Composed by David Bottrill and Paul Manchin, “Gratification” is the latest of Paul’s introspective, soundtrack-style themes. The Toronto-based Manchin, a musician of contrasts, doesn’t give much to review here with this CD, which has two tracks: the vocal and instrumental. It is consistent with his style and when I reached-out to him, I had been under the impression that he was sending me a new album instead of just two cuts of one song!
Alas, in this case, all you hear is all you get. I’m looking forward to receiving Manchin’s next full-length album and videos, hopefully before 2023 is over, Therefore, that is it for this year’s metaphorically, dreamy ride salutation from one, king Paul. Why do I seem to feel like I take a ride when I review his songs?
Looks like he’s ‘drowning in a sea of love‘!
No rating this time; submit yours by way of the “comments” please.
“Paul has a penchant for adding a few instrumentals late in the game/ I wonder if he will revisit those tracks on his next album – but this time with lyrics added seeing how he sounds when the majority of songs are new originals…”
When you listen to a Paul Manchin album, you are guaranteed variety of sound, increasing, Michael Franks-style vocal creativity and his own, slightly quirky arrangements which transcends genres – even if not intentionally. He seems a slightly sad and solitary soul who expresses his sullen longings via these vacillating tracks.
“Swim”, complete with sound effects, is the first song and if you’ve seen the “Lift” video, you know that he is stroking in his pajamas, dreamlike. It needs not be weird – yet is surely and slightly thus. Pull your swimsuit drawstrings tight for the ride!
The next pool dip is “Lift” (you make my day) and then the jazzy “What Makes People Happy”, followed by a remake of a song from his previous, “Salutations” album, “Take A Ride”; another cut is the same, but with a funky beat. Are we in Remix City, Paul?
On track five, he explores Madonna’s 1980s smash, “Like A Virgin”, a totally different way. I teased him that Madonna is going to come after him and, to my surprise, he replied that he secured permission from her! Apparently this isn’t the first time Paul has covered it either. He did so back during his Fly-Life days on the 2011 album, “Prolific”. Hmm.. This time it blends into “Blackjack”, another cut from his last collection. “Power of Love” is a beautiful piano solo ballad. “Fly”, my favorite and representative of how I first met Paul Manchin, is a nice dance club number with breakbeat-into-the-mix possibilities for DJs.
I really love his respectful, guitar-only cover of Elton’s “Your Song” (track nine).
Tracks ten and eleven, “Chance” and “Decline” respectively, are both big beat instrumentals and “Trinity” is basically sfx and a pure question mark for this listener. Number fourteen, is really jazzy, while “Promise” takes us back to Paul’s penchant for adding a few curious instrumentals late in the game. Any chance he will revisit those tracks on his next album – this time with lyrics added? “Want” sounds like a piano soundtrack from a horror movie!
Track sixteen, “Wonder” is my second-place favorite here. It also apparently has two remix versions, inside an overall retro theme, taking us back to the 1960s “British Invasion” sound of the likes of The Dave Clark Five on one; the next remix is ten years hence from the former. What is very troubling is that in the video for this song, he burns and acoustic guitar! What did this have to do with the lyrics? Why not put out the album version and then the remix version as a single and video?!
Just snorkel-spy “Try”, and listen to an introspective guitar monologue. “One” is also from the previous ‘Salutations’ album; this time with a different beat. How bout more original new fare and fewer remixes, Paul? Some of the blends and revisits seem random and are confusing to those listeners who desire a more consistent thematic approach to their listening.
That being said, this bath is the most listenable Manchin album throughout that I have enjoyed by him. Four out of five stars for listenability ( the burning guitar almost makes me deduct a point). I want to see how he sounds when the majority of songs are new originals – even if fewer overall – in the deep end. Please do not drown us in remixes next time!
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I dined upon and digested “Salutations” by Canada’s Paul Manchin during the spring 2017 holidays and I must admit that the feast was a smorgasbord of gourmet sounds upon a diverse continental musical menu, unlike any in recent memory. This is not to imply that I loved every utensil on this table setting, however. Then, his CD got stuck in my car radio player for many days, causing me to do even more research on how to free it again so that I could recite these titles to you! Relatable…very. For me, this is a whole De Ja Vu experience with Paul again. I first reviewed Paul’s “Truth” and “Expression” while writing for someone named “DJ Ron” who edited About.com/dancemusic circa 2006. His voice and approach still reminds me of jazz singer, Michael Franks.
Leading with “Take A Ride”, you will hear a concept that anybody can relate to via its narrative description. Who among us hasn’t felt the need to take a car ride to try and forget a failed romance, unrequited love or just to keep from arguing?
“One”, cut two, is the first modest danceable number on the album and my favorite overall. I play it on “repeat” mode. Its beat conjures up a combination of the late Aaliyah’s, “Rock The Boat” and the Hues Corporation smash of the 1970s, “Rock The Boat”, just a tad slower [song title coincidence not planned, dear reader]. He bills this as a song “dealing with grief”, yet I do not hear it as dark as that. It is the best pure song on the album and Paul should develop his next effort around this style of “cha-cha”. As many of this effort it ends cold, leaving you wanting more. I prefer the “vamp to fade”.
The rest of this CD seems to wax and wane between up and downtempo instrumentals with an occasional introspective classic, quiet piano piece interspersed. You can find yourself in deep thought while listening to these songs and I wonder if the inspiration for some of this music is personal Paul Manchin angst?
So, is Paul an accomplished pianist? No, according to him, he composes and has other musicians play the keys. I was hoping that it was he on some of those classic tickling the ivories moments like on “Are You Mine?” /featuring Gabriele Tosi.
I heard a mixed bag of intros and themes . For example, track three, “King”, has a familiar dance club intro only to flat-line into a mid-tempo love (?) song. Something strange going on here, methinks…
“I Think I Care” is really slow; “Let U Go” has a much bigger sound, ahead of three, mostly percussive jams – “Personal Space” with the most Afro-electronic beat – and then back to forlorn love on the 100% acoustic guitar, “I Want You To Know”.
Paul adds a couple more nice and promising short, instrumental interludes, including a very soulful instrumental theme on “Coming My Way”, before we bump to the disco beat of the very suggestive sucker, “Lollipop”! Oh, NOW I am awake! An it’s a good thing because the next selection continues the 4X4 club beat with “spinning/spyros poulos mix. I had to ask, what is a “poulos”? Maybe a Greek DJ remix thing?
Track fifteen, “Down”, is a definite dance club and Rhythm and Blues number – but what is he saying? “Life” is a good road trip theme song to drive to – if only it were longer. “Exitus” is very listenable and has the same beat of Freddie Jackson’s “We’ve Only Just Begun”. And Uh-oh, Wow! I fear the short classic horror movie organ on the title cut, “Salutations”! Which Edgar Allen Poe or Vincent Price character is going to jump-out next?!
To call this album “schizophrenic” might sound “mean” in today’s quasi politically-correct times, and yet it does have two personalities! Maybe it is more like “Cybill”, lol
“Salutations” is a study of contrasts among twenty tasty tracks. Even though I obviously listened a lot in my car to this, I give it 3.5 melancholy face masks out of a possible 5 due to the shortness of the instrumental tracks which seemed like padding. I would have also liked to have heard those tune play longer and move towards a statement. Finally, I cannot wait to hear this album on my full-out home music system, instead of in a car, this summer.
3.5 melancholy face masks out of a possible 5 due to the shortness of the instrumental tracks which seemed like padding. I would have also liked to have heard those tune play longer and move towards a statement. Finally, I cannot wait to hear this album on my full-out home music system, instead of in a car, this summer.
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