Search - John Platania :: Lucky Dog

John Platania
Lucky Dog
Genre: Alternative Rock

Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
1. Lucky Dog
2. I Do Believe
3. I Am Time
4. I Can Stand Alone
5. Don't Nobody Know
6. Love Stay Away
7. The Hurricane
8. Numero Uno
9. It Ain't Gonna Cost You
10. Fire In Arkansas
11. Little Nazi Boy
12. Black Dog & Bad Luck
13. I Do Believe (Instrumental)

CD Details

All Artists: John Platania
Title: Lucky Dog
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Double Dog
Original Release Date: 3/1/2002
Re-Release Date: 7/1/2002
Genre: Alternative Rock
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 786851963120

Synopsis

Album Description

JOHN PLATANIA After spending years as a guitarist for Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Judy Collins, Don McLean, Natalie Merchant and Chip Taylor, the gifted John Platania steps to the front of the stage as vocalist on his first solo outing, LUCKY DOG. John has been a player throughout Van Morrison?s musical history from the classic Moondance album to the more recent Philosopher?s Stone on which he co-wrote two songs. In 1997, John reunited with Chip Taylor, composer of many hits including two of the biggest in pop music history: Angel Of The Morning and Wild Thing. He and Chip are currently working together on a John Platania instrumental album for Chip?s Train Wreck Records label. As a producer, John has helped other artists realize their musical vision. He collaborated with bluesman Guy Davis on his last two CD?s for Red House Records. All songs on LUCKY DOG were interpreted, arranged and produced by John and written by Elwood H. Smith, executive producer on the project.

CD Reviews

Great Guitar Picker Turns Vocalist!!

08/01/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John Platania, one of my all-time favourite guitar players, has recently released his first ever solo/vocal CD, and it's worth a listen whatever type of music you prefer."Lucky Dog" is a eclectic mix of songs, ramging from the bluesy "I Do Believe" to the country-style "Fire In Arkansas" - the latter featuring Elwood H. Smith, noted New York illustrator, on mandolin.Elwood has written all of the songs, John has done the arranging, and of course puts his own unique picking to them.John Platania is not a house-hold name, despite being rated by many as the best-ever lead guitarist to play with Van Morrison. He probably won't ever have a No. 1 on the charts. But he has produced a CD worth a place in anyone's collection."

A 'Lucky Dog' Indeed!

VALMORE R WARREN | GARDINER, NY USA | 07/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine coalescing the diverse talents of Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, Randy Newman and Fred Neil into a collection of dynamic renderings of original tunes that captures the essence of blues, folk and rock! Well that's precisely what John Platania single-handedly achieves on his first solo CD outing titled "LUCKY DOG". With a voice that rumbles and purrs like a moody lion and a guitar that rings like an enchanter's harp, Platania becomes the prism through which the confluent light of the aforementioned luminaries is re-focused to amplify the disquieting imagery in 12 songs from the vitriolic pen of composer Elwood H. Smith.
From the infectious melody of the opening track "LUCKY DOG" to the instrumental climax of "I DO BELIEVE", Platania's blues-drenched voice and virtuoso guitar provide the biting elements of fire and ice to compliment such demanding lyrics as: 'Teach a kid to listen with the back of your hand, A hard-core lesson from a hard-... man'. And, "I AM TIME", with its driving rockabilly intensity seems to be a custom-made collaboration for the legendary Buddy Holly's vocal style and Jim Burton's classic guitar riffs, but Platania's double-barreled talent quickly dispels that initial impression to firmly establish this apocalyptic vision as his own haunting masterpiece.
As the title suggests, anyone with the good fortune to have this John Platania debut CD in their music library is a Lucky dog indeed! - Valmore Warren"