Horrow reviewed by Christina Roche for Bowling Green Daily News/The Amplifier So what happens when a CD comes across your desk and it’s not a scream metal band, nor is a black-eyeliner-skinny-jean-wearing MTV band? I’ve heard of this happening, in local lore and the legends of times gone by. The Midwest is soaked with – and some might say hampered by – the Puddle of Nickelsmack type of testosterone rock that passes for alternative these days, at least according to Arbitron labels. Back to the topic at hand. What happens when you find a CD that doesn’t fall under any of these typical genres? Well, for starters, you actually listen to it. I have spent the bulk of my career labeling music. Does this album fall under the Active Rock category? How about Hot Adult Contemporary? For the first time in years, I’ve encountered an album that I can’t label. Yes, this is a good thing. From start to finish, Johnny Thompson’s “Horrow” (Farm-Out!) can’t be placed in a genre. From the slide guitar in album opener “Idle Billy” to the intricate guitar work from final track “Twenty-Eight Masterpieces” (my personal favorite), not a single song can be labeled. Thompson himself describes Horrow as “representative of a wide array of musical styles, from country, blues, and psychedelic to avant-garde, orchestral, and noise-art…(pause) ...Oops, forgot Celtic.” The range of influences is wide, but Thompson feels the majority of “Horrow” was shaped by his move to a rural setting and lifestyle nearly a decade ago. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of “Horrow” would be Thompson’s voice. Imagine the lovechild of the Melvins’ Buzz Osborne and Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne. It doesn’t appear until the second track, a lilting, piano-driven ditty called “Disk Erase,” and even then, the lovechild is notably absent on several songs. What is omnipresent, however, is talented musicianship. Thompson proves to be a jack of all trades with all things music-related, showcasing his capacity on everything from guitar to clarinet. The back-up players are a force to be reckoned with as well. If “Horrow” were a hip-hop album, nearly every other track would include the word “featuring.” Guest appearances include Aaron Holder on bass (“Idle Billy,” “Withdraw All,” and “Molly Rovers”), Derek Keith also on guitar (“Withdraw All”), Julianna Waller on violins (“Deep Sigh”), and Sean Rice on percussion. Also dropping by are the Scottsville Conservatory Bass and Reed Ensemble on “Withdraw All,” “Bella Fina,” “Touch(s)toner,” and the art-rock chaos-fest that is “437,” which includes any number of random voices who had the fortune – or misfortune – of leaving a message on Thompson’s answering machine during the recording of this album. Whatever your taste in music, surely at least one track should suit your fancy. Led Zeppelin circa “Over the Hills and Far Away”? Check out the strings on “Deep Sigh.” Visualize yourself slow-dancing on the beach circa 1961? “Abspsychle” ought to take you back with its slow surf-rock vibe. Even the Goth kid, basking himself in black and reveling in the tortured teen angst of vampire soap movies, ought to manage a brief, self-loathing smile while listening to “Parvo,” a macabre circus with accordion, piano…and seriously, was that a Dracula-era organ I heard playing in there? Maybe I should put down the merlot. A friend dropped by while I was working on this column. I let him know that I was typing out a music review, and he asked what kind of music “Horrow” was. I told him succinctly to remember the “craziest art-rock alternative band you heard in the 80s, and then picture them on acid.” I could have probably spared an entire page of paper and saved a tree by summing everything up with that one quote. This, my friends, is where true alternative came from. Songs that couldn’t be labeled, artists that couldn’t be placed under any other genre. May albums like “Horrow” someday be more popular than Hinder. Review for Johnny Thompson's “Horrow,” by Beth A. Edwardson for SOKY Happenings Open your mind and enjoy a rollicking ride courtesy of “Horrow”, the new CD from Johnny Thompson released on his micro-indie label, Farm-Out! Records. This is Thompson’s second full-length formal release on his label, located in Scottsville, and this two-year undeniable labor of love will satisfy all musical tastes. Farm-Out! Records was started by Thompson as a developmental springboard for his students and regional talent; however, this is Thompson’s CD. His prolific songwriting and talents as a multi-instrumentalist are evident in every note, sound, and lyric. Born in Nashville, Thompson started pursuing his musical passion at a young age. His influences ranged from the church choir to his dad’s Beatles collection. His musical instruction began with a ukulele found in the family attic. He then progressed to guitar, violin, keyboard, percussion, learning each instrument mainly through