The 4th song on my new CD is "When You Looked At Me" written by Jenifer Jackson. I first heard this song on Jenifer's "Love Lane" EP-soon after that I got to play bass on it for a few gigs with her. Jenifer's songs have this timeless pop quality. Although it's probably the most modern song on the record (chronologically), it sounds like it could one of the oldest. I'm betting this is one of the few songs in recorded history that features pedal steel AND lap steel.
When You Looked At Me-Spike Priggen.mp3
Spike Priggen-Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Mark Spencer-6 and 12 String Guitars, Lap Steel,
Baritone Guitar, Chamberlain Oboe
Brian Doherty-Drums
George Rush-Bass
Jon Graboff-Rhythm and Lead 12 String Guitar, Pedal Steel
Eddy Zweiback-Percussion
When You Looked At Me-Jenifer Jackson.mp3
Buy my new CD
Listen to the whole CD
Reviews of "The Very Thing That You Treasure"
"Beautifully crafted, laid-back pop songs as sunny as a fresh summer's day, and as melancholy as mid-fall, Spike Priggen's The Very Thing That You Treasure is a delicate, yet sophisticated acoustic pop record."Alex Steininger
In Music We Trust
"The Very Thing That You Treasure, Priggen will tell you, has been a lifetime in the making. Quite frankly it’s been worth the wait."Kurt Hernon
Bangsheet
If there is any justice in this teen-popping world, The Very Thing That You Treasure won't get lost on the streets. It's a sweet little treasure that deserves a home.Carrie Havranek
SonicNet
"The Very Thing that You Treasure is, quite simply, an amazing album. From the first track, a gorgeously reverby, jangly pop ballad called "Every Broken Heart," you know you're into something good. Priggen's voice is kind of nasal and a little bit awkward, but there is a gentleness to it that is immediately charming."Scout
Delusions Of Adequacy
"Next time I'm getting over a terrorizing, head-over-heels heartbreak, The Very Thing That You Treasure will be in the driver's seat, helping me cry myself into the nearest telephone pole. Until then, this unbelievably depressing CD will be sitting on my shelf, safe from unsuspecting ears that can't deal with its gut-wrenching power. Priggen definitely has issues with chicks, as several tunes (including "Every Broken Heart" and "She Used To Be My Baby") highlight a borderline obsessive-compulsive singer-songwriter bloodletting his emotions onto a recorded medium. Priggen has a way with words, and his exceptional lyrics weave intricate tales of desperation and loss that somehow, by the disc's end, inspire a sense of hope and yearning. Nonetheless, this potent collection of tear jerking, honky-tonk pop tunes is a marvelous expression of calculated emotional outbursts. Medical authorities should be contacted immediately, as this CD should only be allowed into your CD player with a prescription from your local psychiatrist."Andrew Magilow
Splendid E-zine
“To be blunt about it, this is a brilliant LP, and as debuts go ranks right up there with those of Marshall Crenshaw, Big Star and The Pretenders. It’s full of indelible hooks and I just want to keep playing it again and again and again…One of the year’s best”Toast Magazine
“Turns simple phrases around gorgeous melodies and into moving pop poetry”Mean Magazine
“Gloriously melancholy. Worth every minute of the ride.”Power Of Pop
“The very definition of bittersweet”Joey Sweeney
Time Out New York
"His lyrics seethe with John Lennon's anger (and wit), but most often, and most brilliantly, they hinge on the sort of forlorn melancholy that Chris Bell made so affecting."Red Tunic Troll
Amazon Customer Review
"In the finicky music world, Spike Priggen may well be destined to skirt around the perimeters of success for a few more years to come, but his satisfying songs are already worthy of a wider audience. Priggen's debut, The Very Thing That You Treasure, finds the accomplished musician joining the alt.country fray as a less cocky version of Ryan Adams. Two of the better offerings, Every Broken Heart and Outtasight take to the sort of countrified twang that R.E.M. tried for on 1991's Out Of Time. .. It is welcome news that Priggen has already set to work on a follow up."Rip It Up Magazine
