On 28th July 2003 Jim LaForest of Buzzine.com reviewed Kasim Sulton's latest album Quid Pro Quo. Unfortunately that review has now been removed from the site so this is the review (reproduced unedited):
Quid Pro Quo, winner of Kweevak.com “2003 Viewer’s Choice Award” is a tasty mix of artistic expression with meaningful lyrics and infectious hooks. This is a very dynamic self-produced record with strong emotion and a great feel. Kasim has put incredible writing, both lyrically and musically, together with an awesome production and performance. The recording covers enough of the music spectrum to offer a flavor for just about everyone. You’ll experience a wide variety of selections from a live acoustic/vocal performance “Don’t Hold Me Back”, a patriotic high energy ballad “We the People” (written pre-9/11), some doo-wop in “Over For Now”, a bit of semi-progressive, to full-on mainstream rock/pop with “Sacrifice” and “The One Sure Thing” and others. I found myself letting all the songs play through completely without skipping to the next track. This even surprised me since most CDs nowadays put me in search mode for the few tracks that may warrant a full listen the first time.
The title of the album alone says a lot…Quid Pro Quo: basically means “I give you something, and you give me a little something in return”. You give Kasim (or the record company) a little something, you get a lot in return, and then some more (like the Utopia-ish bonus track). This is typical of the whole album where you will find Kasim’s lyrics finding a fit within your own life, where the lyrics have “meaning with melody”. If you are, ever have been, or might become, a fan of Todd Rundgren, Utopia, Meat Loaf, and/or the Beatles, you will surely find this CD taking many spins under the laser. It is a bit a of a shame that Kasim’s work has not yet made the mainstream, because more than one track could make the charts if played on the air. Tracks 3 and 10, “the One Sure Thing” and “Goodbye”, are two that are definitely worthy of commercial play. Don’t be surprised if someday one or more of these tracks become part of a soundtrack for a major motion picture.
Kasim Sulton, a brief introduction:
If by chance you don’t recognize Kasim by his name, you would surely recognize his contributions to Rock/pop in the past few decades. He is respected the world over for his work with other artists including Todd Rundgren and Utopia, Meat Loaf, Joan Jett, Hall & Oates, Patti Smith, Patty Smyth, Mick Jagger, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, and Celine Dion, to name just a few. His level of involvement has ranged from playing bass, keyboards, and/or guitar, to adding vocal harmonies, singing lead, contributing as a songwriter, to producing entire albums, as he did with the Meat Loaf VH-1 Storytellers CD, released in 1999. There is little Kasim has not done in his 25+ years in the music industry.
Kasim is currently touring with Meat Loaf supporting Meat’s new record “Couldn’t Have Said It Better” (USA single release 8/15/03, album in September). Kasim plays bass, sings backing vocals, and is Meat Loaf’s Music Director. Kasim also opens the show, with a short set of his own stuff, when Cyndi Lauper does not. I saw the show last year as a non-Meat fan, but was converted by Meat Loaf’s sheer entertainment value and the talent/tightness of the band. Kasim says the show is possibly the best that Mr. Loaf has put together in years (and incidentally may be his last World tour). I suggest you check it out, no matter what your food group preference, because you will be entertained, to say the least.
For additional information regarding Kasim Sulton and Quid Pro Quo, go to: kasimsulton.com and/or kasiminfo.com
The Quid Pro Quo CD can be purchased online at SphereSound OR at any upcoming Kasim Sulton performances, including all Meat Loaf shows.
note: The tracks “Where Is My Soul” and “Remember” are covers but all production, performance, and engineering was performed by Kasim Sulton. Additional instrumentation was performed by Jordan Berliant (electric rhythm guitar on “We The People”) and Doug Kennedy (lead guitar on “We The People”).
One more thing… A portion of the proceeds from this CD will be donated to Kids Against Cancer. This is a cool thing!