"What tales this singer-songwriter from Philadelphia has...With
insight and good humor, he has taken these life experiences and distilled
them into old fashioned story songs brimming with wit and compassion."
---New York Times
“Reflects the good old U.S. of A., warts and all...colorful tales...reminds us
there's a whole wide world outside our doors."
---Rolling Stone
"Down-to-earth lyrics about ordinary folk sung in an often jocular, and always
entertaining style...He may be compassionate, but there's always
at least a modicum of black humour somewhere along the line
to keep his audiences on their toes"
---The Jerusalem Post
"One of the finest singer-songwriters in America.
There are alot of good ones, but when it comes to
the really great ones it boils down to a select few - he's one of them"
---Larry Groce - Mountain Stage (National Public Radio)
“If Mark Twain were reincarnated as a musician, his name might be Chuck
Brodsky...Fun, heart-warming, witty tales...there's a lot more to this songwriter
than an eye for criticism and disillusionment”
---Florida Today
“What a wonderful insighful storyteller Chuck Brodsky truly is.
Nobody else comes close currently. Nobody...With a deceptively gentle delivery
and a preposterous arsenal of warm, disarming humour laced with cunning,
caustic barbs, his striking songs take aim at a variety of social and political ills...
Brodsky's unquestionably the best folk ballad songwriter
currently in America - bar
none.
---Penguin Eggs
“Chuck Brodsky can sing, fingerpick, and strum with the best of 'em, but the
Asheville, North Carolina, folkie is above all a storyteller, and a riveting
one at that...Brodsky gives meaningful voice to the everyday characters, both
ordinary and eccentric, who make their communities tick...an underlying tone
of warmth and compassion runs through all his carefully observed narratives.
Yes, he brings color to the commonplace but also a depth of understanding that's
comfortable with subtle shades of gray.”
---Acoustic Guitar
“As a reviewer for decades, Brodsky's ever burgeoning catalogue of songs
(1991 - to date) has been a pleasingly wonderful reviewing experience, whether it
involved shedding a tear (there have been a few), releasing a deep belly laugh
(same there), or learning a lesson (there have been many)...this guy
skillfully pens knockout songs with frightening regularity...Chuck's message is
simple, honest, and truly true, and his observations deserve your undivided
attention...Listen to him today, tomorrow, and every day after that...you'll come away 'Rich from the journey.' ”
---Arthur Wood, FolkWax
“A natural born storyteller.”
---Santa Monica Mirror
"Radio isn't likely to play songs this good...
Brodsky clearly belongs in the top echelon of contemporary songwriters."
---Associated Press
"A sharp eye for detail, a wicked sense of humor and the ability to
create memorable characters."
---Philadelphia Inquirer
"Passionate observer - twister, remaker, syncopator of the simple
tale,
the not-so-simple cliche...Social commitment and the individual heart
go hand in hand with humor, wit, and longing."
---Village Voice
“Chuck Brodsky has always been one of my favorite singer-songwriters. His
songs provide a message, without being preachy; they tell good stories without
being boring. His albums are consistent endeavors---there are no filler songs
included...One of Brodsky's talents has been to tell a controversial story
without taking sides...Brodsky just lays the canvas and paints vignettes of
situations...One of Brodsky's greatest strengths is his ability to tell a detailed
story in as few words as possible....Brodsky is truly a national treasure”
---David Schultz (Fame)
"He is an extroadinary talent in my opinion. I would place him in the Dylan-Guthrie-Prine league without question. His lyrics are drawn from the lives of everyday people and his acoustic guitar playing is quite amazing."
---BBC Belfast (Tony McAuley)
"Years from now, and in a perfect world, young up and coming
folk singers may find themselves burdened with the tag--"the new Brodsky."
---The Performing Songwriter
"Formidably ironic...with a trove of finely hewn material."
---Toronto Star
"A preposterous arsenal of warm, disarming humor and caustic, cunning
barbs."
---Penguin Eggs (Canada)
"The soft, wry voice of John Prine and the detailed balladry of Bob
Dylan...
Ear catching melodies."
---Boston Globe
"A skilled storyteller with an eye for telling minutiae...and an
ability to sneak a compelling point across with devastating effectiveness."
---Minneapolis Star Tribune
"A genuine troubadour with no soap box, no urban boho contentions, and
a few axes to grind, Brodsky picks and grins with the best of the
Woody and
Ramblin’ Jack descendants."
---San Francisco Bay Guardian
“One of the wittiest storytelling songwriters on the folk circuit.”
---Boston Herald
"Amazingly sensitive...finely honed songs...Wonderfully real...Songwriter extraordinaire...from the touching to the darkly humorous...In a grand tradition that runs from Guthrie through Dylan, Prine, and even Greg Brown, Brodsky has an endearingly personal approach to music."
