| Nothing
Is Real - Reviewed |
THE STAR LEDGER (The Newspaper for New
Jersey)
by Jay Lustig
"CELEBRATION OF LIFE"
Brush with death compels Stuffy Shmitt to create personal
statement
Lots of people have had the experience of drifting in
and out of reality under the influence of sedation. But
singer-songwriter Stuffy Shmitt may be the first person
to write a song about it.
"Nothing Is Real," the title track from his debut album,
was inspired by a near fatal bout with pneumonia that
led to a month in intensive care about two years ago.
He sings stream-of-consciousness lines like "Gutterball
down memory lane/Birds crash into the window pane" and
"Donna's passed out in the chair/There's a pony in this
box somewhere/I say nothing is real/Thank God" over a
relaxed, intoxicating beat. The music behind him constantly
changes. Strings, horns and voices appear as if from nowhere,
then disappear. An operatic solo belts out a few lines
from the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry Baby," then vanishes.
It's a striking song, one of many on this album that signal
that Shmitt, who will open for the Robert Cray Band Friday
night at the Community Theatre in Morristown with an acoustic
set, is a major new talent.
"Heart Above Water" has a similarly inviting, dreamy feel.
The simple yearning melody of "Long Water" sounds like
it could have come from an ancient Irish folk song, and
"Everybody Loves Lulu" boasts some sure-handed pop hooks.
The bongo-fueled "Cool It Baby" recalls the neo-beatnik
sound of early Rickie Lee Jones, and darkly poetic songs
like "Just Between Us Lovers" and "Room 792" are in the
Tom Waits vein, though the vocals lack Waits' gruffness.
Shmitt, who is not to be confused with the comic-strip
character Snuffy Smith, grew up in Milwaukee. He came
to New York City "as soon as high school was over. I ran
like a rabbit."
He's been playing in clubs for years as well as writing
music for film projects as diverse as the MTV game show
"Turn It Up," the long-forgotten 1985 comedy "The Heavenly
Kid" and the 1993 children's educational film "Whatever
Happened to the Dinosaurs?"
Before making his solo album, he had been playing with
a hard-rocking New York band called Petting Zoo, whose
loud guitars and pounding beat overshadowed his lyrics.
The musical direction of the new album, which couldn't
be a more personal statement, was influenced by his hospital
stay.
"I wanted to make a very special record. When you almost
die, things swirl into a weird, urgent chaotic focus.
Everything seemed either brutally crucial or it didn't
matter at all. One thing was for sure: I didn't have time
for more demos. I had to make this record."
It was "being up all night," he says that almost killed
him. "It's a lot of work in this town to do music and
stay alive. It's just too much fun. It caught up with
me, and I got lucky."
|
NEW
YORK POST
by Dan Aquilante
"THE YOUNG & THE TUNEFUL" STUFFY SHMITT, Nothing Is Real
three stars: "a singular sound... deserves a spin..."
In the wilds of Brooklyn, a guy named Stuffy Shmitt had
a heart full of music, a brain full of chemicals, and
managed to turn on a tape recorder and capture it while
in a hospital bed suffering from a near fatal bout with
pneumonia. Although nobody will recommend illness for
the sake of art, it helped Shmitt develop his love of
life.
Shmitt is lyrically poetic, and his music is broad enough
so that not all the songs sound the same. It's one of
those albums that takes a little time to appreciate, but
the rewards are there for you in the end. |
THE
AQUARIAN WEEKLY
New! Improved! More Rock!
FIRST
LISTENS
STUFFY SHMITT/Nothing Is Real
Rating -- 4 -- "Impress your friends with your keen musical
ear"
Once you get past his name, Stuffy's not too bad. His
trashy Chris Issak baritone makes for engaging listening.
He picks the right tones, moods and lyrics to hop in his
musical sidecar that's up to no good. His destination
is a bit odd and retro in a jacked-up Camaro on the cinderblocks
in the front yard kind of way. Best taken with whiskey
poured from a plastic bottle.
|
VIN
SCELSA, "Idiots Delight," WNEW-FM/NYC calls Stuffy Shmitt's
Nothing Is Real "A mesmerizing piece of music!" |
PETER BOCHAN, "All Mixed Up," WBAI-FM/NYC says "I dig
Nothing Is Real!" "It's one of the best indie release
this year." |
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SHEPHERD EXPRESS METRO (Milwaukee, WI) Night and Day
August 3, 2000
http://www.shepherd-express.com/shepherd/21/32/night_and_day/night_and_day.html
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