Sounding Rick's finest album yet inlcudes 13 tracks that fuse rock with world, jazz, soul, reggae and even psychedelic feel. An absolute triumph!

13 MP3 Songs in this album (70:38) !
Related styles: Rock: Adult Contemporary, World: Afro-Beat, Mood: Upbeat

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It seems that every great artist has an album that represents a pinnacle as they grow through their creative process. For the Beatles it was âSgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Bandâ. For the Beach Boys it was âPet Soundsâ. For Pink Floyd it was âDark Side of the Moonâ. For Sounding Rick that pinnacle is âDinosaur Bonesâ.

One thing I like about Ricks music is that itâs always fresh and full of surprises. He doesnât seem to follow a cookie cutter formula and on this albumâs 13 tracks, he explores styles as varied as American rock to jazz to funk to world music and more!

Unlike his 2009 release âBlabbermouthâ where Rick employed a host of background singers and side musicians, he recorded âDinosaur Bonesâ using just a drummer, bassist and multi instrumentalist brass genius. All the keyboards, guitars and vocals were performed by Rick.

From the lush vocal harmonies of the opening number âTuesday Morningâ you can hear the Todd Rundgren influence. It is clear that working with Utopia bass player and longtime Rundgren collaborator Kasim Sulton has really impacted Rickâs production style.

Rick admits that he was also hugely influenced by Steely Danâs clean production style. âBlack and Whiteâ, âFive Body Bladeâ and âMedia Maniaâ are cool songs that show the depth of Rickâs bag of aural tricks and his affinity for alternative adult contemporary.

The title track âDinosaur Bonesâ, is a funny poke at the music business and how it chews up young talent and uses it till it is no longer relevant. The fictional character in the song is a conglomeration of players Rick has worked with over the years.

If you have headphones and want to take a trip without leaving your room, âThe Weatherâ is a spectacular listen and cheaper than airfare. It is hypnotic and a pleasure to hear.

Inspired by news of another slimy politicianâs infidelity and his secret trips to Argentina, the humorous track âPoliticianâ incorporates recordings of indigenous percussion tracks Rick captured while in the streets of Haiti, Costa Rica, Panama and Columbia.

The album wraps with âMission Controlâ a biting narrative about BPâs Gulf Oil Spill. âGrowing up watching NASA go to the moon and the guys in the white shirts handle setbacks and disasters made me wonder why BP didnât have the same thingâ, says Rick.

In my opinion, the sign of a great album is itsâ ability to grow on you with each listen. Before writing this review I spent two weeks listening to a promo copy and my favorite songs change with my mood (that hasnât happened in a long time).

All in all, âDinosaur Bonesâ is a triumph of Rickâs songwriting genius and further cements him as one of the greatest American artists yet to be widely discovered.
Susan Thomas