The liner notes of Workin’ For The Music Man offer a fairly honest perspective of Romano’s life a rambling, folk troubadour. The notion of naming his first born after the person that would give him his first “Hit,” and the fact that one track Romano recorded enjoyed a run up the charts in Sweden in 1984 gives you an idea of the desperate but imminent notion of Romano’s need for folk music. He’s a purist. There’s nothing too flashy on this recording, which many would have mistaken for a new release but is indeed a re-release of a 1987 recording. The flashes of brilliance that are scattered throughout Workin’ For The Music Man, such as the Dylan-esque “Poor Girls of Ontario” and the loose, countrified feel of “A Losing Song” definitely give weight to Romano’s struggle as that lonely troubadour. But the whole recording has a very tongue-in-cheek feel that insists Romano always has his sights set elsewhere.
The recording is not jumbled by any means. There’s a persistent, sunset-tinged shuffle that carries all of these tracks, from the harmonious “My Greatest Mistake” to the growing, eccentric rumble of the opening, title track. Though many of the tracks on Workin’ For The Music Man borrow from traditional folk songs, Romano’s unique vision and voice is clear to any who will lend an ear to his country/folk fusion.
By Joshua Kloke
[Rating: 3.5/5]