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| Wednesday, Nov 28th 2007: Review of Our Little Secret by: Carl Cunningham - Skope Magazine |
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Michael Heaton professes an affinity for storytelling through song lyrics, with much of his inspiration coming from "real life, friends, and stories people tell me." On Our Little Secret, the native Illinois singer/songwriter succeeds in crafting a compelling record with down to earth lyrics and music that expertly fuses Springsteen arena rock, bar band attitude and unplugged sentimentality. "The Good Times" opens the album with a mellow, shuffling Eagles-country-rock vibe with Heaton's soulful singing proudly crooning the sad, regret-filled lyrics that beg the question, "I wanna know/Where'd the good times go?" "If It's So Easy" sidles up behind the opening song as the perfect example of what makes Heaton's lyrics and music go together so well. "...Easy" musically rings out like a perky, joy-filled rocker along the lines of The Wall Flowers' most raucous songs. But lyrically, Heaton's words are far from happy as he sings about opportunities wasted, plans gone wrong and relationships turned sour, representing what Heaton does best − getting your toes tapping and heads bobbing to the rhythm, while he tugs at your inner emotions with poignant, real-life lyrics. Neil Young famously wrote the lyrics, "Writing a song/won't take very long/trying not to use the word old'" much the same way Heaton cleverly avoids the word "love" in the title track, "Our Little Secret," which is ironically the prettiest love song on the album. Heaton's "love" song revolves beautifully around sharing and closeness and "keeping it all to ourselves" while exchanging secrets alone in the dark. "Ring Ring Ring" pops up in just the right place to capture Heaton's "bar room" vibe he says is prevalent in his music. Put this song on at a comfortably loud volume, close your eyes, and you can almost smell the second hand smoke and taste the ice cold beer. Heaton shows his age on "Over the Hill," and that's a good thing. "It doesn't really matter if we get gray dear," he sings, and it doesn't matter at all. "Over the Hill" is part love song, part life-affirming proclamation and a glimpse into his future all at once: "Honey the best is yet to come/Over the hill," he sings, and you believe that for him − and for us all − that the best is indeed yet to come. Perhaps the most vocally impressive album cut is "Say it in Spanish." Heaton isn't a classically trained, blow-your-mind kind of singer, but he has a mature, rock & roll voice graced with touches of Americana music's mournful, laid back influence − a voice that was just destined to be paired with his brand of music. "Wildflower" stands out as one of those goose-bump songs that can reach down and touch your soul with just a line or two: "The world's a better place for having known you/I wish that you could stay but heaven owns you." Heaton writes lyrics that the listener can cull snippets from and apply the words in profound ways to their own lives. "Souvenirs" swings with a Bob Wills old time Texas guitar twang and Heaton's authentic harmony, while "In the Middle" should be nominated for the official theme song for every ordinary, average guy trying to get by in life where "the only thing I need is everything I got." "Now or Never" features tight drumming by Eddie Bayers and tasteful retro Hammond organ playing by Tim Lauer. Lyrically, "Now or Never" is another mid-tempo rocker with deceptively happy sounding vocals singing profound, life changing lyrics like "Take your chances/Make your choices/Today will never be again." Lauer's Hammond jangle and bassist Dave Pomeroy's funky bass lines punctuate the poppy "Here it Comes," a good song with possibilities as an Americana radio hit thanks to Heaton's innocent vocals and Sam Bush's folky mandolin. Closing out Our Little Secret is "Blue Eyes," a wonderfully romantic song about running into an old flame and the awkward niceties people utter while their unspoken lingering wishes and regrets simmer just under the surface. If Michael Heaton were to retire tomorrow and never record again, Our Little Secret would stand as a stellar final album from one of rock's most promising singer/songwriters. |
| Friday, Jul 20th 2007: Profile By Chicago Sun-Times Reporter Joseph Askins |
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Artist Profile: Michael Heaton Submitted By: Joseph Askins Enlarge this Image Michael Heaton will perform at Walter Payton's Roundhouse in Aurora on July 20. Photo courtesy of www.michaelheaton.com Michael Heaton’s musical career “all started with a lie.” “I wanted to be a popular kid in junior high,” the singer-songwriter said. “I was having a conversation with a kid, a real ‘Mr. Cool,’ who was going to start a band for the school’s talent show. I told him I played guitar, which I didn’t. By the end of the day, I was invited to go party with all the other cool kids.” Heaton faked his way through Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever” at the party and landed himself a spot in his classmate’s band. The group practiced every week during the school year in preparation for the talent show. Its cover of “Freebird” was solid, at least by junior-high standards. Heaton’s lie had paid off – he was a teenage rock star. The kid from Tulsa started composing his own music, “because when I listened to records – The Who, Neil Young, Willie Nelson – it seemed like it was the guy playing guitar was the one writing the songs,” he said. The next year, Heaton fronted his own band at the talent show and performed his first original song, “Dirty Gym Socks” (“a knock-off of a Dylan, 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' sort of song”). He couldn’t always afford to buy records, so he’d spend days exploring his friend’s eclectic collection in search of new sounds. There, he discovered artists like John Hiatt, Little Feat and Richard Thompson. And when he ran into Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, “I was completely hooked,” he said. Heaton moved from Oklahoma to Illinois when he was 17. He graduated school in Batavia, married a woman from Hinckley and put down roots in Montgomery. Twenty-three years later, Heaton’s still hooked on writing songs, recording albums and playing shows, and fans in the Chicago area are hooked on Heaton. The Michael Heaton Band will perform on July 20 