ERIC STUART

Rocking with some help from his friends

Eric Stuart gets intense when he talks about his music: "It's my own expression of the world I see which sets a mood or conveys an emotion, " he explains. "I make it a point that my music is for everyone, and I don't compromise what I've doing creatively at any time." If those words seem like a refreshing return to a classic rock 'n' roll credo that is a rarity in today's short-attention-span music world, then Eric Stuart is your kind of artist.

Stuart's latest album, Blue, Dressed In Black, fits into the time-honored American Tradition of artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger and Tom Petty. Like those artists, his songs often deal with the kind of inner struggle and search that everyone can relate to, but songs like 'Heaven In A Cadillac' also reflect Stuart's personal experiences.

"Digging through devotion for that diamond in the rough/You push aside the tally of what was never good enough/maybe the prize is in a different place" he sings on 'Staring You In The Face.' and the simple but powerful rock setting conveys the deep-rooted conviction that he has displayed since he began writing songs at age 14. The album's excellent title track manages to pull off the difficult trick of using everyday language to express a complicated dilemma: putting on a brave face despite inner pain.

Stuart's songs were so striking that Ringo Starr invited him to open his 1997 All-Starr Band tour, where he impressed many folks. No one more than classic rock icon Peter Frampton, however, who quickly agreed to produce some tracks on Blue, Dressed In Black. Frampton plays on three of them too, including a great guitar solo on 'God's Roof.'

"It was a dream come true to tour with some of rock music's most influential people," Eric says, "but the honor of having one of them help shape my songs in the studio was the most incredible experience."

When the hard hitting and passionate sound of his latest album begins to reach more and more people, it seems certain that Eric Stuart's incredible experiences - and songs - have only just begun.

Music Direct July 2000