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Vivian Slade - Vivian Slade
Saturday, 03 April, 1999
Vivian Slade - Vivian Slade | ||
Tracks:
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Album Cover: ![[Image]](../../Images/vivianslade.jpg) |
Label: Human Art Records Producers: Vivian Slade & Todd Barr Promotion: Abbott Promotions Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 45:30 m:s Review date: 3 May 1999 |
| Web site: www.vivianslade.com , Abbott Promotions | ||
| Rating: 7.5 | ||
| Verdict: A refreshing alternative for open minded rock fans. | ||
| This is another diversion from traditional Mood Swings territory. Vivian Slade is a female singer songwriter whose music I find hard to categorise. A potential description is Joni Mitchell meets Natalie Imbrulgia, perhaps a bit of Tori Amos. Acoustic/folk, rock and jazz all go into creating the Vivian Slade sound. This music might be a bit left of centre and a bit too acoustic for many Mood Swings visitors, but for the more open minded rock fans an interesting & intelligent album awaits. The songs are well executed and sung with passion and conviction, with Vivian matching the mood of the song with her vocals. It is the sort of album where you might just listen to the words or start reading the lyric sheet and forget about the music for a couple of moments just to find out what is going on in Vivian's head. The lyrics aren't just an afterthought but are as equally important as the music. If you are fed up with cheesy AOR lyrics and pointless guitar solos, then this will provide a refreshing alternative. | ||
Blue Yard Garden - No Good Sundays
Saturday, 03 April, 1999
Blue Yard Garden - No Good Sundays | ||
Tracks:
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Album Cover: ![[Image]](../../Images/byg.gif) |
Label: Empyrean Producers: BYG & Bob DeWald Promotion: Abbott Promotions Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 64:06 m:s Review date: 3 May 1999 |
| Web site: http://www.blueyardgarden.com , Abbott Promotions
Email: Abbott Promotions | ||
| Rating: 6 | ||
| Verdict: Background music. | ||
| Tonight I watched an American teen angst drama series called Dawson's Creek. The soundtrack music in the series reminded me that I still had to write this review. Even though I've listened to this for a few weeks, that is actually the closest comparison I can come up with - "sounds like it belongs on the Dawson's Creek soundtrack". On the first couple of listens Hootie & The Blowfish sprang to mind, so you get the idea of the broad musical genre BYG are appealing to. Second tune, "No Victim", takes on a bit of a jazzy/soul vibe and somebody like Van Morrison gets thrown into the equation. The band has that laid back vibe that Van often adopts. Later on the best song award goes to "Moon Song" which has an organ swirling around in the background and also displays a Van Morrison meets Hootie vibe. With the exception of "Direction Home" which picks up the pace, the remainder of the songs are acoustic & semi-acoustic fairly slow tempo numbers. "John Henry" adds a bit of variety at the end by adding a funk-tinged backgound. Each song is preceded by a sample taken from what sounds like a 50s movie, but the CD liner notes don't mention which one. I listened to the sound samples at their web site and thought this might be of interest. However, when presented with the full album, I find it just too laid back for me. This is the type of music I'd use as background music when reading a book, but I don't think I'd ever take notice, put the book down, and start listening to the music properly. I would prefer the balance to be in favour of tunes in a similar style to "No Victim" & "Moon Song" which I enjoy. | ||
Standing In The Sun - Standing In The Sun
Saturday, 03 April, 1999
Standing In The Sun - Standing In The Sun | ||
Tracks:
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Publicity shot: ![[Image]](../../Images/sitspostr.jpg) |
Label: Whole Track Entertainment Group Producers: SitS Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 34:57 m:s Review date: 5 June 1999 |
| Web site: www.standinginthesun.com
Email: | ||
| Rating: 6.5 | ||
| Verdict: U2 inspired Pop. | ||
| There is something very familiar about the first track on this album. I'm reminded of U2 meeting Oasis, with a touch of Nirvana thrown in. Looking over their promotional material I see that they have been the opening act for U2. I'm sure they went down well with the U2 audience. Standing in the Sun describe themselves using the terms - "Standing in the Sun is marked by a provocative, jarringly powerful collection of songs that communicate all the freshness and feeling that an honest look into the soul can produce." A bit deep for those of us brought up on "hair metal" bands whose ambition was to party every night and rock & roll every day. On the first couple of listens the whole affair sounds a bit one-dimensional. Standing in the Sun has a distinctive sound running through their songs. The result is that on initial listens the songs merge into one and individual tunes don't stand out. On closer inspection there are subtle differences for the listener to discover. "Standing in the Sun" is just over 7 mins long and I'm sure the band will wonder where I'm coming from on this but it makes me think about veteran rockers Hawkwind. It doesn't necessarily sound like them, but if they ever decided to get all trendy then I get the feeling it might turn out something like this. "See It Somehow" sees the band sounding like Skunk Anansie. It could be the name of the track, but "Magazine" makes me think of the new wave act of the same name. "River Wide" drifts out the silence to become my favourite tune. It is another of those U2 meets Oasis sounding tracks. The album finishes off with a punk/new wave tune called "Falling From Me". Standing in the Sun have clearly found a style of playing that they are happy with, which lends them a touch of individuality and which gives a sense of continuity between the songs. The result is an album where individual songs don't matter that much & you've got to immerse yourself in the rhythm of the album and let the guitars buzz around you to obtain maximum enjoyment. Anyway, that is how it works for me. I'm happy to listen to this for the 35 mins running time, but I'd like to see a bit more variety if the experience was to extend beyond that. This is one for the pop generation out there. A higher rating might be more forthcoming from a more pop orientated web site, but I think the 6.5 rating reflects how most Mood Swings visitors would regard this. Before I go I'll just say that the band have put a fair amount of effort into their web site and it is well worth popping over to check it out. | ||
