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CD Reviews

Destination Venus, by Todd Giudice

Todd Giudice
Destination Venus

I just picked up Todd Giudice's "Destination Venus." I've seen Todd live many times so I knew he was a gifted songwriter. The CD features 10 of his great songs, produced with a guitar-driven full band sound. This disc has the just-barely-contained quality of the best Crazy Horse records, with slightly twangy, crunchy guitars and straight-ahead grooves. It begs to be played loud and with the summer hopefully coming is perfect for blasting with the windows open in the car. The tension in the opening song "Waiting For The War" is reminiscent, to me, of Stones tunes like "Street Fighting Man" and "Gimmee Shelter." I hate to make comparisons, and here they are purely for reference. Todd is a unique songwriter with an ability to find a memorable and poignant phrase and wrap it up in a haunting melody. It is intense and emotional and it rocks! Todd's singing is refreshingly raw and human, and is a good match for his simple yet poetic lyrics. I will be listening to this one for many years to come.

Reviewed by Fred Gillen Jr.