The Jamie Hoover Web Site

Reviews

SpongeTone Jamie Hoover pays a passionate debt to songwriter Bob Lind with this lovely, four-track EP. A real keeper.

Jamie Hoover-Lind Me Four-Loaded Goat (2006)

Jamie Hoover came to the music of Bob Lind by way of the Smithereen's Dennis Diken, whose very DNA is made up of particles from, at the very least, every other pop song ever recorded. Which makes perfect sense, because if you need someone to turn you on to great music, Diken's your man.

As Hoover says in his very personal liner notes to Lind Me Four, the only Lind he knew was "Elusive Butterfly," the sweet, beautifully-realized, early-1966 hit. He was aching to hear more; Lind fever was burning up inside of him. The first fruit of Hoover's newfound musical passion emerged on the Van DeLecki's 1999 album, Ebum Shoobum Shoobum, on which Hoover and fellow 'Lecki Bryan Shumate covered "Elusive Butterfly." That song, along with covers of three other masterworks from Lind's first World Pacific album, appear here; all are given passionate readings, and all are delivered straight from the heart, as only Hoover can do.

Hoover approaches Lind's songs with sincere reverence as he recasts them in a contemporary musical context. "Unlock the Door," which trades a rockier, beat-driven architecture for Lind's folk-traveler, banjo-based arrangement, beautifully captures Lind's accounting of the value of true love. Similarly, the lovely "Drifter's Sunrise" is infused with a Help! -era Beatles sheen, building on the tender structure of Lind's original. The gorgeous "Counting" is realized in a fashion similar to Lind's reading, substituting stringed accents for the original recording's bell sound. Also similar to the original is Hoover's take on the evergreen, classic "Elusive Butterfly," although Hoover's version beats a bit faster.

Great songs never die; they only grow older, and wiser, as Hoover proves with his ace interpretations of the songs on this gorgeous EP. Four more Linds, please, and sooner than later.

Alan Haber

April 23, 2006

http://www.buhdge.com/hot_buhdge/2006/hoover.htm

http://www.purepopradio.com/

Bob Lind's personal website post!

Bob Lind-I want to let you know about something that excites the hell out of me:

Jamie Hoover of the Spongetones has just released a four-song CD called LIND ME FOUR ,

The songs are all covers from my first album, DON'T BE CONCERNED : ("Unlock the Door," "Counting," "Drifter's Sunrise," and "Elusive Butterfly.")

As most of you know, I rarely revisit my musical past. In fact I only vaguely remembered the first three of those songs when Jamie wrote me asking permission to cut them. (Incidentally, that's class right there. He didn't have to ask me. Once a song has been released, anyone can record it. It was just professional courtesy.) He e-mailed me the lyrics to make sure he had them right, and as I read them I felt like they were ancient museum pieces.

Something in me thought: "Why does a guy as hip and current as Jamie Hoover want to zombie up these corpses?" But there's no way I can deny anyone, much less an artist of Jamie's stature, the right to record my work.

A couple months later he sent me the rough mixes and I got it. Man he brings these things to life. He's made me proud of them again -- I'm thinking, "Gees, those ARE pretty good songs."

This of course says far more about Jamie and his passion and artistry than it does about me as a songwriter.

Nonetheless. I recommend this CD to any fan of my songs. He sings them with, zest, fire and heart and there's not much more this proud father could want for his musical kids.

BTW, if you're not aware of Jamie's work -- as a single, with the Spongetones and with the VanDeleckis -- I urge you to check out his other records while you're there on his site.

Gary Pig Gold-This is an absolutely AMAZING set, yessir !

y'know, I actually have the original vinyl of "Don't Be Concerned"

(safely stored back up in my home and native O Canada, however),

but I'd forgotten, as I'm sure too many of us have, how riveting these songs are.

and YOUR versions??

They're powerful, bright, but the vocals float light and spacious (backgrounds especially), which I feel is a true plus in tackling songs as "wordy" as Lind's

....and there's only ONE other person on this Earth (that I am aware of) who can create guitar sounds like those you did on "Drifter's Sunrise"

(I speak of the one and only Mark Johnson).

Thank You for sharing this obvious labor of big love

Posted on Bob Lind's site from a fan: Sun May 14, 2006 3:59 am

I got Jamie's "Lind Me Four" about a week ago, and am delighted with it. Everyone who loves Bob's music needs to purchase this CD. Jamie's versions of Bob's songs are lovely, lively, and his affection for the material can be heard in every note and word. His rendition of "Counting" is beautiful; I was never really captured by the song until now. I always did like "Drifter's Sunrise", and Jamie provides a rich and mellow variation of it here which just sweeps you away. And hearing "Elusive Butterfly" in Jamie's unique voice and style reminded me of how the song made me feel the first time I heard it. Like being whisked away on a cloud of birdsong. The piercing vividness of that feeling!

Jamie Hoover - Jamie Hoo-ever Jamie Hoover
Coupons Questions and Comments (Reissue)
Loaded Goat

The following is a review from The Hard Report (June 15 1990):

As admitted earlier, it was a week that memories ran rampant on the old music box, but time was set aside for things new. Jamie Hoover 's "Coupons. Questions and Comments" has been lying next to the play pile for a while, and when it finally got an audition I had to smack myself in the head for waiting. Jamie is no newcomer, as any fan of the late great Spongetones will attest. You've also seen his name on records by pal Don Dixon , Marti Jones and most of the things recorded at Charlotte 's Reflection Studios. The 13 tracks on this Triapore Records release swell with solid pop ingredients, and hooks that were made for Summer nights. These are singles, as in seven inches with a big hole in the middle. They're the kind of singles that when played on a jukebox, mesmerize you into following them with your eyes as they spin at 45 RPM. The trio of "Coupons", "Questions" and "V\e Box" are Big Star/dB's/Records/Todd beauties, and "Duo-Not" leases the intro to Joe Jackson's "Friday"before settling in to a pure pop groove. All the tracks shine brightly, and this kid can't stop playing "Lie In Tlie Fire", a song that is too beautiful for words. Find this record and play it every day. (Contact Triapore Records, PO Box502, Lake Wylie , S.C. 29710 )...

Jamie Hoover - Jamie Hoo-ever Jamie Hoover
Jamie Hoo-ever
Loaded Goat

Buy from:
Not Lame (US)
CD Baby (US)
Music Utopia (UK)

Click here for reviews of Jamie Hoo-ever
Click here for a review in Italian from rootshighway.it (Italy)
Click here for a review in German from Home of Rock (Germany)

Jamie Hoover and Bill Lloyd
Paparazzi
Paisley Pop
Buy Now from Not Lame or CD Baby

Click here for reviews of Paparazzi

Following is a review in Spanish from Ruta 66 (Spain)

Following is a review of Jamie Hoo-ever and Paparazzi from Bucketfull of Brains (Winter 2004)

Following is a review of Paparazzi from the August 2004 issue of Maverick

Following are two reviews from Amplifier magazine. One review is of the Crenshaw, Dixon, Hoover, and Lloyd show in Winston-Salem and another review is of Jamie and Bill Lloyd's CD Paparazzi.

Jamie Hoover's Pop Odyssey by Alan Haber