Every
self-respecting musician strives to create music unique to themselves.
Only a few, including Ed Kuepper, succeed. Since those long by-gone
days with the Saints Ed has carved a special place in music most
would envy and the rest of us can simply enjoy. He's used the characteristic
sound of his voice and made it a virtue. He's developed his own
guitar sound and constantly refines it. He's a hard-working musician
and composer who consistently steps outside his own 'sound' and
records with extracurricular music which feeds back to the music
he releases in his own name. With a boutique audience all around
the world Ed has the luxury of working on his music without record
company pressure or the need to chase chart positions. That position
creates problems of its own, but they are problems most musicians
would love to have. In the end, what all of that gives us is the
music Ed Kuepper is able to deliver on record, free of fashion,
stridently individual and sincere, and very melodic. The roots of
this music lies in the blues. There's a melancholy brush that colours
it wherever road it takes. It has a strong pop sense. Every Ed Kuepper
album has at least a couple of songs you just can't get out of your
head after just a couple of listens - this time, 'I Still Call This
Failure' and 'Rue The Day'. He displays the character of his music
with a blistering attack on the old jazz standard 'Fever'. 'Smile
..Pacific' is Ed's first new Ed Kuepper album in four years. In
a way it attempts to or ends up in turning full circle on Ed's "solo"
career, with a freshness as if he's starting all over again. We
can hear how far he's come and how consistent he is by comparing
this new album to the just re-released remastered 'Honey Steel's
Gold' from ten years ago. That's the album with which most people
"discovered" Ed. It's a great career. It was then, and still is
today.
Every
self-respecting musician strives to create music unique to themselves.
Only a few, including Ed Kuepper, succeed. Since those long by-gone
days with the Saints Ed has carved a special place in music most
would envy and the rest of us can simply enjoy. He's used the characteristic
sound of his voice and made it a virtue. He's developed his own
guitar sound and constantly refines it. He's a hard-working musician
and composer who consistently steps outside his own 'sound' and
records with extracurricular music which feeds back to the music
he releases in his own name. With a boutique audience all around
the world Ed has the luxury of working on his music without record
company pressure or the need to chase chart positions. That position
creates problems of its own, but they are problems most musicians
would love to have. In the end, what all of that gives us is the
music Ed Kuepper is able to deliver on record, free of fashion,
stridently individual and sincere, and very melodic. The roots of
this music lies in the blues. There's a melancholy brush that colours
it wherever road it takes. It has a strong pop sense. Every Ed Kuepper
album has at least a couple of songs you just can't get out of your
head after just a couple of listens - this time, 'I Still Call This
Failure' and 'Rue The Day'. He displays the character of his music
with a blistering attack on the old jazz standard 'Fever'. 'Smile
..Pacific' is Ed's first new Ed Kuepper album in four years. In
a way it attempts to or ends up in turning full circle on Ed's "solo"
career, with a freshness as if he's starting all over again. We
can hear how far he's come and how consistent he is by comparing
this new album to the just re-released remastered 'Honey Steel's
Gold' from ten years ago. That's the album with which most people
"discovered" Ed. It's a great career. It was then, and still is
today. 