Mike Przygoda's Hang on to your Ego is an album of 20 songs that never waste a moment of its generous 78 minutes and 4 seconds. Mike takes his many influences in classical, rock, folk, blues etc and blends into an album free of lyrical and musical cliches. St. James Infirmarty Revisited with its intense guitar is a tip of the cap to Bob Dylan and takes us down Highway 61 all the way to visions of Robert Johnson at the Crossroads as Mike sings,about brutality of loss with a weary acceptance showing believe and being numb. Then we hear a great instrumental called Friends Without Benefits. A great Rhythm Section groove tune, that provides a constant slow boil but the tea kettle never overflows.A song for late night romance reflecting half filled red wine glasses and steamed windows. Help is a introspective song taking a look at private dreams and thoughts in which we are allowed to look at two silhoutettes clinging to the street lights of imagination. Monday Morning Rail is a song anyone that has taken the trains in Chicago and lost in their own thoughts can dig into. Great Song Titles like Study in Sincerity, does not disappoint either. Hang on to your Ego might be a metaphor for lots of things but doesn't matter. Mike takes us for a musical and lyrical ride that changes like the weather but keeps us nourished and interested while it rains acoustic or his guitar strikes like lighting from the heavens into our private dreams.Mike's piano feels like the warmth of the sun after a storm!If the album was a Four Star gourmet restauant, it would be like a 20 course tasty dinner for the soul. Digest this album and you'll feel satisfied and come back again and again.

Mike's done a fantastic job with this album. The recording quality is simply great - clear evidence of the time spent in production. The songs are catchy, too. I love "Viaduct". Buy the album and see for yourself. Mike is an extremely talented and diverse musician. Enjoy!

One of the strongest points of this album is the variety it offers, not only concerning genre but with instrumentation, mood and content as well. Covering the whole spectrum,it is exactly like an album should be: excellently shaped into musical diversity. There is something for everyone.

Mike Przygoda's album "Hang On To Your Ego" works well on many levels. Great songwriting is first and foremost on the list - beautiful melodies, intelligent arrangements, intriguing lyrics, and perfect instrumentation all meld together to create an enjoyable audio journey of almost 80 minutes. No "shouting-suburban-youths-really-angry-about-nothing-in-particular", here. This is mercilessly pleasant music that will have real longevity...it is actually good enough to continue being heard years on down the road. Those are all REAL instruments on the album, by the way: a 19th-century German grand piano, tubular bells, vibraphone, trumpet, saxophone, cello, violin, clarinet, upright bass, and flute, along with the standard drums/bass/guitar/vocal rock setup (Mr Przygoda handles about 98% of the musical chores himself!). The low-bitrate streaming samples just don't do justice to the actual recording - on the cd, the upright bass is so full, you can almost throw your arms around it. The vibes seem to undulate right through your head. The clarinet is clean, and not the least bit harsh. The triangle has such presence, it sounds like it is right there in front of you. Effects on the album were kept to a minimum, to ensure its' "real feel". And even though the entire project was done as overdubs, it truly DOES sound like a real group of musicians, playing together live in the same room at the same time. Definitely some 1969 Beatles influence ("14th Windows", "Viaduct"). And a solid Brian Wilson "Pet Sounds/Smile" feel ("Fireworks"). And Dylanesque lyrics and vocals ("St James Infirmary", "Why Can't", "G.I.T.O.P."). And some Harry Nilsson, too ("Studies In Sincerity"). Almost Kronos Quartet in places ("Thank You"). Maybe a little Herb Alpert ("Mi Tio Esta Enfermo")? ***File under: Tough to categorize /Easy listening /Soft rock /Adult contemporary /Light trippy /Jazz-folk /Singer-songwriter /Great on headphones.*** Check out my favorite track, "Frequencies". The one you'll be hearing on the radio soon. Nice. The entire package is classy - the cd comes with a glossy 16-page booklet of liner notes, complete lyrics, and full color photographs (and a hidden story arc!). Support the arts - BUY THIS ALBUM. You'll be glad you did, it's well worth it!