Brad Darrid - Brad Darrid

Tracks:

Coral Stones
Guilt Trip
If Loves Not Enough
Friday Night
Broken
Only One
Trying To Forget
Misery
Midnight Train
Dancing In The Streets
Given Up
The Jester, The King

Label: Escape Music Ltd
Year: 1997
Producer: Paul Laine

Total Playing Time: 50:48 m:s

A couple of years ago, when the man himself was at the height of his powers, I'd have been tempted to dismiss Brad Darrid as an unnecessary Bryan Adams clone. OK, so I've mentioned him. I toyed with the idea of writing this review without mentioned Bryan Adams, but that would be too much like hard work. It would be like trying to write a Shadow Gallery review and not mentioning Dream Theater i.e. virtually impossible.

Now that Bryan appears to be past his 'Use By' date and going downhill faster than Franz Klammer ever used to, I'm more inclined to give this a chance. Musically and vocally, Bryan Adams is the major reference point. Further refinement of the description could well include mentions of Jon Bon Jovi and to some extent Jude Cole.

Coral Stones is a good beginning and shows the BA influence right from the start. I can't think of anything interesting to say about the following rocking Guilt Trip and mid-tempo rockers If Love's Not Enough and Friday Night other than - think BA. Similarly, with the ballads Broken and Only One.

Trying To Forget has a mid-West feel that mixes you know who with Jude Cole. These Days era Bon Jovi gets added to the underlying formula on Misery. Midnight Train reminds me of the Jimmy Barnes song 'The Last Frontier'. A brass section and female backing vocals add some variation on Dancing In The Streets.

Giving Up is an unremarkable ballad. The album either finishes off with a poignant ballad or a complete wimp out, depending upon your point of view, with The Jester, The King.

My highlights would all be selected from the mid-tempo rockers and I'll pick Coral Stones and Misery as two of my favourites.

This has been on the other side of a tape with Radio Silence, which has been receiving heavy airplay in my car. It doesn't reach the excellence of Radio Silence, but I haven't been fast-forwarding it either.

Rating: 7