Mrs Grundy - Your Stinky Candy
Saturday, 03 April, 1999
Mrs Grundy - Your Stinky Candy | ||
Tracks:
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Album Cover: ![[Image]](../../Images/StinkyCD3.jpg) |
Label: Screaming Yuppie Records Producers: Matt Scharfglass Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 43:06 m:s Review date: 5 June 1999 |
| Web site: www.mrsgrundy.com
Email: info@mrsgrundy.com | ||
| Rating: 7 | ||
| Verdict: Simplistic charm & humour on display | ||
| Mrs Grundy consists of Peter Levin on drums & vocals and Matt Scharfglass on everything else. Matt, a professional musician for 10 years, has played a wide spectrum of styles and transcribes for "Guitar World". Peter is in band called Dangerman and his past activities includes playing with John McEnroe. Take pity on Matt's neighbours because according to the liner notes the majority of this was recorded in Matt's NY apartment. The whole idea was to go for a raw 'under produced' live sound. The actual music itself comes across as power-pop but with a few touches of rock guitar, which is the main reason that this maintains my interest. "Sanctuary" is a blast of raw punk influenced pop that reminds me of The Offspring (not that I'm that familiar with what they sound like!). "Blessing" is a riff driven tune and improves upon the opening track. "One In Nine" is a modern loose sounding tune written about Matt's mother's battle against breast cancer. "Fall" is a jangly ballad. I'd describe "Monte Carlo" and "Ron Kuby" as anonymous power-pop. The acoustic guitar (& mandolin) comes out for "Matzonballs" resulting in one of the album highlights. "Modern Rock Rules" is a brooding piece about answering an ad for a bass player. "Butt Cheeks" & "Mirrors" feature more power-pop. "The Best Time To Talk To The Bass Player's Girlfriend" is during an instrumental apparently. "Break" features the inevitable Nirvana influence, but has some good guitar work. The lyrics display a healthy sense of humour mixed with intelligence throughout. The whole approach is a shade too 90s for me, especially on the more straightforward pop-power numbers. Having said that, it does have a certain simplistic charm that can be quite refreshing after listening to something like Dream Theater. Of course, that "simplistic charms" means the band achieved their aim of creating an entertaining album using their minimalist recording studio approach. | ||
Drive, She Said - Road To Paradise (Best of)
Saturday, 06 March, 1999
Drive, She Said - Road To Paradise (Best of) | ||
Tracks:
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Album Cover: |
Label: Frontiers Records Producers: Mark Mangold & Al Fritsch Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 80:03 mins:secs Review date: 6 March 1999 |
| Web site: www.Indigorecords.com
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: Worth it, if only for the bonus tracks alone. | ||
| Like I said in my Mystic Healer review a couple of months back Road To Paradise was an album I'd have to check out. Well, now I have, despite the fact that I already own their s/t & Drivin' Wheel albums. At least there are some bonus tracks to keep my interest. Drive, She Said are cult AOR heroes. The debut self-titled album is a classic. No surprise then that it has been one of my favourites over the years. The quality dropped with Drivin' Wheel & I gave the third & final album, Excelerator, a miss. Forgetting about the bonus tracks for the moment, when "If This Is Love" strikes up I remember just how much I like DSS. Keyboard laden AOR with great vocals. From then on it is rollercoaster ride through DSS's finest moments. 'Don't You Know What Love Is' is their version of the Touch tune from earlier in Mark Mangold's career. And so the album proceeds & for me it is a case of favourite after favourite. For example, Love Has No Pride, co-written with Aldo Nova, was a song that I remember dismissing as too wimpy when I first listened to the self-titled album, but which I subsequently grew to love. It has been a while since I dusted down the DSS albums and I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to the tunes again on this compilation album. Drivin' Wheel is just about the heaviest tune on offer and feels kinda out of place. It is also a reminder that some of the songs on the second and third albums didn't match up to the class of the debut. There isn't much more I can say about the previously available material. I suspect that many Mood Swings readers will be more interested in the bonus tracks because they may already own some DSS albums. 'Look At What You Got' is a belting start to the album and already up there with my favourite DSS songs. 'Fallin' Again' and 'Suddenly Closer' are more relaxed and require a bit more listening to appreciate. 'Suddenly Closer' has got a little interlude that reminds me of Led Zep (All Of My Love). 'Just For The Moment' is stuck in the middle of the other tracks & fits right in there. 'Water From A Stone' & 'All I'm Living For' are also worthy additions to your collection of DSS songs. The less said about the title track, Road To Paradise, the better. It is so annoying that I've deducted half a point from the rating. If you're a DSS fan, then I'd say that it is probably worth getting for the bonus tracks alone. If you haven't got any DSS in your collection, put matters right and get this collection. | ||
Lana Lane - Garden Of The Moon
Saturday, 06 March, 1999
Lana Lane - Garden Of The Moon | ||
Tracks:
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Album Cover: |
Label: Angular Records Producers: Erik Norlander Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 52:19 mins:secs Review date: 6 March 1999 |
| Web site: www.angular-records.com
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: This curious mixture of AOR & progressive rock found favour with me. | ||
