Dream Circle, 1998
Track Listing
Clean
Misery
Between
When you go down
Saracen Blade
Blue Ray
Ship song
Circus song
Mantra
Twelve Moons
Rob Lamothe - vocals, guitars, keyboards etc.
ROB LAMOTHE / BEING HUMAN
AJM
(check out his site, its pretty cool!)
OVERALL: 68%
I have to admit to being very disappointed by Rob's last solo record,
about 18 months back. Being a huge Riverdogs fan, I was expecting
something a little softer, but got the mellowest album ever recorded!
The lyrics were brilliant as you would expect, but it really was a
little to introspective.
So with the arrival of the new solo record, I was hoping Rob would set
things straight and rock out a little.
Well, he hasn't quite done that, but this is definitly a better record
than the previous. True enough, it is still lyrically very deep and
brilliant, and mellow once more, but just not quite as soft.
Instead there are hints of that Riverdogs sound, and noticeably more
guitars that pick up the pace some more.
After a few listens, it starts to sound quite good indeed. Clean opens
with a liad back guitar, and builds into some nice soloing towards the
end.
Misery has a great stripped back guitar sound, a real earthy feel. Very
laid back, and a cool chorus.
Between continues the guitar lead feel, but remains fairly quiet. It
even sounds a little 90's, which I haven't previously detected in
Lamothe.
When You Go Down is a very quiet, acoustic driven ballad.
Saracen Blade features sparse instrumentation, and mainly Rob's voice.
It is a very personal and intense track. I like it a lot.
Blue Ray livens things up a little with an electric lead, and a few more
riff's.
Ship Song is another track lead by Rob's vocals and an acoustic guitar.
There are also some acordians thrown in for texture. Quiet, and again,
introspective.
Circus Song is much the same. More electric guitar influenced.
Mantr is the rockiest track, featuring some distortion and nice effects.
Great vocals. The closest thing on the record to the Riverdogs.
Twelve Moons closes out the album, with a moody vocal lead ballad. A
haunting vocal that maybe only Rob Lamothe would be capable of.
A solid album of lyrically challenging and personal songs. Good, but not
a classic.
PRODUCTION: 78%SONGS: 75%VIBE: 60%ATTITUDE: 62%
BEING HUMAN
Cheryl
I am no good at writing reviews, I know what I like but I don't always have the words to express WHY I like it. I LIKE Being Human, I like it a lot! Robs voice sounds great throughout the whole disc. The lyrics are deep, and the songs put together perfectly. There isn't a song on here I don't like. I had been listening to Project Hum a lot before I got this, and wasn't sure what to expect as some of the songs are on both cds. I was far from disappointed. Saracen Blade is beautifully written and sung, the kind of song that sticks in your mind and you find yourself humming it during the day. Its one of my favorite songs by Rob. Circus Song is another... Melodic and hypnotizing, just can't seem to get it out of my mind. One of my favorite cd's, Being Human is rarely far from my cd player.
BEING HUMAN
Marc
Marvic@gateway.net
Being Human, would be Rob Lamothe's second solo album released on Dream Circle Records in Germany. A much harder edged record than Gravity however, a much different sound than the heavier material done by the Riverdogs. This album grabbed my like no other album that Lamothe has done except for the debut Riverdogs album. The songs as always are brilliant and Rob's voice is a gifted instrument unto itself. He is one of the few singers that blows me away everytime I hear him be it mellow or rocken'. This record, as I said, has an over all hard driving sound to it however, there some beautiful mellow tunes such as "Ship Song" and "Twelve Moons" that are good as anything he has written or sung. There are few records that open with four killer rockers like "Clean", "Misery", "Between" and "When You Go Down" and just when you think blues rock can't get better my favorite song on the album "Mantra" (about Rob's hometown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) comes along and blows you away. I could go on and on about this brilliant record but, it begs to be heard so that you can here one of the best bass players I have heard in many years in Paul Intson who sets the whole tone for this album and almost steals the limelight from Rob. This guy has to be heard and one can only hope that Rob will play with him again on future recordings. The beautiful harmony vocals of Lisa Winn are essential to the sound of this record too. Finally, gifted guitarist/singer/song writer Jamie Oakes makes an appearance on "When You Go Down". If you've yet to pick up his solo album "Shadows In Dreams" you are missing another jem too. Thus, Rob Lamothe does not get much better than this and as a bonus he has introduced to some talented Canadian musicians that are essential to the sound of this truly amazing record.............GO GET THIS ONE!
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Clock|
Riverdogs Debut|
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I Am Here Now|
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On Air|
Pervasive Influences|
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The Singles
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Lisa Winn
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