Liam Macdonald - musician, performer, award-winning singer/songwriter and recording artist.

reviews

For reviews of individual tracks scroll to the bottom of the page.

PHASE9 Entertainment in London and Los Angeles
Editor
“...Liam Macdonald seems to be a fascinating man indeed. ...'VERGE' is captivating... The style is rock with a mix of jazz, world and pop... With this sort of experimentation, the songs are anything but dull... Throughout, you get a sense that everyone involved enjoyed recording this album...”

Feedback - British MENSA's rock music magazine
Peter Jolly
“...Liam's songs really stand out from the usual guitar/vocal that we associate with the genre. His rich, deep voice brings out another dimension from the songs... I have come away from this album mightily impressed by a new talent.”

Zeitgeist in Edinburgh, Scotland
S. A. Hamilton
“Now 'VERGE' is a very interesting release... Unusually, I'm going to hit you with the highlights first. 'Man Woman Child' is an absolute gem, which you really need to hear, world without being weary. And 'Should Have Known' is a bona fide pop classic that should be all over the radio... There's a little bit of everything and for once eclectic is not a dirty word.”

Classic Rock Society Magazine in the U.K.
Bernard Law
“...VERGE is a classy release of excellent tunes?!”

British Independent Record Dealers' Magazine
Chris Tighe
“'VERGE' is all over the place but what a nice place to be all over... 'Eagle and Snake' might be the sounds of a Greenwich Village art loft... 'nemOmen' is the best of the artier pieces and a song that sounds like it's walking along an especially precarious tightrope... 'Manitoulin' is jangle-tastic... 'Smiling Faces' is sunshine pop - sounding like some long-lost San Francisco classic unearthed at last... Verge really ought to be incoherent, incomprehensible and unapproachable. It is, of course, none of the above. A triumph of instinct over logic, then.”

Radio Six International in Glasgow, Scotland
Aly Woodhouse
“Verge is something a bit different that I quite enjoyed... Verge is also very good because no two songs are alike which makes it more interesting and gives a better indication of the talent of Macdonald and the musicians as well... Macdonald's voice is powerful and distinct... There is quite a lot of experimenting going on that in this case works... Verge is unusual in a good sense.”

Aural Innovations in the U.K.
Tim Jones
“Liam Macdonald's 'Verge' CD is EXCELLENT! We especially like the first two tracks, 'Eagle and Snake' and 'Burning Blue' - A wonderful opener.” (Aural Innovations has featured 'Eagle and Snake,' 'Burning Blue' and 'Man Woman Child' on their programs.)

Radio Marabu, Berlin
Lord Litter Dittmar, Global DJ
“Verge is VERY cool - exactly the *unique approach* to music that I mainly like to present at my shows! I am enjoying Liam Macdonald's very own *fusion* sound very much!” (Lord Litter has featured 'Burning Blue' and 'Man Woman Child' on his internationally syndicated Cyberstorm Radio Show and on Radio Marabu's Lord Litter's special programs.)

Radio Crystal Blue in Brooklyn,
Dan Herman
“I really like the multi-dimensional sounds along classic pop folk of Liam Macdonald's music.” (Dan has played 'Please Tell Me' on his program.)

CKCU FM Radio 93.1 in Ottawa, Canada
Laurie-Ann Copple
“Even at first listen I liked VERGE very much. Liam Macdonald has a great sense of rhythm.” (Laurie-Ann has played 'Should Have Known' and 'Manitoulin' on her Window of Opportunity program. Also on CKCU, 'nemOmen' has been played on It's the Bryan Show.)

KKFI FM Radio 90.1 in Kansas City, U.S.A.
DJ Sunshine
“After having given it a good listen I really liked VERGE!” (Sunshine has played 'Burning Blue' on her Retro Red-Eye Express program.)

____________________________________________________________________

reviews of individual tracks

1. Eagle and Snake (spoken word jazz rock)
"'Eagle And Snake' is some sort of jazz music that was meant to sound strange. It does and in a good way." - Aly Woodhouse on Radio Six International, Glasgow

"'Eagle And Snake' might be the sounds of a Greenwich Village art loft" - British Independent Record Dealers' Magazine, U.K.

"Liam Macdonald's Verge CD is EXCELLENT! We especially like the first two tracks, 'Eagle and Snake' and 'Burning Blue' - a wonderful opener." Aural Innovations, U.K.

2. Burning Blue (adult pop rock)
"Burning Blue is probably the most atmospheric of the tracks on Verge. I particularly like the use of the flute and the marimbas." - Aly Woodhouse on Radio Six International, Glasgow

"Liam Macdonald's Verge CD is EXCELLENT! We especially like the first two tracks, 'Eagle and Snake' and 'Burning Blue' - a wonderful opener." Aural Innovations, U.K.

"Now that's great stuff!" - Gary Fosster, DJ on Spyda Radio, U.K.

3. nemOmen (art rock)
"'nemOmen' is given a distinctly creepy edge by the rumbling bass and mini-Moog squeaks." - MENSA's Feedback Magazine, U.K.

"'nemOmen' is the best of the artier pieces [on Verge], and a song that sounds like it�s walking along an especially precarious tightrope." - British Independent Record Dealers' Magazine

4. Man Woman Child (world rock)
"'Man Woman Child' is an absolute gem, which you really need to hear, world without being weary." - Zeitgeist Magazine, Edinburgh

"The pedal steel guitar on 'Man Woman Child' really gives it an edge." - MENSA'S Feedback Magazine, U.K.

5. Tongue Inside the Bell (jazz blues folk)
"The first time I listened to Tongue Inside the Bell I thought it was a bit old-fashioned because of the accompaniment. But after listening to it in greater detail I found it was extremely weird. When Macdonald made Verge he had some very odd thoughts in his head that deal with some unusual issues." - Aly Woodhouse on Radio Six International, Glasgow

6. Manitoulin (cosmic country rock)
"Manitoulin is jangle-tastic." - British Independent Record Dealers' Magazine

7. Should Have Known (retro pop)
"'Should Have Known' is a bona fide pop classic that should be all over the radio." - Zeitgeist Magazine, Edinburgh

"'Should Have Known' has a 60's country feel courtesy of Buck Dilly's Hammond organ, the Beatles-y backing vocals and Harrison-alike guitar solo." - MENSA's Feedback Magazine, U.K.

8. Please Tell Me (pop)
"Please Tell Me" won the Record of the Year award from Radio Six International in Glasgow

9. Smiling Faces (sunshine pop)
"'Smiling Faces' is Sunshine Pop - sounding like some long-lost San Francisco classic unearthed at last." - British Independent Record Dealers' Magazine

"The sax on 'Smiling Faces' really gives it an edge... and the joyous pop feel is carried through to 'Smiling Faces.'" - MENSA's Feedback Magazine, U.K.

10. No Doubt About It (easy pop)
"'No Doubt About It' is probably my favorite track on Verge because it is simple, easy to understand and quite light-hearted." - Aly Woodhouse on Radio Six Intrenational, Glasgow

Back to home page for the NEWS.