"Past Lives" Invites you to explore Mike Breen's world.
Kyle W. Harris | Phoenix, AZ USA | 03/01/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Past Lives", Mike Breen's newest CD offers the listener a fine collection of songs that represent the singer/songwriter as a storyteller, touching many aspects of the human condition in a way that is fresh and insightful, never self-indulgent. All songs were written, arranged and produced by Mike Breen except the "Corrs Medley". Production values are appropriate to the songs, supportive, not overbearing or interfering with the lyric. Favorites include "Autumn Afternoon", an exceptional story of love found that paints rich images not unlike reading a good story or viewing a well done film. "The Little Things" addresses parenthood from a perspective that is both sensitive and compelling. The "Corrs Medley", comprised of 3 Celtic tunes vibrantly demonstrates what a fine musician and multi-instrumentalist Mike Breen is. Veteran fiddle player Ron Rutowski provides great fiddle, and Mike plays all other instruments. I also liked "The Letter "L" very much. This song highlights Mike's ability to approach the cliche laden minefield of the love song with creativity and humor. "Past Lives" contains 11 tracks and provides a uniformly positive listening experience. For listeners who already understand the value of a unique singer/songwriter, you need to add Mike Breen to your list. If you are a listener seeking a new musical experience that combines lyrical intelligence and superior musicianship with a humanistic perspective, you too need to add Mike Breen to your collection."
Songs from the soul of a writer
Keith Curtis | Arizona | 06/14/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Past Lives is a wonderful journey through the life of a writer and musician. From Folk to Pop to Country, there's something for everyone here. Autumn Afternoon brings out the best of Mike's story telling ability and brings on memories that we all have. The love story is beautiful and the delivery is excpetional. Mike shows off his many musical talents here and shows why he's one of the most sought after musicians in Arizona. I give it 5 stars. If you appreciate great writing and really get into the songs, this one should be added to your collection."
Quiet Drama
Jim Foley | Tucson, AZ United States | 06/01/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Mike Breen...
Past Lives
Basilbone 2000
by Jim Foley Few days in most lives are marked by public, or even private, high drama. Fewer still are either celebrations or cataclysms. The lyrics of popular songs, however, understandably stress drama, romance, exultation, even dejection in simple, high-contrast terms suitable for low-attention mass diversion, fast food for the ear. For those hungry for more modest, realistic, and compelling musical storytelling, "Past Lives," the second release from Phoenix's Mike Breen, is just the dish. Breen's lyrics, evoking the intimate warp and woof of life, are set in infallibly attractive and catchy melodies supported by amiable acoustic instrumentation of understated mastery, and are animated by his gentle tenor, expressively reminiscent of James Keelaghan's deeper vocal. "Past Lives" is a sort of theme album, revolving about an appreciative and joyful, rather than regretful and tragic, nostalgia, and affords Breen an opportunity to display his rare flare for organically matching words and music.On the title track, acoustic and slide guitar fanfare leads into a cunningly crafted first-person narrative of that reassuring sort of reincarnation in which you and your comrades remain together through idylls, wars, and into the present. "There is no end": a concept simultaneously appealing and appalling. The sentimental appeal of Breen's lyrics on "Autumn Afternoon," the immediacy of two young people falling unexpectedly in love in a diner, is so credible that one nearly overlooks the subtle beauty of melody and music, especially the quietly jangling banjo; the dawning revelation that this all happened a half-century ago can't help but provoke a smile. "The Little Things" is a compositional triumph, and a nice song as well, with just the right touch of dissonance in the verses to express the anxiety of a father as his son drives off on his first date, the chorus nostalgic yet hopeful over the surprising speed at which children grow. Another intriguing song of active nostalgia, "State Fair," is a very southwestern take on one of America's autumn institutions, reminiscent of both Ray Bradbury's writing and Neil Young's most unaffectedly effective song, "Sugar Mountain."Strategically placed at the center of "Past Lives," the instrumental "Corrs Medley" builds from slow yearning to quick festivity, featuring Breen's guitar and mandolin, and Ron Rutowski's visiting fiddle. "The Letter L" is a charming and clever alphabet song for adults, Breen coyly orbiting the central challenge and joy of intimacy, subtly ratcheting up the stakes through the letters, but never quite reaching Z. Breen's guitar and mandolin join Ken Skaggs' pedal steel on the countrified music for "The Girl From Northern Maine," the tale of another long-failed love, this time bequeathing a tangible legacy, a daughter, who provides "one more chance" for "love to find a way." And old sweethearts two-step around the past in "Sparkle Do," contemplating relationship renewal; no denouement is ordained, but Breen's optimism, cautious with experience, is infectious and reassuring.The care and artistry of "Past Lives," particularly Mike Breen's precise matching of music and lyric to create finely tuned moods, makes it a record worth hearing over and over."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1