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 Press  "Every
single one of the 18 tracks on this gem is perfect, from hilarious
little songs like Food and Pussy and My Little Bitty Pee Pee to the
seriously revolutionary Havana Burning (which is brilliantly structured
and touching, even if I don’t necessarily agree with the sentiment)
and the very Buddhist The Brain is Not The Mind. Dan Reeder is a wildly
prolific lyricist, and his slick, world-weary wit. The multi-talented
songwriter also produced, recorded, mixed and arranged everything on
this disc. He played all the instruments and even made some or most
all of them. He also drew the little coffee cup on the cover. Obviously,
tons of work went into this, though it ultimately sounds fun and effortless.
Easily one of the best records I’ve heard in a long time." (EB)
 Now
Magazine 
 "Dan
Reeder is highly original, extremely eccentric and has some very curious
talents. In other words, this is a strange sort of album that, given one’s
tastebuds and levels of tolerance, can grow on you. He’s witty,
ascerbic and has a penchant for melody that could… well, you may
hum along with him, or you may not. First of all, he not only plays all
the instruments on this album, he built them too. They have names like
trash drums, trash electric guitar and trash ukelele. He sings about "My
Little Bitty Pee Pee" and "Food and Pussy."
And he don’t mean cats. Moreover, his voice can best be described
as deadpan monotone. What’s endearing, though, is his rather
fresh candor. He sings what he feels about work, love, being bored
and, sometimes, absolutely nothing. He can also mimic various musical
styles rather well, especially given his trashy set of instruments
and inability to sing many notes. He even imitates Elvis, for gosh
sake. You’ve heard the expression –
it’s an acquired taste? Well, this album ought to be listed alongside
that phrase in the book of phrases. Nonetheless, Reeder deserves credit
for making an album that kind of grabs you by the gut. John Prine,
who signed him to his label, says that Reeder caught his ear because
the guy was obviously having a good time entertaining himself. Will
he entertain the rest of us? I won’t be responsible for answering
that question. But I will say that Reeder is, well, a breed apart." (ES) 
"One of Dan Reeder's guitars looks like it was made from the cross-section of a squash. Another is a three-string pine board bolted to a tin can. Everything is homemade on this album, from the back-roads song-smithery to the beautiful but scary electric guitars and amplifiers Reeder made from junk. It's a record by a man who truly doesn't give a damn what you think, but who will share if you like what he does. His music feels older than recorded sound, with a special debt to the close harmonies of gospel quartets and chain-gangs, and the clear-picking string style of old Delta guitarists such as Mississippi John Hurt. The lyrics are personal, satiric and profane. Reeder, a Louisiana-born painter taken up by John Prine (who owns Oh Boy), is perpetrating the same kind of present-tense revivalism as Gillian Welch, with a lot less self-consciousness. Guaranteed to raise a smile." The
Globe and Mail [Canada]
"John Prine dug this weird, gorgeous demo from his mail pile and issued it as is. Reeder was reared by a minister in Louisiana, and he now resides in Germany, where he crafts his own Frankenstein-like instruments. Reeder's songs, colored by his sandpapery rasp, are as peculiar as his gear -- eighteen postmodern country-blues musings about vocation ("Work Song") and other, more leisurely, pursuits ("Food and Pussy")." Rolling
Stone
"A folk artist in the traditional sense, Reeder traded canvas for song because "some things you just can't paint." The result is an 18-song collection of quirky observations, from the self-explanatory "Food And Pussy" to "The Coolest Blues Ever." It's only sold online, making it the most satisfying e-commerce in ages." Esquire Magazine
"Funny, profane, absurdly profound folk and blues songs about everything from the Cuban Revolution to Reeder’s shortcomings in the love department. This first recording is a work of minimalist genius. Reeder’s no-frills guitar work and vocal performance are so straightforward that you wonder why nobody has made music quite like this before. Not for kids or your mom." Ames Arnold, Style Weekly
"Somebody once said "comics are people who say funny things; comedians are funny people." I say: some folks do songs that are witty and/or funny, but forget to make them well-structured, substantial songs that one can listen to more than 4 or 5 times with saying, "yeah, I get it already." Dan Reeder remembers - and works in blues, folk, gospel and rock influences in memorable songs with wry, sometimes R-rated, satirical lyrics." Mark Keresman, JazzReview.com
"Oh Boy Records head John Prine sure can pick ’em. Here are the home recordings of a back-porch savant--crude, silly, guitar-and-voice ditties that highlight rich, gospelinformed vocal harmonies. Reeder built many of his instruments out of spare parts (e.g., "trash ukulele," "trash bass"), and much of the material here has a similar scraped-together quality--stray thoughts gaffer-taped to a few simple chords. "Will I someday see the light and become a saint? ... Is that car gonna stop?" he sings over a bluesy guitar and harp in "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things." Elsewhere, as in "Work Song," he turns a single thought into a mantra (complete lyrics: "I got all the fuckin’ work I need"). Still, when Reeder’s humor dies out, he’s got tunefulness to spare." Ned Hammad, NewsReview.com
