CITA - Heat Of Emotion
Tracks :- Far Behind Heat Of Emotion Life Goes On Endless Summer Livin 4 Somebody Else Fly Angel Fly Miles Away Say A Prayer Can't We Make It I'll Cry No More Find My Way Cold Sweat Total Playing Time : 56:41 mins:secs Producer : Bobby Barth Label : MTM Music Year : 1996
Something a bit spooky happened when I ordered this. On a Saturday I phoned up to order this CD. In the afternoon, I downloaded my email to find a message from Bobby Barth saying that he had stumbled across Mood Swings and giving me some information on the new Axe record. I get a bit nervous about what I say in reviews when I think that someone involved in the project is likely to read it.
This is the second album by CITA, or Caught In The Act as they used to be known. The first listen made me think of bands like Fair Warning, Eyes etc. It's hard not to like this. The combination of melody and controlled power is faultlessly executed.
Most of the uptempo numbers work very well. The high quality of the songs is fairly well maintained throughout. Highlight for me are :- Far Behind, Heat Of Emotion, Livin 4 Somebody Else, Fly Angel Fly & Cold Sweat. Fly Angel Fly has a JLT era Rainbow feel to it.
If the title 'Cold Sweat' seems familiar to some of you, that's because it's a cover of the Thin Lizzy song. Hmmm, cover versions aren't what I like to see on albums, but here it is the 'bonus track'. Another reason why it's acceptable in this case is that it finishes the album on a rocking note. If it wasn't for this track it would have finished on a power ballad, which I always think is a bit lame, unless it is a very strong song.
This brings me onto the ballads. Miles Away, for example. It's a decent enough power ballad, it's just not that original. In my opinion a good album is has been let down by the slower numbers.
I have the feeling that I should like this album more than I actually do. This album would be a worthy addition to any melodic hard rock collection. Maybe I'm getting a bit jaded, I just find it hard to get enthusiastic about it. In my book it's competent, rather than awe-inspiring. So you might like to add an extra point in the rating, to compensate for my personal reaction which I'm sure isn't typical.
Rating : 7
