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“The Heartbreak Grill And Bar”
online CD Reviews:
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Attention honky-tonk music fans! Mike Clifford’s
newest release, The Heartbreak Grill and Bar, is
an absolute must hear. The 11 tracks on this CD
vividly demonstrate the immense talent of
Clifford as they run the gamut of all the things
that are good about country music.
The
first thing that strikes you as you listen to
Clifford is his distinctive voice. He exhibits
excellent versatility as he puts his heart and
soul into each of his songs and sounds equally
comfortable whether he is singing a soft melody
or belting out a faster paced tune. He also
possesses a very impressive vocal range, moving
up and down the scale with remarkable ease and
clarity.
Clifford is a very gifted song writer, as well.
Writing 10 of the 11 songs on the CD, each
number spins a great story, captures the
listener’s imagination and leaves you wanting
more. Still another great feature of the songs
on this CD is the “dance ability”. As you listen
to these tunes, you will find yourself clamoring
for the dance floor. The music just makes you
want to move.
-
Brenda Barbee - RMR Staff Reviewer
View this review on the
web by clicking here
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"The Heartbreak Grill And Bar" is the third
album from Mike Clifford that I have had
the honor of reviewing. Mike has once again made
me sit up and take notice as he brings his brand
of Honky-Tonkin-Country-Rockin' music to the
forefront. Mike has been around, and calls
Austin Texas home, and after hearing all three
albums, of which Heartbreak Grill and Bar
is the strongest, Mike Clifford is
completely at home in a state and city that
doesn't put a certain :"BRAND" on their music.
This is Texas, this is pure country fun, this
album even rocks harder than some so-called
"Rock" music.
I
was won over by Mike Clifford. His
first CD "Welcome to the Other Side"
showed his potential that got ironed out more on
"All Night All Day", and now Mike
Clifford has found his musical home. No,
you won't be able to pigeon hole the style or
sound, but you will fall in love with it if you
are a fan of country or roots music.
Drivin' riffs and heartfelt ballads.... choruses
that you'll be singin' along to in no time flat,
it's all here in fine style.
From the opening of Heartbreak Grill and
Bar to the final note of Something
Deep Within Me, Mike Clifford
serves up a winning disc all around. Don't
consider the CD price a cover charge, cuz' their
ain't none at the Heartbreak Grill and Bar,
more like a donation to a worthwhile musical
cause - TRUE and HONEST music! Tracks like My
Heart's Got A Mind of it's Own featuring
Pauline Reese, It's All Texas Music to Me,
or Lightning in a Bottle will win you
over too. Check it out for yourself.... |
Mike Clifford - The Heartbreak
Grill And Bar from Jennifer Webb
(out of 5)
If you want an album full of
good quality music that isn't a carbon copy of
everything else out there on the radio, then you should
try 'The Heartbreak Grill And Bar.' Mike writes his own
music and you can tell he is an original. He knows
what he does best and he does it very well.
The Heartbreak Grill And Bar
'The Heartbreak Grill And Bar' is the second Mike
Clifford album I've had the chance to review & it is
even better than the last. He still has a rockin' edge
to his country music & the fact he writes ten out of
eleven songs is very impressive. With the album being a
"Texas Dancehall Concept Album," all I have to say is
that any dancehall would be lucky to have Mike Clifford
perform there - it's that simple.
The album's title track, "The
Heartbreak Grill And Bar," is about a place where
there's no cover charge & the heartbreak also seems to
be a freebie. Pauline Reese joins Mike on the song, "My
Heart's Got A Mind Of It's Own." Though the man tells
his heart to "take it slow" it won't listen to him & he
falls for someone once again. Pauline's weakness in the
song seems to be baby blue eyes because they cause her
to "cross over the line." "It's All Texas Music To Me"
is about how Texas music, & music in general, somehow
gets caught up in different "sub-genres." Why label
music? You like what you like.
"Hand Me Down Love" is a slower
song about a man who thought he'd found his true love
until she used his love & tossed it aside. The next song
is about a man who knows his lady will always come back
after a fight so he calls her his little "Boomerang."
"The best part of fighting is making up the very next
day," Mike sings. In "Family Reunion" you realize a
get-together wouldn't be complete without a little bit
of food, beer, & family members reliving the past.
