Rick Spreitzer, From The Bottom (Independent)

De eerste klanken van “From The Bottom” verraden al meteen dat Rick Spreitzer uit het zuidelijke Noord Amerika komt, North Carolina om precies te zijn. Folk uit deze streek, geïnspireerd op de Appalachians, ervaar ik zelden als verkeerd. Ook bij deze onafhankelijke productie vind je een perfecte samensmelting van alle ingredieten die bij dit genre thuis hoort. Een heerlijke, overwegende semi-akoestische, CD waarbij het accent primair ligt op heerlijk bezielend werk. Muziek die los van trends de tand des tijd’s zal doorstaan. Veel gitaar, mandoline en banjo, en ook de aanvullende vocalen komen perfect tot hun recht. Voor de juiste beeldvorming denk ik te kunnen volstaan door te zeggen dat Spreitzer’s derde album qua klankkleur een vergelijking aan kan met Jeffrey Foucault’s werk. Boeiend, broeiend en zeer beeldend. (Rein van den Berg)

"Folk from this area, inspired by the Appalachians, I seldomly experience
as being wrong. Even with this independent production you'll find the
ideal mixture of ingredients that this genre consist of. A delightfull
nearly overall semi-acoustic CD, which places its inspirational accent
rather in the centre" - Rein

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first consonances of "From The Bottom" betrays already immediately that Rick Spreitzer from the Southern North come be America, North Carolina for exact. The Appalachians, I seldom experience folk from this region, inspired on as find oneself. Also at this independent production you find a perfect samensmelting of all ingredieten which belongs to this genre at home. A delicious, predominating semi-acoustic, CD where the emphasis lies primary at deliciously stimulating work. Music which will endure the cog apart from recent developments of the tijd's. Much jet ear, mandoline and banjo, and also the additional vocalen reach perfectly their right. For the correct representation I think being able be enough by saying that Spreitzer's third album are possible an comparison with regard to consonance colour to with Jeffrey Foucault's work. Captivating, heating and very expressive. (Clean of pine mount)

Rick Spreitzer
From the Bottom
[Rick Spreitzer 2006]

Una densa foschia copre un paesaggio un po' spettrale, probabilmente uno scatto rubato alle verdi campagne del North Carolina, luogo di provenineza di Rick Spreitzer. Non è invitante, diciamocelo, la fotografia scelta dal songwriter di Charlotte per rappresentare il suo terzo lavoro indipendente, anche se descrive a grandi linee le atmosfere che si respirano nelle dodici canzoni riunite in From the Bottom, un disco che gioca di sottrazione su sonorità acustiche e autunnali. Nonostante una presenza assai nutrita di collaboratori - tutti musicisti attivi sulla scena locale tra cui Mike Strauss alle chitarre, Jd Wilson e Mike Orlando al mandolino e banjo, Jane Hart Brendle al fiddle, Scott Pittman alla batteria e forse il più noto collega David Childers ai cori - l'effetto ottenuto da Sprietzer è quello di portare in primo piano l'essenza della canzone, i tratti poetici e fragili della sua scrittura, quella che gli è valsa una cospicua serie di apprezzamenti, tra cui la nomina a diversi songwriting contest, premi e concorsi sia a livello regionale sia nazionale. Le qualità delle immagini letterarie di Sprietzer sono intuibili, seppure l'austero libretto del cd contenga solo alcune frasi e selezionati estratti dai singoli testi; più difficile tuttavia elogiarne la confezione musicale che si mantiene salda all'interno dei canoni di un country folk d'autore, malinconico e raccolto. Nessun particolare sussulto, ballate dai marcati tratti rurali (commovente Old Coins and Memories) e qualche rara concessione elettrica, velati accenni all'alternative country più corrusco (l'apertura con Roll Back e Oh Kitty, il sobbalzare agreste di One Two Three) che non intaccano minimamente l'idea di fondo di From the Bottom, un disco di piccole suggestioni, di sussurri e struggimenti, a volte memore del Ryan Adams di 29, giusto per sfoderare un paragone altisonante. Non sarebbe peraltro un buon serivizio reso nei confronti di Sprietzer, sufficientemente consapevole del suo ruolo di comprimario eppure ottimo artigiano di canzoni. Le più seducenti paiono essere quelle che rifuggono il clichè delle radici e della assoluta fedeltà alla vecchia country music, in cerca di un'ambientazione più riflessiva: ad esempio la dolcissima Motel Prayer, letargica ballata per mandolino, chitarre acustiche ed organo, che ben si accompagna con le tenui Marissa e Falling Down, oppure la pianistica No Idea, l'episodio più singolare di From the Bottom proprio insieme ala title track, una scheletrica ballad elettrica che si colora di soul nella seconda voce femminile di Shana Blake. Un pizzico di coraggio in più nello spingersi al di fuori dei soliti territori roots e forse avremo un ottimo songwriter di cui occuparci
(Fabio Cerbone)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A dense haze covers a landscape a little ghostly, likely one release stolen to the green countries of the North Carolina, place of provenineza of Rick Spreitzer. It is not inviting, us it it, the choice photography from the songwriter of Charlotte to represent its third independent work, even if describes to large lines the atmospheres that breathe themselves in twelve songs reunited in From the Bottom, a disk that plays of subtraction on acoustic and autumnal resonance. Although a presence much nourished of contributors - all profitable musicians on the local stage among which Mike Strauss to the guitars, Jd Wilson and Mike Bordering to the mandolin and banjo, Jane Hart Brendle to the fiddle, Scott Pittman to the battery and perhaps the knownest one connects David Childers to the choruses - the effect obtained from Sprietzer is that of to carry in slow first the essence of the song, the What it a large series of esteem is been worth him, among which the appointment to different songwriting contest, you reward and contributed is to regional level is national. The quality of the literary images of Sprietzer I am intuibili, even if the severe booklet of the cd contains alone some sentences and chosen extracted from the individual texts; more difficult nevertheless to praise it the musical preparation that it is maintained strong to the inside of the rents of a country folk of author, melancholy and collected. Not any special start, danced from the pronounced rural strokes (moving Old Coins and Memories) and some rare electric concession, veil hints to the alternative country plus corrusco (the opening with Roll Back and Oh Kitty, the agreste of One to jump Two Three) that do not damage smaller the back idea of From the Bottom, a disk of small suggestions, of whispers and yearnings, to mindful times of the Ryan Adams of 29. It has been not moreover a good serivizio given back towards Sprietzer, sufficiently aware of its role of second lead and yet excellent craftsman of songs. The most seductive seem to be those that flee the clichè of the roots and of the absolute faithfulness to the old country music, in search of a more reflective ambientazione: for example the sweet Motel Prayer, letargica danced for mandolin, acoustic guitars and organ, that quite it it is accompanied with the fine Marissa and Falling Down, or the pianistica No Idea, the most singular episode of From the actual Bottom together wing Electric that itself color of soul in the second feminine voice of Shana Blake. A pinch of courage in more in the to push itself to the of outside the usual territories roots and perhaps we will have an excellent songwriter of whom to occupy us (Fabio Cerbone)

