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Quotes
“Dave has a beautiful voice and is truly a very talented songwriter. I'm looking forward to writing again with Dave”
Robert Reynolds, The Mavericks
“Dave is the real thing. He should move to Nashville as soon as possible where they should welcome his talent with open arms.”
Phil Palmer, Session guitarist and producer for Dire Straits, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, George Michael, etc….
“I really liked this CD. You can definitely use my name to promote Dave.”
Steve Ferrone, Session drummer with Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, etc….
“Dave has independently released an album that surpasses most anything you’ll hear from more established singer/songwriters…”
Eric Snider, Tampa Bay’s Weekly Planet
“…he is a tremendous talent that definitely needs to be seen by as many people as possible.”
Patti Petow, The Octagon, Clearwater, Florida
“It's one of the privileges of writing for Revolutions that every so often a release like this pops through the letterbox. Dave Hardin can expect the attention of major labels once word of this self released CD gets out.”
John Lonergan, Revolutions UK
“Hardin knows how to craft a song and others recognize that…Nine Years Alone is top-quality folk and roots rock with awesome arrangements. Hardin’s sandpapery voice and nuanced, charming delivery in a Kentucky drawl make [his songs] beautiful.”
Gina Vivinetto, St. Petersburg Times
“His voice is striking – craggy and weathered, just right for the lyrical scenarios of small towns, lonely highways, and rural routes…his songs have an earthy elegance that warms the soul.”
(*** out of ****) Curtis Ross, Tampa Tribune
“His voice, like his songs, resonates deeply…[he] caresses and attacks the strings with a verve and panache… Hardin is the complete package, well worth your time and entertainment dollar.”
Mark Warren, Focus
“Hardin’s Nine Years Alone is a refreshing effort that about 99 percent of today’s “young country” acts would do well to review.”
(**** out of *****) Mark Murley, Higher and Higher
Reviews for Nine Years Alone
3/31/00
DAVE HARDIN, NINE YEARS ALONE.
Hardin knows how to craft a song and others recognize that; Hardin was twice awarded Best Songwriter honors by the Weekly Planet. Nine Years Alone is top-quality folk and roots rock with awesome
arrangements. Hardin's sandpapery voice and nuanced, charming delivery in a Kentucky drawl make songs such as Between Us beautiful. Nu Varnes, with its big bright chorus and gorgeous harmonies is an instant forget-me-not. With buddy Patrick Bettison fleshing out tunes with harmonica, piano and slide guitar, Nine Years Alone would sound at home on VH1, in Borders, even on your car stereo.
by: Gina Vivinetto
3/24/2000
Dave Hardin, Nine Years Alone *** (out of ****)
Dave Hardin proves on this disc why he is one of the Bay area's more popular singer-songwriters. His voice is striking - craggy and weathered, just right for the lyrical scenarios of small towns, lonely highways and rural routes. Relating to Hardin's lyrics doesn't require having grown up with an ``IGA downtown,'' as he sings about in ``Nu Varres,'' but it doesn't hurt at all. Hardin's own acoustic guitar forms the musical basis for these songs. Gary Ashton's drums provide the pulse on most numbers, while Patrick Bettison adds most everything else - bass, guitars, keyboards, percussion and harmonica. Bettison also handled the album's production, which has a crispness and presence that's rare. Hardin's songs have a rustic feel but that doesn't mean he can't cough up a good pop song - ``Can't Believe My Eyes'' has the major hallmark of a hit: It sounds great while you're driving.
