CD Reviews- Phil Vassar- Traveling Circus

The Background
Phil Vassar made his name as a chart-topping songwriter before landing a record deal and becoming a hitmaking artist in his own right. After college, Vassar moved to Nashville, learned to play piano, and sang his original material in clubs. One club patron and fan brought Vassar's demo tape to his father, crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, and Humperdinck wound up recording "Once in a While," a song Vassar had co-written with a bartender friend, in 1996. Vassar's songwriting career blossomed from there, as he landed a publishing contract with EMI and penned hits for Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"), Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"), Tim McGraw ("For a Little While"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye Bye," "I'm Alright"), and BlackHawk ("Postmarked Birmingham"). He signed a record deal of his own with Arista in 1998 and was named ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999. His self-titled debut album was released in 2000, and the lead single, "Carlene," shot into the country Top Five; its follow-up, "Just Another Day in Paradise," went all the way to number one. "Six-Pack Summer" also reached the Top Ten, and yet another single from the album, "That's When I Love You," became Vassar's third Top Five hit in early 2002. Phil Vassar was certified gold for sales of half a million copies, and its follow-up, American Child, was released later in 2002. The title track gave Vassar yet another Top Five single. Prayer of a Common Man appeared in 2008 from Universal South.

The Review
I hope to refine music, study it, try to find some area that I can unlock. I don't quite know how to explain it but it's there. These can't be the only notes in the world, there's got to be other notes some place, in some dimension, between the cracks on the piano keys- Marvin Gaye
Now releasing his sixth album, Traveling Circus, Phil Vassar approaches his uniquely piano-based style of country music from his own school of thought. For Vassar, country music means relying on the black and white keys that have provided a niche as country’s piano man. Though pop music has its share of ivory ticklers including Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Elton John, Vassar joins Ronnie Milsap as one of the few elites who still uses the piano so prominently. Vassar has a more hands on approach to this project whereby he produced all the tracks here himself and relied on his road band to get a change of pace to what’s happening on Nashville radio right now. It’s without surprise then the songs that are the strongest on Traveling Circus let the piano shine through on ballads without the over-production that can sometimes bog down the up-tempos. The first star is "She's on the Way." It celebrates the amazing feelings of becoming a father to a daughter. With a new daughter who just turned a year, this reviewer found the lyrics touching and profound- and very easily relatable to Vassar’s own shoes (who has daughters of his own.) It’s emotive, raw and heartfelt- great combinations in a song. Another strong song is the melancholic piano driven ballad "A Year From Now,” a powerful testament that we all believe that time will heal our pains. Again, Vassar pulls from experience from his own divorce and delivers a performance that is as believable as it is emotional. an ode to the transcendence of time that will heal our deepest pains. Misses? The Kenny Chesney co-write with Vassar, "I Will Remember You," won’t be remembered long and the somewhat strange, "Bobbi With an I," is (while catchy) a tune about a cross-dressing weightlifter. It missed as the first single released to radio and becomes a testament to the fact that fans look to hear themselves in a song. But the best song on the album is also the last. “Where Have All The Piano’s Gone?” has Vassar asking Nashville for more artists like himself- artists that inspire the listener with tunes based from playing those same piano keys. It’s a terrific tune with historic musical relevance and an autobiographical side to it that relates well to the listener. Overall, it’s an above-average album worthy of being in any country music lover’s collection.

Sounds Like
Randy Housers Voice With Ronnie Milsap’s Piano Playing & Songwriting

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
John Wayne
She’s On Her Way
Where Have All The Pianos Gone?
A Year From Now

The Verdict:
Three & A Half Stars Out Of Five