From RikksRevues, May 2004

 

Not too long ago, a singer-songwriter from Texas sent me his first CD for review.  At that time I couldn't give Mike Clifford the praise he deserved, as the production held me back from hearing the true essence of the music.  But even then I knew I heard a great artist emerging.  I believed in Mike Clifford, and much to my elation, he released a new CD "All Night All Day".   I once again have the opportunity granted to listen and wow, my friends, the difference is like night and day (pun intended) in the two recordings. On this outing Mike Clifford pulled out all the stops and offers up one incredible work of country art. Mike has not only gone to prove that he is a great performer, he also shows his prowess as a songwriter writing all tracks included on All Night All Day. There are some incredibly noteworthy tracks offered up here that blend a bit of West Coast country with accents of Southern Rock and influences from the Austin, Texas music hotbed.  Mike Clifford has a voice that proclaims pure country roots and shows that he is the real deal. Music that blends a little Tex-Mex, classic country, and Southern Rock a la The Marshall Tucker Band. Take some tunes that automatically get you movin', add some tender songs of heartache and love, and you have a complete country package that is packed with energy and emotion. The CD opens with "Senorita", and Mike couldn't have picked a better opener, as the songs rings with a hook and appeal that would feel comfortable on any country or Americana music station. Other greats include "Let Me Love You Out Of Leavin' " a song about regrets and heartache, the great up-tempo number "Get The "L" Outta L.A.", "I Can Be Lonesome By Myself" and "Goin' Down Swingin' ".  All Night All Day is as true a country CD as there is, and Mike Clifford has delivered a winner!    5 5 Stars (out of 6)   From About.com July 19, 2004 All Night, All Day - Mike Clifford by Jennifer Web   'All Night All Day' is a wonderful mix of country with a little bit of rock and roll influence, so if that is the music you like, you are sure to enjoy this album. Mike Clifford not only wrote all songs, but he also produced the album & I must say he did a fantastic job on all fronts. As a fan of country music with a little bit of a kick to it, 'All Night All Day' has quickly become one of my favorites from the "Texas Country" scene & I am glad I found his music. First song "Senorita" has a Spanish flavor to it as Mike sings of a man who ended up in jail after a scuffle that he hoped would have landed him the chance to meet the lady he had his eye on instead of landing himself in jail. After a rather rough night, the next morning "Senorita" came to help him get out of jail & he vowed to spend next year's Cinco de Mayo just hanging out. "Honky-Tonk Road" is very dance floor worthy as is "I Can Be Lonely By Myself." Title cut, 'All Night All Day' is about a man who has been on the straight & narrow for too long. Now he wants to be with a certain lady every day because she knocks him off his feet. "Get The 'L' Outta L.A." is a classic because it tells of a man that wanted to go to California to be a star but once he tried to get a few jobs they took one look at his boots & told him to leave because the "L" doesn't stand for Lubbock and the "A" isn't Austin. "Happy Anniversary" is one of the slower songs & the lyrics are very deep. Saying goodbye can be very lonely as illustrated in "The Loneliest Goodbye:" "If you think it's hard to say farewell, at least you get the chance to tell just how you feel just before you say goodbye." see the above review online at  http://countrymusic.about.com/od/charts/gr/blallniteallday.htm   From RootsTime, Freddy Celis, May 2004 Mike Clifford is well on his way to becoming one of Austin’s best country-style musicians. This is an opinion that you can’t help but agree with after listening to his second album " All Night All Day”. Clifford presents himself as a master storyteller in this California-style country rock CD.  Mike is blessed with a pleasantly warm country voice and moreover he is great on the acoustic, electric and bass guitars.  With a minimum of outside help, Clifford creates a constant listening pleasure with Texas Honky-Tonk as a basis.  Great Country-Rock-Honky-Tonk of first rate quality. see the above review online at   www.rootstime.be   From Singer-Songwriter Legends, Garry Duncan, May 2004 Mike Clifford is yet another in the pool of talent that competed in the recent Nashville Star 2 competition, and another who makes you wonder just what the judges could have been looking for.  This guy's got the vocal talent and songwriting instinct to be a star.  Mike sounds like a mixture of Marty Robbins, Rodney Crowell, and Dwight Yoakum, with a little Travis Tritt thrown in. "All Night All Day" offers a cross-section of Mike's vocal talents, consisting of up-tempo numbers, heartfelt ballads, rockers and downright cry in your beer songs.  His voice is well suited to the songs, and his lyrics flow easily along with his melodies. The track that stands out by far is "Between The Highway And The Sky", a song that stays in your mind for days after hearing it just once.  In fact, on my first listen to the CD, I replayed this track three additional times before moving on.  It evokes memories of Jim Croce's great "I Got A Name", and the Alman Brothers' "Ramblin Man". The other memorable songs, for me, were "Get The 'L' Out Of L.A.", a song about trying to sing country in unfriendly territory, "Honky Tonk Road", which chronicles the life of the honky-tonk singer living his dream, and The Loneliest Goodbye", a nice ballad with a great hook.  Mike's got a future in this business, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from him.   see the above review online at   www.sslegends.com/future