I'M HEARING THINGS • Henry Gross
Very impressive, deeply musical character. I say character because it's obvious to anyone who knows Hankus that he could have been a professional comedian, his delivery and timing are that good. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
This is what I'd call classic American pop music of the first order. Superior melodies and songs, sublime guitars, and excellent vocals—every component stands firm in comparison to the music to which the album may be compared. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and Harry Nilsson all come to mind, but there are also strains of blues and even country that serve to stand this artist out as an original.
Henry is a true veteran of the music business. He was a founding member of the legendary R&R band Sha Na Na (and played Woodstock with them), and had a worldwide hit in the mid-70s as a solo artist with the song "Shannon." While spending time with friend Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys, he mentioned that he had an Irish Setter named Shannon. Carl said he'd had one too, by the same name, but that she'd been recently killed in a car accident. Some time later, Henry penned the huge success in a matter of minutes with his friend Carl in mind. For a better account of this story and a very interesting bio, check out henrygross.com. That's also the place to buy this record, which comes highly recommended as first class pop for adults.
Myriad attempts to follow in the footsteps of the classic aforementioned bands have been made by groups around the world, but mostly the shoes haven't fit the prints. Check out this music by a virtuoso pop musician who walked alongside some of these bands, and is still walking. Not retro, just ongoing. Hear for yourself on the listen page. • FG
