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- "Ralph Covert is a witty and engaging songwriter. It's relatively rare for rock lyrics to hold your attention, but Covert's do. His melodies have a tendency to etch themselves into your brain." - Moira McCormick
STAR PUBLICATIONS (suburban
Chicago)
"The Bad Examples churn out 11 new songs of smart lyrics and catchy melodies
on Kisses 50¢."
ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER
"Eat At Godot's has some of the deepest, most heartfelt songwriting
Covert has ever offered."
- "Ralph Covert's ability to craft engaging melodies and witty lyrics make writing pop songs seem almost as easy as riding a bicycle."
- "'Not Dead Yet' bristles with rock'n'roll verve and energy." - Bill Dalton
BLURR
"...it's exceptional to find a band with as much genuine aptitude as The
Bad Examples..."
CITY PAGES
"The Bad Examples are a group that can walk the line between pop craft and
bar-band entertainment. The proof is...'Cheap Beer Night.'." - Jim
Walsh
BOSTON ROCK
"The Bad Examples are a watershed of talent. Each performance is as fresh
as the first, and they have a near zero bullshit factor -- and that ain't
easy when you're playing what is essentially pop music." - Michael Lipton
STEREO REVIEW
"'Cheap Beer Night' is a hot live set from Chicago's smartest pop
band."
- "Chicago's smartest pop rockers return with another fab collection of heartfelt, tuneful musings (on Kisses 50¢)." - Steve Simels
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"...a local quartet with a bright pop sound along the lines of The Rembrants
and Squeeze. Front man Ralph Covert shared other similarities with the latter,
including a penchant for clever songs packed with metaphor and irony. Covert
certainly merited the spotlight: His singing was strong, his knees hyper-extended
as he bounced around joyfully, and his charm was obvious."
- "...energetic original, upbeat, "song-oriented" rock...
- "...solid, eclectic, and sublime..."
CHICAGO READER
"In a pop music scene where danceability and attitude often take precedence
over melody and lyrics, The Bad Examples are a rare example of a band where
the song comes first."
THE FORTNIGHTLY COLLEGE RADIO
REPORT
"with traces of Elvis Costello and Jim Croce, Covert has an excellent voice
and a knack for writing strong, pretty melodies, and presents his songs
with feeling..."
SHADOWBOXING
"...It shouldn't be long before they crack the great god, commercial radio..."
GRAND RAPIDS PRESS
"What distinguishes The Bad Examples from your typical bar band is Covert.
His songwriting is clever, witty, and even introspective without being pretentious."
- "The entire album (Bad Is Beautiful) is a winner. One of the best I've heard all year." - John D. Gonzalez
YELLOW PILLS
"Peppered with lyrical wit and stirred with care, this is stuff meant to
be savored so bring a small spoon and great expectations. These tunes are
eclectic but never run away from their melodic-rock home, although they
often hit both the attic and basement, sometimes even the garage. Like a
secret military operation, they happen right under your skin. Let's hear
it for Covert action! - Jordan Oakes
RIVER CITIES READER (Rock Island,
IL)
"This is great bar music...it has a terrific beat that will keep you dancing."
THE BEAT (Indiana)
"Ralph Covert, the incredibly talented songwriter... can easily be mentioned
in the same breath as James McMurtry, John Hiatt and Bruce Cockburn."
GOLDMINE
One of the top 50 essential U.S. power pop records. "Drop dead gorgeous
ballads, 'Faces In Picasso's Notebook'
and 'Squeezing The Puzzle Together,'
are two of the most emotionally-charged tunes you'll ever want to hear.
Bad Is Beautiful is a flat-out wonderful collection of thoughtful,
intelligent and witty pop songs that should be on a major label.
PRESS PUBLICATIONS (suburban
Chicago)
"Covert is a prolific songwriter by anyone's standards."
TWIN CITIES READER
"I'm sold on these Bad Examples. They've also been a hit with Stereo Review,
the Amsterdam's Hell's Angels, and the 'Mountain Stage' radio show-- you
find a thread there, I can't." - Tom Surowicz
ROCK ISLAND ARGUS
"Kisses 50¢ is another iridescent explosion of pop that builds
upon their last studio album."
SOUTHTOWN ECONOMIST (Chicago)
"With [Kisses 50¢] The Bad Examples continue their brand of
energetic and witty pop-rock."
CREATIVE LOAFING
"This Chicago band's sound (assisted by Shoes' Jeff Murphy) is bristly,
catchy poprock: tight harmonies, bouncy rhythms with playful thefts from
outside genres, and hummable-strummable guitar hooks.
SOUTH END (Detroit)
"Covert's singing is the real story. He's got a whale of a voice."
ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER
"Ralph Covert has a unique lyrical gift for taking the obvious, twisting
it left, right sideways-- and hooking your ear inescapably in the process."
-John Everson
RAM
"'Cheap Beer Night' features more of the brilliant, thought-provoking,
witty, and often humorous lyrics from Ralph Covert's unusual mind." -Judith
Petty
FROM EARS AND MOUTH
"...good lyrics wrapped around intelligent melodies...songs that will withstand
time..."
LUMPEN TIMES (Chicago)
"Each song tells a moving story, and the lyrics are strikingly evocative."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"Bad Is Beautiful is one of the finest exhibitions of songcraft to
come out in quite some time." - Chris Heim
SHOWCASE CHICAGO
"Kisses 50¢ is another fine helping of crunch guitar pop that
has made (The Bad Examples) one of our longest running live attractions.
Covert has a knack for capturing that certain range of emotions and putting
them down into prose that we can empathize with."
THE LITTLE RHINO GAZETTE
"...not in a long, long time have I been this excited about a new band..."
DAILY GAZETTE (Charleston,
W. VA)
"The group sends out bushels of fresh, positive energy; no pretensions,
no dung, just catchy, intelligent original tunes. I don't think you'll realize
how rare or refreshing the experience is unless you see them." - Michael
Lipton
CAPITAL TIMES (Madison)
"'Statue By The Phone' is a delicious
piece of pop that sounds like Squeeze combined with Crowded House."
OOR (Holland)
"The inevitable mortality of all things is the theme of this intimate solo
debut, which Covert, emotionally naked, wrenches out of his heart without
annoying self-pity. The absolute high point of the album [is] 'Adam
McCarthy.' Overall, ' Eat At Godot's ' comes across most deeply
as an expression of his own turbulent soul."
NORTHWEST PHOENIX (Chicago,
IL)
[On Kisses 50¢]
"Covert writes the songs to sheer perfection. If you are going to buy any
disk soon, make it this one."
SUPERTRAMP
"If this were a contest for great songwriting and performing, Ralph Covert
and The Bad Examples would win." -Dougie Thompson
DAILY DIGITAL OPINION
"When the record ended, I wanted more....Their humanity and honesty has
made me a fan." -JF Parnell
THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE
"...vibrant guitar pop with a conscience..."
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