| Sometimes you just take a chance on a record. I was browsing in a record store when spied this album. All that I could remember about Lana Lane was that Ian McIntosh at AOR Basement had mentioned them a few times in his column in SFK. I remembered that he had said good things about her, so this album came home with me. I don't know much about Lana Lane except that this is her third album. Producer, songwriter & keyboards player Erik Norlander says in the liner notes the first album was a commercial hard rock album and the second album was more experimental & progressive. This album is an attempt to fuse those two influences together to give a better idea of what Lana Lane's music is about. With the exception of Destination Roswell the garden theme is maintained throughout. My perception of the album is that it is a mixture of progressive metal, AOR and hard rock, with the emphasis on melody. and AOR/hard rock being the dominant influence. Heart is a name that springs to mind in places. Imagine a mixture of Heart & Dream Theater. It is a bit like the Storming Heaven album I reviewed elsewhere, it is difficult to pigeonhole. It might be hard to put a name to the type of music but I found it easy to like the album. However, I think a few people might find it a bit too 'quirky' for their tastes and come to the conclusion that it lacks cohesion. A few weeks ago I was thinking about compiling a list of my favourite albums from 1998 (nope, never did get round to writing the list) and this certainly one of the albums vying for the number one slot. Even though I listen mainly to hard rock and AOR, I find something with a progressive edge grabbing my attention (e.g. my No. 1 album - Dream Theater's Images & Words). The album begins and ends with a couple of instrumentals that are what you might expect from an act with progressive tendencies. Destination Roswell might deal with a somewhat jaded subject, but rocks along well in fairly commercial hard rock format. On 'Seasons' and 'Moodgarden' the Heart comparisons become valid. 'Moongarden' has a quieter passage that sounds like early Heart. On the heavier passages Chrissey Steele is more apt. 'Evolution, Revolution' is the 8 minute epic of the album. It contains all the progressive trademarks - fast paced rocking, quiet sections and widdly-diddly instrumental bits. 'Under The Olive Tree' has an orchestral opening before settling down to become a very acceptable slowish number with a hint of Heart. Eternal Waters sees the guitars taking a step forward again for a more traditional hard rock outing. 'Dream Of The Dragonfly' is a ballad that has Judie Tzuke as a possible comparison, before the second instrumental closes the album. 'Garden Of The Moon' is a curious mixture that might well fall between two camps - AOR fans & Progressive fans. This combination has found favour with me. | ||
Seventh Veil - Rubber America
Friday, 12 February, 1999
Seventh Veil - Rubber America | ||
Tracks:
Plus 3 bonus tracks |
Album Cover: |
Label: Warped Records Producers: Paul Osborn & Seventh Veil Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 66:37 mins:secs Review date: 12 Feb 1999 |
| Web site: www.cyberramp.net/~7thveil
Email: Availability: Warped Records Metal Mayhem Imports and the band's web site | ||
| Rating: 7 | ||
| Verdict: Funkified hard rock with a few bluesy surprises. | ||
| Seventh Veil have been together for about 10 years. Back in 1993 they were about to record an album & hit the road, but one of the guitarist left & in 1994 vocalist, Robert Babina, lost his fight against leukaemia. It took the band a while to get over this set back, but in April 1995 they hooked up with guitarist Jimmy Adcock & vocalist James Arnett. The band released "Rubber America" in 1998.
The band quote influences like The Cult, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Megadeth, Soundgarden, Lenny Kravitz & Jane's Addiction. With the exception of thinking about buying the last Megadeth album simply because of the Dann Huff involvement, I haven't even thought about buying albums by any of those bands. So I wasn't too hopeful about liking this one. Indeed, my initial reaction was decidedly icy. However, you can't review an album after one listen, so this got a few more spins before I got a clear idea of how the review was going to shape up. Those distinctly modern influences show through particularly on the first few songs of the album and despite the fact that is some tasty guitar action, those don't do a lot for me. "How I Feel" marks a turning point in my appreciation of the album. A gritty ballad that bears a passing resemblance to bands like Matchbox 20 and Hootie & The Blowfish. This followed by the lumbering "Ramses", which I like. On "No Reason" the Lenny Kravitz funky influence shines through. "Joyride" starts with what sounds like a car being stolen. There is a vaguely jazz vibe during parts of this tune, which has a GnR style chorus. The next track came as a surprise the first time I listened to the album. "Train To Memphis" is a blues metal affair. It has me thinking about Poison's bluesier moments. For "Hero" it is back to a more standard rock format. "2nd Chances" is the second ballad. "Clean" combines a funky backdrop with Iron Maiden style runs up & down the fretboard to give a modern sounding tune. The 3 bonus tracks give a bluesy acoustic guitar piece to start with, bluesy hard rock & a track that reminds me of Neverland. My favourites moments are the bluesy bits & the ballads. For regular Mood Swings readers it won't be a surprise that the more 'modern' sounding tunes leave me a bit cold. However, they could well be the ones that grab the attention of some of you out there. | ||
Kiss - Psycho Circus
Friday, 12 February, 1999
Kiss - Psycho Circus | ||
Tracks:
Bonus - Kiss screensaver (Win95) |
Album Cover: |
Label: Mercury Records Producers: Bruce Fairbairn Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 44:26 mins:secs Review date: 12 Feb 1999 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: It's great to hear Kiss still ' rockin' & rollin' all nite & partyin' ' every day after all these years. | ||
| Although I've bought 3 variations of Kiss Greatest Hits/Best Of albums over the years, the only other Kiss studio album I purchased was the cassette of Crazy Nights. And that has long since been chewed up & spat out by some tape recorder or other a long time ago.
