Paul D’Adamo Tell Me Something
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Texas based singer/songwriter/music teacher Paul D’Adamo has taken something old and made it new again. He has recruited a very experienced lineup of musicians to perform on his debut release Tell Me Something, and has put a jazz/fusion spin on a number of old Phil Collins and Genesis tracks along with a few original compositions. Rich in rock, jazz and blues influences, Tell Me Something is a radio friendly treat for any fan of Collins, Genesis or early 1980’s commercial rock.
Obviously inspired by Phil Collins and Genesis, D’Adamo worked closely with Phil Collins’ collaborator and keyboardist/producer, Brad Cole. They’ve gathered musicians who have recorded with the greats of the ’80s, including Phil Collins, Genesis, Supertramp, Elton John and James Taylor and have produced music that is according to D’Adamo “a synthesis of Pop, Jazz, Fusion and Progressive Rock.” D’Adamo has a great voice – clear, smooth and very accessible – everything a radio-friendly AOR singer should have.
Despite being 60 percent covers, D’Adamo and his band have fully rearranged and restyled all of the covers, providing a fresh interpretation. He has selected lesser known tracks and avoided remaking what most listeners would consider “classics”. The band also performs one track by Filipino musician Jose Mari Chan. His original tracks are well written and lively, spanning genres from commercial rock to R & B.
“Tell Me Something” (a D’Adamo original) is a great R & B track, and would be right at home on a modern jazz station. “Long Long Way To Go” is a great almost dance-able commercial rock version of the Phil Collins masterpiece, showcasing D’Adamo’s vocals at their best – and some killer saxophones. “Miss You,” a heartbreaking soft rock ballad written by D’Adamo, shows off the band’s quieter side. “Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore” dials up the energy while covering the Phil Collins pop track and fills it with lively sax and percussion.
Amazing acoustic guitars and soft keyboards open the band’s fine remake of the Genesis tune “Entangled.” Steel drums and an upbeat bass line carry D’Adamo’s “Woman Like You,” while moody pianos fill the Collins tear-jerker ballad “Please Don’t Ask.” A powerful bass line pushes the pop Genesis “Like It Or Not” along, while the cover of Jose Mari Chan’s “Constant Change” is a pop ballad for the ages and easily the best track on the album. Genesis’ short acapella “Guide Vocal” wraps the album in fine style.
While Tell Me Something won’t appeal to anyone looking for heavy stuff, it will certainly entertain fans of not only Phil Collins and Genesis, but will cross over and hook modern jazz and soft rock fans as well. This album is obviously a labor of love, and D’Adamo’s passion and enthusiasm are easily visible. His covers are well done, the original tracks are nicely written and performed, the musicianship of the entire ensemble is world class, and it is produced with crispness, warmth and clarity.
Definitely recommended – especially if you are looking for something light and upbeat.
Genre: Pop Rock
Band:
Paul D’Adamo – vocals, keyboards
Brad Cole (Chaka Khan, Paula Abdul, Dave Koz Supertramp) – keyboards
Chester Thompson (Genesis, Phil Collins, Weather Report, Frank Zappa) – drums
Daryl Stuermer (Genesis, Phil Collins, Jean-Luc Ponty) – guitar
Leland Sklar (too many acts to mention) – bass
Luis Conté (Madonna, Phil Collins, James Taylor) – percussion
Gerald Albright (Phil Collins, Whitney Houston) – saxophone
Arnold McCuller, Lynne Fiddmont, Amy Keys, Darlene Koldenhoven – backing vocals
Charlie Morgan (Elton John, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Moody Blues) – drums
Grant Geissman (Quincy Jones, Chuck Mangione) – acoustic guitar
Duane Stuermer (Daryl Stuermer Band, Sweetbottom) – bass
Chris Remy – guitar
Alan Burton – saxophone
Track Listing:
1. Tell Me Something
2. Long Long Way To Go
3. Miss You
4. Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore
5. Entangled
6. Woman Like You
7. Please Don’t Ask
8. Like It Or Not
9. Constant Change
10. Guide Vocal
Label: Independent
Website: www.pauldadamo.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10
ugh. I listened to this. it’s crap. well, other than the music made by all the people Paul hired.
Congratulations Paul ! WELLDONE ! Im Proud of you you have made it !! Your Albums Awsome !! I RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO BUY IT !! Its Beautifull and a great easy listerning Album WELL DONE !
