Search - Richard Barone :: Cool Blue Halo

Hauntingly Beautiful

10/28/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Live Acoustic set with only guitar, cello and percussion. Includes Bongos classics "Bulrushes" "Flew a Falcon" "Sweet Blue Cage" "Number with Wings" along with Barone solo material. He pays homage to his heroes David Bowie with "The Man Who Sold the World" and the Beatles with "Cry Baby Cry" which gives you a glimpse into his genius world. What is so amazing about this album is at the sound. It is completely timeless. It was made over 10 years ago and does not contain any of the cheesy 80's synth or overdubs. Recorded in a bar, Barone's voice fills up every inch in a hauntingly beautiful way. It truly is incredible."

Wonderful live recording of Barone's talents

08/28/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a wonderful concert document of Richard Barone on his own after he left the Bongos. Both original material and clever cover versions are showcased. Barone's sweet voice is a perfect complement for these great songs. Barone is one of the more underrated artists of the past 20 years. Besides his infrequent solo work, the songs he did with the Bongos in the early 80's are fabulous. Check out "Drums Along the Hudson" for the originals of some of the songs featured here. Another album that Barone did with James Mastro called "Nuts and Bolts" is chock full of tasty cuts, but has never surfaced in digital form. When can we have that one on CD?"

4 1/2 Stars

06/08/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Barone's step into a solo career was an interesting one; his first album, rather than being a new full collection of studio songs, was a live recording at New York's Bottom Line club. Backed by a trio including noted session cellist Jane Scarpantoni, Barone does songs old and new, along with three fine covers that refer to long-standing touchstones. His choice of a Marc Bolan cover, "The Visit," shows the depth of his long-standing T. Rex fandom, as the original was an album cut from that band's self-titled album. The other remakes are more high profile: the Beatles' tender "Cry Baby Cry" gets an appropriate makeover, while David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" sounds like Kurt Cobain and company might have drawn a little inspiration from that as well when Nirvana's Unplugged session was taped. As for his originals, from the start, Barone easily nails his credentials as an underrated performer of sharp, lovely tunes. "I Belong to Me," where the title phrase comes from, gets not merely a good rendition in part thanks to Valerie Naranjo's vibes but a killer performance from Barone. Other winners include the quietly nervous "Flew a Falcon" and the haunting "Sweet Blue Cage," with a hypnotic guitar solo. The low-key strength of the performance throughout - Barone's clean, high vocals matched by the easy acoustic/electric groove of the musicians as a whole - helps make Cool Blue Halo something of a lost pop/rock classic. Those who appreciate the slightly wounded feeling from bands like late Big Star and the Shoes will definitely find something to love here. - Ned Raggett, All Music Guide"