Full Resolution by Karen Mantero & Dennis Genovese

FULL RESOLUTION Review by Bruce Mooney, Entertainment Critic, The Courier Times, Roxboro, NC
FULL RESOLUTION is the fantastic 62(!) song catalog of singer/songwriters Dennis Genovese and Karen Mantero. Both great and interesting vocalists, their poetic and musical brilliance shines through on songs of love, love lost, loneliness, camaraderie, the human predicament, the trucking life, animal rights and the apocalypse. Inspired by the many genre's of classic rock, this is music for the coming resurgence of seriously meaningful rock and roll.
The vocals on FULL RESOLUTION are rich. Karen's voice is mellow and dramatic, making the listener feel the depths of the melody and the lyrics. There is a timbre to her voice that is simply beautiful. Her phrasing is most effective, adding to the silken quality of each song she sings. Karen's sounds like she could only be a young girl grown up on the mean streets of NYC in the 60's or 70's, raised on the NY girl groups of doo wop and akin to punk, Patty Smith, the Shangri-Las, with hints of swing era chanteuses.
Dennis' lush tenor voice enriches each of his vocals, endearing the listener to the song and the singer. His sincerity registers strongly , without melodrama, the voice of truth with a hunger that is very satisfying to hear, and most liable to prompt empathy.
Here are comments on just some of the valuable songs in this magical collection:
DREAM ON... A young man in trouble, sounds of the forlorn, haunted by memories, where the protagonist is "desperate to keep my sanity", this ode to lost love strikes a sympathetic chord to those who have been deserted. Aching guitar work supplements the sadness of this strikingly conceived song.
SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH is powerful. Opening with the terrible sounds of that awful day, the song bursts through the pain with fine lyrics of tribute to those "climbing with courage" seeking to save, tributes to those lost, tributes to those who remain to weep and wonder inconsolably. Never morose, this allegiance song is a treasure. "On September 11th a lot of Smokey's died". This incredible soundscape experiences the feeling we all had on that day. Dennis' vocal is very moving without trying to be. Truly a song for the ages. This song is a great example of what rock music is capable of.
TOUCH THE WIND has a sweet beginning but turns to a vocal resignation of accepting the permanent goodbye to a lover, "You said you'd never leave....what to believe" again-the lonely guitar, the mournful guitar; memories touching the wind. Karen's vocals are haunting. What a mood this songs creates.
MID-DECEMBER... Almost country, almost "British Invasion", if you will, Mid December launches immediately into the song-poet's lament on the beauty and sadness of love. The sadness is overcome with memories of the lover's loving past. A refreshing approach.
GET FREE..."This planet is headed for hell and I know we're gonna get there fast". An amazing treatise on how hard life can be and how the end of us all is near. Intense lyrics? You got 'em. A great rock song about the Apocalypse.
STRAY DOG may break your heart but you will also empathize with the singer-poet. The song begins as if we were in a church where a hymn is being played; the subject is indeed sacred. The music and lyrics continue as we share the love, the regret,. The singer mourns the dog "howling in the air / I hear him everywhere" and so will the listener. What a fine, fine song of reminder.
THIS TIME... Resignation to loss is a frequent theme in Full Resolution, though each approach is different. Here the guitar dominates over a nice rock groove. Classic sounding RnR.
TO HALF A HEART is a timely song that urges self identity, "You’ve got to be yourself". A gentle attack on posing, this song is like a mirror for us all. "and it's over, nothing left to hide now". Another great "classic rock" arrangement on this song.
WE ARE CFAR is one of the most powerful songs in the collection. A tribute to the big cats of the preserve in Florida. There's a great video of this song on YouTube, showing the incredible animals. A heartfelt plea for compassion, a demanding melody, unforgettable.
WATERHOLE QUARRY...Terrific vocal by Dana Miller, this "get free" song quest prompted in the title is a triumph over lost love."Free to cry out my pain" and on to a liberating stance. Refreshing!
TIN MAN BLUES...For a few years Dennis worked as a trucker, and a number of songs in the collection remember those years and those he met. This is perhaps the best of those songs, recalling Sandberg's tribute to the working man in the poem CHICAGO. Here we have the strong and beautiful bonds that tie this land together.
FIRE IN THE SUN... About the moments of fear that arise when contemplating the cosmos and life itself. "There's a fire in the sun, do you know who you are?" There's a scary "cosmic" video of this song on YouTube as well.
MONSTERS ON THE ROAD is a grand tribute to a familiar though sometimes overlooked piece of Americana. The throbbing bass gives emphasis to the importance of those marvelous tractors. As the vocal proclaims the tribute, the music swells and so does your heart; one of the most stirring tunes in the album.
UP DOWN belongs on the sound track of a movie about a mysterious child with a dark side. A mysterious, intriguing melody and mood.
FISHFRY sounds like a song from the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era of the 1930's. Wonderful accompaniment with a hint of New Orleans nobility leaves this sad but hopeful song resonating in your head long after the song is finished.
Memories that sting yet won't go away, solitude that forever haunts, consolation that refuses to be threatened, and compassion that overwhelms the listener's feelings for "little Fishfry" are the ties that bind this awesome song together. A song to praise the power of music.


FULL RESOLUTION is an awesome catalog of great music and lyrics.
https://dennisgenovese.bandcamp.com/releases (See the website by clicking on the title rather than the preview play button.)

Dennis Genovese was signed to Columbia Records by
Clive Davis at age 18.
He began producing and engineering artists and opened his first of 2 commercial recording studios in 1980.

He has produced, arranged and engineered and mixed over 130 recordings and along with Karen Mantero has written over 120 songs.

Between Jan. 2005 and Sept. 2010 he taught Audio Production at Seminole State College.

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