"Pride of the Garage" is the recording alias of Arizona based songwriter Dan Miles. His debut release showcases his skills as songwriter, vocalist and guitarist. The album opener "Biggest Thing" is about the contrast between an artist's assessment of themselves and the audience reaction they are most likely to get. The album closer and title track "Young Man's Game" is about the music industry's tendency to automatically dismiss anyone over a certain age regardless of what they may have to offer. The rest of the songs are more autobiographical. "Andre to Me", "Jonny Be Bad", "Perini Funk" and "My Bank Ralph" were written about various members of Dan's family. The remaining two songs deal with his high school experiences. "Class of '81 & 1/2" is about being so focused on improving his musicianship during his senior year that he neglected his studies and had to go to summer school to graduate. "Post Boom Babies" is about the generational jealousy he felt toward the flower children who'd had The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors while he'd had to endure disco, punk rock, new wave, the deaths of John Bonham and Keith Moon and the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash. There are also a couple of short guitar instrumentals. "May for a Day" features a creative usage of a Brian May foot pedal which enables the player to perform live three part harmonies. "Pride of the Garage" is based on "Royal March of the Lion" from "Carnival of the Animals". Be sure to listen all the way to the end for a special message from Dan's two year old son. If you love the music of the 60's and 70's you will enjoy the lyrical and musical references on the album. The vibe is fun and upbeat and all of the musicians are seasoned professionals. The album offers a nice blend of the comfort of nostalgia and the freshness of originality. Pride of the Garage - rocking Arizona and beyond!
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