It is easy to be cynical about Kiss and the reformation of the original line-up. Especially given the high profile of the Kiss marketing machine, with the Kiss dolls, comics etc. Anyway, after the tour, comes the new studio album. Even though, I handed out the £'s for this before reading any reviews etc, my expectations weren't that high. Kiss certainly have some great tunes under their collective belts over the years, but I always imagined their studio albums to be patchy affairs. Over years Kiss have added variations to the theme, most recently on the much maligned Carnival Of Souls album. With the original line-up together again, it is very much a case of back to basics - good time rock/metal with big hooks & big melodies. All 4 members turn up on lead vocals at some point on the album. Paul starts the show with the title track or as he puts it "the amplifiers start to hum & the carnival has just begun". Indeed, welcome to 45 mins of bombastic melody. Other songs with Paul on lead vocals are "I Pledge Allegiance To The State Of Rock & Roll", "Raise Your Glasses" & "Dreamin'". I think Paul comes out tops on the lead vocals stakes, as I prefer the songs on which he sings. Gene handles "Within", "We Are One" & "Journey Of 1000 Years". "Within" sounds familiar, but I can't think what it reminds me of. "We Are One" is bit of change of pace on the album. An acoustic led tune that features some Beatles-style harmonies. The final tune on the album, "Journey Of 1000 Years", is the least immediate tune here. Aces turns up on "Into The Void", which reminds me of the early days. If I said that "I Finally Found My Way" is ballad, it won't be a surprise that Peter "Beth" Criss does a sterling job on vocal duties. That just leaves the humbly titled "You Wanted The Best" which features all 4 sharing lead vocals. Cynical old me got a pleasant surprise listening to this. I'm not sure there are any bonefiday Kiss Klassics on here, but the old masters haven't lost their touch. The reunion has produced at least one decent album. | ||
Uriah Heep - Sonic Origami
Friday, 12 February, 1999
Uriah Heep - Sonic Origami | ||
Tracks:
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Album Cover: |
Label: Eagle Records Producers: Pip Williams Year: 1998 Total Playing Time:75:38 mins:secs Review date: 12 Feb 1999 |
| Web site: www.uriah-heep.com
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: After a somewhat cool initial reaction, this one has grown on me | ||
| Uriah Heep! Now there is a blast from the past. Uriah Heep had already made a name for themselves by the time I discovered them. That was way back in the 80s with the 'Abominog' album. 'On The Rebound' from that album was a firm favourite at the time & indeed I bought one of those cheap 'Anthology' albums a few years back just get that track. After 'Abominog', I also bought 'Head First' which could well have been the follow-up. Apart from the anthology album, I haven't bought any further Uriah Heep albums, up until now of course. Even though my interest may have waned, the band has keep going with various line-ups. The current line-up features Bernie Shaw on vocals. After that long break, a couple of good reports about their latest release were enough for me to decide to find out what Uriah Heep were doing these days.
I put this in the CD player, listened to once, said "Disappointing" and didn't even bother to listen to it for a few weeks. Then one day a quest for something different to listen to brought me back to Sonic Origami. This time I must have approached it with a more open mind, or maybe I just had the time to listen to it properly, because I found myself thinking that perhaps I had been a bit hasty in dismissing the album & that it might be worth including a review of it on my web site. So why my initial cool reaction. Well, from the reviews I had read, I was expecting something along the same lines as 'Abominog' & 'Head First'. Sure, there are elements of those albums present in heavy doses, but it's a mixture of this commercial era with the pomp tendencies of their early days. This isn't as immediate, or as heavy, as I was expecting. Part of the problem is the 75 mins running time. Not that I'm complaining, but it does mean that you're going to have to set aside a bit of time to sit down & listen properly. I'm certainly glad that I did. Uriah Heep have been around long enough to not really need a description from me, but for those of you that have heard any of their material, I'd describe them as a mixture of AOR/Hard Rock with a big dollop of Pomp thrown in. OK, so they aren't exactly going to be targeting the charts with that approach, but I'm sure Mood Swings readers aren't that interested in what makes it into the Top 40. Uriah Heep put their signature all over the opening track, 'Between Two Worlds', and keep things running fairly smoothly throughout the rest of the album. Between Two Worlds features a swirling Hammond to start with before continuing with some uptempo rocking that is maintained for the first 3 songs. On 'Heartless Land' they pause for breath. Just sit, listen and enjoy. Unfortunately, the next track, 'Only The Young', isn't quite so memorable. The Pomp AOR of 'In The Moment' & the stark beauty of 'Question' are more acceptable. 'Change' is mid-tempo filler. 'Shelter From The Rain' is a more electric-based slowie, but with a hint of Pomp. 'Everything In Life' rocks along ala early Heep. After that reference to the past, the band adopt a modern rhythm track to accompany the 'Across The Miles' ballad. Being old hands at this making albums lark, Heep know it is a good idea to save some good tunes for the end of the album. 'Feels Like' is the most commercial sounding tune on here. What can I say about 'Golden Palace', apart from the fact that it is 8:34 m:s of shear beauty that flows from the orchestra beginning into a Pomp-tastic delight. On the limited edition version, the bonus track, 'Sweet Pretender', is a melodic rock track where the chorus outshines the rest of the track. After a somewhat cool initial reaction, this one that grown on me. | ||
Fiore - Body Electric
Wednesday, 06 January, 1999
Fiore - Body Electric | ||
| Tracks:
Fool Youself |
Album Cover: |
Label: MTM Producers: Harry Hess Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 38:02 mins:secs Review date: Jan 1999 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: Fiore put the lessons learnt in the HS development process to good use and create an album that shows HS how they should have done it. | ||
