Affected By The Moon

Chuck Pyle

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 19, 2002)
• Original Release Date: January 19, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bee 'n' Flowers
• ASIN: B00005V970
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,774 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
TO SOME, singer/songwriter Chuck Pyle is a walking contradiction. One reviewer labeled him “the Zen Cowboy” for his delightful but seemingly at-odds mix of upbeat New Age humor and straight-from-the-saddle poetry. Deciding to, as he says, “ride the horse in the direction it’s going,” Chuck has taken the nickname to heart, shaving his head and blending Zen truisms with horse sense. His music mixes western themes, folk, rock, cowboy poetry and new age humor into his own unique "Southwestern Acoustic" sound. The songs are at once complex and enchantingly funny. He compresses a story to its very essence, quoting bumper stickers, proverbs, world leaders and old cowboys then mixing in his own philosophical blend of Cowboy Zen.

An accomplished songwriter, Chuck’s songs have been recorded by a number of popular artists, including Jerry Jeff Walker, John Denver, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Suzy Bogguss, Tish Hinojosa and Chris LeDoux. The song “Colorado” became the theme song for the PBS series, Spirit of Colorado, which is beamed world-wide by satellite. In 1980, Chuck wrote "The Other Side of the Hill" which has been recorded by over 20 different artists including Chris LeDoux who renamed the song "Cadillac Cowboy" and took it to the top of the country charts in 1991.

But along with being a lauded songwriter, Chuck Pyle is a well-known performer in his own right. He has developed his own powerful and unique finger picking style which he calls "Rocky Mountain Slam Picking," which simultaneously emulates rhythm guitar strums and lead guitar lines making him sound like an entire band. He has taught guitar seminars at such prestigious events as the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and the Swannanoa Gathering.

Pyle, a native of Newton, Iowa, has lived on Colorado’s front-range for over 30 years and has spent most of that time traveling the country playing theaters, festivals, colleges and coffeehouses. He has six albums to his credit, and just completed his seventh album entitled Affected By The Moon scheduled for release in January of 2002.

Product Description
Produced by Doug Haywood, this is a romantic collection of innovative guitar techniques and live-each-day philosophies, woven into song by the steady hand and knowing heart of the Psycho-Desperado. "Affected By The Moon" is a gypsy minor shuffle, atmospheric as a night in Paris. "97 Hillside Road" is a poignant and vulnerable song about a house full of memories. "If Not Now" is a cowboy samba celebrating the spirit of manana, lyrical as a full moon in Old Mexico. "Inside Of My Face" is pure folk-noir! At once hilarious and uncomfortably true, it looks playfully at what can happen when we give in to the pathetic mewlings of our brain stem. "Laurie Ann" is a rocking tribute to an ex-girlfriend's Louisiana accent. Masterfully crafted and tastefully accompanied, these songs are performed with the acoustic guitar sharing the center stage with that...that VOICE!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AFFECTED BY THE MOON SHINES, October 2, 2002

By	Claire Koenig (INDIANA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a long-time fan of Chuck Pyle's I was not surprised to find that AFFECTED BY THE MOON was a musical jewel.

Loaded with killer songs, most of which he wrote himself, the CD is a great mix of several types of music. The title track is reminiscent of a 40's torch song and you can almost feel the magic of the night and the moonlight. On "97 Hillside Road," Chuck's voice really soars and you can feel the pain with him on this tale of lost love. "Blue Train" is a driving, mid-tempo number written by Tom Kimmel & Jennifer Kimball and although the subject matter is sad, the melody and tempo have you feeling better before the song ends. "Inside My Face" is a cool take on how whacky we all can be and the instrumental, "Spank" shows the great guitar playing which has made Chuck Pyle a western favorite for years. Check it out. Chuck Pyle will not steer you wrong. A great listen from beginning to end and a CD that's bound to leave you happy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Pickin' and grinin', January 22, 2003

By A Customer

I first heard "Blue Train" on the radio and immediately fell in love with the single. It took me a while to pick this album up, but boy was it WORTH the wait! Great acoutsic cowboy tunes with heartfelt lyrics and skilled songwriting. While Blue Train is still my favorite track, the remaining 12 are so solid, they are all tied for 2nd place. Highly reccomend this disk!