ED HALE IMPORT ALBUM “BEAUTIFUL LOSERS” REVIEW IN BELGIUM MUSIC MAG ROOTSTIME

Belgium music magazine Roots Time CD review of the Ed Hale newly-released European Import album Beautiful Losers.
Anyone speak Belgian?

ED HALE – BEAUTIFUL LOSERS

Ed Hale werd geboren in Parijs toen zijn vader er in militaire dienst was, maar zijn echte roots liggen bij zijn Engelse vader en zijn Italiaanse moeder. Zijn eerste stappen in de muziekwereld zette hij op 17-jarige leeftijd onder de artiestennaam ‘Eddie Darling’ die op zijn debuutplaat “Eddie” werd gebruikt. Zijn fans noemen hem wat smalend ‘The Ambassador’ omdat hij graag veel reist, heel wat vreemde talen leerde en altijd met andere culturen in aanraking wil komen. Hij nam die eretitel met veel plezier over voor zijn MySpace-website.

Ed Hale woont momenteel zowel in Seattle, Washington als in New York City waar hij de leadzanger is van de populaire Britpop- en rockformatie ’Transcendence’, maar hij is ook zeer actief als vredesactivist en als singer-songwriter. In die hoedanigheid bracht hij in de recente jaren enkele soloalbums uit, zoals ook nu weer met de vierde solo-cd “Beautiful Losers”, een album dat midden vorig jaar reeds in Amerika uitkwam onder de titel “Ballad On Third Avenue” en omwille van het grote lokale succes nu ook in Europa wordt gelanceerd.

Er werden al twee singles uit deze cd getrokken: het op iets van David Bowie lijkende “I Walk Alone” en het prachtige “New Orleans Dreams”. Beide songs worden op deze Europese release trouwens een tweede keer in een ‘extended version’ aangeboden. Ook de nummers “Scene In San Francisco”, “Incompatible” en de catchy titeltrack “Ballad On Third Avenue (Beautiful Losers)” zullen als single worden gelanceerd en zijn sinds enige tijd al te downloaden op het internet.

SOUNDSPHERE’S CD REVIEW OF “ALL YOUR HEROES BECOME VILLAINS”

The fourth studio album by itinerant project Ed Hale And The Transcendence brings together new contributors and a collection of songs intertwining the talents and influences gathered together. The album opener offers uplifting soul vocals accompanied by a blissful piano and trumpet melody which ebbs and flows during the eleven tracks. Intermittent phrases of dialogue, another recurring motif carried throughout, consolidate a cinematic feel of the LP as the prelude segues into the next.
‘Here It Comes’ is the track infused most with the spirit of Britpop; the anthemic instrumentation, the rousing chorus and the soaring strings all present and correct. Hallmark elements of the Britpop sound also surface in ‘Solaris’, where Hale’s vocals, carried along by jaunty acoustic guitar chords, echo Bono and Alex Kapranos in parts; ‘After Tomorrow’, seven minutes in length, apes the likes of the mellow vibes and extended outro of ‘Champagne Supernova’ and the close backing harmonies of ‘Hey Jude’.

ED HALE RELEASES NEW SINGLE “NEW ORLEANS DREAMS” THAT SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOUTH

New York, NY, July 06, 2011 — Ed Hale is known for being a musician and singer/songwriter, however there is more to his music than meets the ears. On his last solo studio recording Ballad on Third Avenue, a rousing collection of alternative pop-rock acoustic tracks, he sings about love and all the emotions that are forthcoming.
Yet there is much more on the album that needs your attention, particularly the track “New Orleans Dreams”. The track is a rather poignant take on the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and the ineptness of our government to help the suffering people of the area when it was needed most. This is a story that continues today several years later as people are still reeling from the disaster of the hurricane and many other natural disasters that would follow in that area including the disastrous BP oil spill.

