Search - Richard Julian :: Smash Palace

Shake A Leg

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 06/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Richard Julian's brilliant "Smash Palace" rocks with creativity. "Big Big World" sets an energetic groove upon which Richard twists the lyric, "At the filling station standing in line, old lady spills the change out of her purse, starts counting the dimes; My leg is shakin' with a mind of its own; There's no mistake we're makin' close to home." "Broken Watch" is another rhythmic jewel with bongs & whops flaring all over from keyboards and drums that shoot out at a staccato lightning speed, "Honey pack my radio, My Van the Man, my Maceo, Come on girl, you're moving much too slow; Baby, yes, I hear the phone; Honey leave the phone alone; We got to, got to, got to, got to go." "Boca Raton" is a beatnik cousin to rap that sizzles with Julian's nervous anti-sedative delivery, "Well I got kinda scared of this memory drought so I headed downstairs to try & figure it out; It was then I saw the girl with one earring, not two, and she was looking at me like I was someone she knew; Then it all came back to me fast like a hypnotist's spell, I was searching for a phone in the Boca Raton motel." "Roman Polanski" is a bouncy naughty ditty, "So it's back into the whores of France; It's back to cheap red wine; I dream of mother in the camps then I get to work on time." "It Happened to Me" is a delightful track with an expansive melody about an afterlife. Richard Julian is one of those artists who burst with creativity, is loved by other musicians as is evidenced by his appearance on the latest Norah Jones DVD, and remains largely unknown but to a very select crowd. Join the club! Bravo!"

Take a Walk in the Dark with Richard

M. Casarino | Wilmington, DE United States | 03/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Richard Julian is an astoundingly good songwriter, singer, and guitar player. "Smash Palace" is as strong a recording as you're likely to hear from anyone."Smash" opens with a few humorous and eclectic funky-cuts, and as entertaining as "Restless Sea" and "Big Big World" are, they don't begin to reflect the deep soul and wisdom of some of Richard's work here. That soul - along with some gorgeous melodies - can be found in the haunting and ironic "As If," the dirty power-poprock of "Love is the Only War" and "The Second Smallest State" (Delaware in da HOWSE!!), the gorgeous "Karen," the heartbreakingly moving "Old Lovers." You're not going to hear a better blend of music and quirky, funny, and poignant lyrics from any singer-songwriter.The album would be a classic, though, even if it only contained one cut - the beautiful "John and Florine," a ballad that shows a touching wisdom well beyond Richard's years. It became one of my favorite songs ever upon my first listen, and it still brings me to tears.If you haven't heard Richard Julian yet, go get "Smash Palace" and "Good Life." Listen to them. And join me as one of Julian's true fans, one of those who are deeply conflicted between our desire for him to get the recognition he deserves, and our desire to keep him as our secret superstar."