Didn't even know that this one was out until I saw it on "Cool Album Of The Day.Com"! Sounded GREAT there and I can't wait to have the physical copy in my hand! All the best to you Mimi and thanks for all of the great music over the years!
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This CD lends the listener an entirely wonderful, whirlwind of musical experience. It is a never ending pleasure from one of the masters of pop music and ultimate taste.
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It's tempting to think of ALL THAT GLITTERS as a long-lost 4th Pezband album... Pezband's RUBBER SOUL or REVOLVER -- thirty years in the making. After all, ALL THAT GLITTERS boasts rich, multi-layered production, inventive songwriting, and the iconic vocals of Pezband's lead singer Mimi Betinis. But while the poppy "Love Is Just a Thin Veneer," (the first track of ALL THAT GLITTERS) may harken back to the skinny tie era -- with its twangy guitars and soaring background vocals, by the time you hit the chorus (arranged with cello and violin), you quickly realize that it's not 1979 anymore and this is not a Pezband record. Which is just fine. In fact, better than fine. What emerges over the course of the next 10 tracks is an artfully-crafted collage of song textures and styles that fit together masterfully -- not unlike the album's cover art (also created by Betinis).

Standout tracks include "Come on Down to My House" (co-written with Pezband drummer Mick Rain) with its wicked swampy guitar licks and an energetic rhythm section featuring Chris Massa (Bass) and Carlo Iaccino (Drums), "Blue Sky" with its refreshingly bare vocals and impossibly hooky melody -- complimented by ska horns by Chuck Soumar and Dave Stalhberg (The Ides of March), and the haunting "Say the Word" featuring acapella vocals with Carla Hassett.

Back in the Pezband era, Betinis was painted as sort of a windy-city Paul McCartney. And it's true that his voice shares the same tone as Macca -- as well as the ability to switch from crooning ballads to raucous rock (as evidenced by Pezband's seminal live performance of "Hippy Hippy Shake" from their Live At Dingwalls EP). But on ALL THAT GLITTERS we're treated to another side of Betinis' voice -- somewhere between John Lennon and Ron Nasty. For proof, check out the hidden gem of the album: a lovingly-crafted symphonic cover of "Across the Universe" -- one of the few Beatles covers that actually surpasses the original.

ALL THAT GLITTERS is great news for Pezband fans, classic rock fans, or anybody who enjoys hand-made music overflowing with melody and texture. But the best news is that Betinis may be making up for lost time. Rumor has it that there is a second album in the works for release next year. Keep 'em coming!
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Mimi Betinis makes an attention grabbing return to the public arena with the release of "All That Glitters".   Mimi's voice has matured beautifully, like smoked honey, and is the perfect wind instrument for his songs... capturing the varying moods of the stories each one tells.  This long time fan hopes for  MORE.   REALLY.   SOON.  Please don't keep us waiting too long, Mimi!
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