| Earlier this year I bought two albums together - Harem Scarem's Big Bang Theory & Fiore's Today Til Tomorrow. This turned out to be a very good combination. Big Bang Theory sees HS forging ahead and redefining their style yet again. For his first album, Today Til Tomorrow, Jon Fiore (ex Preview) teamed up with Harry Hess & Pete Lesperance of Harem Scarem . The result was an album jam packed with old style Harem Scarem songs performed excellently by Jon & the rest of the guys in Fiore. For this second album, Jon has again been working with Harry & Pete. Harry co-wrote the songs with Jon & produced the album. Both Harry & Pete play on the album. Just as HS have moved away from the style of their debut, the songs co-written by Harry & Jon have progressed towards the latter day HS sound. So where in the HS style progression do these songs fit in? To these ears somewhere between the HS debut and Believe/KC, with a few traces of Mood Swings thrown in. I'll have to admit that the first time I play this I was a bit disappointed - mainly because I guess I was hoping that Harry would have written old-style HS sounds for the occasion. Listening to it a few more times and trying to clear my mind of any preconceptions, I realised that this is really rather good. In fact, good enough to rival some of HS's own material. Forget about Voice Of Reason and Believe/KC, this album is the link between HS's Mood Swings and Big Bang Theory albums. Although both of those albums were necessary in HS's development, to my mind, this represents a more natural progression than either of them did. Fiore put the lessons learnt in the HS development process to good use and create an album that shows HS how they should have done it. With all this talk about HS, just where does Jon Fiore & the rest of the guys figure in this review. Well, Jon puts in a good vocal performance & the band do a good job. It all makes me think that maybe the HS guys should ask Jon to help them out with their next studio release. One HS characteristic that I could have done without is the brevity of what's on offer here. | ||
Mystic Healer - Mystic Healer
Wednesday, 06 January, 1999
Mystic Healer - Mystic Healer | ||
| Tracks:
Crossed My Heart |
Album Cover: |
Label: MTM Producers: Mark Mangold Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 53:33 mins:secs Review date: Jan 1999 |
| Web site: http://www.Indigorecords.com
Email: Indigoreco@aol.com | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: Immerse yourself in a world of keyboards and great vocals. | ||
| Back in 1990 when some persons of dubious parentage decided that they needed my HiFi and the majority of my LP/CD collection more than I did, I was forced to go out, buy some new Hi-Fi equipment, and start my album collection again. The Hi-Fi was duly selected and on the morning before the guy from the shop came to set it up, I went into town to buy some CDs to test out the new system. I came back with two CDs - Michael Bolton's Soul Provider (OK, I'll admit it, despite this being the album where MB finally kicked AOR into touch, I like it) and Drive She Said - s/t. Whenever the guy came to set-up the Hi-Fi, he asked what I'd bought to test it out. I remember being shocked when I mumbled something about a band that I was sure he had never heard of called Drive She Said and he said "Oh yes, Mark Mangold". I had just met NI's other AOR fan. I remember having a great discussion with him about music and using the DSS CD to test the Hi-Fi. He eventually left and I got a chance to play my "wimpy" Michael Bolton CD. DSS was the first CD played on my Hi-Fi and restarted my collection, so apart from the superb music, that debut DSS album has a special meaning for me. I went on to buy Drivin' Wheel, their second album, but I wasn't as impressed and didn't bother with the third. I guess I really should check the recent DSS Best Of album (Road To Paradise). OK, so what has all that got to do with Mystic Healer? Well DSS was Mark Mangold and Al Fritsch. Mystic Healer sees Mark Mangold team up with Terry Googing, with Al Fritsch playing guitars & bass, plus doing some song writing. There is a whole host of well-known AOR figures playing/singing on (Bruce & Bob Kulick, Randy Jackson, Tony Bruno, Chuck Bonfante & Michael Bolton) and writing songs for (Michael Bolton, Aldo Nova, Tamara Champlin & Jack Ponti) the album. If you're not familiar with DSS, then Mark Mangold was in the band Touch, who released a cult classic album in the 80s and if you check the song writing credits on your copy of Michael Bolton's Everybody's Crazy you'll see Mark Mangold's name. There are a couple of new songs, but the majority of the songs originate from the late 80s/early 90s. It is not surprising then that the album has a very 80s feel to it. If you like your AOR heavy on the keyboards and high on melody, then you're going to enjoy this. It is very much in the same vein as those DSS albums, with a bit of early Michael Bolton thrown in as a result of the co-writes. Maybe I'm just a nostalgic old sod, but I'm really enjoying this and finding it hard to be objective when writing the review. The new Unruly Child album is good, and I'm sure many of you will prefer it to this one, but this is the one that has grabbed my attention. Just like the debut DSS album, it is difficult to select standout tracks. Just immerse yourself in a world of keyboards and great vocals that just seem to ooze emotion. It is like the past 10 years never existed. Take a trip down memory lane or discover just how good things used to be. Whatever, I think fans of the wimpier side of AOR will be in heaven with this release. | ||
Promotion - Yeah Yeah
Wednesday, 06 January, 1999
Promotion - Yeah Yeah | ||
| Tracks:
Trampoline |
Album Cover: |
Label: AOR Heaven Producers: Anders Rydholm Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 54:50 mins:secs Review date: Jan 1999 |
| Web site: http://come.to/promotion or http://bahnhof.se/~promotio/
Email: promotion@bahnhof.se | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: Promotion have certainly brought a huge chunk of summer sunshine into the dark mid-Winter storms raging around this corner of the world. | ||
