Starting Over - You Don't Understand (Whats on My Mind)

Hear The Track Here

Way back in the mists of time (Ed: he means 2003) I heard a track called Are You Going To Be Around (December 2003) and I've still got it on my hard drive while I type this, so the obvious answer is that yes, it IS going to be around. Moreover it's been joined by a few of its mates too which should tell you something about my feeling about this artist. More rocky country with West Coast vocals than dandruff and headbanging but it all still fits neatly into my overall 'rock' worldview. Matter of fact, I have a most definite taste for the kind of music Dan Epps (for it is he) pumps out on a regular basis. Having said that, it's been a while since I heard anything from Dan or Starting Over (he is known by both names and releases under both).

Yes dear, do keep taking those pills, the end is not in sight just yet....

Firmly rooted in the fertile ground (still) of the late 1960's, Starting Over's music is very, very accessible and I'm sure there aren't many people who would disagree with that. In that first ever review I compared him to Neil Young but that impression no longer holds true, at least not when you consider the body of his work, it has more to do with the Jeff Lynne/Travelling Wilburys good time rock and roll. You Don't Understand (Whats on My Mind) brings with it an immediate whiff of 'elo elo', it being a far more rockier Starting Over performance than I have heard from him for a while. It's pretty much your usual workout, the kind of music you would associate with the above references.

Where it does gel, however, is when you take into account Dan's amazingly accurate vocal performance, and the backing vocals of course. To my mind, Dan and Starting Over are carrying on a grand tradition in music and one I can always find a lot of time for. His vocals on this track are a meld of Beatles/Elo which does - I admit - back up the rock track admirably, making for yet another excellent SA addition. Right now, after having lived with it for a while, I don't think it's as immediate as some of his other tracks but you never know, it may be sneaking up for the sucker punch as I type this... Nope. Not yet. Waiting. What a newcomer would find here would be a charming song, delivered in a timeless manner by a very competent musician who knows exactly what he wants to hear and generally gets it.

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