BY: Curtis Ross
5/4/00 DAVE HARDIN
Nine Years Alone
Nearing 39 years old, Palm Harbor’s Dave Hardin is not quite a decade into his musical career, yet he has independently released an album that surpasses most anything you’ll hear from more established singer/songwriters on Rounder and other labels. Over 11 memorable songs, Hardin displays a melodic ingenuity that surpasses the folkie crowd, and a flair for capturing glimpses of real life and turning them into compelling song-stories. The title tune, written as a kind of an apology to his young son, will surely wrench the gut of anyone who put a small child through a divorce. “And sometimes I catch him lookin’ old/ too tired to smile much/ and his hair needs combed.” Although most of Hardin’s lyrics are plainspoken, he has knack for metaphor. “’Cause scrapes are slow to heal/ When you’re sleepin’ on your side/ And there’s a queen size wall between us/ A stronger man could climb,” he sings about a flagging marriage. Hardin delivers these insights in a seductively tuneful rasp with a hint of twang from his younger days in small-town Kentucky and suburban Cincinnati. While some of the songs feature only acoustic guitar backing, most are outfitted with understated arrangements of subtly textured electric six-strings, minimal keyboards, slurry bass, occasional harmonica, and in the case of “There’s You,” some sumptuous background harmonies. Hardin’s local profile has been steadily rising over the last couple of years, but even so, Nine Years Alone is nothing short of a revelation.
by: Eric Snider
Best of the Bay 2000
Best CD: Dave Hardin 'Nine Years Alone'
"In these high tech times, music from the heart is hard to find. It's a
risky endeavor. Threadbare honesty can make people squirm in an
increasingly superficial, cynical world. That's why Hardin's Nine
Years Alone is such a rare and beautiful thing. The Palm Harbor
singer/songwriter does not concern himself with posturing or attitude; he
concentrates on the small events and images that make up a life. With a
seductively raspy voice, he sings of the unspoken walls between married
couples; the effects of divorce on his young son; a tree that gets chopped
up and hauled away, its rings forging a family legacy. Hardin decorates
these tales with snapshots of small-town life -- broken down cars, IGA
supermarkets, cold October rain -- raising them above cliches. Nine Years
Alone transcends the folkie ethos with fully drawn melodies and sensitive
arrangements. This disc deserves to be heard -- well beyond the
boundaries of the Bay."
Best of the Bay 1998
Dave Hardin: Best Singer/Songwriter
Combining an earthy directness akin to Steve Earle, a touch of the late Jeff Buckley's other-worldliness,balanced with a bit of, say, Dan Fogelberg'ssweetness and light, Hardin's catalog of 150 plus originals run the range from vivid recounts of his own childhood in Kentucky to dreams involving overheard flirtations between Pharaohs and Queens of ancient Egypt. His voice, like his songs, resonates deeply. Also an exceedingly facile guitarist, Hardin alternately caresses and attacks the strings with a verve
and panache reminiscent of Richard Thompson's solo outings. Suffice to say, Hardin is the complete package, well worth your time and entertainment dollar.
By: Mark Warren
Best of the Bay 1997
Dave Hardin: Best Singer/Songwriter
By his reckoning, Dave is a distant cousin to the late folkster Tim
Hardin, and despite being on far off branches of the family tree, the
genes must've worked their way over. dave is a true troubadour, his
voice a worn piece of sandpaper, his lyrical imagery filled with
plainspoken Americana. he writes and sings tunes that are touching, at
times mesmerizing. Most of the time, he captures an exquisite
melancholy, but is also capable of the occasional buoyant number.
Hardin does not have a high profile as some of Tampa Bay's other
neo-folkies. His performing is largely relegated to northern Pinellas
County. It's High time he spread out.
by: Eric Snider
Higher and Higher
(**** out of *****)
Hardin's 11-track "Nine Years Alone" is a refreshing effort that about 99 percent of today's "young country" acts would do well to review. Hardin eschews posturing and gimmicks in favor of heartfelt lyrics and clean, accessible arrangements. His acoustic work is especially appealing -- particularly when coupled with his slightly raspy Bryan Adams-esque voice.
It's heartening to hear someone *finally* properly synthesizing some of the tasty musical influences handed down by the likes of Stephen Stills, Gordon Lightfoot and John Mellencamp.
Although I wish Hardin the success and exposure he obviously so richly deserves, a greedy part of me rejoices that music such as this is *not* largely known. Here's hoping that "The Tree" or "Queen Sized Wall" will never accompany an ad for Pepsi or that "Between Us" or "Nine Years Alone" will end up in Scream IV.
by: Mark Murley
DAVE HARDIN
Nine Years Alone
With a gravel road tenderness, Dave Hardin writes tunes in a southern folk groove. Sometimes, there's a bit of Steve Earle gruffness in his singing and, at times, a touch of '70s singer/songwriters in his playing, but his songs have an earthy elegance that warms the soul. "His voice is striking - craggy and weathered, just right for the lyrical scenarios of small towns, lonely highways and rural routes." Curtis Ross, Tampa Tribune
Orlando's Jam
Raves for Dave
Let's start with a straight-up endorsement. Dave Hardin's new CD, Nine Years Alone, is among a handful of locally produced, independently released, albums that I have listened to for pure enjoyment, well past the point of professional obligation. And, as most of you probably know, I've been at this awhile.
