This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
“Of all the things I’ve lost this year, I miss my mind the most,” croons Paul Hyde on The Big Book of Sad Songs Vol. 1.
Well, after sitting through this bland collection of stark, sad-sack acoustic-guitar ballads, you might miss a few things too. Specifically, you might miss the old Hyde — the guy who was in The Payola$ and Rock and Hyde; the guy who wrote great big hooky pop songs; the guy who knew how to plug in an electric guitar. Sure, there are plenty of lines like those above that prove Hyde’s keen lyrical talent hasn’t deserted him. I just wish I could say the same for his musical ambition. Sometimes, Paul, you need to realize that less is just — well, less.
