By: Michael D. Vogel

© February 7, 2012. Michael D.Vogel. All Rights Reserved

Published in: Examiner.com – June 28, 2012

 Dwight Twilley – Soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)

What you should know: – Hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dwight Twilley plays songs that are filled with guitar-pop melodies, producing an auditory freshness a la The Beatles. Emerging from the post – MTV nebula of artists, Twilley has proven he has the unique ability of writing effervescent songs that are not only refreshing but also possess steady growth appeal; qualities that continue to keep Dwight’s songs fresh and vibrant 20+ years after the video music revolution began.

With a career that has spanned the better part of five decades, Dwight Twilley’s latest album, and 12^th studio release, recounts the sonic story of his life with an air of realism that only comes from personally traveling down the long and winding road of rock & roll itself. Those life experiences are highlighted throughout Soundtrack, as told by an artist that is still has a lot to say and express musically!

Soundtrack picks up where 2010’s Green Blimp left off, complete with pop guitars, soulful piano chords and melodic hooks, demonstrating Dwight’s ability to craft timeless power-pop songs into a sound that is subtle and restrained, yet deeply personal as well.

It is by no coincidence that the album has the title of Soundtrack either, as Twilley was asked to write songs for a possible documentary film about his career. It is those songs that would evolve into the Soundtrack album, the most openly introspective of his career. Songs like the reflective “Good Things Come Hard” considers where his life has taken him and at what price to achieve success, whereas “The Cards Will Fall” laments the demise of a relationship that was a long time in coming. Others are more personal to Dwight’s own life experiences, with tracks like “Tulsa Town” that reflect back to the days of his youth, “Bus Ticket” that talks of the idealistic dreams of a young man ready to leave home and take on the world and “My Life” which see Twilley waxing poetically about his career. In all, Soundtrack is another body of work that showcases Dwight’s songwriting beauty and grace.

(Dwight Twilley – “My Life” – DwightTwilley

The influence The Beatles have on Twilley is undeniable, so it is only fitting that the auto-biographical songs on Soundtrack are constructed around Beatlesque-type melodies. And as is customary, the late Bill Pitcock IV shares guitar duties with Twilley, while Taylor Hanson (Hanson, Tinted Windows) provides keyboards and Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills) adds backing vocals, marking three generations of musicians present on the album.

It’s Dwight Twilley, nothing more needs to be said, except wait until you hear the rest of the album! ^m^

Favorite Tracks: – “My Life,” “Tulsa Town,” “Out In The Rain,” “The Cards Will Fall,” “Bus Ticket,” “Good Things Come Hard” and “You Close Your Eyes”

Members: Dwight Twilley – vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, piano & keyboards, percussion and harmonica; Bill Pitcock IV – guitar, bass and horns; Doug Wiley – Drums.

Guests: Susan Cowsill, Bingo Sloan, Pat Savage, Taylor Hanson,Jimmy Karsten and David White

Producer: Dwight Twilley and Kevin Lane Keller

Origin: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Website: dwighttwilley.com

Facebook: /dwight-twilley and /dwighttwilleyfanworld

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/artist/Dwight_Twilley

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/DwightTwilley

Discography: (source: Wikipedia)

– For a comprehensive list, see Dwight Twilley

The Dwight Twilley Band

• Sincerely (1976)
• Twilley Don’t Mind (1977)
• The Great Lost Twilley Album (1993)
• Live From Agora (2009)

Solo

• Twilley (1979, reissued 2006)
• Scuba Divers (1982)
• Jungle (1984)
• Wild Dogs (1986)
• XXI (1996) – greatest hits
• Between the Cracks, Vol. 1 (1999)
• Tulsa (1999)
• The Luck (2001)
• Have A Twilley Christmas (EP, 2004)
• 47 Moons (2005)
• Live: All Access (2006)
• Northridge to Tulsa: The Best of Dwight Twilley 1997-2007 (2007)
• Rarities, Volume 1 (2007)
• Rarities, Volume 2 (2008)
• Rarities, Volume 3 (2008)
• Rarities, Volume 4 (2008)
• Out Of The Box (2009)
• Rarities, Volume 5 (2009)
• Rarities, Volume 6 (2009)
• Rarities, Volume 7 (2009)
• The Beatles (2009)
• Green Blimp (2010)
• Soundtrack (2011)

You may also like: – Phil Seymour, Susan Cowsill, Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, The Kinks, Paul McCartney, Wilco, Flamin’ Groovies, The Beach Boys, Jayhawks, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, Ten Years After, Dawes Jethro Tull, The Doors

For more on Dwight Twilley.

© February 7, 2012. Michael D. Vogel. All Rights Reserved. This originally appeared n the Vogelism blog at https://www.vogelism.com authored by Michael D. Vogel. This article may be shared or reprinted as long as the entire copyright message, including the source location of this article, accompanies it.