The Palm Harbor-based singer/songwriter has, until recently, kept a relatively low profile, restricting his gigs to northern Pinellas County. In the last few years, he has become a WMNF on-air favorite. (I heard him sing live on 88.5 in ‘97 and was immediately floored.) The station has nabbed Harbin to perform at its most high-profile event, the Tropical Heatwave at the Cuban Club in Ybor City on May 20. WMNF has songs from the CD in frequent rotation.
Nine Years Alone was a two-year project that involved significant contributions from multi-instrumentalist Patrick Bettison and drummer Gary Ashton (who is currently Hardin's manager). Most of the tracks were cut on a digital recorder at the musicians' homes. The project was mastered by George Harris at Panda Productions.
"I work a full-time day job and play out three or four nights a week," says Hardin, 38. "If I was tired I didn't work on (the record). I didn't think there was any big rush. I don't think it sounds dated. When you write about things in your life, they don't go away in a day. They tend to stick around for awhile."
Hardin is a master at rendering snapshots of everyday life into revealing, emotionally-charged song-stories. His uncluttered lyrics cut to the heart of matters without resorting to cliches. Yet he possesses an earthy poetic flair, as evidenced in the song " Queen Size Wall, which captures a flagging marriage with the lines." ‘Cause scrapes are slow heal/ When you're sleepin' on your side/ And there's a queen-size wall between us/ A stronger man could climb."
Hardin delivers these songs in an affecting, twang-tinged rasp — like John Prine with more air than gravel. Although a few of the songs, most notably the tear-drenched title track, stick to acoustic guitar accompaniment, most are outfitted with lean arrangements that include ringing electric guitars, piano and other keyboards, electric bass, harmonica and some background vocals.
Because Hardin is anything but a hype kinda guy, he and his cohorts are not exactly orchestrating a Big Push for Nine Years Alone. Ashton, a transplanted Briton, has some veteran friends in the biz, who have agreed to present the music to influential ears. The disc is up on MP3.com and is being sold at retail in the Thrifty Acres chain (none of which are in Florida).
Hardin, who was raised in small-town Kentucky by his paternal grandparents until moving in with his father in suburban Cincinnatti as a teenager, first started performing, mostly for bar tabs, in Europe while he was in the Navy. His professional career did not begin until age 30, and that developed gradually. The admitted loner — he lives with his second wife and 12-year-old son — says he is by nature a patient man. " I'm pushing 40 and I'm no hurry," he says. " If something happens it happens. If nothing happens, that's cool too. But I'm not out there trying to grab for some brass ring."
Let alone a gold or platinum one
By Eric Snider
Dave Hardin's distinctive voice grabs you immediately--it's rich and evocative in its balance of sweetness and grit.
"Between Us" is a bright, melodic slice of folk-pop featuring Hardin's eye for detail.
