Patti Rothberg has released two new albums in 2021, Pizza Box and Douche. The following review will be on Pizza Box, and another review for Douche will be published soon. Pizza Box is an interesting concept, it features unreleased music from a variety of projects. It is a compilation album that includes songs that belong to the classic rock genre, some of which feature layers of sound from other genres in order to generate innovative sound within traditional rock music. Before analyzing the music, it is important to note that as a music critic, I enjoyed listening to the entire album. I’ve listened to it about three times looking to discover and learn about the artist’s approach to music. I had a lot of fun along the way. It reminded me of being in a record store back in the 2000s and finding a rare copy of Prince’s Crystal Ball, which featured many unreleased tracks from the 80s (for only $14.99). I had as much fun listening to the tracks on Pizza Box as I did Crystal Ball. The best part about analyzing Pizza Box is that as a listener there is a lot to learn regarding the vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation for each song. Listeners will discover the versatility and artistry that makes Patti’s music unique.
Pizza Box (Intro): Patti tells her audience how she liked the sound and the idea of making a box set entitled Pizza Box. She discusses the process of learning her first guitar chord to making and producing music without outside assistance. She details collaborations with Dave Greenberg with “More that a Million” and Freddie Katz on bass with “Freaky Girl”.
T and a and Sympathy: the song starts with thriving guitar and drum sounds that underscore Patti’s excellent vocals. The lyrics suggest audiences should be careful with whom they share their secrets.
Tomorrow: the song begins with acoustic guitar and vocals, which are both amplified by drums that appear within the music. Toward the middle/ending of the song the melody is played on the piano and it makes the production sound excellent. The song has an important message regarding focusing on today rather than tomorrow.
Coffee in the Sky: has a wonderfully crafted classic rock sound that starts with drum beats and ends with an entire arrangement of instruments and vocals that is similar to other great rock bands like The Beatles.
Things: the instrumentation, lyrics and vocals are like a tapestry, collaborating with each other by creating a circular sound that takes the audience around and puts a strong emphasis on how things in life may change.
Thirsty: has an excellent mixture of piano and drums with a unique vocal that is reminiscent of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain.
Better Than Before: contains a production that places emphasis on the pop elements of the song, the vocals are extraordinary and the lyrics are about the importance of having good karma.
Casting Couch: is a pop song that encourages people to be themselves rather than someone else in order to get the part or achieve other goals in life. Here is a link to the music video, filmed, directed and produced by Patti’s sister Suzanne Rotherberg: Casting Couch
More Than a Million: the electronic dance and rock n’ roll elements work collaboratively on this track and the vocals are strong and tell a story. At this point in the album it is clear that the artist’s lyrics have an incredible beginning, middle and ending-telling a complete story. The song reminds me of tracks by David Bowie and other great pop musicians.
Freaky Girl: the bass and drum lay the foundation for the track and the piano chords in the middle of the song sound excellent. The vocals and lyrics are also strong in this song.
Salesman: is a pop track that places a lot of emphasis on the lyrics of the song which is about people who try to be something they’re not instead of pursuing true love.
Foreva Love: the vocals sound fantastic over the pop production; the song is about focusing on finding a love that last forever instead of one that is here today, gone tomorrow. The track is reminiscent of pop artists like Madonna.
Love Is Blind: is about placing emphasis on the lyrics, vocals and the story they tell. It makes a bold statement that love is blind. The instrumentation is light in this song to put more emphasis on the vocals. There is also an incredible sound at the beginning of the song that sounds intergalactic, almost like landing on the moon. This sound grabbed my attention from the beginning and it took me directly to the message of the song.
Sugar & Spice (Nbc): has a quick hitting rock n’ roll guitar sound and vocals with lyrics that describe what girls are made of.
Bipolar Barbie: is a brilliant commercial for a bipolar doll, the song is catchy, humorous and fun to listen to.
Guy in a Store: the electric guitar underscores a production that is filled with light sounds in much the same way as the band Chicago. The vocals are excellent and the lyrics describe a love story.
Pirate Radio: the opening sounds are a mixture of songs that the artist has made throughout her career, starting with her first hit “Inside”. It is similar to the opening video played at live concerts for Michael Jackson’s History Tour. The bass and drums are upbeat, the vocals and lyrics are about things in life not being so easy to patch up. The whistling section in the middle of the song on top of the other production elements bring a fun sound to the song and an energy in much the same way as Prince does on “Play in the Sunshine”.
As a Rule: wonderful piano chords played up-tempo, underscoring the artist’s love for someone through excellent vocals and great songwriting.
Petri Dish Mustache: is a slower tempo with guitar and drum and tells the story regarding a man that may be hiding from being his true self.
Very Little: the acoustic guitar and piano underscore a folk-like vocal that tells a significant and humorous story on the lyrics’ central figure.
