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CD Pick of the week!
The Boston Globe
The Beloved Few by Steve Morse
This is an inspired, adult-rock album
made by some of the unsung heroes
of the Boston scene,
including drummer David Stefanelli, singer Michael Troy,
guitarist
Robert Holmes (formerly of 'til tuesday), Tim Archibald (who has
played with
New Man and Deborah Henson-Conant), Johnny A (who plays with
Peter Wolf), and
backup singer extraordinaire Patty Barkas. The music,
written by Stefanelli and Troy, sounds
like a cross between the pop
sensibility of Crowded House and the acoustic-folk grace of Bruce
Cockburn and Harry Chapin. The songs are articulate musings on love
and loneliness, and on
societal outsiders, as seen in "Regards to
William" and "In the Life of Kate." The arrangements
move
from a piano ballad with cello, to the rocking "I Don't Speak
Your Language." The production quality
and songwriting reflect
high standards, while also coming directly from the heart. And it
reportedly
took a year to fine-tune the songs. They get better upon
repeat listens.
For more info, write to the Beloved Few at P.O. Box 803, Cambridge,
MA.02140.
Or check out their Web site
at www.belovedfew.com.
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GOLDMINE
THE COLLECTORS RECORD
AND COMPACT DISC
The Beloved Few by Chuck Miller
Here's the story - you're the guitar player or drummer in a
group that had a couple of national
Top 40 hits, but has decided to
break up. To make ends meet, you take jobs producing other artists, and
recording radio commercials. One of the vocalists in a shoe commercial
starts goofing on the lyrics, and before the end of the session, you and
he have decided to combine your talents, record an album and see if
homemade rock 'n' roll is better than its corporate cousin. The Beloved
Few is the debut effort by singer-pianist Michael Troy and former RTZ/Peter
Wolf drummer-guitarist David Stefanelli. At first listen, it seems both
Troy and Stefanelli have impacted the musical personalities of their previous bands (power-pop AOR melodies, angst-riddled lyrics). Michael
Troy's voice and lyrical delivery resemble an Innocent Age-era Dan
Fogelberg, especially on songs like "Where Angels Fear to
Tread" ("Ivory tower on a castle of sand/woven power/in the
palm of your hand"). The Troy-Stefanelli writing team does create
some gems on this album, which seem to focus on type of emotional
decision and angst- "In the Life of Kate," a song about
alienation ("She sits all alone in an old rocking chair/she's
talking to someone but/nobody's there/it's just another day/in the life
of Kate"), and "Forgiven," about love that went wrong
("The time she put the candles in the rain/That was just a message
to/the little boy that she once knew/To reassure it wont happen again').
And while this is a rock record, Troy and Stefanelli have brought in
other instruments to add feeling or emotion to certain songs-the liner
noted list Chris Lannon on recorder and dulcimer; Jake Shapiro playing
cello on certain ballads; and Extreme's Anthony "Ajax" Resta
on Moog synthesizer and "guitar case brushes." And for all the
"hidden tracks" hunters out there, The Beloved Few contains a
20-second snippet of what seems like an old Hawaiian 78 two minutes
after the end of "In the Life of Kate." All in all, The
Beloved Few is a solid effort from a new band, and it's DIY charm should
catch the ear of a record company executive with a contract and a need
for it to be signed.
C. Miller
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The Boston Sunday Herald
THE BELOVED FEW * * * 1/2 STARS!
There are Lots of local pop-rock recordings, but precious few as
polished and multifaceted as the debut album from The Beloved Few. "The Beloved Few" is the brainchild of co-leaders and
co-writers David Stefanelli and Michael Troy, who have recorded with the
likes of Robert Ellis Orrall, RTZ and Peter Wolf in the course of long,
Boston-based musical careers. With gleaming hooks, rootsy instrumental
flourishes and soaring, hummable choruses, "The Beloved Few"
mixes pop, roots music, rock and folk with aplomb, serving up one
memorable tune after another. - K. R. C.
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SOUNDCHECK
The Beloved Few -12 song-CD
by Debbie Catalano
It's 4:00 on a warm September, Saturday afternoon. I've had a
very frantic day, but then I sit back and notice the sun is beautifully
pouring in through my open windows and coming through my speakers are
The Beloved Few.
I am instantly calmed. The Beloved Few is a musically refreshing change of pace with
their sincere, inspiring songs and performances. With music this finely
crafted, it seems almost cheesy to try to classify it.
Let's just say
it's contemporary music layered with earthy, warm rhythms, laced with
inspiring instrumentation (Hammond B3, piano, percussion, cello, acoustic and electric guitar, etc.), and performed with solid,
impassioned vocals. The talent (and it's an amazing collection of musicians - some of
the best from Boston) of The Beloved Few begins with the two members
David Stefanelli-who plays drums, acoustic and electric guitars,
percussion and sings back-ups; and Michael Troy on lead vocals and
piano. Their collaborative lyrical and musical efforts are absolutely
excellent. In addition, David and Michael's debut album was enhanced
with the musical gifts of Robert Holmes (guitar), Johnny A (guitar), Patty Barkas (vocals), Tim Archibald (bass), Jake Shapiro (cello),
Garret Savluk (muted trumpet), Anthony Resta (Moog, percussion), and
Doug Dube (Hammond B3), to name a few. Lending their talents to the engineering and mixing were Chris
Lannon, David Leftkowitz, Sean McGough, and Bob St. John, respectively.