"Priggen's songs are so melodic and throw up so many surprises both lyrically and sonically that it is hard not to love everything on this record.All of the tracks have been a favourite at different times so it is hard to pick out a standout song. It changes from the opening 'Every Broken Heart' to everything in-between that and the last song, 'So Good To See You', a strange psychedelic ballad full of weird effects and mellotron.Pennyblack Music Website
"In truth it's hard to single out tunes for praise when all 12 tracks are consistently solid. This is a 'song' record, an album that's not about glossy production or sampled drum beats. Spike Priggen writes damn good songs, and that's what you'll find on The Very Thing That You Treasure."Barfly.com
"Not the most rock 'n' roll of names, and one most likely that most of you have never encountered before, but then 'The Very Thing That You Treasure' isn't the most rock 'n' roll of records. In fact, the debut from New York based multi-instrumentalist Priggen is a wonderfully vibrant melting pot of eclectic pop rock styles that will have power pop fans drooling.Classic Rock (UK)
"Starting with a chorus of “Every broken heart is just like the first one”, Priggen shows his perfect hand early. Matching Teenage Fanclub with Matthew Sweet, he can’t help but sound like Big Star – which is even better! Irresistibly ragged production and endlessly bittersweet guitar solos will have you singing every line, and feeling like you wrote them all yourself. Proof beyond question that the one thing you can never grow out of is a teenage crush."TNT Magazine (UK)
"It's an album of confidant versatility, and the two years it took to record are evident in the sound of the material, the care that has been given. So often these days music can seem meaningless, vocals tossed away with a cheap rhyme, but not here."Logged Off Website
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South Florida's Entertainment News & Views Review
Spike Priggen: Stars After Stars After Stars (Volare)
With an extensive two-decade pedigree that’s found him working with some of the most America’s most illustrious alt-rock ensembles (Dumptruck, Liquor Giants, the Schramms, etc.), Spike Priggen certainly knows great power pop when he hears it. So while an album of obscure covers may seem an unlikely career move a mere two sets into his solo sojourn, given his musical inclinations, it does seem to make some sense.
Granted, most people will have no idea who these artists are. The Pontiac Brothers, the Jacobites, the Hot Bodies and Scritti Politti never made much of an impact on the public radar. The Zombies, the Ramones, and Tracey Thorn of Everything but the Girl are represented, but Priggen’s song selection still manages to keep the recognition factor nearly nil. The best known track by far turns out to be a revved-up cover of Alice Cooper’s defiant adolescent anthem, “I’m Eighteen,” rendered here in a manner befitting Neil Young and Crazy Horse, i.e. all attitude and amplitude.
Nevertheless, despite the lack of instant identification, Priggen does an admirable job of reinventing this melodic material. The fact that they’re not known actually works in his favor; unhindered by previous perceptions, he makes these tunes his own, embellishing each with lavish arrangements befitting his pop pedigree. As a result, “In the Inside,” “Be Married Song,” “Big Store,” and “Only Children Sleeping” sound like radio-ready contenders circa the ‘70s, rich, robust and instantly accessible. Things take a strange turn when the album reaches its end, as a rambling dialogue by an obviously inept talent promoter takes over the proceedings. Two uncredited songs follow, but by then the listener’s so perplexed, they seem like an unlikely coda.
Nevertheless, with Stars After Stars After Stars coming on top of his outstanding debut, The Very Thing You Treasure, Priggen’s proven his point. Rock ‘n’ roll is often at its best when it comes from unexpected sources. By Lee Zimmerman
How We Were Before
The 3rd song on my new CD "Stars After Stars After Stars" is "How We Were Before", one of the rare Colin Blunstone penned Zombies songs. I've always loved it's dreamy "end-of-the-party" vibe and can be found singing it at the end of many a party....
