News

THOSE TEARS I’VE CRIED by Steve Scott Country is an intriguing release which succeeds in both striving to conform and challenge convention. With a very slick presentation and set up, Steve seems to have a firm idea of where he is heading. The radio friendly vibes which Steve does not hide as an intended influence are prevalent across the record and the themes will resonate with many. You get the impression that Steve is a highly focussed and principled person and there is sufficient merit in the record to buy into what he is trying to achieve.

The slogans and hyperbole liberally frequent his online profile and they are not too far from the mark in suggesting that Steve Scott is attempting to marry the ideals of country music with the more urban sounds of Detroit, Michigan. Certainly many bases are covered throughout the eleven tracks which make up Steve’s sophomore solo release. One concern is whether there is enough country in it for that genre or being suitably progressive enough  for the wider Americana movement. Perhaps the best way to enjoy the record is to lap up its multifaceted approach to music making and the styles it touches regardless of the purist response.

The hat image and country addition to his name will add weight to recognition in that genre but it is much better focusing on the excellent sentimental ballad ‘Halo’ which is a pure country home style song and is my favourite track on the album. The title track ‘Those Tears I’ve Cried’ follows in a similar vein with a steel-driven mellow sound in contrast to the plethora of pop/rock which decorates a fair proportion of the album including the aesthetically pleasing opener ‘I Think About You’. Any link to the sounds of Detroit will inevitably lead to soul and there are a couple of tracks leaning in this direction. ‘Thoughts About Fire’ and ‘Geronimo’ fall into this category with the latter fuelled by some spicy soulful keyboard solos.

There is a nagging urge on two of the tracks namely ‘Lorra’ and ‘Hide and Seek’to conjure up thoughts of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Steve’s vocal style and both songs have a rock feel to their structure although the latter features a dose of mandolin. The most diverse track on the album is when it veers thousands of miles south to the Mexican border with ‘Teqilarama’ where the contribution of trumpet adds considerably to the Tex-Mex sound.

All eleven tracks have emanated from the pen of Steve, with two of the compositions likely to have more appeal in the home market. ‘She’s Made In The USA’ is one such track and definitely resides in the pop/rock category while the emotional ‘Have You Ever Known A Soldier’ is the centerpiece of Steve’s cause of raising awareness for a captured US soldier and his wider military appreciation.

Extended plays of THOSE TEARS I’VE CRIED are probably required to get to the gist of what this album is about and each listen is an increasingly enjoyable experience. There is likely to be enthusiasm for it from a wide base of music lovers and that is a credit to Steve’s ability to craft an album that will appeal to many.

By David Hughes

http://www.threechordsandthetruthuk.co.uk/2014/02/steve-scott-country-those-tears-ive.html

Described in the press release as Detroit’s premiere Americana artist,  Steve Scott delivers an album that blends country with rock and blues overtones. “Blue-Rock-Country” is how they describe it themselves. The cover features Scott in a Dwight Yoakam-esque pose with his cowboy hat obscuring his features and wearing leather trousers. However,  Scott’s  sound  is broader as befits the description above, a sound which is bolstered by keyboards, pedal steel and fiddle as well as Scott’s own guitar work. It is a solid and enjoyable album that highlights Scott’s songwriting, solid singing, production and guitar talents.

There are some songs here that include the title track’s steel guitar- enhanced sound and Scott’s soulful vocal. The anthemic She’s Made in The USA recalls John Mellencamp in sound, while Hide and Seek employs banjo and mandolin over a robust rhythm section and has a strong chorus, something Scott uses throughout to good effect which makes the songs stick in the memory. Halo is a more down-home tale of a man who lives a true blue collar life and the song is a celebration of that life. The border feel of Tequilarama is underscored by accordion and trumpet  for an atmospheric sunset-filled sound of Tequila and señoritas; the relaxed feel and ambience makes it an album stand out. Geronimo has a gritty guitar over B3 organ and an insistent rhythm. The album closes with Have You Ever Know a Soldier?, a song that considers that serving your country can leave lasting scars which may be unrecognized even by those who have shared a similar traumatic experience. It seeks to welcome home those who have served.