| Promotion is a name you might have seen thanks to the clever ploy of calling their first outing (a mini-disc) "Not For Sale". Reading through a record store advertisement or catalogue and seeing "Promotion - Not For Sale" certainly was eye-catching. At a time when Northern Ireland has suffered the worst storms for over 30 years, it is weird to be reviewing a genre of music I normally associate with summertime. Promotion play a mixture of Westcoast mixed with AOR. Promotion's slice of individuality is to make heavy use of a brass/horn section, which gives the songs an extra 'zing'. Promotion's music comes across as bright & breezy. Can you listen to this album and feel blue? - I don't think so. You'll find yourself tapping your foot, whistling, bopping, singing along, thinking - "Hell, life ain't so bad after all". With some Westcoast music I find myself drowning in a sea of sugar coated arrangements and predictable tunes. Sometimes I find all the tracks on a Westcoast album sounding very similar. The good news is that Promotion have steered clear of this potential pitfall and created an album that keeps me entertained throughout. When it comes to picking a favourite track, it has just got to be "All The Best Ones Are Taken" (as in "all the best ones are taken but me"), which could be a theme tune for single men everywhere. Elsewhere, the first track "Trampoline", "The Hunter and The Fox", the slightly harder edged AOR of "Premonition" made particularly good impressions. Promotion have certainly brought a huge chunk of summer sunshine into the dark mid-Winter storms raging around this corner of the world. This is a good album. I've found myself playing "All The Best Ones Are Taken" quite a bit more than any of the other tracks, but that is a bit of a distorted view because the album has plenty more to offer besides this one track. | ||
DLR Band - DLR Band
Wednesday, 06 January, 1999
DLR Band - DLR Band | ||
| Tracks:
Slam Dunk |
Album Cover: |
Label: Wawazat Records Inc. Producers: wawazat!! Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 51:19 mins:secs Review date: Jan 1999 |
| Web site: http:\\www.davidleeroth.com
Email: | ||
| Rating: 7 | ||
| Verdict: DLR makes a valliant attempt to capture the magic of Eat Em & Smile. | ||
| After the somewhat bizarre reunion with Van Halen for the couple of tracks on the 'Best Of' album, David Lee Roth is now getting on with his decidedly patchy solo career. This time the album is being issued as the DLR Band. DLR's first album, Eat Em & Smile, was a bit special and he has struggled to follow it successfully. There is something about the mood, atmosphere and attitude of the debut that seems to perfectly sum up what DLR is all about. Diamond Dave might not have been blessed with knockout voice, but he is one of the best frontmen rock has ever seen. The VH & DLR 'Best Of' CDs, plus I'm reading his autobiography at the moment, rekindled my interest in DLR's work. Even so, it wasn't until I'd read a couple of favourable reviews of that I decided to shell out the dosh for this. First track, Slam Dunk!, was the first single from the album, so some of you might have heard it already. It's a fast and furious track, which let's you know that DLR has returned to the style of Eat Em & Smile. This fact alone seems to have sent quite a few reviewers into a frenzy of praise & they've heralded this album as a return to form by DLR. Yes, there are quite a few tracks that 'hit the spot', but overall the album doesn't quite cut it for me. Best tracks are Blacklight ( heavy bassline, reminds me of Parliament's Flashlight), Lose The Dress Keep The Shoes (DLR does ZZ Top), WaWaZat!! (DLR's philosophy of life), Relentless (more lifestyle tips), Right Tool For The Job (George Thorogood style blues) & Weekend With The Babysitter (back to DLR's favourite subject). Elsewhere the tracks just don't seem that memorable. If you read some of my other reviews I complain about short albums, but in this case I think trimming the album down by a couple of songs may well have resulted in an album with more impact. On the production/mixing department, I'd like to hear DLR's voice more to the fore. | ||
Tandym - City Out Of Time
Wednesday, 06 January, 1999
Tandym - City Out Of Time | ||
| Tracks:
City Out Of Time |
Album Cover: |
Label: Saffold Productions Producers: Tandym Year: 1997 Total Playing Time: 52:40 mins:secs Review date: Jan 1999 |
| Web site: http://atlantacup.com/tandym or http://members.home.com/apromo/tandym.html
Email: Saffprod@aol.com | ||
| Rating: 7/8 | ||
| Verdict: AOR meets straight-forward rock to create good debut by Tandym | ||
The good thing about the WWW is that I get to hear about bands that might otherwise have passed me by. Tandym will be a new name to most of you. You can find out more about them at their web site http://atlantacup.com/tandym or their promotion company, Abbott Promotions, web site http://members.home.com/apromo/tandym.html . When their promotion company first got in touch I thought they would be a HM band - something about the name that made me think that. Check out the band photo on the inside of the CD jewel case and you'll think they look the part. Despite the HM sounding name and the NWOBHM image, Tandym's sound clips at their web site caught my imagination. Tandym play what is best described as a mixture of straightforward rock, hard rock and AOR. The closest comparison I can think of is UK act Passion Street. This is AOR, but approached from a traditional rock perspective. I've got this idea that Tandym grew up listening to traditional hard rock, but somewhere along the line the band decided to go for a more melodic approach. However you describe it, they're the sort of band that will appeal to Mood Swings readers. Listening to the album, it is certainly possible to hear why the band have already won a couple of song writing competitions. The band keep the interest levels up by mixing ballads & uptempo numbers along with the mid-tempo tracks. "City Out Of Time" (a mid-tempo track that at first sounds like a low-key start but has you saying "yeah, not a bad start" by the end) kicks of the album well. My vote for best song on the album goes to "Annie", which is one of the songs that won them a song writing award. Other highlights include "Can't Blame The World" (featuring some nice piano parts), "Symptom Of Reality" (a good chorus) and "I'll Wait" (a mid-tempo rocker that reminds me of BOC-style AOR). Tandym have put together a very respectable debut for themselves. | ||
Unruly Child - Waiting For The Sun
Wednesday, 06 January, 1999
Unruly Child - Waiting For The Sun | ||
| Tracks:
Heart Run Free |
Album Cover: |
Label: MTM Producers: Bruce Gowdy Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 47:25 mins:secs Review date: Jan 1999 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: Unruly Child make a successful return. | ||
