Album Notes

"According to singer/songwriter Rick Paul’s MySpace profile, 'A song is a terrible thing to waste'; he lives by his word, generously offering twelve of them on his debut full-length CD 'Love Holds On'. With styles ranging from retro rock to Celtic folk, this Southern Californian artist has a unique whispering charm about his vocals that makes one take notice from the first warm note." - Janet Goodman, Music News Nashville (http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/archives/reviews/2009/rickpaul.htm)

Rick Paul's full-length album debut, "Love Holds On", spans a 14-year period of the artist's songwriting career with a themed collection of songs about holding onto love in various forms. Of course, there are the inevitable unrequited love songs ("If I Could Turn the Hands of Time", "Elizabeth, Lately", "After Us"), but those live alongside a song about spicing up a long-term marriage-with-children ("Take Advantage of Me"), songs that touch on the stories of departed loved ones ("A Rainy Day", "Portadown Rain"), a song about long-term friendship ("When We Used to Hold Hands"), and even a song about the singer's love of bringing his music to an audience, wherever they may be ("It Might Be Memphis").

Catchy melodies will draw you into each song, but it is the depth of the lyrics that will touch your heart and keep you coming back to probe more deeply. Songs on the album include:

"Love Holds On" (Rebecca Hanneman, Rick Paul) - Dressed up in a bluegrass-influenced, Dan Fogelberg-influenced ballad, the album's title song also embodies its concept, which is that true love does not let go, but rather holds on and persists despite obstacles.

"Take Advantage of Me" (Michael J. Parker, Rick Paul) - If the title song is Philosophy 101, this up-tempo country rocker is Holding Onto Love 500 - Special Applications: Married With Children. It's a sexy romp through the game a married couple plays to keep the fire sizzling hot.

"A Rainy Day" (Michael J. Parker, Rick Paul) - Sometimes it takes the loss of a loved one to make us realize how important it is to live for today.

"If I Could Turn the Hands of Time" (Rick Paul) - This is the songwriter's own take on a melodic ballad that's been covered by multiple artists in the past, including Jennifer Lynn and Paul Johansen. The song shows how what we don't know can hurt us.

"You Get What You Get" (Rick Paul) - This is a fun, country-flavored shuffle about being contented with what we have, whether we want to or not.

"Elizabeth, Lately" (Michael J. Parker, Rick Paul) - Reminiscent of latter day Beatles or early Paul Simon, this ballad tells the unspoken story of a couple falling out of love.

"After Us" (Michael J. Parker, Rick Paul) - Sometimes there's a fine line between holding onto love and stalking. This modern pop ballad straddles that line.

"Fixin' the Hole in the Wall" (Michael J. Parker, Rick Paul) - This Dixieland-flavored story-between-the-lines takes a darkly humorous look at a how addressing a big problem sometimes needs to start with fixing a smaller one.

"When We Used to Hold Hands" (Rick Paul) - A twist on the usual "friends become lovers" tale, this ballad tells the story of a teenage romance that blossoms into long-term friendship.

"Portadown Rain" (Vic Michener, Rick Paul) - This hardhitting Celtic folk song depicts a grieving father addressing the faceless donor who funds the violence that claimed the child whose memory will always remain in the father's heart.

"It Might Be Memphis" (Rick Paul) - Whether it's Memphis, New York, London, Nice, Rome, or even Singapore, the singer of this retro rocker will always feel at home as long as there's an audience to enjoy his songs.

"Fly" (Rick Paul) - The album's closer is a power ballad that looks and mutual accomplishment and inspiration and could be equally at home being sung at a wedding anniversary party or graduation cermemony or coming from the lips of the latest American Idol winner in the final show of the season.