Customer Reviews

Patient Man

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After being in the music business virtually his entire life, the major label debut for Brad Cotter is finally here and is amply titled, "Patient Man".

If you are a fan of country music, buy this c.d. It has something for everyone and every track sounds like a hit record. If you are NOT a country music fan, buy this c.d. Cotter will win you over with his soulful delivery.

The current single, "I Meant To", is a medium-tempo song with a strong, positive, and introspective message. "Rock and Roll in the Hay" will most likely be the second release...an upbeat, party-tempo tune that will have you singing along...an anthem for country music lovers who can relate to going on a 'hillbilly binge' to start the weekend off right! A similar feel is given to the track "Blue Collar Night", another possible future release.

If you happened to see any part of the Nashville Star show, you already know that Brad's 'steal-the-show' moment came when he sang his original song, "I Miss Me". At the risk of sounding downright corny, this is a country music classic...a song that is so strong and powerful, it rivals some of the most classic country music ballads ever written.

Cotter displays a broad vocal range...from very, very low on the story-telling ballad entitled "I Came Here To Live" to highs on the tracks "I Don't Mind" and the title track, "Patient Man".

Buy this c.d., put it in your c.d. player, give it about 3 listens, and I guarantee it'll stay in your c.d. player for a very, very long time. This c.d. gets the strongest recommendation I can possibly provide. Star, Star, Star, Star, Star. I hope you enjoy!

Although a somewhat hurried effort from the braintrust at Sony Music, Brad Cotter's debut CD is good enough to satisfy the most 'patient' fans. A definitive mix of soulful country and up-beat southern rock, the album offers ten cuts, five of which were co-written by Brad.

Two of the songs, "I Meant To" and "I Miss Me" will be familiar to fans of Nashville Star and country radio listeners. The other eight tracks are new, with the exception of "Can't Tell Me Nothing", which was also a song originally cut by Travis Tritt.

The standout song on the album, from the perspective of this country fan, is "Hard To Be A Rock", in which Cotter sings:

Someday this rocks gonna get on a roll / Find a way to get ahead of these dues I paid / I know there's an eagle in my soul / And he's gonna learn to fly somehow, someway.

It offers a unique perspective on a man that has already been labeled in some circles as a "rebel", but fans of Cotter (and music fans in general) should be able to differentiate between perception and reality. Brad Cotter is headstrong, and critics are likely to take him to task for being so fearless with his music. But Cotter, who lacks a clearly distinctive voice, has paid his dues and earned the right to just a little bit picky. Afterall, its never a good idea to sound like somebody else.

If Sony Nashville gets behind this effort, Cotter is going to be a country star. What they can't do is rush that along...but then again, Brad Cotter is clearly a "Patient Man".

this cd is great, Brads voice is one of a kind. The CD goes from hard core country to rock and roll and alternative. I agree if you dont like country you still need to try this cd out. I love the great raw vocals in "I came here to live" and the great song " I miss me" Brad is very talented !!!! the only problem with the CD is that there aren't more then 10 songs..LOL

JEN

turns in his life...because his happiness shines through in the warmth of this, his debut album.

You've got to wonder if SONY music is really serious about supporting the artists that the population enjoys discovering from the show, "Nashville Star". There has been absolutely NO promotion of Brad Cotter's (the show's season 2 winner) first CD. Country fans who loved Cotter on the show haven't purchased the CD because they just don't know it is out there. And so, the title is apt, "Patient Man", which Cotter has been, through over a decade of kicking around Nashville, trying to find where he fits in.

Cotter was not even selected for the group of artists in the finals by the panel of judges. Instead, he was a shoo-in vote from the television audience, sort of a "wild card". Grudgingly, the judges on the show came to accept and even look forward to his performances. Sans cowboy hat, and looking more at home behind a keyboard than a guitar, Cotter just didn't measure up to the male profile of the kind of singer that SONY had in mind to win the contest.

Last year's winner, Buddy Jewell, was more of the Merle Haggard type with a richer voice than Cotter, but even Buddy, who had a lot of success with his first CD, was buried by SONY in the back of the pack with his superlative second effort, "Tales of the New West".

There are some parallels between the audiences' passion for Cotter and the establishment scratching its head ..."how are we gonna sell this guy?"....with ubersinger Clay Aiken. Again, here's an unlikely audience magnet with some real talent who just doesn't fit into the style that the puppeteer record company chooses. No doubt, Cotter will not have as easy a path as Aiken did, and, he's already put in his time to get the respect he deserves.

It is true that there is something of a bad boy, ladies' man aura about Cotter, which makes his filmed performances much more compelling than his recorded CD. Thus, videos from the CD would have gone a long way, with more promotion, to selling these cuts. It'll remain to be seen what will happen to Brad after this initial effort. One thing is for sure, he had much more songwriting talent than the others in the "Nashville Star" competition. In fact, two songs from the CD that were featured on the show, "I Miss Me", a unique angle at a break up song, (where the singer focuses on all the things he misses about being the man HE was when the woman he loved was around) that will definitely give you the blues, and the stunning "I Meant To", are as good as any country songs written in the last decade. In both, Cotter is wistful and real as a man who's known love and lost it. Cotter was the driving creative force behind these two songs, and SONY gave him talent in the form of producer-writers Steve Bogard and Rick Giles (who've also worked with Travis Tritt) to enhance his original music. The Cotter-Bogard-Giles songs number 5 on this CD, with only the storytelling cut "High On Love", that was a swing and a miss.