---East Bay Express (Berkeley, CA)
"Compelling social commentary and detailed storytelling
from this
witty songwriter."
---Current (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Some currently very hot songwriters could learn lessons from
Brodsky."
---Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA)
"Brodsky is an extraordinary talent, a writer of seemingly limitless
intelligence, humor and depth, and a performer of great and unassuming
charm...His writer's eye, typically unsentimental and often richly humorous,
remains generous to a fault; he continues to spin tales of characters who've
willingly wandered outside the margins, redefining humanity through simple acts of
courage and grace” "
---Mountain Express (Asheville, NC)
"Chuck Brodsky can take the everyday aspects of existence and bring
them to life much the same way that John Prine, Bob Dylan, and Woody Guthrie
could...knockout tales of genuine human triumphs...this is great
stuff...even the ones that aren’t true sound like they must be when he gets
through with them."
---Good Times (Santa Cruz)
"Chuck Brodsky’s uniquely appealing songs chronicle
the stories of
unlikely and overlooked characters and communities,
turning ordinary tales
into fascinating songs"
---Creative Loafing (Charlotte, NC)
"Songs so vivid and memorable that they remind listeners why the
singer/songwriter style became so popular in the first place."
---Bloomington Voice (Bloomington, Indiana)
"He has a keen eye for commentary and obscure characters
that will
stand him well among those looking for
something other than the
run-of-the-mill folk song."
---Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Brodsky fits in that same league as Brown, Prine, and Dylan.
His
melodies are as good, his lyrics as clever, concise and observant...
He
avoids cliches and develops unique perspectives."
---Out 'n About (Asheville, NC)
"Chuck Brodsky is poised to take his rightful place among folk's top
tier."
---Valley Advocate (Northampton, MA)
"With humanity and humor, Brodsky hit home
and left the audience sore
from too much laughter."
---Ha'aretz (Israel)
“If indeed God is in the details, Chuck Brodsky has
a direct line
to
the
powers that be...character studies that are bittersweet,
biting,
and insightful...a low laying, loose-collared folkie with
rockist
irreverence
and bluesy swagger: an American stranger in
a familiar land.
A man who's
seen it all and done it all, or close to it...
[he] renders character studies that are bittersweet, biting and insightful.”
---No Depression
"Most
arresting newcomer...
Brodsky will be a monster."
---Austin Chronicle
"We really dig Chuck Brodsky."
---Asheville Citizen-Times
"A folk-legend-in-the-making"
---Metro Santa Cruz
"One of the freshest songwriters
to pick up a guitar in a long, long
time."
---Omaha Reader
"Many of his songs contain
the power to become separate novels."
---The Leak
"Before you know it, you got them chills running down the back of
your nexk. Maybe even a lump in your throat. He’s that good."
---The Glass Eye (Lansing, MI)
"Brodsky crafts catchy melodies within a fairly tight style that
belongs to him alone...He doesn’t moralize...ina a generation often accused
of self-absorption, Brodsky steps back to chronicle other people...and finds
dignity in their stories. And sometimes, just for the fun of it, he finds
the humor."
---Music Review Quarterly
"Prosatore brilliante e sensible...ad esse affidando
spunti di
intelligente riflessione."
---JAM (Italy)
“Brodsky has collected a treasure trove of heartfelt, character-driven
stories. Combined with his soulful voice and groove-oriented guitar playing,
those tales become some pretty powerful songs.”
---Mountain Xpress (Asheville,
NC)
“He has something important to say in every song,
whether serious or
funny...What a treat.”
---Sing Out!
"One of the New Guard…an impressive member of the literary-journalism
school
of songwriting, using varied techniques and a poet's eye for detail
to craft
fresh and effective storytelling."
---Gambit Weekly (New Orleans,
LA)
“One of the folk music scene's great "storytellers in song,."
---ESP Magazine (Greensboro,
Winston-Salem, NC)
“Chuck Brodsky’s uniquely appealing songs chronicle the stories of
unlikely
and overlooked characters and communities, turning ordinary tales
into
fascinating songs.”
---Creative Loafing (Greenville,
SC)
“When Brodsky launches into a song, you’d better pay attention because
you
might miss something...A singing storyteller with a keen eye for foibles as
well as endearing qualities...soulful, rocking folk...”
---San Antonio Express-News
“Black humor and great serious folk songs.”
---San Jose Mercury News
“As much a painter with words as a social commentator with a mixture
of
barbed wit, humour and sensitivity...one of the finest singers and
songwriters to emerge from the US in recent years.”
---The Limerick Leader
(Limerick, Ireland)
“Sharp wit and often scathing observations of consumer cultures, coupled with songs that showcase his ability to immortalize - as one scribe put it -
“overlooked characters and communities.”
---Independent (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill)