You’ll want to grab a seat and dig in for this one. Ben Brookes is an English-born singer/songwriter with a gift as a genuine musical poet. The name of the album is “The Motor Car & The Weather Balloon.” The release date for this album is yet to be disclosed but here and now you can have a sneak peek in to the life and times of an artist which is sure to be a hit maker. Heck, he already is.
This album is on Martin-Guild Worldwide Productions record label and features Michael Bland, drummer with Prince. Greg Inhofer, keyboardist for Bob Dylan, and Mark Healey and Joey Molland from Badfinger. No doubt for sure it’s a superb line up.
Brookes is from the magical southern shores of Portsmouth in the UK. He first began his quest of his love for music at the tender age of 11. He reminds me of Phil Collins in some of his vocals and in the melodies of several of his songs. This English born artist is a poet beyond measure.
Brookes was invited to come to the US to record his first full length album by Martin -Guild, a Minneapolis-based record label. After seeing and hearing Brookes collection of YouTube videos he was invited to make the quest for a new and thriving career. The collaboration of professional musicians on this album is a big hit making partnership. Bland has extensive experience having worked with other legendary artists such as Johnny Lang, Chka Khan, and The Dixie Chicks. Also credited to this album, Greg Inhofer, Greg played keyboards on Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan and guitarist Molland was credited with his performances on George Harrisons award winning solo album “All Things Must Pass.”
We begin with “Integration (Not Segregation)” and the message this song presents. It expresses the feelings and emotions of how if we all came together for the greater good we could start a chain reaction that could cover the world.
“Crack A Smile” is our next selection in the review. I truly loved the chorus.
And everyone gather round
And listen to the sound
Of all the birds in the trees
They’re singin’ effortlessly
But just don’t forget to laugh sometimes
Or crack a smile Every once in a while .
~Ben Brookes~
“Stories in the Rain” is the official music video for Ben Brookes off this album. It’s graceful and enticing and will keep your head bobbing and your feet tapping. Influenced by greats like Bob Dylan and The Beatles, David Bowie and would you believe Johnny Cash? You’ll hear a mix of great inspiration in Ben’s music.
“Stories In The Rain” is perfect. Simply perfect. I love the ease and the perfection of the intro. There’s no hesitation. The song just “is” and that is superb. The instrumentation is solid and tight and his vocals are inviting.
The entire album is a jewel, filled with bluesy rock, freaky funk, cool synths and crisp guitars. The melodies are filled with passion and depth reflected in the main powerful instrument, Ben’s voice.
I could listen to Ben Brooks all day and every day. His sincerity with his love for music is genuine. David Bowie was a great inspiration to Ben and at the time of hearing of Bowie’s death he cried, it was like loosing a good friend.
“Ben brings incredible power and raw emotion, as well as a remarkable ability to tell a story through each and every song on the album, He was a joy to work with.” ~Mark Healey, Badfinger~
This 10 track album is sure to be huge and Ben Brookes has the right stuff to push it to the top. For more information please check out the following sites.
Social websites:
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/benbrookesmusic
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/benbrookesmusic
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/benbrookesmusic
https://itun.es/gb/q9Z_jb?i=1241464751
All photo’s and media links provided by Independent Music Promotions.
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