Reviews

Review of the album "Dick Feller Wrote"
- from Billboard 12/7/74:
Here unquestionably is one of the finest writers of our times, an observer, a reporter, a chronicler. And the album contains his songs, some of which he has written for others, some of which he has saved for himself or previously released as a single. Again it's unusual that a couple of story-tellers should have great albums out the same week. Best cuts: "Nobody Rides a Train,' "The Thing That Kept Me Going," and "Jerico Springs." Dealers: The philosophy on the liner notes are worth the price, and the lyrics inside bear it all out.

The album "Some Days Are Diamonds"
- from Billboard 10/25/75:
Feller is a story teller and one of the best. His songs all tell a story--some funny, some sad and some off the beaten path. This is a collection of some of his best. All the selections were written by Feller. Good production overall. Best cuts: "Money Trouble and Love," "Let It Ride" (which is done in two parts), and "Richard's Slide Blues." Dealers: Display country and pop.

"Some Days Are Diamonds",
by Pemberton Roach, All-Music Guide:
Although Some Days Are Diamonds doesn't contain any big hit songs like 1973's Dick Feller Wrote ("Lord Mr. Ford," "Biff the Friendly Purple Bear"), it contains examples of the country songwriter's craft as perfect as one is likely to find. For inventiveness, skill with rhyme and attention to detail, Dick Feller had few equals in the '70s (Roger Miller and Tom T. Hall come to mind) and Some Days Are Diamonds contains some of his choicest material. In addition, the crack Nashville session cats who play on the record are given a chance to stretch out on some fun, quirky songs. On "More or Less," legendary picker Reggie Young plays an amazingly "out" fuzz guitar solo which has more in common with John McLaughlin than it does with Chet Atkins or Jerry Reed. The stripped down, funky arrangements are always interesting, and Feller's nasal voice rides atop the music like an old man shouting hilarious comments from the peanut gallery. While Feller occasionally dips into the drippy ("Louie/Don't Give Up On Me"), his lyrics are so well crafted that even his missteps read like poetry. Although he is perhaps an acquired taste, much in the same way as Warren Zevon, Randy Newman or the aforementioned Roger Miller, Dick Feller is certainly one of the most underrated and creative writers/performers of his time, and Some Days Are Diamonds is one of his best efforts.

"Uncle Hiram And The Homemade Beer",
Billboard review, November 1975:
What Phil Harris did for cigarettes Dick Feller does for beer in this left field loony tune. One of Nashville's greatest talents, Feller sails through a rapid-fire recitation that jocks and listeners will love. Poor Uncle Hiram brews a batch of homemade beer that explodes into an exciting finale. Asylum is the perfect place for the wacky Feller ... and the country chart is the perfect place for Feller's frenetic song.

Review of the album "Audiograph Alive",
by Bob Powel,
in Country Music People, Volume 14, No. 12 December 1983:
Dick Feller
Audiograph Alive ***
If Dick has had an album released since his one on Asylum in 1975, nobody told me about it, so what a pity after the best part of a decade, he does only two tracks that he has not recorded before. It is understandable of course, as he has chosen to sing some of his most successful numbers that were hits for Jerry Reed and Johnny Cash, among others. Of the old songs, Dick does a fine version of "Any Old Wind That Blows" and his classic "The Credit Card Song", which is nice to have on an album as it was only on the later pressings of the 1974 album "Dick Feller Wrote" on United Artists. The two newer numbers are both enjoyable, with "Good Head Of Steam" having shades of "Lord Mr. Ford" in it, and the funny "Instant Glue" is another of the talking blues type numbers that Dick does so well. Looks like I will have to wait a little longer for a complete album of new Dick Feller songs.

Concert review, Cleethorpes, England,
by John Stafford,
in Country Music People Volume 11, No. 9 September 1980:
Dick Feller
Winther Gardens, Cleethorpes
I CAN’T ever recall being so impressed by a solo performance as I was with that of Dick Feller’s on the opening concert (June 5) of his first British visit. Despite the fact that he had only arrived in the country at noon the same day (and after what turned out to be a 12-hour flight), then driving close on 200 miles from Gatwick to Cleethorpes, Dick still managed to put across almost two hours of superb entertainment – entertainment with a capital "E".
It was so refreshing to watch a little-known artist come over here and have the confidence (and the ability) to work a complete concert of self-written material . . . the only exceptions being two brilliantly picked guitar instrumentals, "Cannonball Rag" and "Duelling Banjos". One of the first things that hits you about Feller is his humour, a rare madness that was his first brought to our attention via Jerry Reed’s recording of Dick’s "Lord Mr. Ford". The same cynical approach to life was heard many times during the evening with a wide variety of subjects taking a hammering; coin machines, home-made beers, energy problems, dreams, marriage . . . it was almost a case of ’give me a subject and I’ll sing you a song about it’. On the more serious side, we were given the original treatment of such songs as "Any Old Wind That Blows" (a big hit for Johnny Cash back in ’73) and the beautiful "Biff The Friendly Purple Bear".
Many of you will have seen the name of Dick Feller as a session musician on albums by such artists as Guy Clark, Mel Tillis, Jerry Jeff Walker and Mike Auldridge and having watched Feller’s technique, his demand is easy to understand. His picking is clean and very accurate and, as you would expect, is used to great effect to enhance the songs he sings . . . but really it’s pointless highlighting one particular point of the man’s talent – he is simply ’a complete entertainer’ and if ever Mervyn Conn is looking for a Wembley compere, then he need look no further. Like Ronnie Prophett, Dick Feller is more than capable of maintaining audience interest either with a song, an instrumental or just a story and I would dearly love to see him on the Wembley stage.
This review would not be complete without special mention of two songs: "Making The best Of A Bad Situation" (one of the funniest songs I’ve heard in years) and "The Credit Card Song", a song with a real twist in its tale. If you think I’m now a Dick Feller fan . . . then you’re right . . . if you’re not a Dick Feller fan, then you haven’t yet seen him.