Patrick Burke Photography and Design

Reviews
Revelations of a Genius (Pick One)

To say the life of Oscar Wilde was eccentric would be a gross understatement. Playwright, poet and novelist of the Victorian Age, he was a freethinker, an advocator of Aestheticism and a social rabble-rouser to say the least. To say that Patrick Burke is just a guitarist would also be an understatement. Not only is he a gifted composer, musician and visual media artist, but he is also a musical historian of the finest kind.

Under the heading of literary-rock, we have the latest album of Tigard, Oregon's favorite son called Wildernessed and it is an unabashed homage to Wilde and all his not so well known foibles. This is an unusual album for Burke who usually sits at the piano to ply his trade. It features quite a few different instruments all played by Burke (ignore the disclaimers in the liner notes) and they are mostly all vocals sung by the composer. Some of them are familiar while others are new to the world. His voice is pleasant enough with a light accent of John Stewart, E.L.O., REM and Donovan and yes, even the Beatles.

The Radical Mayor of Moscow is my favorite tune on the recording. Burke uses a Dylan-esque musical delivery on this one that is quite absorbing. To me the song describes the illusions that life projects and the irresoluteness that plagues man. The lyrics are particularly thoughtful.

"We are the legends of our own illustrations
The last link in a chain attached to nothing
Holding onto water as it rushes through our hands
I'll meet you in the stands before they crumble
We are not lost."

One of the most interesting songs on Wildernessed is called Judge and Jury. It took me awhile, but I reckon that the song is about a critical turning point in a relationship and you never saw it coming. The misunderstandings pile up one on top of each other until the weight of misinterpretation makes the whole relationship collapse.

"I'm sorry, so damn sorry
I missed it, I never guessed it
You express yourself so well with silence
And I read your mind but I must've missed it."

A Slim Gilt Madness is one of the two instrumentals on the album and this one is particularly sweet in the sense of the deep romantic. I think that is Burke’s recognition of Oscar Wilde's blue period when he emerged a broken man from two years in a Victorian prison. A Thirty Second Song About Suicide was of course, disturbing, but reflective. You will have to judge for yourself the impact the song has.

Burke does two covers on the album rather well and true to the originals. The Elton John hit Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word and Donovan's Jennifer Juniper.

De Profundis is also the title of a Wilde manifesto in which he apologized for his, well, behavior is not quite correct, perhaps his contemporary philosophy. Burke uses the platform to criticize the injustices of those times in a manner similar to what the Beach Boys song Wouldn’t It Be Nice did for the impatience of youth and the pains of growing up with love.

Wildernessed, the title tune is a song of love lost, from either a former lover or even an unrequited relationship with a hero. After all, who doesn't love Superman? Patrick's easy going piano style makes this a memorable ballad and one that makes you think about fleeting happiness.

The whole thing is entertaining in a quirky sort of way. Burke's treatment of lyrics is fascinating, but you have to be somewhat versed in Wilde's universe to appreciate them. His compositions are as good as they come and some of the tunes may already be on the pop charts in Oregon. Being in the literary business made me want to know more about Oscar Wilde and his world. Patrick Burke captures the flavor rather well.

"And the wild regrets and the bloody sweats,
None knew so well as I.
For he who lives more lives than one
More deaths than one must die."
– Oscar Wilde

R J Lannan, The New Age Reporter
Rating: Good +

"The music is rich and dreamy,
sometimes haunting, and the artist is as
multi-dimensional as the tunes he pens..."

Jennifer Priest Mitchell, Times Newspapers

Burke’s mature music is like a thoughtful
walk in the night’s crisp cleansing wet...it
breathes in the fresh ozone and explores
the wandering drizzle in the darkness....you can hear
similarities to John Lennon and Peter Gabriel.
This is especially evident in his newest material
with the energy and rain-stick style akin to
that of Shock the Monkey.

Alex Fontana, Positively Entertainment Magazine

"The Butler's Bullfinch" is quite an unusual
and very enjoyable concept album. Kudos to
Patrick Burke for injecting some lighthearted
good humor into the world.

Kathy Parsons, Solo Piano Publications

Burke shows an unusual sense of humor
with an artist's uncanny ability to mix media...
His cover and liner art is as distinctive
and thought-provoking as his piano compositions.
Grand Prairie is like a musical score
that you might hear while you are going
through a box of dusty Depression Era
sepias, The music is light and tentative.
You can see the heartbreak in the timeworn
faces of the subjects. There is powder and
wind and faded colors as the struggle for
survival goes on continuously. It is a great
beginning to some unique music.

R J Lannan, The New Age Reporter