View this review on the web by
clicking here
Review From
Albert Roch at Dimelo Country, Spain (June 2006) -
translation below review
Leaving says
something personal. When we congratulated Mike on the
advance CD, especially on the song that gives the title
to the album included in our package, his answer went
"I’m going now to mail the complete CDs." For a team
like ours, that does not earn a cent from the radio, the
personal details of these great artists become our major
compensation. That kind of treatment from Mike Clifford,
on the other side of the mail, is reflected without
intermediaries in the album "The Heartbreak Grill And
Bar.”
The CD contains eleven songs, of which ten are written
by Mike. “Texas” sound in its pure form. This album is
simple, I assure you, and lacking all luxury with the
exception of the voice of Pauline Reese in the chorus.
It is an essential CD for a lover of Texas Honky-Tonk.
In his guest book, drop him a couple of lines about what
you think about his songs, even if it is in Castilian
and, please, tell him that you listened to him on
DCWRadio.
I hope that these comments about Mike Clifford’s album,
and of course hearing throughout the week the songs
every hour on the hour, encourages you to visit his Web
page and order a CD from him before the holidays.
Review From Kai
Ulatowski at Western Mail Magazine, Germany (Oct 2006) -
translation below review
With his third CD
Mike Clifford has made his mark as an excellent Honky
Tonk singer. The songs were all written by him, the only
exception being 'Something Deep Within Me, a
thought-provoking ballad.
The 11 song album begins with 'The Heartbreak Grill and
Bar'. 'My Heart Got's a Mind of It's Own' - Pauline
Reese is a guest on the song...it sounds great! Pauline
also sings duet on 'All Texas Music To Me'. 'Lighting In
A Bottle' is crisp and with a good harmonica.
This is Real Honky Tonk music out of Texas, far and away
above the Nashville Machine.
Review From Lars
Kjellberg, Kountry Korral, Sweden (Oct 2006) -
translation next to review
 |
This
album from a good singer named Mike Clifford,
also the writer of most of the songs, comes from
Austin, Texas. Pauline Reese, who visited
Furuvik a few years ago, handles the background
vocals and also sings a duet with Mike. Mike
Daily, from George Strait's band plays steel and
Haydn Vitera, earlier with Asleep (at the
Wheel), is heard on the fiddle.
Among the best tracks are the honky-tonk
flavoured title song “The heartbreak bar and
grill”, the duet “My heart’s got a mind of it’s
own” and the sad songs “That used to be”, “Hand
me down love” and “Lonesome boulevard”.
A few
songs seemed not to fit in with the rest,
“Boomerang” and the finishing “Something deep
within me”, I would have preferred to hear
something else instead of those.
Overall a good album though, with many nice
tracks.
LARS KJELLBERG
KOUNTRY KORRAL MAGAZINE
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Mike Clifford - Review of the
single "It's All Texas Music To Me"
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I dare you to take one
listen to this song and not at least tap your
foot to the beat. It's impossible! This is one
great Country song that says it like it is; no
matter if you call it Red Dirt Music, Americana
or Western Swing… it is all Texas music. The
song itself sounds like something that Waylon
would have cut in the late 1970s, and in my book
that is a great thing. So put this one on your
station now and let your listeners tell you how
great it is. |
Review
from Dave Hitt, DJ at
www.alwayscountry.net
I’m very happy to provide this
review of Mike Clifford’s new CD “The Heartbreak Grill
And Bar”. Overall, I think it's a great CD… It
covers all 5 of the important themes of country music
that Mike mentions on his website… dancin’, drinkin’,
fightin’, lovin’, and leavin'… now that’s what I call
real country music!
My favorite tracks are the title
track/opener “The Heartbreak Grill And Bar”, “It’s All
Texas Music To Me” and “Lighting In A Bottle”, but
really I enjoy them all. The Heartbreak Grill and
Bar is a must-have for any fan of traditional country
music. Mike wrote the first 10 songs and Jay Johnson
wrote the last tune. There’s plenty of ace
musicians contributing, including Texas artist Pauline
Reese, who sang 2 duets with Mike… Pauline also sang
backup on 7 other tracks.
The first single “It’s all Texas Music To Me' is being
played on scores of radio stations already, including
Always Country of course! The Heartbreak Grill and
Bar is definitely worth checking out… you can preview
all 11 songs on Mike Clifford’s official website
www.mikeclifford.com by going
to the Music page, or go to his Myspace site
www.myspace.com/mikecliffordtxmusic
to hear 4 complete songs.
“All Night All Day” online CD
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