Revolutionsuk.com
It's one of the privileges of writing for Revolutions that every so often a release like this pops through the letterbox. Dave Hardin can expect the attention of major labels once word of this self released CD gets out. Nine Years Alone is essentially a selection of observational acoustic songs (although a few curveballs are thrown) on which Hardin is given sterling backing by drummer Gary Ashton and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Bettison. It's centrepiece is The Tree, a moving tale in which an old tree in the garden of the family home is chopped down, prompting a flood of memories and a realisation that the rings on the stump mark out both personal and historical events. The theme of nostalgia is revisited on The Move and you sense from Our House that Hardin's journey has finally reached a place of contentment. Darker moments like Between Us and the title track's examination of the effects of Hardin's divorce on his young son are so personal that you almost feel like an eavesdropper when listening in. Nu Varres introduces us to Becky and Bobby as they leave their respective supermarket and petrol station jobs - they're a kind of smalltown American equivalent of Ray Davies' Terry and Julie, and the last track Ramses and Nefertiti is one of those curveballs I mentioned earlier - a bossa nova. I know it would take a leap of faith to make purchase of this album on my recommendation alone, so may I suggest a visit to http://www.vibemusic.com where there are some MP3 samples to download as well as links to websites which sell the album - you may be needing them! (JL)
Nine Years Alone
Dave Hardin
Editorial Reviews
Tampa Bays Weekly Planet
Dave Hardin: Best Singer/Songwriter 1998
Combining an earthy directness akin to Steve Earle, a touch of the late Jeff Buckley's other-worldliness, balanced with a bit of, say, Dan Fogelberg's sweetness and light, Hardin's catalog of 150 plus originals run the range from vivid recounts of his own childhood in Kentucky to dreams involving overheard flirtations between Pharaohs and Queens of ancient Egypt.
His voice, like his songs, resonates deeply. Also an exceedingly facile guitarist, Hardin alternately caresses and attacks the strings with a verve and panache reminiscent of Richard Thompson's solo outings. Suffice to say, Hardin is the complete package, well worth your time and entertainment dollar.
Tampa Bays Weekly Planet
Dave Hardin: Best Singer/Songwriter 1997 By his reckoning, Dave is a distant cousin to the late folkster Tim Hardin, and despite being on far off branches of the family tree, the genes must've worked their way over. Dave is a true troubadour, his voice a worn piece of sandpaper, his lyrical imagery filled with plainspoken Americana. he writes and sings tunes that are touching, at times mesmerizing. Most of the time, he captures an exquisite melancholy, but is also capable of the occasional buoyant number. Hardin does not have a high profile as some of Tampa Bay's other neo-folkies. His performing is largely relegated to northern Pinellas County. It's High time he spread out.
Mark Warren, Tampa Bay's Weekly Planet, May 1999
Combining an earthy directness akin to Steve Earle, a touch of the late Jeff Buckley's other-worldliness, balanced with a bit of, say, Dan Fogelberg's sweetness and light, Hardin's catalog of 150 plus originals run the range from vivid recounts of his own childhood in Kentucky to dreams involving overheard flirtations between Pharaohs and Queens of ancient Egypt. His voice, like his songs, resonates deeply. Also an exceedingly facile guitarist, Hardin alternately caresses and attacks the strings with a verve and panache reminiscent of Richard Thompson's solo outings. Suffice to say, Hardin is the complete package, well worth your time and entertainment dollar.
Amazon Editor
. . .a bright, melodic slice of folk-pop featuring Hardin's eye for detail.
St Petersburg Times: Gina Vivinetto
“. . .Top-quality folk and roots rock with awesome arrangements and sandpapery voice in a Kentucky drawl make these songs beautiful.”
The Tampa Tribune: Curtiss Ross
“His voice is striking, craggy and weathered, right for the lyrical scenarios of small towns, lonely highways, and rural routes.”
Weekly Planet: Eric Snider
“Dave has independently released an album that surpasses most anything you’ll hear from more established singer/songwriters…”
Higher and Higher (Moody Blues Magazine)
“Hardin’s Nine Years Alone is a refreshing effort that about 99 percent of today’s “young country” acts would do well to review.”
What People Who Bought Nine Years Alone Say
A Meeting on the Road, September 15, 2004
By Hakuin's Ghost (East Bay, RI)
I hadn't heard of Dave Hardin until last August, when we ran into this friendly guy at a rest stop one night in West Virginia. He was wearing cowboy boots and driving a pick-up and joined my older son and me for a quick chat while stretching our legs after driving halfway across country. He was heading north for a gig in upstate NY, we were heading East. We talked a bit about music and then he laid a copy of "Nine Years Alone" on us and we went on our separate ways. We'd been growing tired of the CD's we had in the car so we put it on. Wow! What a breath of fresh air! Superb musicianship...original, raspy voice...vignettes of his own life, really personal but understandable instantly through our common experiences. This is a well crafted and very personal disk and a real gem. I've been listening every since and hope Dave makes another so more people can get to enjoy a truly original American folk-rock artist. And he even looks a bit like distant cousin Tim....If you read this Dave: thanks.
