Search - Human Drama :: Pinups

The Beginning of Something Strange and Wonderful

SinisterFixx | Times Square | 12/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Pin-Ups was given to me as a gift...because I am a huge fan of David Bowie, of all reasons. I really wasn't interested in listening to it, just by looking at the cover. I thought, "The nards this Johnny Indovina guy must have to mimic the master."Well, all the songs on this CD except for two are borderline genius - in my opinion. The two that I find almost excruciating to sit through are: "Wish You Were Here" and "Letter to Hermione".The songs that I could OD on are: "Till the Next Goodbye" "Love Will Tear Us Apart" & "The Carpet Crawlers". As a matter of fact, Genesis should send Johnny a note of thanks and a fruit basket for showing the world just how beautifully eerie that song can be.These days I can't get enough Human Drama.Human Drama is infectious and habit forming...and an all too well kept secret. Spread the infection!"

The most amazing collection of "covers" ever recorded.

SinisterFixx | 01/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnny Indovina'a homage to some of his favorite songs by artists he "respects and has learned from" is breathtaking from beginning to end. Apparently much of what he has learned is that there is always something new and different in what many of us see as the same old song. More than an album of cover tunes, "Pinups" is a series of interpretations. Some tracks sound similar to the originals, while others seem to share nothing more than the title and lyrics, but all are worthy of listening to again and again, as if they've never been heard. A standout in this category is his poignant treatment of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". While the original is indeed a classic, Johnny and his friends have given the music the emotion the lyrics deserve. Such is the case with every song on this album. It's like listening to these gems for the very first time; re-inventing memories instead of re-living them. David Bowie's influence is obvious from the cover art to the haunting rendition of "After All", and the acapello "Letter To Hermione", intentionally placed back to back to enhance the impact of both songs. With "favorite artists" like Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, The Kinks, The Stones, Pink Floyd, (Peter's)Genesis, Nico, Mink DeVille, and John Lennon, it's no wonder that Human Drama continues to to appeal to listeners of all ages and refuses to be pigeonholed into any specific "genre". This album is evidence that Human Drama is successful in doing what all the great artists of our generation have done, and that is creating art for the sake of art."