"The simple fact that this is on John Prine’s record label speaks volumes for this disc right off the bat. From the first song all the way through to the eighteenth, and several glorious trips later, the listener is still captivated by the intelligence and wit contained in these relatively short, yet very complete, vignettes. Reeder wrote all the songs, produced this disc, played all the instruments, did the art work, did all the vocals, recorded and mixed this, and it seems made some of the instruments. It is a powerful maiden disc and one that is complete in every way in itself, and yet leaves the listener hungering for more. It runs the gamut from the folk of "Three Chords" to the sly blues/gospel sound of "My Little Bitty Pee Pee" to the field chant of "Work Song," to whatever else enters his head and he decides to put down on this magnificent disc. It is a disc that grows to full appreciation with every listening. The songs are well put together and contain some wonderful word play, and there is some very good intelligent lyrics without sounding the least bit contrived, cute, or forced. This is one that is not going to get a lot of airplay, because it is not going to fit anywhere, yet it should not be missed. A few of the songs here are destined to become staples of the folk scene, which song will depend on the singer because the work done with lyrics (some of which do make liberal use of 4 letter words in explicit context if you are easily offended) and arrangements are stunning and hilarious." Bob Gottlieb, All Music Guide
"Dan Reeder’s self-titled debut is on John Prine’s Oh Boy Records. Oh boy, indeed. It’s low-key, low-tech and highly original. There’s a bluesy, Southern vibe that floats through all the tracks. This may be because until he was six, Reeder lived in Louisiana and Mississippi. Oddly enough, he then spent years in Southern California, went to Santa Ana College and studied art at Cal State Fullerton. Reeder, who has a German wife, now lives in Germany where he’s a well-known artist. He did the Hockney-esque self-portrait on the back of his CD. On this singularly solo effort, Reeder plays guitar, ukulele, bass, percussion and harmonica and does all his own singing. Are you sitting down? He also built his own instruments. Reeder’s a one-man folk art museum. His off-the-wall sense of humor livens everything up. Some of the 18 tracks are just instrumental, others are short with lyrics that repeat and don’t always rhyme. Despite these quirks — or maybe because of them — this is charming as all get out. On Oh Boy’s web site is Reeder’s handwritten letter to Prine. He admitted he made an album because some things you can’t paint — and to show off a little. When you’re as talented as Dan Reeder, it ain’t showing off." Tony Peyser, Santa Monica Mirror
"When Dan Reeder built a bunch of oddball guitars, basses and drums, wrote a handful of little ditties and tracked them on a PC, it was all for shits and giggles. "I'm not a musician. I'm a painter (I paint pictures)," he disclaimed in a note to John Prine, not expecting the singer to flip and put it out as is on his Oh Boy label. And yet, he did -- and it's easy to see why. Reeder's playful humor and dusky, coffin-nailed voice are instantly endearing, especially in spare folk and country blues arrangements. The campfire ditty "Po Po Dancing," the ribald "Food And Pussy" and the weary "The Day Is Over" are consummate, new-traditionalist odes, perfect for singing in the office or walking barefoot down a dusty road. But "Work Song," where Reeder sings "I got all the fuckin' work I need" in such a way that it has three sides (busy man's lament, paean to having the means to exist and cathartic comedy) is the most striking example of his talent. It's all-purpose significance -- a most elusive and golden songwriter trait -- and he has it in bushels. And that makes Dan Reeder a better singer/songwriter than most, even if he is just a painter." Randy Harward, CMJ
"The word unique has been so vastly overused in our age of hype that most manglers of the English language feel obligated to add most or very in front of it. Unique is one of those digital words like pregnant. You either are or aren’t – on or off, yes or no. Most people and things labeled "very unique" are merely slightly different, not truly unique at all. Then there is Dan Reeder. He is unique, not extremely unique or semi-unique, but simply unique. He makes all his own instruments, writes his own material, records himself in his home studio, and creates music that reflects his own singular view of the world. One word that will never be attached to Dan Reeder is polished. His songs and performances, just like his homemade instruments, have as many rough edges as a woodworker who never uses sandpaper. Many of the cuts have background noise and hum as well as some tenuous tunings. While not truly low-fi, the recording quality here is certainly far less than current state of the art. The songs themselves are also crude. Some of them, such as "Work Song"" consist of just the lyrics I’ve got all the f****** work I need" over and over again. Others like "These Are A Few of My Favorite Things" displays a dark view of the world that borders on ultramarine. But despite his generally curmudgeonly outlook, the songs are fresh, funny, and infectious. The "Work Song" gets a lot of airtime bouncing around in my cranium. The graphics on Dan Reeder also deserve some attention. The pictures have a primitive power that echoes his music. Images of a coffee cup in mid spill, a tube emitting noxious fumes, and a portrait of Dan holding his hand over a lit flame echo the primordial directness of his songs. The liner notes also sport photos of his instruments. After seeing Dan’s handiwork you’ll never think a Dan Electro or EKO guitar is primitive again. His instruments have a certain infantile flavor reminiscent of a six-year-old’s first pictures of mom and dad. His DeNAr FLEX amplifier marks a true nadir of industrial design. Need a musical colonic? Give Dan Reeder a listen. I guarantee you will not waste the word "unique" on undeserving wannabees again." Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar Magazine
Additional Reviews No Depression National Public Radio (audio) Rockzillaworld Magazine |
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