The Daily Beacon
FROM THE MARCH 8, 1996 ISSUE
© 1996, The Daily Beacon. All rights reserved.
Band keeps polishing soft, acoustic sound
CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Daily Beacon Staff Writer
Thanks to Nirvana's Unplugged album, bands bearing a couple of acoustic guitars and a lead vocalist
with a depressing voice keep popping up everywhere in the music industry. The latest band to try and
follow the footsteps of the Goo Goo Dolls and Hootie and the Blowfish is Dog's Eye View.
Dog's Eye View's new album,Happy Nowhere, is best described as a cross between the Dave
Matthews Band and Take That. With Peter Stuart on lead vocals and acoustic and electric guitar; John
Abbey switching between upright and electric bass, guitarron, cello and guitars; Oren Bloedow playing
baritone, lap steel, dobro, classical and electric guitars; and Alan Bezozi behind the drum set, Dog's Eye
View is capable of producing a much larger and deeper feeling to their music
.
Currently Dog's Eye View's most popular song is "Everything Falls Apart." The upbeat guitar riffs
and catchy bass line helps make this song simple and lively. With lyrics like "I met God this afternoon riding
on an uptown train/ I said don't you have better things to do/ He said if I do my job what would you
complain about/ So I let it go to hell," the listener hears glimpses of Peter Stuart's talents as a lyricist. As
this song climbs onto the rock charts fans should begin to appreciate the musical abilities of Dog's Eye
View.
The first song on the thirteen track CD is "I Wish I Was Here." With Peter Stuart's dreamy, floating
vocals and the gentle strumming of acoustic guitars this song takes on the shape of a modern lullaby. As
the song moves along the tempo begins to increase, but the flow of the song is not interrupted. The
ability to write and perform songs that are not disjointed is a strong trait of Dog's Eye View.
Although "Everything Falls Apart" might be Dog's Eye View's most popular song, "The Prince's Favorite
Son" is their most original. With the upright bass and Stuart's light vocals, the intro grabs the listener's
attention. Dog's Eye View then takes the listener on a roller coaster of bobbing bass lines, energetic
electric guitar riffs and gentle acoustic guitar.
The whole album is enjoyable and relaxing to listen to, but only a few songs really come out and catch
the listener's attention. Although most of the lyrics are simple on Happy Nowhere, Peter Stuart does
show he could be an excellent lyricist with time and experience. The most amazing trait listeners should
notice about Dog's Eye View is how talented each member of the band is
.
1996, The Daily Beacon