Biography
Richard X. Heyman ranks among the underrecognized masters of pop songcraft from the '90s, yet enthusiasts within power pop circles consistently hail his albums as immediate classics. Starting in the late '80s, he adopted the approach of a solitary studio obsessive and one-man band, performing every instrument on his own inside the living room of his Upper West Side Manhattan apartment, which he dubbed Brontasaurus in tribute to the Move's well-known track. His first release was the independent Actual Size EP in 1987, followed the next year by the full-length Living Room!!. Strong grassroots discussion prompted Cypress Records to reissue that album in 1990 with minor alterations. In 1990 he secured a contract with Sire and delivered the Andy Paley-produced Hey Man! in 1991. Weak commercial performance prompted the label to release him, yet he kept on taping material—by his own count enough for several albums—while pursuing another agreement. Cornerstone reached completion in 1996, though Permanent Press Records did not issue it across the country until early 1998. Late in 2000 he put out the Heyman, Hoosier & Herman EP, which included former Herman's Hermits vocalist Peter Noone singing the title track along with six leftover recordings from the Cornerstone sessions. Basic Glee appeared in 2002, with the Rightovers compilation arriving the following year. In 2007 Heyman brought back the Actual Size EP, this time expanded by fourteen previously unheard tracks.
Albums
