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Goldberger, a former RCA recording artist with 70’s band Black Creek, has
launched his 11th indie album through Shed Records.
This new release from local Niagara-on-the-Lake musician and recording artist Steve Goldberger
marks his eleventh full-length album. Like several of his others, this is an entire record of cover songs,
but ones upon which he has put his own spin, which is one of his trademarks. Unlike the others, this
one was done during the pandemic, so the musical contributions by other artists had to be done in
isolation, but gave Steve a chance to try out his newly revamped home studio, “The Shed.”
The songs themselves have been carefully chosen, with some well-known hits mixed with a lot of
lesser-known gems.
The album kicks off with “Something In The Air,” which was basically a one-hit wonder in 1969 for the
British rock band Thunderclap Newman, but what a song, and very timely even now! Steve's spin on
this one is adding some cellos to play the middle instrumental section, and it works exceedingly well,
making this track an album highlight. Another hit comes next, “Nature's Way,” an early 70's song by
the American band Spirit. This cover is fairly true to the original, featuring a very nice slide guitar solo
and female backing vocals. Again, another timely choice which addresses the destruction of our
natural world. “True Love” is one of my favourites, a really nice little love song, written by Nashville
songwriter Patrick Alger.
If you like country swing, you'll enjoy “One More Time,” a real old-fashioned style song written by
Steve’s pal, the late Bob McNiven. I can just picture the old fellows dancing with the ladies to this one
at the Maple Leaf Tavern. “Knowing What I Know Now” is a cover of a Shawn Colvin song, which Steve
does as a duet with Serena Pryne, singer of local rock bands The Mandevilles and The Triple Crowns,
and walks some pretty familiar territory for him, as does the next track, “She Belongs To Me”, a rockin’
version of Dylan’s classic.
Another big hit comes next, “Sister Golden Hair” by America, and this one definitely has a unique spin,
being done with a semi-reggae feel, and features a great slide guitar lead from Cam McInnes.
“Keep On Trying,” written by Timothy Schmit from Poco and the Eagles, also has a bit of a reggae
groove to it, and a soulful one as well, with some lovely female backing vocals.
Another favourite comes next, “Just My Luck,” a really sweet little song about reluctantly falling in love,
written by Kim Richey. “Anybody Can Be Somebody's Fool” is a heartfelt ballad, written by the late
Nanci Griffith. A nice tribute to a great singer-songwriter. “Another Round Of Blues” is a second
Shawn Colvin cover, and a good one. I love the instrumentation on this, and the backing vocals. Dylan
comes up again next as well, with “You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,” which is pretty
country for Mr. Zimmerman, but Steve does a playful, fun interpretation, with a banjo solo! The album
ends with a very unique take on the Badfinger classic, “No Matter What.” Gone are the crunchy guitars,
and instead some chiming 12-strings. This might be how Tom Petty might have approached this song,
and it works nicely.
Anyone can imitate original recordings exactly, but if you're not going to add your own touch to a
song, why bother recording it? That's the realm of the majority of cover bands, and probably what
their crowd wants to hear. It's much more interesting when an artist takes a song and gives it a new
twist or a new feel, and Steve Goldberger has always done that, and continues to do so on this new
album. I think I've found another summer staple for my car's CD player!
- Review by: Martin Murray, The Diamond Mine - February 2022
Includes unlimited streaming of All Roads Lead To You
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
This week we step in saluting the hometown heroes, the journeymen and women who build careers on heart, guts and their naturally occurring talents. For the most part, they start young and the good ones just keep going, making music as long as they can. Shining case in point, Niagara On The Lake’s Steve Goldberger, who’s been making music since the Seventies, crossing boundaries and exploring genres and styles all the while. He brings to the table chops as a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and songwriter. On current eleventh album, All Roads Lead to You, they’re all put into play in the service of some of the most well-loved songs in the soft rock songbook.
We’re talking Thunderclap Newman’s ‘Something In The Air’, Dylan’s ‘She Belongs To Me’, Patrick Alger’s ‘True Love’, G. Beckley’s enduring classic ‘Sister Golden Hair’ and nine others of equally sparkling pedigree. You don’t approach that calibre of tuneage without a metal suitcase of confidence and a handful of hot ideas. It also helps tonnes if you surround yourself with players who you know and love.
The album was recorded in Steve's home studio, The Shed, and features many of the local musicians he performs with from his Gentle Spirits, Old Winos and Niagara Rhythm Section bands. Steve supplies lead vocals, bass, various guitars, keyboards and other assorted instruments. Recorded during the pandemic, most tracks were put down in isolation, with Steve playing most parts (other than drums) himself. Guest players recorded their parts remotely in their respective home studios across Canada and such is the slickness of the arrangements, you wouldn’t guess that was the case.
The party kicks off with ‘Something In The Air’, Newman’s call for revolution with its timeless exhortation to “get it together now”, adorned with cello parts which bring a gravitas to the situation, and a vocal that stays close to the original plaintive tenor. Randy California’s 1970 classic, "Natures’ Way" gets a nice makeover with menacing drums and synth washes that give it a contemporary feel.
“One More Time” shows off its Western Swing bloodlines with contributions from members of Western Swing Authority in this moving tribute to Goldberger’s departed friend Bob McNiven. Roots songwriter Shawn Colvin is a especial favourite of Steve’s and “Knowing What I Know Now” is one of two on the album and is highlighted by a duet with Serena Pryne (The Mandevilles), the blended voices taking the edge off the hurt.
"Sister Golden Hair," is driven by a weirdly appropriate reggae-ish groove and sparkling guitar work by Cam MacInnes. Special mention to Steve’s fluent picking on the ukulele. Yes.
