’s aforementioned first three CDs (“Deisel Poems”, “Patchouli Electric” and “See You Later, Forever”) all demonstrate his ability to write and perform songs which cross a multitude of musical genres (Folk, Blues, Rock, C&W etc., etc.). The new album does this more than ever.
“Dandelion Wishes and Atheist Prayers” features the talented “Phil Burdett Group, who along with some renowned session artists join with Burdett’s guitar and gravel voice to create the sound, or to be more accurate - “mood”.
In my opinion, this album has the potential to launch Burdett as a cult artist who will appeal to enthusiasts of several musical genres, and like watching your favourite film, you get something new each time you listen to this album.
Burdett has in the past been compared with artists such as Van Morrison, Jeff Buckley, Brian Wilson and others. For me, “Dandelion Wishes and Atheist Prayers”, adds Johnny Cash to this distinguished list, particularly in the tracks - “Be that Woman” and “Ballad of the Bear”. I am not suggesting plagiarism here, just illustrating the ease with which Burdett jumps from style to style without compromising his credibility or ability to put together great songs, which are performed and arranged brilliantly.
“Let madness Waltz” and “Whenever” are thoughtful ballads from the top drawer, “Mother of Pearl ” and “Honeymind” are up-tempo catchy numbers, and the haunting fiddle (Jerry Bloom) on “Darkness in Exile” complements Burdett’s emotion-laden voice perfectly.