Britain’s Best: Ronnie Mayor
Review of Musical CD Debut
“A Singersong A Rotator” by Ronnie Mayor
Singer and Songwriter
by
Chandra Jayne
PUBLISHED BY:
Chandra Jayne on Smashwords
Britain’s Best: Ronnie Mayor
Review of Musical CD Debut
“A Singersong A Rotator” by Ronnie Mayor
Singer and Songwriter
Copyright © 2011 by Chandra Jayne
Email: chandrajayne@hotmail.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book or screenplay reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Discover more about Chandra Jayne at: www.smashwords.com
Other books, essays, and screenplays by Chandra Jayne:
“The Divine Romances Series”
“Daybreak Star”
“Goldenray”
“Beware A Golden Boy”
“O Moon”
“Time & Space & Women”
“Rainbows of the Heart”
“Full Moon Heart”
“Mystic Rose Diary”
“Forgive 490”
“How to Say Goodbye”
Copyright © 2011 Chandra Jayne and Smashwords, Inc. All rights reserved.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook screenplay may not be re-sold, used in other media such as motion pictures or television or cable productions, or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. All motion picture, television, and cable rights are the copyrighted intellectual property of the author. Thank you for respecting the creativity and vision of this author.
Britain’s Best: Ronnie Mayor, Singer and Songwriter
Review of Ronnie Mayor’s debut CD “A Singersong A Rotator” by Ronnie Mayor C 2011
Produced by Ronnie Mayor and Steve Darrel Smith
Born in Liverpool, UK’s Ronnie Mayor is among the greatest talents of present day singer songwriters. A mature singer and songwriter, Ronnie Mayor communicates the complexities of love and life in a simple, direct and soulful style. The insistent melodic and commercial pop appeal of his music provides the solid bedrock for the emotional depth of his writing.
As a pop and rock artist, Ronnie Mayor brings to mind the greatness of individualistic musical souls like Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Neil Young and Crowded House front man, Neil Finn. In the lineage of lone writers that have come before him, Ronnie Mayor has the mysterious ability to express the soul and psyche of a generation. His memorable songs move into our hearts and remain there as part of our own voice.
Ronnie Mayor’s debut CD “A Singersong A Rotator” is unforgettable and haunting, an offering of soulful love songs expressing the richest depth of feeling, interspersed with high-energy rock tunes. The album is in essence an album of love songs and a positive expression of the “human condition” across many relationships throughout one’s life. This amazing debut album features nine original songs written by Ronnie Mayor, backed by some of the UK’s finest session players. Outstanding contributions from guitarist Robbie McIntosh (Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, Nora Jones) leading folk instrumentalist Julian Batten and backup singers Donna Gardier and Gina Foster (Sting, Michael Jackson) make this album a high-end product.
The varied songs on the CD range from the aching interiors of “All the Things I Should Have Said” to the universal longings of “Well It’s Raining” to the high energy celebration of “The Wedding Song.” Ronnie’s vision is melancholy and sensual while his music conveys celebration and a promise that Love redeems all the pain of life, even if that love lives in memory only.
First and foremost Ronnie Mayor is a lover of love. He is a sublime poet, an historian of romance, a biographer of moments. The painter of love scenes burns the imagination with white-hot truth and tenderness. Fine lines of poetry roll all the way through his first cut, romantic retrospective, “Just like the Man on the Moon” with:
“We made love all afternoon
and you made me feel
Just like the man on the moon”
It doesn’t get any better than that in love. This lovely hypnotic waltz features superb interplay between guitar and vibes, courtesy of Robbie McIntosh and Roger Beaujolais. This incredible song makes you forget the world and grab your lover for the most intimate of dances.
Track two, “All the Things I Should Have Said” is a soulful ballad expressing the depth of a positive commitment to a very loving marriage. The skilful rendering of all musical and lyrical elements in this song blend passion and hesitation in a profound way. The “Crowded House” Hammond Organ on the outro is a deliberate musical tribute to one of Ronnie’s favorite bands.
The album’s third cut, “The Best Girl,” lightens things up with an upbeat Smokey Robinson style song. It’s sweet, energetic, affirmative, and shows Mayor’s wide emotional range.
“Love’s Palisade” is a “Wha Wha” groove, as the white boys slip into a refreshing Afro beat and express an honest appraisal of youth’s failure to appreciate the wisdom offered by the adult world. An ongoing story between generations.
“I Know She Knows” is a very fine slab of stadium pop rock, with poignant guitar bridges and slightly reminiscent of “Layla” on the outro. Ronnie Mayor wholly celebrates being in love and the synchronicity of that state. Get your lighters gassed up and ready!
There is no finer unrequited love song in the world than “Well It’s Raining.” Is it Country or is it Jazz? Nora Jones will definitely catch this song and make it a future classic. Lyrically exceptional, Ronnie sings:
“Well I’m waiting, waiting on morning
The sound of your heels echoes down the hall
Well I’m feeling, feeling so helpless
What if I don’t see your face again?”
Ever the bard, he then reminds us throughout:
“Only love will find a way
Only love I hear them say”
Based on a true story from Ronnie’s Irish family heritage, track seven, “Mary Came from Ireland,” starts out as a flat picked Irish / English folk song and mutates into an energetic Americana sound. This is a great all-round performance from the band with folk artists Catherine Burke on Pipes and Julian Batten on Accordion, giving the track an authentic trans-Atlantic feel.
Based on 50’s Doo Wop chords and performed in the 70’s British Pub Rock style, “The Wedding Song” is another really fun, high-energy celebration of the marriage ceremony with all its attentive detail. This very danceable track was committed to tape with such a great feeling and an outstanding economical guitar solo from the inimitable Robbie McIntosh.
“A Singersong A Rotator” finally ends with “A Way in the World”. A simple 3-chord folk song that unfolds through 14 verses of biographical narrative into a mini rock opus! Check out the deliberate rock clichés as the band relaxes and stretches out. Conrad Barr’s “blue note” in verse 13 is an album highlight. Yes just one note, in the right place steals the show. Truly fab!
Ronnie Mayor is a lasting vocal and song writing talent, his musical intelligence and natural melodic gift are a welcome addition to today’s music world. Mayor’s debut CD “A Singersong A Rotator” expresses an intimate quality and rich dimensionality. You get a feeling for the man, the soul, and the musician Ronnie Mayor who credits Brazil’s famous John of God, and the healing casa of Dom Inacio de Loyola in his liner notes. Ronnie Mayor has journeyed far from his Liverpool beginnings to punk, Tours, and now this incredibly soulful offering.
Clearly, this wonderfully crafted album, “A Singersong A Rotator” by Ronnie Mayor is an enduring and substantial offering from a longtime musician who has paid his dues.
You will listen to it over and over again because it’s just that good.