REVIEWS OF HAPPY LIFE


Aaron Joy, Roman Midnight Music (January 2012)

Think the solo albums of Queen's Roger Taylor but subtract his hopelessly cliche social commentary & put in its place some country twang, a dance beat & some downhome love songs & you'll get a close approximation of JS's musically surprisingly Happy Life. Or, this very well could be a hip new Tom Jones album. A mix of ambiatic electric backgrounds, from synthetic strings to odd sounds, & a slight laid back country twang that brings one through a collection of songs of love & everyday life. Laid back being the key word.

One critic has called JS "sophisticated pop" due to the dominance of a light dance beat for an intimate dancing moment (i.e. "Feel You In My Arms", "Everything Will Be Okay"). Though, that dancing moment changes through the hour into a bit of calypso (i.e. "This Is The Time"), funk ("Dig That Bone") & some spirited dixieland feeling with playful horns, cowbell & handclaps (i.e. "I Do I Love You (Go Away)").

Happy Life opens on a high & then slowly melts away as the songs progress into a somber emotional reminiscence that ends the album ... but it's too late to turn back when you realize JS has pulled you from a dancing mood to a pondering one. Hypnotic jazzy ballads (i.e. "I'm Not Too Old", "Peace Of Mind", "You Are My Woman") punctuate the second half of the album bringing the evening's dance to a slow waltz. The dance floor allows itself one final pop with "Dance With Me" that includes a horn line against a disco beat sequewaying to the closing sober acoustic title track, a duet with Laura Baron, with the line "happy new year for the last time, my dear" that brings the dance to the close suddenly waking you up to the story that you were dancing to.

Laid off after numerous decades serving as a marketing executive in the wake of a national economic crisis 60 year old JS decided, like many in his shoes, to make the most of his free time while looking for more work & do something that he wanted & not just what others wanted out of him. Happy Life is the catharsis.

Happy Life is his first solo album, though it's title is deceptive as it was created in the shadow of losing his job & not finding another in the face of mounting debt, losing his long-time girlfriend & even having his cat die. The project started with the funky bass heavy poem-turned-song "Can't Get A Job" as a personal protest of his situation & then turned into a full length album. But, as JS sings ... "Everything will be okay." Highlights include "It Ain't All Up To You", "Feel You In My Arms" & the particularly Roger Taylor-esque "Remember".

A definite must hear is "Together Forever", which opens with the line "I'm doing the laundry" & is filled with an array of odd sounds against a dark bass line in a moody song recounting doing the laundry, cleaning the house, putting away the dishes, making soup & sitting on the couch before going into a church organ chorus about being together forever in a song that needs to be heard for it's use of non-musical sounds coming together.

If you're wondering ... this is the not the same JS that had a country-western career outside of acting on The Dukes Of Hazzard. This one is far more creative.

ZACK DAGGY (2010)

John Schneider is a man with an extremely well honed voice and incredibly deep lyrics. Schneider has a rich smooth-toned voice that has the sound of a seasoned veteran of the music industry. His voice is quite charismatic with a nearly-Bono quality to it.

Happy Life

This is a mind-blowing and utterly amazing title track that deserves to be on the airwaves, the silver screen and your iPod. The vocals soar to incredible heights as John Schneider's rich tones and Laura Baron's silky smooth voice compliment each other perfectly. This and the deeply moving lyrics easily make this not only the best song off of this album, but also quite possibly one of the best songs of the year!

I Do Love You (Go Away)

It is hard to listen to this song and not smile. It's a blend of 20's flapper music mixed with a Kenny G flair, which is an extremely enjoyable sound. It's the kind of song that you want to listen to again and again.

Together Forever

The success of this track is due to the simple production of John Schneider's voice. When left alone, it gives him a chance to truly shine, which he can absolutely do! When he sings, he sings with something very few artists have: emotion.

Everything Will Be Okay

This is a sweet, solid track.

You Are My Woman

Musically, it works, featuring Kenny G vibes with just a hint of Chris Isaak.

This Is The Time

Billy Joel with a reggae infusion…it's just a feel good song. It's the kind of song that you could picture yourself listening to as you stroll down the beach in the early morn of a beautiful day. The music is the perfect blend of reggae and calypso. Throw in Schneider's rich vocals and you have the perfect romantic vacation song.

I'm Not Too Old

Piano ballad in the vein of Billy Joel. It's a very sweet and emotional song sung from the heart…it is extremely good, and may be the best on Happy Life.

Dance With Me

It really is impossible to peg a genre down for this song. It's very…different. The music is impressive with its unique blend of instruments.