Dylan makes his first appearance with “She Belongs To Me” and it gets the full Goldberger treatment. First he flips the melody, turning it inside out in places, then pins it to a countrified, loping rhythm, ending up with a new Americana gem.
“You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” was countrified when Dylan wrote it and Steve leaves well enough alone, upping the tempo a tad and dropping in some neat harmonies while focusing on making his distinctive vocal shine through. Also on board, deft banjo picking courtesy of Dave Matthews and tasty guitars from Mike Glatt. One of those songs you feel more than hear.
There are harmonies both lush and lively to be found throughout the album, including the sweetly effective tones of The Gentle Spirit Band singers Laurel MInnes & Lisa Winn on Poco’s “Keep On Trying”.
“Just My Luck” starts with jangly guitars setting up a soft rock Stonesy vibe that Goldberger manages vocally without a hint of Mick.
“Anyone Can Be Somebody’s Fool” from the pen of Nanci Griffith, has a special place here as Steve’s personal tribute to the now passed Griffith. As such, the vocal is caring and respectful without softening the edges on this damaged song of love. That’s aptly followed by the other Colvin opus here, “Round of Blues” another round of deft vocalising from Goldberger on this scrappy number which teeters on but never goes into over singing. Same can be said of his crisp, Tom Pettyish guitarig.
The album ends with the uplifting romance of Badfinger’s “No Matter What”, stripped down and delivered with a ragged vocal totally in keeping with the song’s sense of desperation. With the original’s wall of sound torn down, it’s up to Mike Glatt to provide the guitar magic and he does not disappoint with some Byrds-like echoes on his big 12 string.
In essence, All Roads Lead To You is a gorgeous love letter to Seventies soft rock song writing worth every nickel and moment of time spent in its company.
No words to whether Goldberger intends to take her on the road this summer, and it’d be a shame if he didn’t. This project, in both concept and execution, just screams out for a live recreation of the album in its entirety, in the Classic Albums Live mode.
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Lenny Stoute is a veteran entertainment journalist based in Toronto, Canada. His credits include entertainment columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper, editor for Music Express, Canada's national music magazine, as well as stints at the Globe & Mail, eye, Metro and assorted like-minded media outlets. Currently the Editor at Cashbox Canada magazine, he divides his time between East Side Toronto and a small Eastern Ontario village where he's known to hang out at Stumpy's.
credits
released March 5, 2022
NATURE’S WAY (R. California)
Jim Casson – drums, tympani, glockenspiel, xylophone
Laurel Minnes – vocals
Mike Glatt – slide guitar
Steve – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards
TRUE LOVE (P. Alger)
Jim Casson – drums
Serena Pryne – vocals
Penner MacKay – udu, tambourine, shaker, guiro
Steve – vocals, bass, ukulele, guitars, keyboards
KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW (S. Colvin / J. Leventhal)
Jim Casson - drums
Penner MacKay - shaker
Serena Pryne – vocals
Steve – vocals, bass, keyboards, guitars, ukulele
SISTER GOLDEN HAIR
Peter Griffin – drums
Penner MacKay – percussion, lap drum
Cam MacInnes – guitars
Steve – vocals, bass, keyboards, ukulele
ONE MORE TIME (B. McNiven)
Shane Guse – vocals , fiddles
Stacey Lee Guse – vocals
Paul Chapman – guitar
Ed (Pee Wee Charles) RIngwald – pedal steel guitar
Jim Casson – drums
Steve – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, piano
JUST MY LUCK (Angelo)
Andrew Aldridge – guitars
Jim Casson – drums and tambourine
Steve – vocals, bass, piano, organ, guitar
ANYONE CAN BE SOMEBODY’S FOOL (N. Griffith)
Dave Norris – drums
Penner MacKay - percussion
Steve Wood – pedal steel guitar
Laurel Minnes & Lisa Winn –vocals
Steve – vocals, bass, guitars, piano, organ, dulcimer
YOU’RE GONNA MAKE ME LONESOME WHEN YOU GO (B. Dylan)
Dave Norris – drums,
Dave Matthews – banjo,
Steve – vocals, bass, guitars
KEEP ON TRYING
Dave Norris – drums
Laurel Minnes & Lisa Winn –vocals
Steve Wood – pedal steel guitar
Steve – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards
NO MATTER WHAT
Dave Norris – drums
Mike Glatt - guitars
Steve – vocals, bass, guitars, Hammond organ
NO MATTER WHAT
Dave Norris – drums
Mike Glatt - guitars
Steve – vocals, bass, guitars, Hammond organ
ROUND OF BLUES (S. Colvin/L. Klein)
Dave Norris – drums,
Mike Glatt & Andrew Aldridge –guitars,
Dave Matthews – banjo,
Laurel Minnes & Lisa Winn –vocals,
Steve – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, keyboards, percussion
SHE BELONGS TO ME (B. Dylan)
Dave Norris – drums,
Mike Glatt & Andrew Aldridge –guitars,
Steve – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, sleigh bells
SOMETHING IN THE AIR
Helen Kopec - cellos
Dave Norris – drums
Mike Glatt - guitars
Steve – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, mandola
Since the early 70’s Steve Goldberger has been a band leader, songwriter and freelance bass player/vocalist. Today he keeps
busy with his bands The Niagara Rhythm Section, The Old Winos & The Gentle Spirits. Since opening the shed studio/Hitsville NOTL in 2000, he’s recorded and/or produced numerous CD projects either of his own or for other artists....more
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