Customer Reviews

What Nature Intended

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you haven't had the chance to pick up What Nature Intended, Shane Fontayne's first solo CD, waste no more time and order it today! Newly released, this CD is an amazing journey. You've probably heard Shane's incredible guitar work in the studio or gracing the stage of a number of world reknowned musicians including Springsteen, U2 and a host of others. Currently playing with and opening for phenom Marc Cohn, make it a point to catch this musical great in concert if you're lucky enough to have them stop by a city near you!!!

After hearing Shane play live, I bought two copies a month ago, one for the car & one for the house. His music is constantly playing in both. Hauntingly beautiful, rocking songs from the heart. Definite Beatles influence .... but with a fresh new sound. Major labels & radio stations take note!! This is GREAT STUFF!!

?Shane who?..??. This might be one?s first reaction when mentioning this seasoned veteran?s first solo release; that is, until you realize that you have most probably been listening to his music since the1970?s. He has recorded, performed, and/or composed with the likes of Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, and Lone Justice just to name a few (view his bio and hear the music at shanefontayne.com). On ?What Nature Intended?, Shane demonstrates just what keeps the greatest songwriters and performers in the world calling on him for their own projects.

This record runs deep. Songwriting, production, musicianship, arrangements, and lyrics are all strongly represented here on this self-produced effort. Fontayne?s ethereal, fluid guitar work, and hypnotic, tribal grooves combine with rich vocal harmonies and arrangements, weaving a variety of musical soundscapes: from the anthemic mosh of ?cut from the same cloth?, to the languid beauty of ?so high?, the sad haunting of ?little napoleons?, the sheer fun and bounce of ?there?s only room for me?, and the?..well??..?voodoo? of ?voodoo in the house?. There are flavors of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, solo Robby Robertson, smoky jazz clubs, evolving relationships, and glorious spring days. This is not a ?one sound? record. There are fourteen very strong, but quite varied tunes offered here, (not including the bonus track at the end, a classical string and vocal arrangement of ?little napoleons?, that has me wishing it went on a bit longer than its actual one minute or so).

Fontayne has taken all the richness of his life, his musical influences, and his career and poured them into every note. There is a reverence for the music in his songwriting and performance, as if the music were directing and playing him, not the other way around. Yet his dedication and attention to detail, coupled with his keen production, keep the often-thick arrangements sounding cohesive, emotive, and powerful. There is no wasted sound (or silence) here, and still, with each listen, there is something new to hear. I recommend a listen through your best set of headphones for a real treat. The production and arrangement are outstanding and propel the songs, without overshadowing them and sounding technical.

What holds these fourteen gems together, and makes the record a great event to listen to in its entirety, is its theme. Lyrically, the record is a celebration of the human spirit, both the lightest and the darkest aspects. It is a celebration of the experience of living life, with all its discord and beauty, and of the search and eventual claiming of love, the glue that holds this whole crazy experience together. The lyrics have some clever unexpected twists, and are powerful without being preachy or didactic.

For all of us rock and pop aficionados who continue to grow and evolve through the years, this record speaks straight to the heart. It will have you dancing, reflecting, and celebrating the great dance we call life. So visit Shane and the music at shanefontayne.com, and pick up a copy of this CD, as the man who has been a ?household sound? on so many great recordings and performances over the last three decades, becomes a ?household name? along with the Bruce Springsteens, the Paul Simons, and the Rod Stewarts of our generation. ?What nature intended? is for all of us to listen.

This album is fabulous!!! Many people haven't heard the name Shane Fontayne, but he has been playing great music for many years. He toured with Sting earlier this year on the Broken Music tour, and has performed with musicians like Chris Botti, Bruce Springsteen, Marc Cohn, U2, Richard Marx and a myriad of others.

"What Nature Intended" is Shane's first solo album and it is *fantastic*. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it's really a mixture of upbeat songs and slower, ballad types. One of the things I noticed is each song is unique unto itself... I don't think there are two songs on this album that sound anything alike. His lyrics are really thought out.. they are quite incredible and provocative. Shane is a master guitar player - and you hear that on this album, whether he's playing an electric guitar or an acoustic, or any of the other instruments he plays. Shane also has a beautiful voice - it's very smooth. Chris Botti plays trumpet on a few of the tracks and he is superb, as usual.

If you enjoy this cd, there's a live cd that was recorded at The Mint, with many of the same songs. It's available at Shane's website. Enjoy!!!

was told of this amazing songwriter singer guitarist long ago play guitar for many
he is an amazing artist ...was very please with the Cd of his own works ... way to go Shane keep rocking ...

I had never heard of this man until I purchased Marc Cohn's Live `04-`05 earlier this year. Now that I have seen him play live with Marc, I can't get enough of him.

The more I listened to Marc's live album, the more my attention was drawn to this amazing guitar line: sometimes gentle, sometimes driving, always clear and melodic but never intrusive. It's easy to understand why he has been invited to accompany so many top-notch performers on tour.

Shane brings the same judicious touch to his own music. Granted, Shane's songwriting style heavily favors the nostalgic, yet he is refreshingly fearless in his use of all the modern bells and whistles. (Beatles meets OMD?) Combine this with intelligent, clever lyrics that flash with poetic insight, add a heaping tablespoon of true romantic spirit, and you have the recipe for a unique and intoxicating listening experience. (Samples are on his website. It has an intuitive URL.)

Why only four stars? I'm hoping nature isn't done with Shane yet.

I tend to be a real jazz girl and the first couple time I listened to the sound clips on [...]I just thought "ugh.. this isn't my kind of music" but then for some reason I kept going back to listen to it more and more!

There's so much nuance to it, the sounds just draw you down this lush eclectic path where there's always something new to find. There's a very groovy Lennon-esqe vibe to many of the songs. Chris Botti called it "Musical Opium" and I have to agree because once you start listening you just want to hear more and more. I'll happily wander into that poppy field because there's always something different to pick up on in this colorful dreamstate that is "What Nature Intended".

This album is NOT a snooze! "Bubble and Squeek" provides a fabulous momentum to get you moving and is a great way to start your work out!

If you have this album and want to hear it with a rawer edge be sure to pick up "Voodoo at The Mint" from Shane's website. It's a Live recording of the "What Nature Intended" release party and it's brilliant! Voodoo is also a MUST HAVE for any Chris Botti collector!

What a disappointment. I appreciate Shane's attention to vocals, but he could have made a truly singular CD w/his signature guitar sound & style. Instead, he played it safe by strumming his acoustic just like a thousand singer/songwriters before him. And for someone w/supposedly rockabilly roots, he sure forgot the "rocka" part. This could have been called "A Cure for the Sleep-Deprived". The only song that approaches what I expected is "Voodoo in the House" & even there he lets the trumpet drown him out. And, personally, I don't need to hear any 1920s-style songs like the next-to last cut. "When I'm 64" was fine. Now let's move on. I thought I was in for a letdown when I saw Jay Bellerose was the drummer. Sorry, Paula & Shane, but I could play drums as well as him & I don't play anything. Maybe it will grow on me, but I expected the original ideas & sounds I love from Lone Justice & Merchants & I just don't hear 'em.