Willy Porter

Willy Porter Artist: Willy Porter
Label: Six Degrees
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 657036107328
EAN: 0657036107328
ASIN: B00006AGG4


Release Date: 2002-07-30

Willy Porter


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Categories | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Singer-Songwriters Singer-Songwriters
Categories | Pop | Styles | Music
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Singer-Songwriters Singer-Songwriters
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Tracks:

  1. Breathe
  2. If Love were an Airplane
  3. Unconditional
  4. Everything but Sorry
  5. Dirty Movie
  6. Big Yellow Pine
  7. All Fall Down
  8. How Did You Know?
  9. Dandelion on the Minefield
  10. Blue Light
  11. Dishwater Blonde

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  1. Falling Forward
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  3. Dog Eared Dream
  4. Available Light
  5. Dog Eared Dream

Amazon.com

Willy Porter's guitar playing is so expressive and such an integral part of his performances that he is perhaps best described as a guitarist-songwriter rather than a mere singer-songwriter. On "Breathe," the opening track of his self-titled fourth CD, Porter's intricate solo fingerpicking creates a hypnotic groove that sums up the "just chill" message of his song more succinctly than its elliptical lyrics. Even when he is backed by a band, as he is on most of these tracks, he uses a perfectly placed bent string or subtle rhythmic shift to wordlessly comment on the song, infusing it with an extra layer of meaning. On previous CDs Porter sometimes gave into the urge to overplay, which, when you pick as well as he does, must be hard to resist. But on tracks like "Unconditional," an ode to pure love, or "Dirty Movie," a sly song about a different kind of love, he tones down the guitar pyrotechnics in favor of a near-perfect blend of heartfelt vocals, smart songwriting, and subtle instrumental prowess. <I>--Michael Simmons</I>

Album Description

Willy Porter once again mixes up jaw-dropping guitar work with thought- provoking lyrics to produce his most powerful and mature release to date. <P>"...his performance digs beyond the notes and rests in the intangible aspect of soul. Funky, poppy, punchy and warm."-Songwriter's Monthly <P>"[Willy Porter's] got the triple threat: great singing (sweet and strong), kick-drum, bass-groove guitar playing (the influences of Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges are apparent), and quality songwriting."-Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Willy is just plain awesome.......2004-12-02

All I have to say is - Willy is the man! :-)

4 out of 5 stars Best musical act you've never heard of.......2004-05-30

My interest in Willy Porter began when I saw him play live at a local venue. His recordings are very good, however, as often happens, they don't begin to do justice to the full range of his talent. This latest is a fine effort. In this age of corporate music, Willy Porter is like a breath of fresh air. Having seen Willy perform several times now, I have a tremendous respect for his talent.

What really hooked me originally was a spontaneous tune that began as a guitar riff he was noodling with while adjusting his equipment. The band jumped in, and all of a sudden they were into a mesmerizing slow funk groove over which Willy laid down some absolutely stunning lyrics as well as some electric jazz guitar work unlike any I've heard him do since. The impact was similar to the first time I saw Miles Davis play back in the 60's, or the magic that happened when sax great John Handy played a gig with legendary Indian sarode player Ali Akbar Khan. The rest of the audience was as knocked out by it as I was, and a 5 minute standing ovation ensued. Willy looked slightly surprised and a bit embarrassed. I'm not certain even he knew he had it in him.

Suffice it to say that the only downside to Willy Porter's recordings is that there is so much more than they capture. Artists like Willy no longer receive major label attention these days, and thus don't have a budget that allows them to get the most talented production people available to them. I have to agree with the other reviewer indicated that with a top producer, Willy is capable of putting out one for the ages. Do yourself a favor and catch his live act when he's in your area. The engaging folky tunes and acoustic guitar work heard on Porter's recordings are simply the tip of the iceberg. This guy is a monster talent that is almost totally overlooked.

5 out of 5 stars Dessert Island?.......2004-02-11

I haven't heard this album, but I was just wondering if anyone has directions to this so-called "dessert lsland" the last reviewer spoke of. If it exists, I would love to go there and eat all the cake and cookies and ice cream available on the island. Please let me know.

3 out of 5 stars Good stuff, but it can use some work.......2003-04-19

I think Willy is an INCREDIBLE guitar player and a damn fine singer. However, I personally think that he can use the help of an experienced producer who might be able to better piece his talents together. I think his songwriting can use some work and he needs to learn how to maximize his tremendous potential. I like the album and I think it's worth buying, but it's not among my "dessert island" collection. It's a shame because with a little work, I think he could [make] that list.

5 out of 5 stars

Music Album:

  1. Acoustic Adventures ~ Ben Kunin
  2. Gratitude ~ Earth Wind & Fire
  3. Choreographed Man of War ~ Robert Pollard & His Soft Rock Renegades
  4. We Will Rock You ~ Queen
  5. Tri-Danielson, Vol. 2 (Omega) ~ Danielson Famile
  6. Ave Mindi Luminar & Vox En
  7. Nothing Can Stop Us ~ Robert Wyatt
  8. Transatlantic Sessions 2, Vol. 1 ~ Various Artists
  9. Soul Jam ~ The Sir Douglas Quintet
  10. Transatlantic Sessions 2 V.2 ~ Various Artists

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

Evita's Tango-Die Goldene ~ Various Artists

CTI Master Collection, Vol. 2 ~ Various Artists

Great Scott! ~ Shirley Scott

Music CD 05

Swing High ~ Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra

Shaman's Journey ~ Robert Turgeon

Nix Is Fix ~ Rainhard Fendrich

Enjoy the Dance

Center Color ~ Megumi Hayashibara

Make a Wish ~ Hunter Hayes