Search - Vinnie James :: All-American Boy

YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS !!!

bluzdudeMI | Northville, MI United States | 06/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is a phenominal debut CD by a dude that never resurfaced again. Not sure what happened to him. I bought "All American Boy" because of one song I heard on the radio, "Black Money". The CD varies between hard rockin' and slick acoustic gems. Every song is a winner !! You will not be able to put it down once you slip it in the CD player. Vinnie plays a twelve string accoustic, with an overdub of electric. Everyone I know who has heard this CD thinks it is great. But whatever happened to Vinnie James? Once you purchase this CD, you will be like me and wonder why there is nothing else from this guy, because he puts out exceptional, heart felt music. Buy it now !!"

An Underrated Master

David Flanders | Syracuse, NY | 09/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vinnie James' All American Boy is one of my all-time favorite discs. It definitely makes my cut for "10 Desert Island discs" - the stuff you can't live without.

My first exposure to Vinnie's music was when he opened for Styx in 1991. He played most, if not all, of this album in concert that night. He could've played for three or four more hours, and then announced that Styx couldn't make it... and I'd have felt that that was just fine. (And Styx is one of my favorite bands!)

This is straightforward rock in an almost-but-not-quite folk vein. No headbangin' stuff here, just fine guitar work and impassioned lyrics. "Black Money" got a tiny bit of radio airplay, but then promptly vanished. It's the obvious "hit" of the album, but not the best piece. "Dogs" is probably my favorite, though I often waver between that and "Hey Geronimo," "Walking on Stone" and the title track. Every single one of the 11 songs on this album is good to great, though... and I'd be hard-pressed to find another album I can say that about.

(By the way, since I'm just telling you what I like about the album, but you may or may not share my tastes, some of my other favorite musicians (in no real order) are Al Stewart, Pink Floyd, Yes, Enigma, David Bowie, The Who, Electric Light Orchestra, Kansas, Benny Mardones (yeah, I know - you never heard of him, either), REM and U2. Maybe that'll give you SOME comparison.)



Vinnie followed up All American Boy with a Christian-rock album, "Storm," which wasn't nearly as good. Rumor has it that there was to be another album, "Antigua" (RCA 66079-2), including a track entitled "Save the World," which at least got released to the promo market. I have yet to see ANY real reference to the actual album, though. Vinnie seems to have disappeared utterly from the music scene...and the world is worse off for it.



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