Spike Priggen-How We Were Before.rm
Spike Priggen-Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Danny Weinkauf-Bass
Mark Spencer-Fender Bass VI, 6 and 12 String Guitars, Hammond M3 Organ
Jon Graboff-Pedal Steel, Mandolin
Eddy Zweiback-Percussion
CP Roth-Chamberlain
Bun E Carlos-Drums
Evansville Courier & Press Review
By MARK WILSON, Music critic
April 1, 2005
Spike Priggen
Stars After Stars After Stars (Volare Label)
Intelligent, well-crafted pop rock is vastly underrepresented in today's music scene. There seems to be a a consensus that it has to be disguised as "punk" (of the most lightweight variety), and even then it's generally rendered in primary colors and paint-by-numbers formula.
But for those willing to dig a little deeper, there is still a wealth of great new music out there. Priggen's 2001 solo debut, "The Very Thing You Treasure," was an under-the-radar gem. It wasn't just critics who picked up on it. It slipped into the mainstream with a song on the TV show "Felicity" and another song ("Outtasight") appearing in the first-ever iPod TV commercial. Considering that mega-rockers U2 are also shilling for iPod these days, that puts Priggen in some pretty heady company.
Although it is a highly eclectic collection of mostly obscure songs by other artists, Priggen's second album, "Stars After Stars After Stars," underscores the considerable depths of his talent. Priggen makes each song his own, giving the album a remarkable coherent sound. Some of that is due to his song selection, songs which, except for a straightforward reading of Alice Cooper's "Eighteen," render themselves to his vaguely rootsy power pop interpretations. Priggen reclaims "Questioningly," the Ramones' well-written but improbable stab at country-rock and rescues from obscurity early British pop gems such as Tracy Thorn's "Plainsailing" and Scritti Politti's "A Slow Soul."
Other highlights include a beautiful, guitar-filled version of singer-songwriter Jennifer Jackson's "When You Looked at Me," a loving rendition of Alex Chilton's "Nighttime" and the melancholy "How We Were Before," originally done by the Zombies.
The other thing that makes this album work so well is its stellar caste of backing musicians. In addition to Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos on six songs, "Stars After Stars After Stars" features a virtual Who's Who of the New York City underground music scene, including legendary guitarist Ivan Julian and musicians who have played with acts such as They Might Be Giants, Fountains of Wayne, Jay Farrar, Beat Rodeo, XTC and even Ozzy Osbourne.
Don't miss the bonus tracks either, which include the hilarious underground hipster "J and H Productions" tape (Google it for background) and two excellent bonus songs that are as good as any of the songs on the proper album.
Categories
- Adam Lasus (4)
- Big Louise (5)
- Biography (2)
- Covers (2)
- Danceteria/The Blue Period (1)
- Discography (38)
- Dumptruck (9)
- Emily Spray (1)
- George Usher (1)
- Gigs (8)
- Liquor Giants (3)
- Malcolm Ross (4)
- Mark Mulcahy (1)
- Music (5)
- Pictures (32)
- Press (27)
- Productions (11)
- Reviews (26)
- Scrapbook (41)
- Shows (4)
- Sounds (34)
- Stars After Stars After Stars (31)
- Store (4)
- Stray Divides (4)
- The Caroline Know (5)
- The Excerpts (2)
- The Gowanus All-Stars (1)
- The Hello Strangers (13)
- The Lean-To's (2)
- The Obvious (3)
- The Pussywillows (3)
- The Streams (7)
- The Very Thing That You Treasure (13)
- There's No Sound In Flutes! (17)
- TV & Movies (1)
- TV Neats (12)
- Video (12)
- What's New (7)
- YouTube (1)
Reviews Of "Stars After Stars After Stars"