self-instruction. During the 80’s and 90’s, Thompson honed his craft fronting bands such as “Envy Estate” and “The Park Avenue Dregs” – a Picasso’s favorite – before finding his way to his current passion, which is teaching students the ‘art of music’ at the Scottsville Music Conservatory, and serving as president of the Allen County-Scottsville Arts Council. Thompson’s collection of songs on “Horrow” is largely a ‘pseudo-autobiography’ of his migration to the rural setting of Allen County almost a decade ago. “Horrow” is an eclectic mix of country, rock, blues, and jazz with dashes of astral physics and transcendental meditation. And just as fans of the Cohen brothers appreciate that films such as “Raising Arizona” and “The Big Lebowski” must be viewed repeatedly in order to appreciate the layers of disguised sophistication and hidden humor, the same principle should be applied to “Horrow.” Thompson is a genuine artist who believes in “art for art’s sake.” The first listen, while rewarding, is not nearly as enlightening as the second, third and fourth. Do not get bogged down by trying to decipher every word or attach meaning to the prose - let the meaning come to you. Thompson’s gift is speaking in the metaphor. While there is no denying the emotional response the listener feels during the hauntingly beautiful “28 Masterpieces”, the cacophony of voices, sounds, and messages on “437” make this the most unique track on this or any other CD that this listener has experienced. “Withdraw All” is from Thompson’s 1994 Chicago Subway set list and showcases his vocal and instrumental talents with an assist from the Scottsville Conservatory Reed and Brass Ensemble featuring the talents of Emily Jones, Bradley Borth, Justan Borth, Rachel Riffe, Caleb King, and Allen Jones . Protégés Aaron Holder and Derek Keith perform a ‘guitarnversation’ with Thompson at the end that makes this track one of my favorites. “Molly Rovers (Shamrockers)” is a Celtic rocker that opens the window and lets the light of Thompson’s sly humor shine. In soft contrast is the track, “Disk Erase,” a moving requiem for a deserving hero which, along with the ‘rockabilly’ instrumental “Idle Billy,” represents Thompson’s writing in the wake of the move to his farm in Allen County. "Bella Fina", the album's first single (with a video in production), is an excellent example of Thompson's multilateral useage of lyrical parallels with nods to 'life in Eden', unattainable cellos, earth science, salvation, bowin' errors, and a Dionysian indulgence in the form of a guitar solo that proves our hero can still rock with the best of 'em, if so inclined... “Deep Sigh” is the ‘angry young man’ track that features the prodigious talents of Julianna Waller, a renowned violinist who performs with the Nashville Symphony and the Red River Fiddlers. “Abpsychle” is a funhouse concoction containing elements of psychedelic synthesizing and whimsical dance themes that marks Thompson’s violin debut. “Touch(S)toner” is Thompson’s farewell song to Chicago and includes a testimonial of his shame while working as a telemarketer for the Touchstone Theatre; however, the beautiful guitar work makes for a most entertaining confessional. “Parvo” is a chromatic study that was penned as a ‘pick-me-up’ bouquet for a sick puppy. This tune would be the perfect score for a movie based on the struggle, and subsequent survival, of the lucky pup. “Horrow” comprises a mix of all things Johnny Thompson – musician, poet, composer, instructor, humorist, and a keen observer and appreciator of all things human as well as non human. The first listen to this ethereal rock compilation will tell you that you are definitely not in Kansas anymore, sweet Dorothy; however, you will gladly put on your ruby slippers and run through the beckoning maze of sounds and word play to try and meet the man behind this music. Contributing artists to "Horrow" include... Sean Rice (They Call Me Broadway, Book Club) Aaron Holder (The Electric Circus) Derek Keith (Small Talk) Nashville Artist Julianna Waller (The Nashville Symphony, Red River Fiddlers) The Scottsville Conservatory Brass & Reed Ensemble featuring Emily Jones, Bradley Borth, Justan Borth, Rachel Riffe, Caleb King, and Alan Jones (Allen County-Scottsville Patriot Band) Formal releases by Farm-Out! Records thus far include...  "Scratch-Indentured" (2008) "It's A Johnny Thompson Kind Of Christmas Magic Feeling vol. 1" (2008)* "Scottsville Conservatory Sampler" (2009)* "Horrow" (2009)* * Mfd. by Dozing Lady Records “The Scottsville Conservatory Sampler” is a new release from Farm-Out! Records featuring eight original works by regional artists. The performers featured are Quinn Towery, Austin Grizzle, Jarrett Cockrill, Trevor Hogue, Catherine Ellis, Ryan Rough, Mark Smullen, and Aaron Holder. These musically talented youth, partnered with Johnny Thompson, are generously lending their talents to assist those in need. 100% of the proceeds from the initial limited pressing of 100 non-promotional copies will benefit The Center for Courageous Kids, a state-of-the-art facility providing free camp experiences to medically challenged children and their families. The “Sampler” is available exclusively at the Scottsville Conservatory, The Center for Courageous Kids, Blackbird Boutique, and The Great Escape Records & Comics. www.myspace.com/johnmjohnnythompson CD Review: Horrow by Johnny Thompson...by Penn Man for AC Associated Content Arts and Entertainment Scotty must have beamed me down to another one of those new and uncharted worlds right before Horrow started hitting my ears. I must be on another planet as there is no word horrow that I could find in the dictionary, English, or any of several other earthly languages. All the sounds on this new planet are brand new, though at times somewhat strangely familiar. But as all you adventurous space travelers know, the new is not something to turn away from but rather requires deep exploration. Are you ready to take this trip with me? I need a few good men and women. Scotty, beam them down. Thompson has never been conventional, at least as long as I've been aware of him (which admittedly isn't that long), and Horrow certainly confirms this assertion. The first cut, the instrumental "Idle Billy" just screams at you, no; make that, howls at you. The dual guitar work (at least it sounds dual), with the slide so prominent, is just superb and grabs your attention, just like a first cut should. The mood of this song sort of fits the CD title, having both an eerie (horror) element as well as a bluesy (sorrowful) one. Let's trek a little further. The brief "Disk Erase" starts out with what sounds like a cocking gun (although it could have been a stapler or something similar) and sounds like it's about a lost love opportunity. It starts off reflectively and ends more emphatically (sound familiar, lovers?). "Withdraw All" is a nice bluesy, gentle-starting song, with tender vocals that eventually get stretched (or bent) into the high range. The guitar work is juicy, consisting of several style segments, one a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young-sounding vocal and guitar (both Stills and Young at times) mix, another with guitar licks that vaguely ring of Clapton during his Delaney and Bonnie era. This might be my favorite. I want to emphasize here that although there are elements of the past on this CD, it is all brand new with Thompson's indelible imprint. For example, I can't say I've ever heard anyone with a voice like his, and it works very well with his music and vocals. I believe I counted at least twenty different instruments in use on this album, including dobro, clarinet, bassoon, trumpets and trombones. The music is rich and deep, a smorgasbord of sound you just need to hear for yourself. If you want something out of the ordinary, get this CD. "Molly Rovers" is Celtic on speed. Hey Johnny, any thoughts of getting together with Michael Flatley, or better yet, some local Irish dancers, for the video on this? That would be awesome. "Bella Fina" features some real smooth guitar work, and Thompson raunches up his vocals just a bit. "Deep Sigh" impresses with its' violin work by Julianna Waller. "437", which is a bunch of Thompson's voice mail messages embedded in techno noise and drums, is interesting the first few times you listen. But going forward I will mostly be skipping over this one unless I'm really in the mood for it. "Abpsychle" starts off with a 50s chord progression that is brilliantly bent/warped (sort of like Zappa used to bend and warp things) right into 2009. It then morphs nicely into something that sounds very Pink Floydish. This might also be my favorite cut (so now you know my top two). In the backstretch, "Touchstoner" ends up with some real nice slide and acoustic guitar mix, sort of like good Southern rock. "Parvo" weaves in and out of light and airy vs. dark and frightful segments, which is probably just what a dog experiences when it has the disease. The final cut is the beautiful "28 Masterpieces". With its' deep vocals, rich acoustic guitar, and very interesting percussion, any ELP fan will love this. It's even got some expansive keyboards in it. Oh no, not yet! It seems the mothership has to move quick before it falls into a black hole. Scotty has to beam us up. No wait! They took a hit and have to move now. No time for the transporter. They'll come back for us when they can. In the meantime, this new planet won't be so bad after all. Hey Spock, play Horrow again, and again, and again. Great Scott, I think it gets better each time we hear it. There's no place to go so just sit back crew, relax, and enjoy. I think we wound up here for a reason. Horrow is available at Great Escapes Records in Bowling Green, KY, Blackbird Boutique in Scottsville, KY, and will soon be available online through cdbaby.com. The artist's MySpace page is /johnmjohnnythompson.