A trip you won't want to miss!, January 11, 2004
By Tony Turner (Virginia)
Dave's ability as a wordsmith is matched by his profound guitar stylings. His use of unusual open guitar tunings embraces the fluid visual imagery he creates with his lyrics. I have never, never been moved as deeply by any other artist. Dave spoke to my heart. Dave took me on a journey back to my childhood. He brought me, a sizable man to tears with his tapestry of hard earned life lessons. Dave hammered me continuously with songs that reached deep into areas that are seldom touched by song. As someone above said...Dave is the REAL deal. Believe it.
Dave Hardin From an Insider's Perspective, December 26, 2003
By john hardin (Lakeland, Fl)
I've been a fan of my brother Dave's music since the late 70's, when he used to peck at the keys of the old piano out in our garage. The first time I heard him play a song he wrote (fresh off the USS Eisenhower, on leave Christmas 1980) I knew he had a talent and a gift that's rare, and I've spent many years since listening in awe to literally hundreds of such songs he has since written, a few of which make up his Nine Years Alone CD.
What makes his music different from many songwriters' is that his lyrics aren't pretty rhymes with a catchy tune, set up in a 3 minute format, perfect for airplay. They're little pieces of his life just laid out there to the thumping beat of his fingers on his acoustic guitar, and half of them take eight minutes to run their course. His songs come from the heart, people, and you'd better listen hard, because songwriters are few and far between that can grab your soul with a song, and not let it go until the CD ejects. I've also heard the pre-release of his next CD (yet to be titled), and I've just about worn out my copy. He's....that....good! P.S....if you can somehow get your hands on his old "American" CD that he did with Rick Lee, it's well worth whatever it takes to get it into your stereo.
Simply a masterpiece, July 14, 2003
By B. Keith Barbour (Danville, VA United States)
This cd is a mix of brilliant songwriting with a beautiful painstaking delivery. Dave Hardin is the real deal and deserves to be heard. This cd absolutely blows me away. It's better than anything out there right now. "The Tree" will bring you to tears as will "Nine Years Alone". The album is filled with instant classics and there's not one throwaway song on the disc. With his tales of travel and lost love, Dave Hardin hits you right where you live. He's like an old friend writing songs just for you. I just can't think of enough superlatives to describe this cd...buy it now!
Hardin is God, September 9, 2001
By Andy Georgiades (Tampa, FL, USA)
Dave Hardin is a relatively unknown talent whose time has come. Too long a well kept secret in the Tampa Bay area, Hardin is the total package. From his poignant lyrics to his beautiful guitar work, his unpretentious presentation has the ability to suck the listener into his world and evoke the emotions of this simple man living in a complex world. As someone who has seen the man perform live, I can attest to the fact that this disc is the next best thing to being there.
Hardin takes the best qualities of James Taylor, John Prine, Neil Young and John Mellencamp and weaves them into a complex tapestry that is uniquely his own. The music is honest and unpretentious, and hits you in the gut. You feel it as much as listen to it. Order two copies, because you are sure to wear the first one out!
Nine Years Alone, August 29, 2000
By Dennis Gramza (Comstock Park, MI USA)
Listened to this on the advice of a friend. That was 2 months ago. It's never left my car CD changer--sittin' there right along side of Van Morrison, Delbert McClinton and Etta James. Dave's an all around music man with a voice, lyrics, guitar touch, and song style that blends together into something very unique. It makes you wonder where this guy's been hiding all this time. Looking forward to hearing more from Dave Hardin.
A great new voice, August 25, 2000
By A Customer
Dave Hardin is one of the greatest new songwriting voices to emerge in years. His songs are deceptively simple, yet carefully crafted and poignant. His songs remind me of those penned by other great "everyman" songwriters like John Prine, Randy Newman and John Hiatt. The performances are haunting in their straightforwardness. This is a GREAT record.
A very bright future, May 27, 2000
By Tracey Ashton (Palm Harbor, Florida)
Ever since I first heard Dave Hardin I knew that success would eventually come his way. Now he has a wonderful CD that captures the very best of Dave. I would recommend any one with out hesitation to buy this CD.... I will for many years to come. It is a timeless classic!