The assembled musicians include backing vocalist Gia Warner, steel player John Lang, fiddle and banjo player David Mosher with Steven Mullan on keyboards and Paul Finkbeiner on trumpet. They contribute to the song’s strengths,  but the undoubted star of the show is Steve Scott. Though as Steve Scott Country is the album artist title Scott recognises the support he receives from the musicians who play with him both here and onstage. They are drawn from Detroit’s finest and some of them have played with such names as Bob Seger and Kid Rock.

Scott has aimed to blend a set of roots music sources together into a cohesive whole and he has largely succeeded in doing that. The overall feel veers towards country-rock and as such should have some wide ranging appeal to an audience tuned into any of the album’s component parts. While Those Tears I’ve Cried is doing nothing particularly new it does what it does with a degree of style and substance that will make it an attractive listen for many.

By Paul McGee

http://lonesomehighway.com/music-reviews/2014/2/16/steve-scott-country-those-tears-ive-cried-bona-vista.html

There have been many genres of music that have had their time in the “spotlight” but out of all them Country / Country Rock saw the least. The popularity of that style of music was typically limited to the southern part of the United States. But with the emergence of recording artists like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks it has gone national.
Since that being the case a growing number of Country artists have begun sprouting across America and not just down South. A good example is New York native Steve Scott whose musical roots derive from that genre. Steve was strongly influenced by his mother who introduced him into the world of music. His mother showered him with music from Country legends Johnny Cash, June Carter, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Patti Page, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell. But he also received some musical enlightenment from his brothers and sisters.
“My brother John, and his eclectic tastes, brought home the sounds of The Duprees, The Five Tops, The Spinners, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Otis Reading, Marvin Gay, and, of course, Aretha Franklin. My brother Walt drove home the strong rock influence (or what they called at the time, blue-eyed soul) with the likes of The Yardbirds, Cream, Vanilla Fudge, The Animals, The Rolling Stones and The Who. And finally, Sister Patti left her indelible mark with the sensational, if not, inimical sounds of The Dave Clark Five, Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Later, by the time I was a teenager, I was fortunate enough to meet a man that was not only the greatest guitar teacher ever, but also my greatest mentor and inspiration. That man’s name was, Peter De Santa, of Colonial, N.J., who not only encouraged me to play, but to dream!”
Steve’s love for music grew as he began to master the guitar. He would showcase his guitar skills with the New York band “Ragged Pink” which changed their name later to “The Features”. They performed throughout the New York Tri-State area in the early 1980’s. The band became a leading rock group that soon settled with the name “Boca Raton”.
His debut CD “Shin’in Like You Do” is considered to be a good example of traditional American music. It is what we call today Americana. The CD is a montage of music; from classic country, to new country, from Appalachian sounds to bayou blues with undeniable rock tones throughout certain tracks like “Hide & Seek” and “Thoughts on Fire.” Steve has captured every nuance of this diverse genre of music. The album features some of the most talented musicians from the Detroit area that Steve rounded up.
“One of the Songs on “Shinin’ Like You Do”, “Have You Ever Known a Soldier?” is not just a song but a tribute to both my brothers that served in Vietnam and to all those who serve or have served. It’s an emotional plea in a song of thanks to those that paid the price. In fact 100% of the net proceeds of the sale of that song go to support our veterans and their families. I thought it was the least I could do. It is not a pro-war song but a pro-soldier song. On the song Rocky Top I perform with my young son Tizi Scott, who’s also a great musician and plays the bass on most of the album.”
The album has made some real strides on online stores like iTunes and Amazon. They are currently feverishly putting together promotional plans, media and even organizing a 2013 Spring Tour. Steve loves to perform live and offers his best to his audience. If there was any recording artist he would enjoy to share the stage with it would be Willie Nelson. Yet he admitted he would have loved to jam with Johnny Cash.
As an artist Steve did not limit himself to just music. He was also featured in movies with top actors like Harvey Keitel and Martin Balsam. The film he appeared in with Keitel and Balsam was called “Gunslingers Revenge”. He has also worked with Viggo Mortensen and Christopher Walken. Steve is a multi-talented artist who is due to make a major mark on not just the Country circuit but the music world in general.

by Nick Christophers