| Another familiar name returns to the fray. I played Unruly Child's first album a huge amount when I first bought it many moons ago. The big incentive was the presence of the golden voice of Mark Free. This time out Unruly Child consists of Bruce Gowdy, Jay Schellen on drums, Kelly Hansen on vocals and Ricky Philips special guesting on bass. Bruce Gowdy's partner on the first Unruly Child album, Guy Allison, features in the song writing department, but due to heavy touring commitments couldn't make it into the studio for the recording sessions. Although this is the second album to be issued under the Unruly Child moniker, I'm sure most Mood Swings readers will be aware that the Marcie Free album (Tormented) is widely regarded as the second Unruly Child album. A couple of the songs on the Marcie Free album also turn up again here as well. In fact, the current Unruly Child members, on other projects, have previously recorded several of the tunes on this album. Well, if you're like me, and haven't heard any of these tunes before, that won't worry you too much. "Hearts Run Free" starts the album off well and wets your appetite for the rest of the album. The following track, "Rise Up", sounds even better. Unruly Child are well and truly back and recapturing the style of the debut. The other couple of tracks that standout are the Foreigner/Signal "Do You Ever Think Of Me" and the acoustic "Still Believe". "Live In The Night" is a bit a surprise because it has got a barroom boogie/good time/jazzy vibe to it, not what I'd expect from Unruly Child. The first few times I listened to this one, I was impressed, especially by the early tracks, but not overwhelmed. I seem to remember that the first album took a few listens to get into. It could well be the case again here. There isn't any doubt that this is a 'good' album (I've seen it appear in quite a few 1998 Top 10), but a couple of the songs ("To The Cross" & "Fool Again") stop it crossing the line into the "very good" category. I don't know, it might make into the lower reaches of my 1998 Top 10. | ||
Bob Catley - The Tower
Friday, 06 November, 1998
Bob Catley - The Tower | ||
| Tracks:
Dreams |
Album Cover: |
Label: Now & Then Records/Frontiers Records Producers: Gary Hughes Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 57:57 mins:secs Review date: 6 Nov 1998 |
| Web site: http://web.ukonline/co.uk/nowandthen.records/nowthen.htm, http://www.hard-rain.demon.co.uk
Email: | ||
| Rating: 9 | ||
| Verdict: Take Magnum's "On A Storyteller's Night" and Ten's "The Name Of The Rose", merge them together, with the balance in Magnum's favour, what do you get - Bob Catley's "The Tower". | ||
| I remember that from the very first moment that I learned about this album being recorded, I was excited. Never mind the latest Harem Scarem album released earlier this year, this is the album that I've been waiting for all 1998. So what was that combination that got me so excited - Bob Catley on vocals, Gary Hughes writing, keyboards, bass & production, Vinny Burns on guitar and Greg Morgan on drums. I sure most of you will recognise the names, but for the few readers who've been on another planet over the last while - Bob is the voice behind Magnum & Hard Rain and Gary, Vinny & Greg are all in Ten. Listen to any Ten album and you'll hear Magnum-isms galore. I assume that Bob is one of Gary's heroes. Give Gary the chance to write songs for and record an album with the man himself and he must have been one very happy rocker. My one reservation about the project was that it might end up sounding like a Ten album, but with Bob on vocals. Instead we have an album that combines the best of Ten & Magnum, and indeed could be considered a worthy follow-up to Magnum albums like "On A Storyteller's Night" or "Wings Of Heaven". I think both sides were inspired by each other to lift their game & produce a truly phenomenal result. The album starts in typical Ten fashion with a long intro & big pomp rock number, "Dreams", which merges into second track, "Scream". Scream has a piano driven introduction for a couple of verses before it gets going. A big keyboard/synth riff carries this along in true Magnum style. Far Away is a semi-ballad that evokes memories of early Magnum and has a huge chorus. Deep Winter's acoustic guitar & piano slow the pace. Sit back and listen to just how good Bob sounds on this album. Fire & Ice rocks and could be described as the "Just Like An Arrow" of the album. Gary Hughes has indeed done his research well. Madrigal perfectly captures the Medieval feel of early Magnum cira 11th Hour. I like it, but the Ten trait of sounding like it could do with a bit more 'colour' to keep up the interest, is on display. One of the great things about either Ten or Magnum/Hard Rain is their ability to come up with a great AOR tune, here we've got "Steel". The title track, "The Tower", is the album's epic production. A mixture of Ten & Magnum. The difficult task of following "The Tower" is given to "Fear Of The Dark". This "Storyteller's Night" sounding track doesn't have any problems. Give a vocalist a solo album and what does he do ? Finish it with an instrumental. Still, it gives you time to reflect on just how good Bob Catley sounds on his first solo album. So does the album live up to my high expectations of it. Yes, it does. I guess it is fairly awe-inspiring. Great performances from all concerned. In the midst of heaping praise upon Bob for his vocals and Gary for the song-writing, let's not forget about Vinny Burns who scorches his way through the album & Greg Morgan who lays down a very solid foundation from which the other can launch themselves. Take Magnum's "On A Storyteller's Night" and Ten's "The Name Of The Rose", merge them together, with the balance in Magnum's favour, what do you get - Bob Catley's "The Tower". My album of 1998 ? There are still a couple of months to go, but it is the leading contender at the moment. It is funny that with all the new music I'm discovering by being on the WWW, a man that I first heard when I was just starting to get into rock music, should suddenly jump up & blow me away. | ||
Rick Monroe - Legend's Diner
Friday, 06 November, 1998
Rick Monroe - Legend's Diner | ||
| Tracks:
Legend's Diner |
Album Cover: |
Label: Divorce Records Producers: Tom Evaniuk & Rick Munro Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 57:58 mins:secs Review date: 6 Nov 1998 |
| Web site: http://www.rickmunro.com