Besides "I Miss Me" and "I Meant To", Cotter expresses some of his strong faith-based self in "Hard to Be a Rock" and the understated "I've Got Time", which closes the album and pretty much sums up the place where Cotter finds himself. Superlative numbers on the CD by JUST the Bogard-Giles duo include "Can't Tell Me Nothing" - the second single release, an understated rebel song. It's perfect for Cotter, and he vastly improves on the original by Travis Tritt. "Patient Man" also illustrates Cotter's life and career lyrically, and, although it seems ordinary at first, the song really grows on you. The instrumentals on both are very well done, illustrating the fact that they weren't jammed onto the CD in the attempt to get it out to the masses with minimal $$ spent, so the label could capitalize on the show and the tour that followed it.

Cotter shows he can have fun on "Rock and Roll in the Hay", which is enjoyable, and trendy given the recent successes Chesney-Cracker and the Buffet Brigade have had with good ole boy songs. It's a nice change-up for Cotter. Not so for "Blue Collar Night", which is dull and ordinary. Lastly, there's a song called "I Came Here To Live" that really grows on you - it's about throwing off the wildness of youth and coming to the realization of what is important in life as you gain in responsibility.

SONY didn't overproduce the CD; the musicianship is excellent, and the acoustic guitar, use of piano and pedal steel, and some fine percussion give Cotter a great neighborhood.
This is a superior CD by an artist that should be able to grow into bigger and better things; but make no mistake, the real draw behind Cotter is the connection he makes with a live audience; so touring and videos that show that appeal should be high on his list and the list of whatever label is lucky enough to work with him in the future.

A great choice for most country fans, and, let's face it, particularly women!

This is a great cd for country fans and non country fans. Fans that do not care for country wlll also like this album. It is amazing that this album was made in three weeks. From all the serious life songs on the album to Rock and Roll in the Hay which is a fun catchy number which should be the next single. Great soulful voice and you get the extra thing of having somebody good to look at in his videos. Reminds me a lot of Kieth Urban. Brad cotter is going to be a star.

Making this man wait for so long, until he finally won Nashville Star 2, is a unjustifiable sin for so many people in the music industry.

This is a great cd *period*. If you like hard-core, old-fashioned country, then perhaps you should look past this disc, and go back to the old-timer classics, but otherwise, this disc is full of great tunes that will appeal to so many people it's an instant classic.

Song run-down:

1. I meant to - the first single. Honestly, I like this song a lot, but it's not the best song on the disc. Good, appeals to country fans and fans of bluesy music.

2. Can't tell me nuthin' - more country style, with mass appeal.

3. Patient Man - title track and my own favorite for best song on the disc. A bit more upbeat/rock-and-roll style (in the old Elvis style). A somewhat autobiographical song from this hard and long toiling singer.

4. I Miss Me - back to the blue-ish sad love song style.

5. High on Love - mid-tempo tune, very ready for radio air-play.

6. Rock and Roll in the Hay - the title says it all for this one.

7. Hard to be a Rock - mid to slow-tempo. Again with wide appeal.

8. I Came Here to Live - a bit of Gospel flavor.

9. Blue Collar Night - up tempo, perhaps a good choice for single #3 from this disc?

10. I've got Mine - argh!! we're at the end of the disc already?! Bring on more please. Please, please, more.

Brad Cotter is a Patient Man and it has paid off for us all. The CD has a great variety of original songs that everyone can relate to and sing along with. His performance is soulful and the lyrics draw you in and make you think about the true meaning behind them. "Patient Man" is a CD that will appeal to more than just country music listeners. A must have!

Brad has an amazing voice which was showcased on Nashville Star. Even if you aren't a huge fan of country music this is definately worth a listen. I have great respect for artists who not only sing but also write their own songs and play different instruments. Brad can do it all. I wish there were more songs on the CD but I think it is a great first effort. My favorites are "Patient Man", "I Miss Me" and "High on Love". I agree that "Rock and Roll in the Hay" would be a great next release, but do it quick!!

Sony should be ashamed of itself -- producing a fine record and and then just dropping it into obscurity. There are four different country music stations in my area, and I have heard Brad's music on the radio a grand total of just ONCE since he won Nashville Star II. I finally gave up on waiting and just bought the album myself. Maybe Sony made a mistake trying to market "I Meant To" as the first single. It's a great song, but not very country and I guess not very commercial. They should have picked "Patient Man" instead, which is fun, catchy and would probably be more popular. Like everyone else, I fell in love with "I Miss Me." That song is just gorgeous. I can't believe this music isn't getting any radio play. "Blue Collar Night," "Hard to Be a Rock" and "Can't Tell Me Nothin'" are good, too, although not as special as "Meant," "Miss" and "Patient." The other songs don't appeal to me, and I usually just skip them when I listen to the CD. But any CD where I like 2/3 of the material is a keeper to me. I'll definitely buy Brad's next album, and I hope Sony puts a little more effort into giving the next one more exposure. Brad deserves it.

Brad gave an excellent performance on Nashville Star..and his CD proves he's worth of having won the title.

I miss Me and I meant To, are definately my most favorite songs.

The rest of the cd is quite touching and soothing at the same time. This is just what great music is all about. Its music that you can identify with through moments and stages you go through in life. It is music that goes straight to your soul.