San
The Famous Mrs C x
Sorry but this cd is garbage. This guy thinks he is Phil Collins. Doing a cover is one thing to pay tribute to the guy. But to hire his whole band come on. The guy can’t sing his way out of a paper bag. Not to mention he destroyed some classic Genesis & Phil songs. Don’t give up your day job there Paul your days of being famous will never happen. I have every Genesis/Phil Collins tribute album out including the ones by the various Genesis tribute bands and even the worse song on those is still 100 times better then this crap. You can’t pay me enough to listen to this. If you want to hear Genesis & Phil go and buy the real albums from the real band. Not a wanna be.
In the words of Fred Sanford from the 70s sitcom, “Sanford and Son”: “Oh, this is the big one! You hear that Elizabeth? I’m coming to join ya, honey!”
I about had a heart attack when I listened to this CD. Pure garbage. The guy cannot sing to save his life. I agree 100% with CRB. The only good thing about this CD are the musicians who worked with Paul — not Paul himself.
If I were him I definitely wouldn’t quit my day job. There’s no future for him in the music industry. As a die-hard Genesis fan, I was very disappointed with this offering.
I heard this album the other day. Very smooth. Liked it a lot. Not sure why sandfordand son and ABFAN has such vehiment negative comments. If it’s not their cup of tea, they should just say that. Seems like maybe they have a different agenda?
As a huge Genesis and PC fan, I bought this album because of the people who worked on the project, as well as the selection of songs Mr. D’Adamo chose to recreate. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the CD/DVD combo which follows the artist though the making of “Tell Me Something.” In my opinion, Mr. D’Adamo is not attempting to imitate Phil Collins or Genesis but rather give his own interpretation of songs that meant something in his life. The songs he chose sound differently than their original versions but Paul didn’t bastardize them by trying too hard to create exact copies. This debut cd gave me the impression of a real labor of love by the artist.
His original songs are a mixture of catchy tunes that move your feet (Woman Like You and Tell Me Something) to gut wrenching ballads (Miss You) and definitely warrant a listen. I tend to agree with the writer of this review, it might not appeal to someone looking to ‘rock out’ but if your looking for a nice group of songs to have a glass of wine or a slow dance, then this is a piece to complement your collection. Listening to this cd with the expectation that this artist is the next Phil Collins is a mistake; instead realizing that the performance is meant to pay homage to a band that influenced his musical styling is right on.
Finally, knowing everyone is entitled to their own opinion it is understandable that other Genesis and PC fans might disagree with me and the author of this article. If you sit back and give this cd its due, then you won’t be disappointed. And don’t forget, if you want to listen to the real thing, then pop it in, press play and listen to the real thing!!
I really enjoyed all of Paul’s original tracks on this CD. A Woman Like You appeals to me because of the success of the relationship the song is written about. I love Miss You because you can feel Paul’s emotion and desire for this person. I think all of these songs are incredible.
I found this cd to be very enjoyable and appreciated the review. I agree, it’s not a hard rock cd by any stretch of the imagination but I dig it! I am not sure why the artist is getting slammed so badly here; if you watched the DVD that accompanied it, it’s pretty obvious that he isn’t trying to sound like Phil Collins. Instead, he’s put a new spin on songs that meant something to him. I give it two thumbs up.
I am a big long time fan of Genesis and Phil going back to 1976 when I first saw them. I also support all tribute bands both the US and ones in Eourpe. If they put out a cd I get a copy to support the tribute bands and when they tour I go and see them to support them as well. The Musical Box, ReGenesis, Facevalue ect. I had a chance to listen to Pauls cd and to be honest it’s really bad. He cannot sing as his vocals were fixed in the studio. I have seen some of his live youtube clips performing. And then to go and hire Phils Band is a really dumb idea. Covering a song is one thing as a tribute and maybe use one of the musicians is ok but his entire band. That’s just poor taste. I personaly do not know Paul. I am just a fan of Phil Collins and Genesis and don’t find Pauls CD any good.
First off, I downloaded Paul D’Adamo’s CD off iTunes AFTER reading this review. The Actual review. The only one that matters. I love every bit of D’Adamo’s re-interpretations of the Phil Collins songs as well as the Genesis Songs. I am the same age as Phil Collins, and have such an eclectic taste in music, that D’Adamo’s CD is, for lack of a better word, Stellar. I too, have been a HUGE Genesis fan. Both when I was living in Europe, as well as now in the U.S for the past 20+ years. Paul, if you ever read this, YOU CAN SING! What you’ve done to Entangled is great. Every bit of your CD is tasteful and smooth. Every song evokes a wonderful emotion, and the arrangements are fantastic. Now, I am NOT in the music business, but by reading these comments I am presuming that Neither are any of you. But to quote Genesis, “I know What I Like, and I Like What I Know”. I DO know Great music when I hear it, and I buy ONLY Great Music. Paul D’Adamo, your music is Great. For Any Genesis/Phil Collins fan or just a fan of Paul D’Adamo, and he deserves to have fans. This is a CD worth owning!!
