Album Notes

I have been writing and recording tuneful pop songs since the mid-80’s, when I was suddenly able to do it. I wrote many of the songs performed by the well-received regional band, The Apes of Wrath, who gigged around Virginia in the 80’s. At around the same time I began recording home demos on a variety of 4-track portastudios, discovering that I could improvise harmony with myself that sounded pretty good. The so-called “home tapers” movement accepted me and I began sharing music with a larger body of listeners. All in all there were something like 6-8 tape releases from the end of the 80’s through the mid 90’s.

As the 90’s ended, Twee Kitten Records from California released my music: one 7”, a cd-ep, and one full-length cd, For Those Who Like POP. The latter release in particular was, considering its zero budget, successful. Not only did it sell well, but it was picked up for reissue in Japan by Vroom-Sound. Music from the cd was used extensively in the PBS kids show, "Dragonfly TV". There were flattering reviews in underground ‘zines, a few larger circulation magazines and even Japan’s "Beikoku-Ungaku". Somewhere along the line I wrote an original song used in the film Golfballs.

Spring 2007 saw the release of a new digital download album, A Song for Me, A Song for You. It includes 14 songs merging styles ranging from bossa nova, to jazz/rock to Beatley numbers. It was a privilege to work with Jack Shannon, Anthony Allen, Stewart Myers, Palmer Wilkins and Ashley Bell in making this music. Now, this album is finally available on compact disc, the way nature intended.

Since the A Song for Me... album, I've been working with Palmer and Anthony PLUS the amazingly talented Roland Wolff, of Riviera, a great German pop group. Roland's all around musical genius is undeniable and must be heard to be believed. I hope to add a few others to mix as well. Evolving tracks from my next effort, tentatively entitled Smellicopter, will be leaked periodically to MySpace.

REVIEWS

"Musically, Brookman brings to mind The High Llamas’ homages to Brian Wilson. These atmospheric tunes are melodic, witty, yearning and sometimes melancholic. They’re also frequently hypnotic and always engaging…….."
David Gofstein, Cool and Strange Music! Magazine.

"...an essential addition to the collection of anyone who holds Mr. Wilson dear to their hearts. "
David Bash, Amplifier, Volume 4, 4

"[Brookman's music] is for those who like pop, specifically the sun sad pop of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys masterpiece, Pet Sounds or the smart British pop of Skylarking-era XTC. Meticulously arranged, brimming with complex harmonies and melodic hooks, For Those Who Like POP is a strange summer journey across “Polka Dot Bridge” through “The Undersea World of Sherlock Holmes” where “Uncle’s Telescope” is suitable for peeping on both the pariah poet “Stearnes Pantywaist” and Edgar Stith, “The Sinister Cyclist.” Like many intellectual posters before him, from Randy Newman to Scott Miller, Scott Brookman has turned a love for his record collection, a reverence for the form, and a sly wit into a work that should be greatly appreciated by all those who like Pop."
John Daniel, The Sonic, July 1999.

"Scott Brookman writes what I'll call, for the lack of a better phrase, some of the most charming and appealing pop songs I've heard in a long time, with a sense of humor and an utter lack of pretension. The strengths of [his music] are almost too numerous to mention. First off, Scott's songwriting and arrangements are impeccable, and his vocal harmonies are at times truly something to behold! More than just straight-forward crooning over acoustic strum-strum-strum, his songs are filled with exciting interplay between vocals, guitar, and bass. "
Review of early cassette, can't find reviewers name!

"Brookman's work reminds one of the days when actual songs, not "tracks," were written, while remaining wholly original and new. If, after the first listening, you don't play this album again immediately, you may have missed something important musically.......He could easily be named one of the most diverse musicians and songwriters right now, so not giving this album at least one listen would almost be a crime."
L. Anne Carrington Indie Music Stop 2007

“…j’espère qu’il reste sur cette planète des gens qui aiment les belles mélodies, les précieux arrangements et le style parce qu’il y’en a plus dans le nouvel album de Sir Brookman que dans l’intégrale des sur quotés Arctic Monkeys. A song for me, a song for you est un magnifique cocktail ambré qui coule dans la gorge et ravive le palpitant…”
Jean-Emmanuel Dubois, Gonzai. 2007.

"Well this is just a warm, fuzzy, pop jewel and that's all there is to it.
Scott Brookman's For Those Who Like Pop is a solid showcase of an extremely talented individual. At times evocative of Brian Wilson's finest moments, Brookman's greatest accomplishment are the fine arranging skills within. Tracks like Ballad Of A Boy Named Dracula and The Undersea World Of Sherlock Holmes are every bit the evocative film scores that they pretend to be - and Karen and In The Scheme Of Things are two of the loveliest purely melodic numbers you'll hear. The vocal arrangement on In The Scheme Of Things is particularly worth noting, with Brookman's intertwining multi-layered vocal perfectly complementing the simple piano-driven beat.
Even The Beatles come to mind in parts, as on the mesmerizing Then You See Her which takes Lennon's piano-pounding style and marries it to McCartney's stronger pop sensibilities. Swing My Way adds to the playful nature of much of For Those Who Like Pop, thanks to its swinging organ (stop laughing!) groove and Ashley Bell's drums.
For those who like pop, you really should get to know Scott Brookman - I think you'll like him, too.
* * * * out of 5"
Claudio Sossi, Shake It Up