Bullets: tells the story of a woman who thought she found her forever love only to find out that he is the complete opposite. The instruments are soft which puts a lot of emphasis on the vocals and lyrics.
Completely Blue: has strong vocals and lyrics, the artist shows off her vocal range with a variety of melodies and harmonies throughout the song.
Fame Whore: the drum and piano underscore lyrics that describe certain people who want to be in the limelight without dedicating themselves to something and being their true self instead of the persona of a “Fame Whore”
How Bad You Were: is a song about a relationship that has gone sour because the singer realizes that the other person in the relationship is bad with many different aspects of his life and their relationship in general. The harmonies and melodies on this song are a standout and sound fantastic.
I Love You, I Hate You: excellent acoustic guitar, powerful vocals and lyrics that focus on the complications of relationships.
Last in Line: electronic dance track with a variety of harmonies and melodies sung by the artist.
Lost Forever in Your Eyes: has an interesting juxtaposition of a pop instrumentation in collaboration with a rock n’ roll vocal that produces nice harmonies and melodies.
Negatives: wonderful piano chords underscore a powerful vocal, generating emotions through melodies that audiences can feel.
Nice Guy: is about people that do not live up to their expectations and are deceptive in their ways; a steady drum beat and harmonies and melodies create this excellent sounding track.
No Cock, No Balls, No Heart: beautiful piano and vocals work together excellently and the lyrics put a love interest’s ideas and behaviors into question with strong lyrics that are both dynamic and humorous.
Too Bad: every part of the production works together seamlessly. The guitar, piano and drums are played well and are brought to life by excellent vocals and strong songwriting.
Coffee in the Sky (Demo): is an impressive demo as it sounds close to the finished song. After all the production elements are added to the demo, the final product had a The Beatles quality to it. However, after listening to the demo and the finished song again it is apparent that the sounds during the chorus have a psychedelic sound similar to some of the tracks on Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix.
Somewhere to Be: every production element works well together in this song. The instrumentation is perfect and the singing is incredible. The song is a strong showcase of the artist’s skills as a singer-songwriter.
Living in a Dream: showcases the artist’s incredible singing range over some great-sounding piano chords.
Buttercream Dream: is about finding ways to get over life’s obstacles and discover a way to utopia. The song’s powerful message comes through the songwriting that is just as good as the instrumentation.
Lollipop Moon: is a rock n’ roll song that tells a good story through songwriting and features a psychedelic sound that is a part of the classic rock genre.
Convince Me: is a classic rock song that features electric guitar and drums that underscore wonderful vocals and another example of outstanding song writing by the artist.
New Perception: causes audiences to understand the imagery that is present within the artist’s sound through good songwriting.
See Me This Way: is my favorite song on the album. The acoustic guitar, tambourine and excellent vocals put emphasis on the extraordinary lyrics. This is one of many very well written songs by the artist.
Burnin’ Thru: is an interesting pop production that is juxtaposed against a strong rock vocal; it creates a multlayered, unique sound of music.
Clock Work: a mixture of piano and drums places emphasis on lyrics that suggest that life has its perks, but we are all bound by time that is important not to waste in our short lives.
Without a Spell: is a creative song regarding an abusive relationship. The extraordinary songwriting gives audiences the opportunity to discover what the abusive partner was like. The vocals and lyrics are very strong on this track and it is easy to follow the description of the abuser from start to finish and the impact it has on the relationship.
Powers That Be: includes spoken word and singing throughout the verses that carries a powerful message.
Smokin Somethin: is a critique on certain types of people whom are inauthentic, and hollower than they are real. The instrumentation is a sample of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and the lyrics “Wanna Be Startin Somethin”. The artist also includes a sample of “Get on the Floor” from the King of Pop’s Off the Wall Album. The artist’s vocals are exceptional throughout this fun song.
Urgent: is a quick, hard-hitting song with steady drums and electric guitar. The artist establishes what she wants through lyrics and how she expects it to be urgent. The vocals are really good on this song as well, it shows her versatility.
Is That All There Is?: questions a few scenarios in life, asking is that all there is? These situations may be a big deal to most people, but the artist is asserting that they are not as big of a deal as one might think. The lyrics seem to provide a prescription for the person that takes life too seriously and recommends for them to keep on dancing in spite of the challenges that may occur in life.
Bonus: Upcoming single “NYC Man”: the upcoming single is close to being finished; I had the opportunity to preview it. The song sounds fantastic. The instrumentation is classic rock and the artist delivers vocals that sound great over the electric guitar. After adding a couple more production elements “NYC Man” has the potential to be another hit for the artist.
Somewhere to Be (Alternative Version Not Found on Pizza Box): is about finding a place where you can just be yourself in a variety of different scenarios; this approach promotes freedom and individual expression rather than keeping your true feelings on the inside. You can listen to this version of “Somewhere to Be” here: https://soundcloud.com/entertainsr/somewhere-to-be