Fall out from the full moon I guess. I have a friend who works for customer service at the State he lives in. He tells me that the craziest people call when the moon is full. Jokingly he adds, ‘these are people who are posting on bulletin boards all day!”
You can’t take seriously what these haters are saying. It’s just like the folks who say “all rap sucks” or “Doo-Wop is stupid”. No music, no sound, is appealing to everyone. But a decent person, a person with abilities and talents, can see the effort and enthusiasm in others work. I don’t own any polka records, but I’m not going to say they all suck because they don’t sound like Jay-Z or Billy Joel.
Haters are liars, sick people with agendas. Having heard Paul D’Adamo’s CD, my recommendation is this: Don’t let the negative reviews affect YOUR interest. You might not like the CD, but then again you might love it. Give it a try, my friends. And see for your self. Some people like green eggs and ham. I know I do.
this is an absolute gem of an album ,the vocal ,awesome to say the least ,every track musically brilliant ,with a gem in the middle ,Entangled ,well the best cover you could ever imagine ,to cover ,Collins ,Hackett , or Genesis ,tough to do ,but this is as good as it gets
ABFAN are you for real ,or are you ABBAFAN ,sorry if that sounds in anyway offensive ,but having seen Genesis ,and quite a few good tribute bands Face Value are brill too ,and in fairness G2s version of entangled is very good as well ,to even think that this album isnt at least good is behond belief
I don’t really have a different agenda. I’m just expressing an opinion.
Like ABFAN, I have been to many Genesis shows since 1984 through 2007 and many tribute concerts by some terrific cover bands such as Face Value and The Musical Box to name a few. I got my wife into the band in the late 90s and she went with me to the Turn It On Again show three years ago.
I could also clearly tell when I was listening to Paul’s album that not only was it nothing like the other cover bands I’ve listened to that are far better, but the vocals were fixed in the studio. ABFAN is definitely not the only one who noticed that and I’m sure others have noticed it as well.
It’s sad to see some tribute artists out there like Paul who only record albums like “Tell Me Something” to make a quick buck. The Musical Box, Face Value, and others like them pay tribute to everything Phil Collins and Genesis have done in the last couple of decades, and are not doing it for the money, but out of appreciation and love towards the music. These are the kind of artists I admire and respect.
Funny how ABFAN is directly quoting sanfordandsonfan77 from a post on YouTube. You fellas must be really tight. Important thing to know is that Paul D’Adamo is not a tribute band. And from what I’ve learned his piano teachers salary certainly couldn’t afford the band playing on the album. He had an idea, out of his love of Phil and Genesis and ran it by these guys. If you think the likes of Brad Cole and Lleland Sklar are just sitting around waiting for someone to make a record, you’re out of touch. These guys liked this idea. PAULs idea and they worked with him on it. The criticism you are claming are against the entire project. Paul, the band and the entire cd is getting acclaim from PROFESSIONAL critics everywhere, I think the amatures should take a breath, go listen to ABACAB and forget this whole thing happened.
As a DJ who played Paul’s album FIRST on the U.S. Airwaves, as well as working with Paul on the Making of the album DVD; I have heard this album before it was even released to the general public. Paul has some great talent and has worked with some great musicians. The album is a good mix of music. To literally put someone down for their efforts as ABFAN and SanfordandSon have done in this discussion forum, is completely uncalled for. If you don’t like the music, then you don’t have to listen to it, but don’t ruin it for others to enjoy.
Paul has a diverse background of music (over 30 years), as well as appreciation for the more diverse musical styles that are displayed in the recording of “Tell Me Something”. There are some Genesis and Collins covers. These covers are done for the love of the music, not because Paul wanted to turn a “quick buck”. If you don’t know the inside story, don’t make the comments.
Check out Paul’s album, especially “Entangled”, and “Like it Or Not”. The original tracks have a good solid sound to them as well. If you are looking for some music that has a clean sound to it, along with some of the most well known musicians in the music business, then give “Tell Me Something” a listen.
