Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

The story goes that Phil Mann loved Neil Young's music and wanted to be a rock star, but couldn't sing and couldn't really play. He bought some gear and started writing songs and assembled some musicians. He recorded a CD called DAMN GLAD TO MEET YA that attracted the attention of Gary Katz, who produced CAN'T BUY A THRILL for Steely Dan (as well, I believe, as the long-lost JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF). The result is PEACE. Of course, none of it was probably that simple, or that complicated. The bottom line, however, is that PEACE is a great, great CD.

There must be something in the water in the North Jersey/ NYC area. There are a few guys --- Phil Risen, Peter Vitatone among them --- who have recorded impressive CDs in the past year, all of them built around a few power chords, some hooks and enough changeups to create solid tunes that maintain interest after repeated listenings. Add Phil Mann to that list. PEACE consists of ten tracks of good, solid material. There's nothing fancy here, just guitar, piano, organ and drums, and Mann's vocals floating above all of it. And with respect to Mann's voice, if he isn't Michael Bolton, well, he's not Rob Zombie either. The material respects his vocal limitations, so that he never strains, and if his voice isn't distinguishable, it certainly isn't unpleasant or grating. He certainly makes things work with what he's got, so that the title track doesn't sound like "Selfish" which is very distinguishable from "Suddenly" which sounds nothing like "Matchless." Mann manages to pull off the trick of being very clever without hitting the listener over the head with it. Everything on PEACE sounds familiar, but never old or tiring. It's not loud, but it's not unobtrusive, either. This is music which grabs your attention from the opening chords of "I've Looked Around" to the closing bars of "A Little Help." And let's give credit to Gary Katz, who co-produced PEACE with Mann. The production here is exquisite, crystal clear, and invisible. That's the way it's supposed to be.

PEACE could have been recorded yesterday or ten years ago, and I have a feeling that it will sound good 20 years from now. I've been playing it for friends for a couple of weeks now, and the uniform reaction has been "DAMN! Who is this guy?" If there was any justice int he world, they wouldn't have to ask. Maybe by this time next year, no one will have to.