UPDATED 6/23/05: Dan's cancer journal (29 installments to date) is available for those interested in an in-depth story of one man's journey through diagnosis, treatment, and what we hope will be recovery from a brain tumor. Click HERE.
The album’s origins began with a handful of songs written during the spring of 2002, which reflected Dan's growing disenchantment with popular culture. After five or six songs had been written, Dan was diagnosed with a brain tumor. (see link above) Since the same culture that inspired the first batch of songs changed very little during his recovery, he continued to write them. Once he had eleven, Dan enlisted some long-time musical friends to record them. The support and love of these friends and the energy of the project itself helped Dan deal with the ups and downs of his treatment.

Now available as a CD, "Bigger Is Better" is the result of those sessions. Stylistically diverse, with a generally unplugged sound that varies from irreverent country to Americana to anthemic rock & roll, Dan’s “friends” (musicians he’s played with for more than ten years) supply catchy and inventive backing vocals as a counterpoint to Dan’s straightforward, rough-hewn delivery and down-home guitar and dobro playing. Anne Nachtrieb Zesiger, an accomplished artist with several albums to her credit, adds beautifully-sung and arranged harmonies throughout. Michael Woods’ distinctive Telecaster spans a broad range from Sun Records-style picking to moody atmospherics to grinding grunge. Two bassists (John Gomes and Paul Lamb) each appear on about half the songs, combining with drummer Joe Paulino to form a tight yet supple rhythm section. Paulino also engineered and produced the disc, giving it a clear, distinctive sound and adding hilariously apt sound effects.

Among the album’s highlights are “Big Ol’ Thing,” a cowboy-styled ode to sport utility vehicles, “Glowing Screen,” a Celtic-tinged pub singalong portraying video games as “the cult of the glowing screen” (dedicated to Reich’s two teenage sons) and “When I Retire,” a lament by a former Enron worker with a busted retirement plan, punctuated by a twangy dobro and gospel-style harmonies. “So Much,” a poignant meditation on mid-life, avoids the humor on most of the tracks in favor of a strong melody and meaningful statement that could hold its own on an album by any number of better-known songwriters.

Dan is rigorously pursuing a program of alternative treatments and nurturing a long-dormant spiritual side, which has allowed him to regain his health. His biting wit remains as sharp as ever. Dan plans to follow “Bigger is Better” with live appearances and subsequent releases.
Dan Reich, fall 2003 (after the chemo period)