Radio Guy
Cincinnati, Ohio
I have read several of the comments on this thread to draw a confused conclusion from them. First, I bought and listened to the album. Honestly, it has some refreshing approaches to many of the covers and that is a good thing and not a bad one. Some people in this forum mentioned tribute bands like Face Value and The Musical Box not being in it “for the money” and yet, they denounce Mr. D’Adamo’s effort as being something created just to make a “quick buck”. To those nay-sayers, don’t be naive! Sure, the guys from The Musical Box love the music and are actually quite capable of playing the material and recreating even the tiniest detail from Genesis’ live shows. However, do not interpret that as not being “in it for the money”. Of course they are in it for money. Otherwise, you would never even have heard of the names of people like Martin Levac. To people like ABFAN, do you think you would buy an album by Levac if he wouldn’t done the Phil Collins impersonation first? I don’t think so. I don’t even think you own his solo albums because they don’t sound enough like his impersonations. I can concede that you might had been expecting Paul D’Adamo’s album to sound closer to the originals but then, what’s the point of that? Maybe his voice is not close enough to Phil’s for you but, keep in mind that all the musicians on his album were cognisant about putting their own reputations on the line. These people did not just agreed to play on D’Adamo’s album, they also believed in him. The man has the vocal reach and the proper timbre and intonation. He obviously can sing! Now, if what some people want is something extremely close to the originals, then stick with the originals. If what you are looking for is something that has a unique take on it, then this album may just be the thing. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, I just don’t quite like it when people just bash something out of ignorance without criticising it constructively. Paul D’Adamo’s album is a very-well crafted effort that encompasses some very impressive musicianship and extremely high production values. His rendition of “Entangled” is very good and only gets better the more you listen to it. In my opinion, the album does skews more towards Phil Collins and the latter Phil Collins’ era of Genesis. Not heavy on progressive but somewhere between rock and pop. This album definitely has an audience and, it is not those who expect to hear just another facsimile of Phil Collins or Genesis but rather an original interpretation of their music.
As a Fan of progressive rock, mostly the influences of Bands such as ELP, Yes, Genesis, and of course Rush. I find D’Adamo’s CD more than refreshing. Granted, it is a Multi-genre CD, which in today’s market seems more than confusing. However, with that being stated, the tracks on “Tell Me Something” are more than welcomed in my home, car, & iPod. D’Adamo’s vocals are truly amazing. Clear, Distinctive, and radio friendly to say the least. I have been a professional musician for over 40 years, and I have recorded, played, and toured with some of the Greats in this industry we call Music. For Paul D’Adamo to assemble some of the greatest musicians around, is an understatement of how much pride the man has. I can assure you, that NOT ONE of these musicians would have put their musical stamp on D’Adamo’s project had they thought Paul would have brought them any embarrassment.
To be even more descriptive about what I enjoyed most about “Tell Me Something” is quite simply, the LACK of studio effects. The Vocals are Raw. Open, and Pure. Something that is rarely seen these days. With D’Adamo, it’s natural. You want an Antares Auto Tuned record? You won’t find it with Paul D’Adamo.
If you’re a Phil Collins and Genesis fan, as I am. This Album is for you. If you’re a fan of music that can reach people on several different emotions, Then Paul D’Adamo’s “Tell Me Something” does just that. Mr. D’Adamo, My hat is off to you sir on such great representations of some of music’s most revered artists. You have a fantastic product, and I am proud to own a copy! Anybody should!!
Let me start by declairing a “vested interest” here. I am the lead singer in Face Value as some of you will know (Hi Steve)
For what my opinion is worth Paul does a fantastic job on his CD. You don’t get the calibre of the musicians on this CD by being poor.
Paul does this as a labour of love and should be applauded for all the effort he has put into this project. The accusation of him making a “quick buck” is just plain daft to em as I very much doubt he will recoup the costs of the Cd back.
Best wishes to all Genesis and Phil Collins fans out there
Oh and Paul….
….Anytime you want to come to a FV show you only have to ask 🙂
Best wishes
John Wilkinson
Paul’s voice makes my ears sad.
Paul, if you ever read this, and I hope you do. I have a few things to say regarding your Album. First off, I love your music and the re workings of the Genesis and Phil tracks with Entangled and Like it or Not being my favorites. I’m not much of a Ballad kind of guy, so I really enjoyed your Title Track, Tell Me Something, and Woman Like You. Great music, great vocals, and really well thought out arrangements.
You are not aware of this, but I was at your LIVE show with Ambrosia & Kansas in Florida this past December, and by far I have to say that you were excellent. Your performance value was outstanding, and you the most interactive with the audience. Looking back, for as much as I love your recorded work, I truly have to say that it was your live show that captured me and my family as fans. Vocally, you show great versatility, and your stage presence is top notch. I was wondering if I can get in contact with you to perhaps get a signed copy of your CD/DVD. I bought one at your show in Florida, but sadly could not get it signed. Fantastic work Paul. Keep it up.