So I shall state my bias up front. This album is from one of my dearest friends, Mr. Tom Kratz. He's the kind friend whom, despite the fact we only seen each other once in a blue moon, I correspond with frequently and whose exchanges I value and look forward to. For the last two years I've been fortunate enough to preview some of the music Tom has been working on, one of the tracks made it's way into my film The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard, several others have gained some cult status on the CBC, and from what he tells me a few of the pieces here are inspired by a project that I have in development.
Tom is also a writer of some note, he's be published throughout North America for his short fiction work and is currently working away on a novella and some other projects. I don't think that it's any exaggeration to say that Tom will be known as a kind of Leonard Cohen of his time. But enough about how much I love Tom, about the album.
The first thing you should know is that Tom had a offer for this album, but instead decided to self-distribute. It's a wise decision - he wants people to hear his music - he wants to get it out to as many people - and in an effort to do that, he's offering his album at a pay-what-you-can rate. Hell, should you choose you can even pay nothing, or download it, listen, and then decide how much you think it's worth. So it costs you absolutely nothing besides your time to give this album a shot - and I promise you, it's well worth your time.
The Betty White Sessions is an eclectic album, and while not all of it is for everyone, there is something on it for everybody. The variety of styles is something you won't see on most albums, and I promise you that you've never heard the phrase "All that's here is shit" sung so sweetly or uplifting.
This is the kind of album that can only exist in a situation where there is no limit on the creativity, no one telling the artist that they must exist within a certain context. It is the perfect forum for someone like Kratz who is eclectic, evocative, and a slew of other words that start with the letter 'e'. If there could be any criticism of this work at all it's that it doesn't play like a traditional album - it would be unfair to listen to one track and make your decision on whether you like it or not - you really need to give it a few tracks. So do yourself a favour and grab this fine album, like I said it's free or pay-what-you-can so there's no loss whatsoever outside of your own time. And if you like it, pass it along! And feel free to post your thoughts here or on Tom's page!
Click HERE TO GO TO GREAT MOUNTAIN'S DOWNLOAD PAGE!
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