Search - James Otto :: Days of Our Lives

Incredible....uncomparable to anything else you've heard!

DanD | 04/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"James Otto has a voice most artists would die to get; he also has a great knack for songwriting; he only wrote/co-wrote half of these songs, but you can tell he's spent years honing his craft. And his selection of songs is impeccable, with the exception of David Lee Murphy's "The Last Thing I Do" (Ronnie Dunn did a better job on B&D's "Steers and Stripes" album).As part of the new Muzik Mafia undercurrent in Nashville (a selection of--mostly--new singer/songwriters, including Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson), James Otto is in good company. He sounds so confident on "Gone" and the rockin' "Sunday Morning and Saturday Night," yet glides easily into the age-ballad "Song of the Violin." "Misspent Youth" deals with a reformed rebel, while "The Ball"--a song about a man who lost everything he ever wanted, and gained everything he needed--chokes me up every time (to save my masculinity, I must say that that ain't an easy thing to do; I stayed dry-eyed through OLD YELLER, for God's sake)."Never Say Goodbye" packs in a wallop of emotion, while "Miss Temptation" tempts you to sing along (sorry 'bout the pun). The title track is a bit forgetable (it was the second single, "Sunday Morning", that got me interested in purchasing the album), but that's due to the pop-ish production, not Otto's songwriting.James Otto is a talent. A lot of new male acts have been appearing on the scene lately; with a few exceptions--Jimmy Wayne, Brian McComas, Otto, and a couple others--they are mostly forgettable. Otto's debut CD, "Days of Our Lives," shows how a newcomer can tell the old dogs how to do things. James Otto is going to have a long and successful career; listen to this CD and see why."

Like this guy

Jim | 03/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"He's got a strong, sweet voice, and his songs are
really good. Favorites include "The Ball" and "Misspent Youth". Not a fluffy waste of money."

The Voice of a Generation

Kenny | Bumrush, Egypt | 03/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The writing and production on this disc are WAY, WAAAAYYYY above average for a new act. Songs like "Misspent Youth" and "Sunday Mornin', Saturday Night" will shine on for years to come and the rest is good, too.The whole CD is listenable and flows well, which is rare these days. I hate buying something based on the single, then finding out that the rest of the disc is awful (remember Chris Isaacs, Dierks Bentley). This one has no dogs on it, zero.But the real thing here is the voice. Otto has the most powerful, distinctive new voice I've heard in ten years or more. His instrument shows a breadth that ranges from aching tenderness to paint blistering attitude.I like 'rough' voiced singers in general, but to do everything this guy can do, you'd need to round up Travis Tritt, Bob Seger, Gary Allan, Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Van Zandt and Lyle Lovett and have them all gang up on him at once.Unless something goes horribly wrong, this kid will be the 'voice' of his generation."