at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse in Aurora. Admission is $7; music starts at 10 p.m. Heaton played in several bands, including The X-Tras and Cut, and toured with the Chicago Irish-rock band The Drovers before striking out on a full-fledged solo career. He recorded his first album, Learning Curve, in 2000 with Steve Jacula, a Naperville-based bassist and studio owner. The album featured a guest appearance from former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett, who played on the song “So, Here We Are.” (Click here to hear the song.) For his second album, the 2003 release Our Little Secret, Heaton traveled to Nashville to record with his friend, producer Pat Bergeson. Bergeson, a Batavia native, brought in several of Nashville’s finest musicians, including mandolinist Sam Bush, to back Heaton in the studio. In 2004, Heaton released a live album recorded at the Roundhouse. The album was the first to feature members of his live band, a rotating cast of more than 20 musicians he can call upon when performing in the area. Montgomery is a long way from songwriting hubs like Nashville and Austin, but location doesn’t seem to play in to Heaton’s idea of success. “With the Internet, with how close everyone is now, I think it’s easier to find opportunities and discover new things. If you live in a place like Nashville, it’s easier to catch some opportunities, like being able to sell a song. But you now have the ability to do that at home and make a living at it,” he said. All three of Heaton’s albums are available through Internet music stores such as iTunes and Napster. His Web site, www.michaelheaton.com, and his MySpace page, www.myspace.com/michaelheatonband, keep fans informed about upcoming concerts and offer curious newcomers samples of his music. Good luck and good connections – “Everything great that happens to me happens because of my friends,” he said – have landed him spots on soundtracks for two small movies. A Tennessee-based rifle manufacturer even wants to use one of his songs in a promotional video. (“The Good Times,” “a laid-back, shuffling, mid-tempo song about how you expect things to go one way after high school and they end up taking a completely different path,” doesn’t seem to have much to do with guns, but Heaton said he appreciates the interest.) Heaton had planned to release his third studio album by July 20. He won’t make that deadline, but he’s still intent on putting out another record sometime soon. He still hasn’t decided whether he’ll record with his regular bandmates – guitarist Sam Hubbell, bassist Adam Gardner and drummer Derek Feiza – or if he’ll return to Nashville for another session with Bergeson. Each option has its benefits; his own band might showcase the spontaneity of his live shows (“We don’t rehearse. We’ve probably had five real practices since the year 2000.”), but Nashville musicians are sure to sound more polished. Either way, Heaton isn’t placing any expectations on the album’s sound or success. Record sales and regular gigs keep food on the table, and that’s all he seems to want from his career. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll get famous one day. And if not, I’ll still be making a living.” |
| Friday, Jul 20th 2007: Michael Heaton Band short live review -Christina Plotzke - Jam Magazine |
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The Michael Heaton band will win you over with one show. Front man Michael Heaton and his band mates, guitarist Sam Hubbell, bassist Adam Gardner and drummer Derek Feiza are energetic, charismatic, fun loving and oozing with talent. When these kings of “blue jean” rock take the stage, they gladly invite you into their world where music reigns and fans are family. Each set is unique, but it is a guarantee that at every show you will sing, dance, hear amazing original songs, and be privy to the unbelievable dexterity with which Michael can change a broken guitar string in under a minute without missing a beat. Influenced by the likes of legendary rockers The Who, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, The Tragically Hip and John Hiatt, Heaton’s penchant and talent for songwriting is exceptional. With a sound that is honest and somewhat vulnerable, his songs have catchy tunes and meaningful lyrics that speak to everyone and his band plays those songs with the passion and reverence of true music fans. Clad in worn out jeans and his signature cowboy hat, Michael Heaton and his band deliver one of the best local live shows around. Playing nearly 200 shows a year in the Chicago land area, this talented crew of music fans never loses steam and each show is more energetic than the last. Their music needs to be in your collection and their shows on your weekend schedule. See this unassuming, incredibly talented Chicago favorite anytime you get the chance. |
| Thursday, Dec 1st 2005: |
| Taken as a whole, this multi-faceted album is the work of a mature artist at the peak of his powers, meditating about life with insight and wit. Fans of literate Americana with a rock-and-roll heart will find "Our Little Secret" to be a rewarding journey...and if they file their CDs in alphabetical order by artist, will find that "Heaton" very appropriately slots next to "Hiatt." Dan Reich - www.carmendiode.com |
| Thursday, Dec 1st 2005: |
| Remember the days when Counting Crows was the new buzz, rockin' beer lovin' campuses all over the country? This rootsy rock album could very well be that kind of beginning with his distinctively flammable knack for an original yet well-endowed blend of Tom Petty,Wilco, early Counting Crows and modern day good times rock.-- Derek Sivers -Founder CDbaby.com - CDbaby.com Review |
| Thursday, Dec 1st 2005: |
| “There are a lot of sweet things that typify Michael Heaton’s songwriting , but the point is that it’s the attention to little details that make his music refreshing.” Richard Milne - Host of Local Anesthetic - WXRT Radio Chicago |
| Thursday, Dec 1st 2005: |
| “A collection of well crafted vignettes.The lyrics are intelligent and the music is pure heartland in the best sense of the word.” Paul Barile -Associate Editor - Liberty Press |
| Thursday, Dec 1st 2005: Listener Awards From www.Garageband.com |
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Garageband.com Listener Awards For "The Good Times' from Michael's CD "Our Little Secret"
As of November 1st 2005:
Michael Heaton has 5 songs from the CD "Our Little Secret"
Track of the Day on 4Apr2004 in Folk/Country |