Customer Reviews

all the people

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I dig this record. I agree with one of the other reviews: it's real and honest. As a result, it speaks to some fairly universal human experiences, and I find that its easy to identify with the experiences and feelings described in the lyrics. Also, the lyrics are neither pretentious nor trite - they're believable and felt. Lately, "wonder why," "circles," "you're ok," and "sittin' in rome" have been my favorites on this record. They're nice ballads.

This record reminds me of Carole King's masterpiece, Tapestry, in that it's basically a collection of songs about our interaction with the people in our lives. The songs on this record will resonate with anyone who has felt love and loss (who hasn't?) and everything in-between. "all the people" is an apt title for this gutsy album (Kevin doesn't hold anything back). I recommend it wholeheartedly.

I admit, Kevin is my brother-in-law and he wrote and performed the song "A Little Romance" for my wedding. Nonetheless, in my completely unbiased opinion, this CD is amazing. The music is similar to early Billy Joel/James Taylor.

It really love this CD. It is so real and honest. If you like Van Morrison or Jim Croche you'll enjoy the CD. Good Luck!

I bought this CD this morning, thinking that I should support my friend and all, and I put it in my walkman and now, 4 hours later, I am still listening to it. It is a seriously great CD with honest lyrics that I think most people can relate to. My favourite tracks now are I'm Done (8) and All The People (4). This is a great CD that everyone should buy!

This is a fine album. It's hard to put it into a single category, because it has such a broad appeal. As a more "mature" music fan,(one who grew up on Paul Simon, Jim Croce, Kenny Rankin, Maria Muldaur,James Taylor, etc.) this album is a return to the songs that convey a literate message and demonstrate real emotion. From the universal sentiment of "Old Fashioned Love" to the optimism of "Breakin' the Bonds", this is a great album. I can almost imagine friends singing some of the songs around a campfire.

August 3, 2003-When I first came across this CD, my immediate thoughts (after hearing it only once) were, `How is it that this CD remains undiscovered?' and `Why is the songwriter/performer not already a major star? When I decided to compose a review, I planned to rate the songs on a scale from A to E, with A being the best. Looking back on my determinations, I found that I had assigned an `A' to four of the songs. For the remaining nine songs, the rating ranged from `A+' to `A+++'.

It combines warm and amazing vocals with lyrics that reveal a level of insight truly rare at any age--and blatantly uncommon in one so young. The influences are evident-from John Lennon to Johnny Mathis, from John Denver to Van Morrison, from Eric Clapton to Steely Dan, From Blood Sweat & Tears to Rickie Lee Jones, from Billy Joel to the Eagles and more. Nevertheless, they are like a touch of salt and pepper to an already wonderful meal. In the end, it is truly an original Kevin Merritt. I can't wait to hear his next offering.

With the exception of rap, it is difficult to imagine that devotees of any genre of music cannot find something to like in this album. It starts strong and finishes stronger, with the fifth listen being even better than the first. Do you like Jazz? Folk? Pop? Country? Rock? Well, they are all represented here, though in a unique manner that permits many of the offerings to cross genres. Do you like discovering relationships? Or learning from stories? Or relating to universal events and feelings that you could never quite put into words? Do you like pathos? Or feel-good music? Or just plain feeling warm inside? Well, they are all here-and, again, presented in a thoroughly original and exciting way.

You will marvel at the simple truths inherent in such lyrics as "the plans that take us apart will bring us together," "you're entombed in my thoughts; won't you ever let me go?" "mistakes I made are now debts to be repaid," "what we thought was out of date was really old-fashioned love," "it's easy to love when your hearts smile together," "the gift you give yourself is the joy you give to me," and "who I am is more than just the letters in my name."

You will love how the lyrics, vocals and instrumentals fit together like puzzle pieces, balanced to perfectly support one another. You will choose several songs that you will be driven to hear again and again and again. You will find yourself singing along to song after song, not caring who overhears you. You will, in the end, find this album to be a joyous celebration of life, to be experienced over and over and over again.

I have to admit, I'm a close friend of Kevin's, and have had to opportunity to work with him during a few of his latest concerts in sunny California. He is an outstanding musician, and really gets into the mood of his music. He is an amazing writer and composer, which is hard to find these days. He keeps the theme of VH1 Storytellers, or MTV Unplugged by telling the stories and meaning behind his songs. My personal favorites are Time Comes, Sister Rosa, You're OK, and Little Romance. I strongly encourage any who likes folk with a splash of inredible horns to buy this cd.