"New York-based Spike Priggen of Liquor Giants, Pussywillows, and Dumptruck enthralled fans with his 2001 solo debut's synthesis of Big Star's chime, the dBs' quirkiness, and Dwight Twilley's pure pop power. This follow-up of lovingly selected covers (in the tradition of Bowie's Pin-Ups and the Band's Moondog Matinee) melds the hearts and minds of the originals with his overarching melancholy, mating a collector's ear for material with a producer's imagination for re-creation. Highlights include Priggen's versions of the Pontiac Brothers' yearning "Be Married Song" and the Zombies' delicate morning-after B-side "How We Were Before." The Ramones, Tracey Thorn, and Scritti Politti's songs all find a common wistfulness in Priggen's soul- and country-inflected arrangements. Closing the disc is a mesmerizing found-sound "J&H Productions" tape, in which a would-be Cincinnati concert promoter attempts to "get with" the "label industry." Whether the "label industry" "gets with" Spike Priggen, lovers of Lennon, Chilton, Stamey, and Sweet certainly should."Eli Messinger
East Bay Express
"Although it is a highly eclectic collection of mostly obscure songs by other artists, Priggen's second album, "Stars After Stars After Stars," underscores the considerable depths of his talent. Priggen makes each song his own, giving the album a remarkable coherent sound. Some of that is due to his song selection, songs which, except for a straightforward reading of Alice Cooper's "Eighteen," render themselves to his vaguely rootsy power pop interpretations. Priggen reclaims "Questioningly," the Ramones' well-written but improbable stab at country-rock and rescues from obscurity early British pop gems such as Tracy Thorn's "Plainsailing" and Scritti Politti's "A Slow Soul.""Mark Wilson
Evansville Courier & Press
"This second album finds Spike Priggen and a bunch of friends (Ivan Julian, Bun E Carlos, etc.) covering some great underknown songs by folks like the Pontiac Brothers, the Zombies, Nikki Sudden/Dave Kusworth the Jacobites, Tracy Thorn, the Ramones, etc. If Spike is doing all of the vocals as the press kit seems to indicate; he's the best singing vocal mimic I've ever heard. His Tracy Thorn, and Joey Ramone are uncanny."George Parsons
Dream Magazine #5
"Priggen is a frequent performer on the NYC scene and at various times has been a member of Dumptruck, Hello Strangers, Liquor Giants, Schramms, and Pussywillows. His 2001 debut revealed a tremendous talent for perfect pop songs often filtered through a country sound. Therefore, the first track on his new disc comes as quite a shock with its blast of synthesizer. Thereafter, he returns to his normal style, for which a useful comparison is Freedy Johnston, whom Priggen resembles in vocal timbre, melodically (especially), and to a lesser extent in overall style. It's a sound that doesn't work well unless lavished on high-quality songs, and Priggen supplies plenty."Steve
The Big Takeover
"Most of the album is a nostalgic look back at the artist's past, including the bands he's played in as well as those he's idolized, including the Hot Bodies, the Jacobites, and the Zombies. He works through these songs competently and respectfully, and in the end what he's created is a tribute to his own musical development. But in doing so he's also given us a window back into some forgotten moments in music from the 70's and 80's various indie, new-wave, and punk scenes."George Ford
Delusions Of Adequacy
"On Spike's new "Stars After Stars After Stars" he pulls off the neat trick of recording a classy set of covers (The Pontiac Bros. "Be Married Song"; Zombies, Jenifer Jackson, Sudden & Kusworth) with a star-studded cast (Bun E Carlos, Ivan Julian). He's kicked around in some bands that almost crossed over (Dumptruck, The Liquor Giants, The Caroline Know)--can he finally get a break?". -Josh Goldfein
The Village Voice
Music Links
- Anders Parker
- Big Lazy
- Cheap Trick
- Chris Harford
- ClePunk
- Dwight Twilley
- Eyeless In Gaza
- Florence Dore
- Freedy Johnston
- Hub Moore
- Jenifer Jackson
- Jon Brion
- Jon Graboff
- Josef K
- Julian Cope
- Kirk Swan
- Mark Mulcahy
- Mark Spencer
- Norton Records
- NRBQ!
- Paul Haig
- Raymond Scott
- Roy Wood
- Steve Almaas
- Sundazed
- The Bus Stop Label
- The Dave Graney Show
- The La's
- The Raspberries
- Ween
- WeenRadio.Com
- Wormco