Cornerstone

Richard X. Heyman, Richard Hayman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 10, 1998)
• Original Release Date: February 3, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Permanent Press/Permanent Wave
• ASIN: B0000010L0
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #278,706 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A longstanding fixture on the New York scene, singer/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Heyman is a master of the power-pop form, crafting effortlessly melodic gems whose formal majesty is matched by their emotional firepower. This 14-song collection contains his most accomplished work to date, demonstrating that Heyman's talents have, if anything, grown sharper in the six years since his sole major-label release, Hey Man!. On solidly crafted, aggressively played tunes like "If We Should Ever Meet Again," "Cornerstone," and "Out of My Hands," Heyman wields his impressive arsenal of hooks without succumbing to soft-centered wimpiness. --Scott Schinder

Product Description

Long awaited 2nd album from multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter who Rolling Stone called 'an undiscovered treasure'. His inflences range from Elvis Costello and Tom Petty to the Byrds. 14 tracks of power-pop and jangly guitar rock.1998 release. Stand

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars virtually unknown pop savant belts out beauties, September 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cornerstone (Audio CD)

This album is a wonderful collection of pop songs. Heyman's voice reminds one of several people at once (Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Eric Carmen in his more "manly" moments). Heyman, who has been shelved and labeled as a power-popper and placed in a jar along side such well-received popsters as Marshall Crenshaw and Chris von Sneidern, is actually better than the both of them added up and squared. There are many great elements to notice about these songs, but the thing that stands out most is Heyman's multitracked harmonies, not so much for their perfection (although they are quite enjoyable) as for their passion. He belts out every line of the album, which conveys desperation and longing in a way that is difficult to achieve when a solo artist multitracks his or her own voice in songs (I can only think of Bob Mould and Nick Salamon who pull this off as well). The melodies are great, too, the stuff pop nerds kill for. The music, which basically consists of your standard guitar-bass-drums arrangements (with touches of strings, organs, and mandolins, among other instruments) is very alive and crisp. Heyman records his music so that you can, gasp, hear each instrument (why doesn't everyone do this? down with wall-of-sound production!). The melodies on a guitar pattern run counterpoint to perhaps a string's melody, or his own harmonies. It's all just very much perfectly lovely pop. Here's a question: why isn't Heyman on heavy rotation on VH-1 and adult contemporary music radio? It seems that people who enjoy watered-down doodoo like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Melissa Etheridge would go crazy for Heyman, who plays "safe" music with tons of melody and passion. I mean that as a compliment. There's absolutely no reason why a guy like Heyman does not chart constant hits other than programmer prejudice and/or stupidity. So let's just give Don Henley a break as Artist of the Month on VH-1 (he wins this more than Waylon Smithers wins Employee of the Month at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant) and hand it to Heyman, so maybe he can sell some records like any inspired, accessible talent deserves. Don Henley? Artist of the Month? I really want to cut that station a break, but they make it very difficult sometimes. Does anyone buy Henley's Walden schtick? Any time I see him do one of those Walden spots on TV in an impeccably tailored suit (and wavy gravy hair), I picture him frowning when the cameras are off and whining "this freaking mud is mucking up my Bruno Maglias. Oh the humanity! How many units of Hotel California moved this week?"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Songs!, January 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Cornerstone (Audio CD)

Very few musicians live up to the claim that they are "undiscovered geniuses". I think RXH comes pretty darn close. There are at least five or six songs on this album that I will probably listen to for the rest of my life: Cornerstone, All I Have, If We Should Ever Meet Again, From This Day Forever, Ask Anyone Who's Tried, and When It Was Our Time. It takes a real "greatness of soul" to write songs like these--few artists can touch this place very often, if ever. The rest of the album is pretty great, too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Pop for Pure People!!, June 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cornerstone (Audio CD)

When was the last time you played a record over and over again? When was the last time you kept a cd in your player for more then a week? This is an awesome album of pure pop songs. The songs are intelligent and the music arrangements are beautiful and interesting. Heyman is a true American treasure. This is one of those albums that will hold up to the best pop music. Fans of the Small Faces, Beatles, Byrds, Costello, the Who, the Jam and otehrs must own this record!!