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Erik Balkey is no stranger to cdreviewsonline.com as his cds have been featured previously. He continues to excel as a songwriter but in his latest cds, Deadpan Alley and Family Album, he has taken his writing to a whole new level. While Deadpan Alley is highly recommended for some of his most outstanding songs yet (see my short review of it at http://cdbaby.com/cd/balkey7 ), Family Album is not simply a great collection of songs. It is actually a sample of 21 songs that were written entirely on commission about real people. In other words, in addition to his regular CDs, Balkey is now creating CUSTOMIZED SONGS. Now it may seem somewhat inartistic at first mention that a singer/songwriter is writing a bunch of songs for people who are getting married or for someone's mom's birthday. Perhaps it may even smack of Hallmark. I must admit at first I was even a little taken aback. However, these songs not just rank up as some of Balkey's best, they are actually more artistic in some ways than most other songwriter's songs because they are less self absorbed, less contrived, absolutely specific, and as a result often more profoundly universal. As Balkey continues to become more prolific, far from the songs becoming more stale and ordinary, they are gaining in depth and originality. It should not really be surprising that some of these songs are absolute masterpieces. The most prolific symphonic composer of them all, Joseph Haydn, wrote the majority of his 104 symphonies on commission for specific customers. Mozart created most of his masterpieces for specific purposes and for pay. But Balkey of course is an acoustic "folk" singer so this is not a common practice. As Balkey proves on this cd, maybe it should be. But it is also quite possible that Balkey is just exceptionally good at this. You may want to have him write a song for your next occassion. Who knows you may become the inspiration in creating create a folk classic! There are a number of songs that really sound that good. My favorites are:

1) One of A Kind-(From Kelly to her autistic son Ben in NY)- I liked this the first time I heard it because it was really catchy and I loved the guitar rhythm and the catch in Kelly Flint's understated voice. After the second listen I realized it was hands down the most touching song I have ever heard from a mother to her child. Yet it's not maudlin; it's upbeat. After the 10th listen I'm still not tired of it. A truly great song. It's like the title says...

2) My Better Half- (For Sherrie in Connecticut)- A really fun love song with the unforgettable line "She's my chief of staff/She's my better half" This song was a winner the first time I heard it with Balkey singing it on Deadpan Alley. Iain Campbell Smith gives it a whole new twist.

3) Camelot- (About Albert and Albert Sr. from PA)- A more serious song about a man who is in a nursing home. Really catchy melody and unforgettable lines. Sung beautifully by Bill Ward w/Beth Wood.

4) Second Chances- (Bill and Kathleen in VA, for their 5th anniversary)- Great flat picking guitar and homestyle wisdom about life's twists and turns. Feels a bit John Prine but with a lot more zip and melodic finesse. Nice singing by Jonathan Byrd

5) Good Things To Those Who Wait- (About Tom and his wife in VA on their 10th anniversary)- This is just simply an absolutely outstanding melody carried nicely with harmony by Scott and Michelle Dalziel

6) If You Don't Run (He Can't Chase You) --(Inspired by Marilyn in MA by her short story)--Quirky sounding singer Emily Kurn is perfect for this charming life lesson. Her excellent delivery, like so many of the singers here, sounds as if she wrote the song herself and had lived through the events in the song.

In fact, all of the other singers on this CD (The Dreamsickles, Marc Douglas Berardo, Chris Rosser, Bonnie Lee Panda, Lizanne Knott, John Conahan, Jud Caswell, Cary Cooper, Tom Prasada-Rao, Laurie McAllister, Joe Crookston, Kathryn Caldwell, Karen Mal, Buddy Mondlock, Nick Annis, Ellen Bukstel, Steve Key and Bill Nash) are excellent. And the musicianship and production are top notch. Yet what is most amazing is the high quality of all 21 songs. That Erik Balkey can write or co-write 20 different stories (Bonnie Lee Panda wrote one song) and make them seem as if it was his own experience and then find the singers to convery that experience and make it their own experience as well is a bit mindboggling. I'm so impressed with this CD that I will be providing a permanent link to FAMILY ALBUM, customized songs by Erik Balkey on my homepage. That link is: http://myspace.com/customsongsbyerik