Doug Spartz is a national treasure waiting to be discovered by the national audience. His songs come from his heart, which he obviously wears on his sleeve, and are infused with a genuine sense of humor that's wildly entertaining. We're still getting requests for "Wake Me Up & Slap Me" more then a year after it was introduced to our audience. I can't wait for the next album! As for "Pederson & Jesus"-another winner! I love the back-up singers; it's just the right touch to another great Spartz tune. That's three-for-three…gonna be a heckuva great album!
Larry Timko at Clear Channel Worldwide says:
"Despite the fact he was hospitalized for a heart attack…Doug
Spartz music still has a ton of heart. Rich textured harmonies and lyrics
that provoke the imagination."
Bobby Leach at Clear Channel says:
"Every time I hear "Name on the
Wall" & "The Rocket (Number 29)" I have to wipe the
tears from my eyes and my computer screen.
John Hendricks at Music Choice TV says:
"Doug Spartz' voice is as fine an instrument
as any Stradivarius ever made. Quite simply, I've never heard anything
quite like it!
Don Grant from Freight Train Boogie (5 out of 5 stars!)
says:
Quite simply and succinctly, you'd be hard
put to find a better compilation of Americana than this independent offering
by Doug Spartz et al. Starting with the tear-jerking vocals of the opening
cut, "Number 29 (The Rocket), the listener knows that this one is
the "real McCoy". Next up is a swinging little ditty called,
perversely, "Nuthin' Much". If this toe-tapper is nothing much,
I don't know if we could take something much! "Love Minus Zero"
featuring Billy Lee Riley, is a do not miss version of the Dylan classic.
All told, there are a grand total of sixteen tracks on this anthology
of Americana. Anthology? "Wake Me Up & Slap Me", "Hot
Rod Lincoln,", "Sunshine", yup that's what an anthology
would be. Although almost half of the tunes are originals, the whole project
gels so well that one has to check the credits to pick the new ones out.
A personal favorite here is "Fall of '64", with its bittersweet
line "Dyin' boys are staring at the angels standing there…nuthin'
here is civil, in the fall of '64, Jesus can't help cryin' in the fall
of '64". It never ceases to amaze and impress me how a good songwriter
can describe and convey so much in a few short lines. Have a cigar for
this one Doug; this is a very good show indeed.