Reviews:

"Hangdog Heaven", New CD from Jim Lord

(CD release date—May 1, 2000) In "Hangdog Heaven" (Blue Vinyl Records), singer/songwriter Jim Lord offers up 12 tracks of heartfelt, introspective song writing ,pristine production, and top-notch musicianship. Lord’s first album, "Inside Out" was a pick hit LP by Billboard magazine

In the ‘80s. Now, Lord delivers again.

"Hangdog Heaven" crosses a number of genre borders from folk to jazz, while maintaining its own unique and soulful sound. Spanning universal themes such as loss and regret ( "Wasn’t Really thinking", "In a Dream of You," and "Flowers for Eleanor"). These tunes reflect a range of deeply personal emotions. The first cut," Saddle River", flows from Lord’s experience growing up in northern New Jersey. The upbeat bluesy "Save Yourself" takes a tongue in cheek look at superstitious doctrine and dogma. "Living In America" describes the elusiveness of the American dream.

Other themes include the holiday blues ("I’m Glad the Holidays are Over"), love, ("All I Know", "You and Me", and "I’m Here to Stay"), and moments of mystery ("Let Go the Light"). "Dreamin of the Good Times" combines contemporary lyrics with the style of ‘50s jazz standards.

Taken together, "Hangdog Heaven" is an inspired original tour de force of lyricism and melody.

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