Amazing Grace, May 3, 2000
By Ellen Trimarco (Palm Harbor, Florida)
"Nine Years Alone" is a brilliant creation long awaited by people all over the world, from Iceland to California. No one else can simulate Dave Hardin's style; he was truly born with a genius for song writing. His lyrics are so carefully sculpted and presented over the most gorgeous combination of chords that many listeners are brought to tears. I have seen Dave perform over the years and his effect on audiences is incredible, sometimes he brings them to tears and every time he plays, "if I could wish you a dream..." the room suddenly falls silent. The striking and yet simple beauty found in all of his songs prompt listeners to remember the most intimate and yet common situations which almost humans experience. The CD is a deserving representation of Dave Hardin's musical talent. It showcases his sincere, angelic and rough voice. Although Dave Hardin can be compared to James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, or John Gorka, "Nine Years Alone" captures a rare and awesome talent only Dave Hardin could foster.
It's Dave Hardin, April 29, 2000
By JG (Clearwater, Florida)
I don't come prepared with any comparisons to other established musicians. The reason being, Dave Hardin is Dave Hardin. His music is original and his voice unique, which make him stand out on stage and on the recordings as well. Short Answer: I recommend the CD.
Do you want to be inspired?, April 25, 2000
By A Customer
We're newcomers to Tarpon Springs, Florida. It's Thursday night and our friends from across the street invite us to share coffees and some special music at The Purple Moon, a quaint outdoor cafe in Dunedin. Dave Hardin is playing. Alone. We pick up a table, get some coffee, smell the ocean breeze. A guitar rests on a stand. The other cradled in his arms. He says a few words to the microphone in a deep raspy voice, and then the music starts. His fingers don't seem to move as much as the music would require, and his voice doesn't seem to match the figure in the cowboy boots, the old jeans, and the faded T-shirt. I pay attention to the lyrics. They are whimsical, soft-edged memories strung among the odd chords like flowers through a tangle of vines. Alternative tunings, rich bass and a soft drumming as his fingers pick the strings. I start remembering things from my own childhood, unrelated to the lyrics but weaved out of the same material. For three hours Dave took me back to remote times and places, when things were not so hectic, when we were full-time romantics, where a tree was a best friend. I've had this one song dancing inside my head since last Thursday. I bought the CD. Got the lyrics out of his web site. I can't wait for his next CD.
Pearl of Pinellas County, April 15, 2000
By Rory Hoover (Tarpon Springs, Florida)
Here in Pinellas we feel lucky to have someone like Dave Hardin in our midst. Since seeing Dave at the Iron Horse in Tarpon Springs, Florida I have been awaiting this CD - that was 6 years ago. Dave still has that enigmatic message in his music (like The Tree). Who couldn't relate! Buy this CD - you won't regret it. And after adding Dave's CD to your collection catch one of his shows...Thursday nights at The Purple Moon brings out a great crowd who love to share Dave's music. Where will we all be when he no longer plays at outdoor cafes?
Brilliant, April 6, 2000
By Ragga (Iceland) - See all my reviews
Dave gets me every time with his intimacy and beautyfully hoarce voice. Brilliant!
Hardin' s Music Appealing, April 3, 2000
By Mark Murley - Higher & Higher Magazine (US)
Hardin's 11-track "Nine Years Alone" is a refreshing effort that about 99 percent of today's "young country" acts would do well to review. Hardin eschews posturing and gimmicks in favor of heartfelt lyrics and clean, accessible arrangements. His acoustic work is especially appealing -- particularly when coupled with his slightly raspy Bryan Adams-esque voice. It's heartening to hear someone *finally* properly synthesizing some of the tasty musical influences handed down by the likes of Stephen Stills, Gordon Lightfoot and John Mellencamp. Although I wish Hardin the success and exposure he obviously so richly deserves, a greedy part of me rejoices that music such as this is *not* largely known. Here's hoping that "The Tree" or "Queen Sized Wall" will never accompany an ad for Pepsi or that "Between Us" or "Nine Years Alone" will end up in Scream IV.