National News Bureau Music Review Shows the Love for Latest Ed Hale Album

In a recent review of Ed Hale‘s latest solo effort, the acoustic leaning whisper-pop styled Ballad On Third Avenue,  “Ed Hale’s “Ballad On Third Avenue” has a fearless and eloquent songwriter who is a dysfunctional artist and a lost soul sound to it; finding love romantically and losing it tragically. If you need a good cry on Third Avenue, and we all do, then carry this album wherever you go. I do.”
Shelton Ivany
National News Bureau

Ballad On Third Avenue album review by DivaDaddy Blog

Read entire review here. Or…. below:
Ed Hale stirred up a great deal of controversy in 2005 with the Transcendence album Sleep with You that explored relationships, sex, women, romance, drugs, and life on the road. Anyone who knows him best appreciates his deep passion for music, writing, and his unyielding frankness when it comes to matters close to his heart; however, unknown to some, he is also the author of an award-winning screenplay and a pop-culture/ sociology non-fiction book, about to hit the market, as well as being a guest columnist on the Sundance Film Channel Website covering how “green” peace on earth really is.
Music is in the blood for this man who released his first album at the tender age of 17 and whose great-uncle was none other than the famous musical conductor and arranger, Antonio Morelli, well known for his many years at the infamous Copa Room in Vegas during the ‘Rat Pack’ years. After having received a guitar from his mother at a young age to ‘vent his creativity and keep him out of trouble’ – the rest, as they say, is history!
The songs on Hale’s latest impressive new album Ballad on Third Avenue are said to be the most personal and intimate collection of songs he has ever recorded. An eleven song acoustic singer/songwriter venture, it is said to be reminiscent of Bright Eyes, Kings of Convenience, Rubber Soul era Beatles, Belle and Sebastian, and Simon and Garfunkel. Not surprising that his latest album debuted on the CMJ Most Added Chart at #14 and then climbed to #140 on the CMJ Top 200, along with the release of the first single, I walk Alone, which became a staple on Triple A radio stations all over the United States and Canada.
Hale’s respected and tireless efforts in social and political activism may also be something in the family blood since Hale is the nephew of Eleanor Cutri Smeal, former president of the National Organization for Women and one of the leading American feminists of the 20th century. Named a Civilian diplomat, he represents the United States around the world and never tires in his efforts for world peace, earning him the nickname ‘the Ambassador.’ Not content simply working with Habitat for Humanity in providing homes and a new beginning for those less fortunate; he strives daily to make the world a better place in his honored role as one of this country’s civilian diplomats. In fact, it was in this role that he first visited Iran in 2008 to discuss peace between the two countries, and later met directly with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the United Nations in an effort to promote world peace.
Alongside Hale’s incredibly talented music, openly public spirituality, and activism for human rights and world peace, there is an ambitious entrepreneur who has founded numerous multimillion-dollar companies over the years that include a chain of health food stores, real estate, a clothing line, a multi-media company, and his latest venture in a New York based business consulting firm with offices worldwide.
Fans of this rock star extraordinaire will be happy to learn of his national tour this Summer promoting Ballad on Third Avenue (dates have already been announced for Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver), plus the upcoming release of another new Transcendence album, the long awaited All Your Heroes Become Villains, only this time Hale will surely be accompanied by his lovely new wife, Nahal Mishel-Ghashghai, who was the inspiration for the band’s alterna-rock smash Superhero Girl on the controversial album, Sleep With You. To hear songs from the new album or connect with Ed Hale online, visit http://www.edhale.com/ or his official fan-pages on Facebook or MySpace for more on this diverse artist. Promo copies of Hale’s new CD Ballard on Third Avenue are available by request for review or article purposes.
My Take on the CD
Prior to buying Ed Hale’s CD, I can say that I had not heard of him or his band in the past. Being a father I have to say that typiclly lately when I am in the car instead of listening to music that I typically would (for my own pleasure) instead you can probaby guess that I have been listening to music for the girls instead.
Hale seems to be quite talented in his songwriting. While I have come to realize that this was NOT his first solo album, for me, I would not have known this; so for me I was able to have a clean look at a new artist for me. And how refreshing this artist is.
All of the artists playing with Hale worked well together making a beautiful sound that worked well together creating a melody that draws the listener into the music. There were a few sondgs that did seem to drag on for while, but overall I was impressed by both the songwriting and the musicality of the artists.
The music is a bit haunting and yet poetic. The CD actually made me think of music that I could sit and listen to in a wine bar or at least sitting back and sipping a wine and chilling out.

“HALE IS DIGGING DEEP AND REVEALING THROUGH MUSIC THE TRAVAILS AND PLEASURES OF LIVING LIFE”

CD REVIEW IN BOOTLEG MAGAZINE August 2009: Ed Hale has recorded a solo album away from his Brit Pop band Transcendence but hasn’t left the pop sentimentality too far behind, using the skill to help shape something acoustically raw and introspective. Ballad on Third Avenue is rich in memorable and pleasantly catchy songs that eschew common trappings of a larger sound in favor of recording more sparse and intimate material. It succeeds in practicing restraint and in also telling stories weaved through American landscapes. The album recalls the jingly soft sounds of late sixties bands that seemed to crystallize sugary melody versus stomping easily all over it.