Singer-songwriters zijn er tegenwoordig in overvloed, echter niet altijd van even grote kwaliteit. Rick Spreitzer is er weer zo eentje met talent en kwaliteit in overvloed. Zijn teksten zijn qua stijl en niveau vergelijkbaar met die van David Childers, dewelke hier ook een gastbijdrage (" Panhandler’s Stomp") levert op Rick's tweede CD "Dirt Tracks", beide heren zijn dan ook nog toevallig samen woonachtig in Charlotte, North Carolina. Qua stem zou je Rick eigenlijk wel ergens kunnen plaatsen naast een T-Bone Burnett. Soms een lichte snik, vrij monotone, timide en vooral very southern stemgeluid. De instrumentatie op dit album is zoals dat hoort op de betere singer-songwriter plaatjes weer om te smullen. Akoestische gitaren, mandolines en af en toe een elektrische of steel gitaar. Zijn teksten gaan veelal over liefde, haat, spijt en veel herinneringen (goede en slechte uit heden en ver verleden). De verhalen die Rick Spreitzer in zijn liedjes verteld zijn prachtig onder woorden gebracht en met veel gevoel gebracht.  De veelvuldige vocale ondersteuning van Jill Lurie maakt van deze plaat een echte must voor liefhebbers van dit genre, een singer-songwriterplaat om van te smullen ! Mijn vriend Eddie Russell weet het te omschrijven als : "Music with generous grit and unsupervised emotional release...a good workhorse with energetic gait that makes the picture come alive".
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Singer-songwriters are there nowadays in abundance, however not always of just as large quality. Rick Spreitzer are there this way one with brio and quality in abundance. To be texts are with regard to style and level similar with those of David Childers, which here also a guest contribution ("Panhandler's obtuse") provides "Dirt tracks on Rick's to second CD, both lords are thus still accidentally together resident in Charlotte, North Carolina. With regard to voice you Rick in fact, however, somewhere are able place beside T-Bone Burnett. Sometimes a light snik, rather monotonous, timide and especially very southern voice sound. The instrumentation on this album is such as that hears on better singer-songwriter the blades feast. Acoustic jet ears, mandolines and from time to time an electric or stalk jet ear. To be texts concern mostly love, hate, regrets and many memories (good and bad executed from present and far). The tales which Rick Spreitzer in its songs are told under words have been brought splendidly and with much feeling brought. The multiple vocal support for Jill Lurie makes a real must for liefhebbers of this genre of this plate, singer-songwriterplaat to feast of! My friend Eddie Russell weet it to define as: Music with generous grit and unsupervised emotional release...a good workhorse with energetic gait that makes the picture come alive.