Michael Massimo
Precious Seconds
© 1998 Michael Massimo (664910891129)
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Acoustic-based songwriting infused with tension. Complex chords and progressions under often intense, spiritual lyrics. "More epic and grandiose than your average pop song."
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An acoustic alternative singer/songwriter whose sound ranges from fingerstyle ballads to modern rock; percussive strumming combined with powerful vocals and harmonies. A passionate performer with well-crafted songs on the trials and triumphs of the human spirit. Critics have said:
"One of the best records in recent months by a great songwriter" - Rant N Rave
"Massimo has a knack for capturing everyday frustration and he's deft with more nuanced feelings as well." - Asbury Park Press
"Massimo stumbles upon brilliance with his latest CD. This is a fulfilling album. It could be the one that takes him to the next level. Savor it." - Songwriter's Monthly
This album continues a trend only hinted at on previous releases. Now fronting the band that is his namesake, Massimo's emergence as a modern rock artist is complete. To get the latest Massimo news/show info and hear his most recent work, visit the website at www.michaelmassimo.com.
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Massimo’s music is more epic and grandiose than your average pop song
author: Rhythm And News"As a kid I recognized the power music has to change your mood. It’s kind of like therapy." Twenty-three years after writing his first song, Michael Massimo sticks by that philosophy. His music might be described by radio programmers as "modern alternative acoustic" but Massimo isn’t singing folk songs. Though he does include 70’s singer/spngwriters like James Taylor and Carole King on his list of influences, progressive rock plays as big a role in the music he makes. Massimo’s music is more epic and grandiose than your average pop song. He seeks to forge new musical territory by combining complex chords and progressions underneath his often spiritual lyrics. "Touch The Sky", off his latest CD "Precious Seconds" is one such example, about a child losing his father to war and his desire to understand it. "The first question I ask myself when writing a song is ‘What am I trying to say?’. My goal is to say something in a way that has never been said before yet still relates to the listener. I think that’s always been the role of the artist in any form".
Nine great , powerful songs that will turn heads upon impact
author: Rant N RaveHere is Edison, NJ and NYC mainstay singer/songwriter Michael Massimo with his full length studio album "Precious Seconds". It follows his acclaimed live album, "Live In NYC" and an EP, "Perspective". He usually performed solo acoustic in the past, but he has a full touring band together now. The studio recordings, this one and the EP, have full arrangements, while the live one is solo acoustic. This new CD is a long time coming, and from one listen, you can tell Massimo put his heart and soul into the songs, arrangements and their production. The sound is nice and crisp but subtle, full-fledged but not over blown. The songs themselves show a growth cycle in Massimo’s songwriting craft, as well as his already impressive full, rich voice and great guitar playing. This guy has been playing live to no end for growing, rapturous audiences, yet being shunned by the local press for reasons I don’t know. His songs could work in three ways: as singer/songwriter material, pop songcraft, and pure unadulterated rock & roll. Maybe he doesn’t fit a specific niche, but to me, that gives Michael even more options to choose from and in the end have his fans grow threefold. "Precious Seconds" is seriously worth the wait. One of the best records of recent months by a great, growing songwriter, killer singer. The songs run the gamut from the catchy power pop of "Touch The Sky", "Too Much Fun" and the title track to the jazzy "Asylum" and masterful "Something To Find". Nine great , powerful songs that will turn heads upon impact and get people wondering, "Who is this guy?". His name is Michael Massimo; remember it.
Performer's Unplugged Potential: Coffeehouse soloist is ready to percolate
author: Asbury Park Press"There’s a rock band in Michael Massimo, struggling to get out. He may not know this yet, which is probably why he sticks to the solo circuit, but the music on Massimo’s third self-released CD, "Precious Seconds", cries out for full rock treatment. The title track, for instance, would sound just as nice covered by Metallica as it does in the coffeehouses whrere Massimo usually plays. Imagine these lyrics from "Precious Seconds" rendered in brooding Metallica fashion: "Endless waiting, quicksand register. Doing time, in line, at the five and dime. Needed aspirin for my cracking skull. You’re killing time. It’s mine, it’s mine." Massimo has a knack for capturing everyday frustration and he’s deft with more nuanced feelings as well. The singer-songwriter from Edison writes music infused with tension. His sense of musical dynamics is well honed-he uses his guitar as well as his voice to express a broad range of emotions. Other lyrics on the album seem destined for Billy Joel or James Taylor without the sentimentality that can weigh down a good story-song. For example, there’s "Lucky": "Lucky Joe went down to the corner store, to buy his racing form, his cigarettes. Five will get you ten he’s gambling again, on number three to win, ain’t made him rich yet. He ain’t no Secretariat or Man O’ War and since he turned four they enat to take him from the game. They say it’s over, his day is done. He’s too old to ride, and his running stride just ain’t the same." The character Lucky Joe and the horse named Lucky have much in common. This bittersweet song explores the drugery of aging and the way that a simple dream can be the key to transcendence. The elderly Lucky Joe sounds authentic, which is a credit to 29-year-old Massimo’s imagination or his listening skills or both."
Massimo stumbles upon brilliance
author: Songwriter's MonthlyMichael has stumbled upon brilliance with his latest album. His incredible attention to song details have this album laced with an abundance of exciting musical moments and passages. He has questioned every note for it's appropriateness in serving the song and as a result has ended up with an album where nothing is in excess and nothing is missing. From the jagged guitar hooks and syncopated rhythms that snare you on the title track, to the solid story in songs like "Lucky" and "Touch The Sky" that captivate your attention, this is a fulfilling album. This could be the album that takes him to the next level.