Customer Reviews

Fool for Love

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4 star:		(1)
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Paul is multi-talented - he is not only a great singer, but he also writes all his own songs and plays several instruments. His music is clearly rooted in traditional country though he does not limit himself to traditional instruments, so the result is a traditional album with a modern edge, though it has no hint of pop crossover. Only a die-hard traditionalist who wants music that sounds exactly as it did way back when could complain at the results. Although the album was recorded in Nashville, Paul's music is not the kind of stuff that generally appeals to the major labels these days, though he is far more talented than most country singers signed to major labels these days.

On Paul's website, the songs are described as being about love in modern life put to the beat of the honky tonk sound that is his trademark. Actually, I was trying to think which other, more famous, country singer that Paul most reminds me of but nobody stands out. Paul has clearly absorbed many influences in creating his own sound.

The set opens with Lovesick blues boy, which has an infectious beat but starts by describing his difficult upbringing and ends as a love song. Bad girl she used to be tell the story of how Paul fell in love with a woman then found out that she didn't live up to her reputation. Life of a fool is an upbeat, rocking song. There are many other great songs here - indeed, every song here is brilliant.

If you enjoy traditional country with a modern edge, you will love this album.

Firstly, let me preface by saying that I know Paul Burch. We worked together in college radio at Purdue University, where he avidly debunked the idea that Hoosiers were unsophisticated consumers of music at best and complete, tone-deaf Philistines, intolerant of innovation and ignorant of heritage, at their worst. Paul has an incredible ability to hear a piece of popular music, then either repeat it back note for note, phrase for phrase, or (disconcertingly) transposed into a completely different genre that often works as well or better than the original. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a passion for its roots. It's not enough for Paul to listen to Elvis Costello's "Get Happy." He tells you which songs are based on what inspiration, and often what inspired that. It is a true joy to hear such a genuine enthusiast, at play as it were, in the fields of his first and truest love. With Paul, American roots music is not just a costume drama. It is what he lives, which is why he can "sell" songs as diverse as "How Do I Know? [Blue Notes]", "Aliceville Rag [Last of My Kind]", and "Lovesick Blues Boy", from the current offering. Paul Burch is an all-too-rare treasure in the land of American Idol: an artist with enthusiasm, without pretension, able to stand on his own feet and acknowledge the giants on whose shoulders he stands. Buy the record, man!

I don't think Paul Burch fits neatly into any category especially alt country. He's in the too good category. It's country music for people who like classical music, if that makes any sense. Even when he's rocking out, he doesn't lose control. The music is so smooth and groovy that you don't realize that you are moving your feet. His act is that polished. Paul Burch will probably never get huge cause he doesn't turn it up to 11. He doesn't need to.

An amazingly beautiful and subtley swinging record. This cat sings like a bird and seems to be such a thoroughly limber, versatile, and creative songwriter that I'm surprised he hasn't been drafted to write film scores instead of making perfect and almost unheard country (or pop? or soul) records like a modern day Cinderella, waiting to be plucked from obscurity. Cynical minds beware, you'll be humming all of these songs in almost no time and will become a believer after the first listen. I can't wait for the next one. Oh, and his live performances rock.

The two words that best describe "Fool for Love," Paul Burch's new CD are -- soulful and smart. I became hooked on four songs in particular. "Life of a Fool" jumps with a rhythm like Ike Turner's "Rocket 88", "Sparks Fly Out" is so catchy its infectious, "She's Not the Bad Girl (she used to be)" reminds me of the early Beatles because its so melodic, and the best song on the CD "Deserted Love," sounds better every time I hear it. Although there are other very good songs on the CD, these are my standouts and by themselves make the CD outstanding.
On "Deserted Love" and "Bad Girl," Burch's voice has both range and power and reinforces the tune so that the song, music and lyric work perfectly together. The line "I'm the lonely one in every town/My company is this memory" (from "Deserted Love") evokes for me memories of being on the road alone. There are many subtle and thought-provoking moments on "Fool for Love" that are only appreciated through listening to the CD over and over again.
Unfortunately, subtle brilliance is undervalued in today's music market where having tight abs like Shania Twain or Brittney Spears is more marketable. I read about record industry marketing tests where they play five seconds of a song to a test audience and based on these five-second responses decide how much airplay to give the songs. While "Life of a Fool" and "Sparks Fly Out" with their hard-driving rhythm would pass this 5-second test with flying colors, you would certainly miss a lot if you subjected the subtle and beautiful songs on this CD to such a superficial test.
This may explain why you won't hear today's most thoughtful and lucid songwriters on the radio and Paul Burch falls into this category (instead, we get Toby Keith's polical views). However, in ten or twenty years ab muscles get flabby but soulful tunes and smart lyrics hold up. I think that we will be hearing Burch's songs long after Shania Twain's talents have deserted her.

I've purchased several of Burch's prior releases and ended up keeping one--Last of My Kind. The others were a little too retro for my tastes. Fool For Love is just perfect, however.

Burch is not the most accomplished singer on the block, but his quiet, plaintive vocals bring forth more emotion that a cadre of angst-ridden alt-country wailers.

Fool For Love covers the same terrain as prior releases...it's just stronger in all aspects. Each song stands alone and is unique. As usual, there are a lot of styles here that get the Burch treatment...rockabilly, Chris Isaak-type balleds, Western Swing, two steps, Buddy Holly-like rockers.

Highly recommended.

The song Sparks Fly Out is stuck in my head....

You just don't hear music like this anymore. It's country, but it's not contemporary, that's for sure. It isn't traditional in a Haggard kind of way. This is more bluesy country that leans towards waltzes & heartbreaker hillbilly music. I can't get enough of this guy. He's a throwback to the days of old, but he sounds fresh. If you can picture a smokey dance hall with a fedora wearin' bandleader playing country/hillbilly music, you might have a idea of what Paul Burch is all about.