Search - Emerson Hart :: Cigarettes & Gasoline

Scott C. (scotso) from EAST ISLIP, NY
Reviewed on 4/11/2008...

Tonic, was always a band, that "should have"/ They had a few moments, where they REALLY shined. Unfortunately , they were inconsistent. I was hesitant, to buy this cd, for that reason.
Initial thought, was, that surprisingly, this is actually more consistent than all of Tonic's output. Upon continued listening, it appears that EH was pretty much the whole of the group. This is a very
clean, well produced, and consistent cd. Ther are about 4 tracks that totally SHIne, and about 4 that are real good. It is definitely worth a listen, if the Hot AC for mat is your thing. Great vocals.

Refreshing Music, Lyrics, and Production

D. Webb | Greenville, NC | 07/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Too many times with solo break-out artists, the first album tends to sound forced and overproduced. With the exception of a few tracks, the production quality is excellent and remains understated on this album. The focus remains were it should with a singer/songwriter, on the lyrics and the guitar. I was fortunate to see Emerson play most of these songs live in January and was pleased that I didn't have to wade through excessive backing vocals and session players to recognize the songs on the first listen.



The high points of the album include the acoustic song, "Green Hills Race For California", the first single, "If You're Gonna Leave", and the awesome lyrics of "Flyin'" and "When She Loves You". This CD may not leave my player for weeks.



If you enjoyed the band Tonic for the lyrical depth and vocals, you will not be disappointed with this album."

At Last! Solo Effort From Emerson Hart, and it's a keeper

Laurelnd | Bismarck, ND United States | 08/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like other reviewers, I've been a fan of Emerson Hart since Tonic first hit the airwaves. I love his lyrics and music, and the amazing things he can do with his voice. I wasn't as in love with the music of Tonic, after the first CD, but Hart remains a favorite. (Although like many, I believe Tonic was underrated and underplayed, I think it may be going too far to say they were the MOST underrated! Close to it, maybe - but they did have platinum sales, so hey, they did better than Nick Drake when he was alive!)



All the songs on this CD are solid, with great music and great lyrics, and none, thankfully, suffer from over-production. I think the first single, "If You're Gonna Leave," will soon suffer from over-air-play, and I already hear faint distant criticism of it as puff-pop with a great hook. It is MUCH more than that, and I hope the critics see that. Although I like them all, two of my personal favorites are "Green Hills Race for California;" the guitar work is brilliant, and mixing it with the cello was the perfect touch; the lyrics are both subtle and sad. My other favorite is the title track, "Cigarettes and Gasoline." It takes us back to Hart's Irish roots, much as "Celtic Aggression" did on Tonic's Lemon Parade, but with less aggro and more wistfulness, as he recalls fishing boats in the Irish morning. I miss, just a little, Tonic bassist Jeff Russo's harmonies, but Hart has assembled a fantastic line of musicians here and his voice is all that's needed.



One thing that struck me is that this sounds like a break-up album - yet Emerson Hart thanks his wife Nicole: "You are and will always be my inspiration" and he means it. Amazing. This is, and will be for many fans, one of those rare CDs where you like every song, and don't want to fast-forward past any of them to get to that "one song." If you buy this, you won't be sorry!"