Michael
Weiskopf is clearly a Bob Dylan fan. He’s the lead singer in a Dylan cover band
(The Complete Unknowns), the one non-original track on his debut album is a
Dylan song (“I’ll Remember You “) and at one point on the record Weiskopf
declares that he is “driven by Dylan.” So to say this disc is Dylanesque is to
speak the obvious. The question is, does Weiskopf do a good enough job at
emulating his hero that Weiskopf is worth hearing in his own right?
Very consistent album. Thought provoking lyrics and fine musicianship. Skin,
Nineteen Years, and Nighthawks are destined to be classics. Other songs are also
great! Well done! Heart and soul bared as only a good song can do.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Smart and mellow, a great debut album
August 12, 2012
By judyvg
I loved this album! It's very smart, mellow, comfortable, romantic and lovely to
listen to. "Nighthawks" sets the tone, a quest for something indefinable...love?
peace? solace? reaching for something that is never obtainable, the
ever-searching human condition perhaps. The most beautiful song is "Skin," a
love song we all wish was about us. There's irony, intellectual honesty, and a
strong country flavor in "Sleepless 'Til Dawn." Musical tributes to traditional
genres and styles in "Stuck Blues" and "Streets of Temptation" are varied and
fun to hear. It's hard to categorize this album, because its influences are
eclectic with a Dylan influence certainly, but there's lots more than that. In
short, an excellent debut album from a very talented singer/songwriter. I can't
wait to hear more from Michael Weiskopf. But meanwhile, I'll be listening
happily to INSOMNIA. BRAVO! ___________________________________________________
"SUFFERING FOOLS" REVIEWED
Peter Stone Brown is a freelance writer and
singer-songwriter.
His site and blog can be found
here: http://www.peterstonebrown.com/
Michael
Weiskopf is a New York City based singer-songwriter, who just
released his second album, Suffering Fools. Weiskopf is open
about being influenced by the musical explosion of the ’60s, the
singer-songwriters who emerged from the folk movement, but also the
British Invasion, Motown and Soul music. Dylan is clearly a major
influence and Weiskopf also is the lead singer of The Complete
Unknowns, a group that celebrates Dylan’s music and was also a
member of two other groups that played music of the ’60s, The Lost
Keys and Psychedelic Summer.
Many of his songs are blatantly political and topical, and while
one can detect a bit of Phil Ochs on “Thank You Canada (The Ted Cruz
song),” lyrically Weiskopf is closer to Bruce Cockburn. In fact, he
closes the album with Cockburn’s “Pacing The Cage,” and also
includes a cover of Bob McDill’s “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” a 1980
country hit for Don Williams. Musically, Weiskopf explores what
once was called folk-rock with occasional touches of twang and
country. However he is at his best when he stays away from obvious
targets like Cruz and digs deeper. “No Reason,” is an epic tune
that has a clear debt to Dylan’s “It’s Alright, Ma,” both musically
and structurally. With laser like precision, Weiskopf explores
every aspect of the 21st Century daily horror, the
constant wars, the spying, the lying, the technology, the poverty,
the pollution, the destruction, the corruption, the corporate
madness, and he pulls it off.
“Frozen” echoes much later Dylan, namely “Ain’t Talkin’.” Both
songs borrow heavily from the traditional “Wayfaring Stranger,” and
both songs start with a theme of walking, and though Weiskopf
ultimately tells a different story entirely, it may be a little too
close for comfort, though everything about the way he sings it tells
you he means it, and despite the obvious comparison, it keeps you
listening.
The most powerful song is “Guns
Don’t Kill.” Written a few days after the Sandy Hook incident,
Weiskopf avoids the usual gun control clichés and instead writes
from inside the mind of the mass murderer. He wisely keeps it
general enough so it could be any of the mass shooters, none of them
or one yet to come. The result is powerful, disturbing and scary.
This is a song that not only deserves to be heard, but needs to be
heard.
___________________________________________________
Mass Shootings and Ted Cruz
"Michael Weiskopf is not shy about addressing controversial topics in his
music..."
"New York singer/songwriter Michael Weiskopf is co-founder with virtuoso guitarist Randolph Hudson III of Bob Dylan cover band The Complete Unknowns. Covering Dylan's material spanning his five decade career, the band provides a complete Dylan experience that showcases Bob's songs as well as the great musicianship that brought them to life..."
"Michael
Weiskopf is not shy about addressing controversial topics in his music..."
Hailing Five
Decades of Dylan The Complete Unknowns recently
appeared at events marking Mr. Dylan’s 73rd
birthday By Christopher Walsh | June 24, 2014 -
11:54am