The album result is a passionate, multidimensional album that gently
touches your soul at some moments and energizes you with upbeat grooves, the next. It's a rarity for one to say that all the songs are so good
that it is difficult to pick the best, but that is very true in this case. But if I must highlight a few, I'd choose Forgiven, Sister Blue, I
Don't Speak Your Language, and the jangly Beloved Few. Thank you, The Beloved Few, for soothing me into a smile on that
crazy Saturday afternoon and reinforcing the fact that quality music is
still being created. I wish this band all the best- these guys deserve
to be heard.
* * * * Four Stars !
to the top of the page
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The
Patriot Ledger
CD Reviews By Jay N. Miller
THE BELOVED FEW:
The Beloved Few is basically the duo of singer Michael Troy
and former RTZ drummer David Stefanelli. On this debut disc they're
backed by a cross-section of Boston music vets, including Hingham's
Robert Holmes ('til Tuesday), Tim Archibald (New Man), and Johnny A
(Peter Wolf's band). The Beloved Few's music is gently rocking pop with mostly an acoustic feel. There are no jarring moments here but rather a
sort of folk rock chamber ambience. Troy's lead vocals are sweetly
expressive, and the simple arrangements highlight the intimate feel
throughout. Much of the music evokes memories of Crosby, Stills and
Nash in their heyday, and other spots may remind listeners of 'til
Tuesday's quieter side or even the work of folk artists like John Gorka
or Patty Larkin. The lyrics tend to be personal and introspective, yet compelling for their unique slant and frequent local references.
The production work on this 48-minute CD is superb, with
fabulous separation letting every instrument ring out clearly, as in
immediately evident on the gently rocking "Forgiven." The song
"Home" features a more driving rock sound, yet with clearly
articulated guitar lines, precise vocals and even cello accents. The pensive
Ballard," Sister Blue," is another
highlight, with Troy's plaintive vocal placed in a great arrangement marked by muted trumpet. "Nobodies Girl" rocks along pretty
briskly, and the superb vocal harmonies invite memories of Hall and Oates at their peak.
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MRQMusic
Reviews
The Beloved Few
From Boston, MA, comes a sharp, sophisticated duo with
better than average sense on how a good song gets put together. Michael Troy and David Stefanelli gathered up some friends with
credentials of their own to put together the mature rock sound of this
debut, and between the professionalism of the duo and the skills of the
players, this comes off as one polished piece of work with far better
than average sound quality to it. Singer Troy is a powerful presence
here. His voice has all the range and texture of a headlining band's lead singer. He can glide gently or rock
in a fairly controlled way, all in a polished, professional way. That's the most noticeable element of The Beloved Few's
sound; under it everything else is just as polished and professional.
The pop elements of the bands sound come off with veteran skill, and
when the group either rocks to the left of pop or builds a ballad to the
right of pop, the skill evident in the pop center gets transferred smoothly and completely.
Beyond Troy's voice, the songs are the next most
noticeable element. These are songs not with sixties pop innocence but
with timeless classic pop in mind. The catchiness in the choruses is
anchored to some exceptional construction which will keep these songs
strong for a long time. A similar care is taken in building the verse
sections, but the duo is wise to let the verses work more to set up the
choruses than be the focal pieces in themselves. The two Billy Joel-like
numbers which finish the disc are probably the weakest constructions of
the set, a little too reliant on the instrumentation to buoy them up;
not bad songs on their own but out-muscled by a whole series of
excellent songs which through run at least the first seven and more like
the first nine songs of the recording.
The Beloved Few is a group standing just at the edge
of major commercial success. A major label would simply need to carry
this disc without any additions or subtractions or tinkerings to their
label and set it loose from there. While indie releases have certainly
improved in quality over the last several years, ones with this much
polish are still rarities. To employ the tempting pun, there are
beloved few which show this kind of talent and taste.
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REACHING
OVER 85 CAMPUSES
The CAMPUS CALENDAR
**** THE BELOVED FEW Four
Stars!
When was the last time you listened to a CD from start to
finish without bristling just once, or racing frantically to the fast
forward button? It's a rare phenomenon to be sure, but it's likely that
the self-titled disc from Boston's The Beloved Few will attain this rare
stature in your home. Everything's wonderful here; lush, acoustic-driven
tracks that range from gentle folk to jangle pop and just keep getting
better with every listen. A few tunes bristle with Beatle-esque
harmonies; others recall the glory days of Squeeze and XTC. In short,
songwriters Michael Troy and David Stefanelli have unleashed a disc full
of gorgeous melodies- "Sister Blue" and the rousing
"Home" being among the stand-outs-that will almost certainly
be eaten up by listeners of WBOS and WXRV, although anyone with an ear for lifting harmonies and pristine pop music will dig what's going on
here. - TM
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Midwestern Skies
Music Magazine
The Beloved Few
12 Song CD
If you're a devoted Midwestern Skies reader I'm sure you have read Rick's interview with this band on the interview pages. Here is a review then. I start the review with one freekin' word... BRAVO!!! What a nice record these guys have done. Superb production.
(Produced by David Stefanelli.) Excellent tunes. Nice vocals and a big portion of good lyrics. If you love bands like Lowen & Navarro, Rembrandts, Pistoleros, Del Amitri and even softer AOR, this is more than a check up. You will love this. Promise! My fav tunes on here is the incredible acoustic based "Home," "Where Angels Fear To Tread" and "Nobodies Girl." The track "Sister Blue" could have been a R. Marx tune when he's on his bestmoments. No guys and girls, do yourself a favor and get this CD today. One of the nicest indies of the year.
BRAVO! once again. - Par
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