CD Review: Jim Fidler---RPM

[David Dalton]

Jim Fidler has just released a rock concept album, RPM,
that is influenced by the rock concept albums of the
1970s, including those of Pink Floyd, Supertramp,
and The Moody Blues. But while you can spot the
influences, RPM is highly original and has both
wonderful musicianship and strong production, mixing,
and mastering. Also the graphic design is
beautiful, including some public domain Hubble
Space Telescope images as backing for lyrics.

Here is a quote from jimfidler.com :

"Transporting himself back to the 70's, the decade in
which he cut his teeth as a musician, Jim offers up RPM;
an "album" made in the true spirit of the time. The
album traces the life of a fictitious character, Mickey
Finn, who has the boyhood dream of fame and fortune,
achieves his dream, and finally wakes from the nightmare
to realize that music is more important than the hits,
life is more important than the music biz and he is more
important than his commercial image. It's one of those
twist one up, turn it up and go on a journey recordings
that sadly aren't much made anymore."


If only for the graphic design I recommend that you
get the hardcopy CD instead of digitally downloading it.
It isn't available on vinyl yet and probably won't
be since that would require it to be remastered for
vinyl and would require omission of the last two songs
for it to fit on the vinyl. But it is a true album
that is meant to be listened to from beginning to
the end at a fairly high volume.

The CD is now available at Fred's Records and
O'Brien's Music in St. John's, Newfoundland and
for $14.99 from http://www.jimfidler.com .

--
David Dalton dal...@nfld.com http://www.nfld.com/~dalton (home page)
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/nf.html Newfoundland&Labrador Music & Travel
"So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late" (Bob Dylan)