Friday, September 13, 2013

Anthony Burcher's New CD A Winner!


CD Review

He Ain’t Right

Written and performed by Anthony Burcher; recorded live at Stonehouse Presbyterian Church, Toano, VA; Cover design by Brian Morgante for TreeHouse Artists; Mastered by Jake Dempsey for TreeHouse Artists. $14.99, plus shipping and handling, from http://www.anthonyburcher.com/

Reviewed by Linda Goodman

            One of Virginia’s hidden treasures, Anthony Burcher may think “he ain’t right,” but those who have had the pleasure of hearing him tell stories know that he is not only right, he is righteous. He can take an ordinary, everyday habit, like eating Tic Tacs, and turn it into a comedic tour de force that has his audience in stitches and his pants…. well, let’s not go there.

            The story about the afore mentioned Tic Tacs is titled Minty Freshness, which, believe it or not, is not always a good thing; especially when you are teaching a room full of elementary school children about John Smith and Pocahontas.

            The Junkyard compares/contrasts Anthony’s father’s “junkyard” world with his mother’s “pristine” world. The two are ever separated and crossing from one to the other can be quite the challenge, especially after you’ve been attacked by a barrel of oil.

            Sunday Dinner made me yearn for yesteryear, when delectable food was made from scratch at home by master cooks in one’s own family. Of course, some home cooked dinners make better stories than others. Rotten vinegar, for instance, can cause quite a sensation.

            Bower of Table is Anthony’s own hilarious rendition of the Tower of Babel, found in the Bible book of Genesis. Anthony’s version is reminiscent of Archie Campbell’s telling of Cinderella on the television show Hee Haw.

Anthony Burcher knows how to create a fabulous story and tell it uniquely well. He also knows how to make his audience feel at home. I was in the audience at Stonehouse Presbyterian Church when Anthony recorded this album live. His zany facial expressions and gestures enhanced each tale, and his audience was in the palm of his hand – exactly where they wanted to be.