Pat Dinizio Sings Buddy Holly

The warmth of Pat DiNizio’s voice is such a perfect fit to Buddy Holly’s “Words of Love” that it makes you feel as if you’re hearing Holly’s original and John Lennon’s cover at the same time. Taken at a slower tempo than either of these earlier versions, without the propulsive handclaps of the Beatles, and with an added string arrangement, this opening track signals the musical eulogy that fills out the rest of the eleven covers. Aside from the doo-wop a cappella closer “That’ll Be the Day,” DiNizio is supported by drums, bass, guitar and the Encore Chamber String Quartet arrangements of Charles Calello. Holly stretched into strings at the end of his tragically shortened career, with “True Love Ways” and “Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” but DiNizio takes these ideas and aims them backwards through Holly’s catalog. The results are a great deal heavier than the pizzicato of Holly’s original “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” or the gentle accompaniment of “True Love Ways.” DiNizio’s version of the former is dominated by the storm clouds of a cello, and the latter is transformed from Holly’s lilting dream of a vocal to a low sob ornately filigreed with violins. “Listen to Me” manages to crack a smile amidst its low vocal and strings, and “Raining in My Heart” is more contemplative than distraught. Holly’s songs have retained their effervescence, and his spirit informed the wry memories of Don McLean’s “American Pie” and inspired the chiming rock ‘n’ roll of the Smithereens. DiNizio directly displayed his affinity early on with 1989’s “Maria Elena” and subsequently with the Smithereens live version of “Well Alright,” but confronting Holly’s absence head-on seems to have made him profoundly sad. Even Calello’s powerful string arrangements can’t rescue DiNizio from his funk as he transforms Holly’s “Everyday” from a lyric of longing to a mournful ode. Having expected a buoyant celebration of Buddy Holly’s spirit, it was difficult, at first, to adjust to the slowed tempos, brooding vocals and heavy strings. But as the fiftieth anniversary of Holly’s death passes by, and with his hopeful originals readily available on CD, DiNizio’s red-rimmed interpretations provide a moving statement of faith in the enduring importance of Buddy Holly and the emotional wallop his songs still pack to this day. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

This is a wonderful album folks. It would be near a crime if you were to miss it. Just listen to Pat's take on True Love Ways. It will break your heart or it will make you want to hold the one you love tight. These aren't your standard covers of Buddy Holly tunes. These are heartfelt renditions done with as much love as a father would care for a child. Pat does nothing on this album as if it were a passing thought. Each track comes with care and fantastic string arrangements by the legendary Charlie Calello. The equally legendary Bobby Vee also makes an appearance. These aren't the kind of people who show up on just any album folks. These are the kind of people who show up on an album that they believe in. And they showed up on Pat Dinizio/Buddy Holly. That's good enough for me. How about you?

Despite a short musical career that was nipped in the bud by his untimely death on February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly's music still managed to influence many musicians over the years. Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens was one such writer/musician whose life was changed forever that day in 1979 when he bought a vinyl copy of Buddy Holly's second album. Reportedly, he was so moved by what he heard in those grooves that he was inspired to write his own songs with a similar "no-nonsense" Buddy Holly pop writing approach. Pat even went so far as to wear horn-rimmed glasses like Buddy, play a Buddy Holly Model Reissue Fender Stratocaster, write the song "Maria Elena" as an homage, and to buy Buddy's Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder and microphone at a Sotheby's auction in 1991. So who better to record a heartfelt tribute to one of his musical idols than Pat DiNizio for this 50th anniversary year of Buddy Holly's death? The first indication that this isn't going to be just some rote collection of Buddy Holly cover tunes becomes obvious immediately when the beautiful lilting strings begin to waft from the intro to the CD's opening track "Words of Love". The album's stunning new orchestrations by famed string arranger Charles Calello perfectly complement the unbridled emotion in Pat's vocals. The arrangements accompanying "Well Alright" manage to swing and rock while "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" builds to a rollicking crescendo. Calello's totally original orchestral arrangements and Pat DiNizio's vocals allow us to hear these familiar songs anew but without straying too far from their classic origins. Pat does not try to emulate Buddy's singing style or his trademark hiccup vocals on this album. However, the songs still seem like a perfect match when seamlessly meshed with DiNizio's passionate vocals, the authentic Buddy Holly-era guitar playing and the lush orchestrations. One need only listen to Pat's rendition of "Raining in My Heart" (with its Beatles/Jeff Lynne influenced production) or the majestic "True Love Ways" as irrefutable proof that he has lived with these songs in his head and in his heart for most of his life. Listeners will inevitably become swept-up (and perhaps even choked-up) by the raw emotion in his voice as he sings these and other Holly classics that still hit you with a wallop after all of these years. Bobby Vee (who filled-in on the ill-fated tour after Holly's death) lends vocal support on "Listen To Me" and contributes a moving essay to the accompanying CD booklet. Although a string quartet is used throughout most of this album, "Heartbeat" is one notable guitar-driven exception. The brilliantly performed acapella doo-wop arrangement of "That'll Be The Day" with Pat and four other seasoned vocalists is another. This is one of those rare albums that is genuinely worthy of being called a tribute in every sense of the word. Pat DiNizio and producer Kurt Reil have crafted a remarkable CD that is a tribute not only to Buddy's talent but to their own skills as well. As long as there are true "keepers of the flame" like Pat DiNizio around to pay proper homage to this musical genius, Buddy Holly's music will continue to rave on and not fade away.

One of the things thats always been under appreciated about Pat Dinizio is his range - there is a heck of a long way between "Blood and Roses" and "Elaine" and "No Love Lost". This album transforms Buddy Holly's songs from those of a lovestruck 23 year old kid into the perspective of a 50 year guy while still maintaining that Buddy Holly vibe. Not an easy thing to do, but Pat pulls it off very well here. Great album, give it a listen!!