“A MAGNIFICENT ALBUM THAT INSTANTLY DRAWS IN EVEN THE MOST FINICKY MUSIC AFICIONADO…”

Artist: Ed Hale
Album: Ballad on Third Avenue
http://www.edhale.com
Style: Indie/Powerpop/Acoustic
Rating: 3.5/5
By  L. Anne Carrington
How does one describe the newly released work of Ed Hale’s Ballad on Third Avenue? Perhaps one way would be a soft intimacy of acoustic and pop sounds that will make the listener feel comfortable right from the beginning of the album’s very first track. Ballad on Third Avenue may also take one back to the days of Bright Eyes, Simon and Garfunkel, and maybe a little Beatles thrown in for good measure. The lead singer of the popular Brit Pop/modern rock band Transcendence who have scored numerous hit singles and have had songs featured in films and television shows over the years, Hale made a side trip into the recording studio and made his own album. The end result was Ballad on Third Avenue, a brilliant blend of acoustic guitars, pianos, organs, xylophones, cello lines, and mellotron that may not have worked for many artists, but it certainly has paid off for Ed Hale in more ways than one. Hale is not always the easiest performer to keep up with; his style is always changing in his roles of writer, populist blogger, controversial YouTube star, outspoken political activist, or civilian diplomat. In his first solo effort, however, he can add another accomplishment to his list: creating a magnificent album that instantly draws in even the most finicky music aficionado and holds them there until the very end.
http://indiemusicstop.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/ed-hale-ballad-on-third-avenue/

TRANSCENDENCE KNOWS HOW TO TRANSCEND MUSICAL BOUNDARIES

Editor Picks: Editor’s Pick ~ Transcendence
Posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 @ 17:30:42 EDT
Topic: Editor’s Picks
Artist: TranscendenceGenre: Alt Pop – Brit PopHome: New York
Web: http://www.transcendence.com

 Reviews: Transcendence ~ Nothing Is Cohesive
Posted on Saturday, July 01, 2006 @ 06:02:18 EDT
Topic: Reviews Read Original Review Here


Artist: TranscendenceCD: Nothing is CohesiveHome: New York CityStyle: Modern RockQuote: “This group knows how to transcend musical boundaries.”By Dan MacIntosh
Transcendence is a rock band driven primarily by Ed Hale’s distinctively emotive vocals. Hale sings with an urgency that may remind you of World Party’s Karl Wallinger (anybody still remember him/them?) at times, and he often comes across like he’s overwhelmed by all of his inner feelings. The CD’s title is more of a commentary on the scattered nature of life itself, instead of the music this group makes, because the songs on this disc hold together relatively well.This group knows how to transcend musical boundaries, as these songs range from a cover of Paul McCartney’s “Tomorrow,” to one called “Caetano,” which is most likely about the Brazilian singer/social commentator Caetano Veloso. On “Caetano,” Hale’s voice tones fall somewhere between Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, and “Space Oddity”-era David Bowie. To his credit, Hale is never afraid to play the vocal chameleon if the direction of the song requires it.
There is a likeable sense of spontaneity running through these recordings, including plenty of controlled instrumental chaos (or simply put, feedback) at the end of some tracks. There is also plenty of stylistic variation here. For instance, “I Wanna Know Ya” chugs along with garage-y fervor, yet “Softening,” where the song title also describes the sound of the track, is a gentle, Todd Rundgren-y piano ballad. “If Your Baby Could” is also especially sweet, and plays out like a lullaby. Adding to the fun of this listening experience is the sexy sound of a women speaking in French between a few tracks.
It should be noted that Hale does have a bit of potty mouth at times. Never more so than on “Bored,” which – though profane – still succinctly sums up a few of entertainment business’s more harsh realities. “I’m such a f-ing whore, prostituting my integrity to secure this false celebrity,” Hale blurts out at one point.
Hale may have transformed his boredom into a notable song, but chances are you’ll never be bored by Transcendence. It may even help you transcend a few of the duller moments of your day. Check out the band at their official website