Email: divorcerec@earthlink.com | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: It is the sort of album that you won't even realise it, but could spend a great deal of time in the CD player. | ||
| Rick Monroe is name that might just bring back memories for some of you. Rick fronted 80's LA metal band Monroe. Well, forget about that. Rick has moved on. In the process Rick has built up a wealth of experiences & he shares them with us on Legend's Diner. It's much the same way that I always feel Bruce Springteen is telling me a little bit about his life when I listen to his songs. Rick's style is rootsy soulful bluesy rock, with a singer/song-writer feel to it. The sort of music that you welcome like an old friend. Listening to Rick's music is like being with your best buddy, rather than being on a hot date. Relax, chill out and let your buddy Rick tell you about what has been happening in his life. With 13 songs, plus an acoustic version, that makes 14 track to listen to. Day By Day is little bit country & a little bit Black Crowes, giving a radio friendly tune. More Black Crowes on "Can't Get Blood From A Stone". A gospel feel is present on a song about the LA scene - "Life Goes On In LA". "Dancing In The Moonlight" is one of those songs where you just gotta turn the volume up another notch when listening to it. "Barbie's Got A Jones" is a laid back sad tale about addiction. On "Apple" Rick cranks it up with a bluesy southern-ish rock tune. Runaway mixes a Celtic influence with New Country. That is just a selection of what is on offer. Rick has crafted some good songs & delivers them well. It is the sort of album where the quality is maintained throughout and there aren't any tracks that stand head and shoulders above the rest. I'd describe it as a bit of a grower. It is the sort of album that you won't even realise it , but could spend a great deal of time in the CD player. | ||
Challenge - Acoustic Universe
Friday, 06 November, 1998
Challenge - Acoustic Universe | ||
| Tracks:
Words |
Album Cover: |
Label: ALV Music Producers: Arno Verstappen & Allison Lindsay Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 41:06 mins:secs Review date: 6 Nov 1998 |
| Web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~challenge
Email: Challenge@Earthlink.net | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: If you're like me and love classy female vocals, then accept the Challenge and give Allison & Arno the chance to let you into their Acoustic Universe. | ||
| Challenge are essentially a two piece outfit - Allison Lindsay on vocals & Arno Verstappen on guitar (& song-writing). The additional musicians featured here have played with the likes of Steve Vai, Alice Cooper & Sheryl Crow. Arno, originally from Holland, came to Los Angeles to study at the Guitar Institute of Technology & stayed to form a band, with Allison fulfilling the vocals job. Allison teaches at the Sabine Institute (For Vocal Strengthening and Development) in LA, which is famous for coaching the like of Axl Rose, Dave Mustaine & Dan Huff. Sometimes the title of a CD gives you a clue to what's in store, sometimes not. In this case, Acoustic Universe, is very appropriate. This album is an electric lead guitar free zone. All the lead guitar parts are played on acoustic guitar. Listening to Allison's voice Ann Wilson springs to mind. If Heart ever decided to go with an acoustic lead guitar they'd sound something like Challenge. I'm also reminded of Jamie Kyle's first album, which just happens to be a favourite of mine. Virtually all the songs work in this 'acoustic' mode, with "It's My Life" the only one where I'd like to hear some electric guitars. Picking highlight is difficult, as there are so many good songs on here. The couple of songs featuring some B3 organ ("Angel's Scared To Fly & "I'll Fight For You") both sound good to me, but top marks goes to "When Love Finds A Fool", which has a few Jamie Kyle-like qualities. Whilst I was waiting for this to arrive, I had the idea that I'd end up telling the guitarist to wise-up and plug his guitar in to mains & crank out some proper lead breaks. Well, I was wrong, because, with the exception mentioned above, I'm happy with the 'back to basics' approach the band have taken. I really admire guitarist, Arno, for taking a step back from the limelight and letting the vocals hog centre stage all to themselves. This 'back to basics' approach means that the vocalist is under immense pressure to deliver the goods. Fortunately, Allison's voice is up to the job and the vocals shine. But good vocals on their own aren't enough, but don't worry on this front either because some good song-writing and solid musicianship complete the package. If you're like me and love classy female vocals, then accept the Challenge and give Allison & Arno the chance to let you into their Acoustic Universe. | ||
Snakes In Paradise - Garden Of Eden
Friday, 06 November, 1998
Snakes In Paradise - Garden Of Eden | ||
| Tracks:
Seventh Wonder |
Album Cover: |
Label: Z Records Producers: SIP Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 50:26 mins:secs Review date: 6 Nov 1998 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: Snakes In Paradise have created a good album, albeit with a heavy Whitesnake influence. | ||
| Snakes In Paradise hit us with their second offering, this time on the home of all things Scandinavian, Z Records. If you heard the couple of songs they had on the Z sampler, then you'll know what's on offer here.
Describing the Snakes In Paradise sound is very easy because they wear their influences very much on their sleeves. SIP are clearly big Whitesnake fans and their influence can be found in virtually every nook & cranny of this album. To narrow things down even further, then late 80's Whitesnake would appear to the era they enjoy the most. The band set out their stall on the first track - "Seventh Wonder". Whitesnake's "1987" opus is clearly a winner with SIP. The band seem to move up a gear in terms of quality with the seconds track - "Don't Let Your Love Turn To Hate", which has a hooky & catchy chorus. If you don't believe me about the WS thing, then just listen to "Voice Inside". In fact, it is much better than some the stuff WS did. The band pretty much maintain this high standard throughout the remainder of the album. "Gypsy In Your Blood" adds some variety with it's King's X/Hendrix style. "Hard Day Long" is a mid-tempo rocker that features some tasty guitar playing. Can't Let Go is an acoustic guitar driven tune that lifts you and sweeps you along. With "Can't Let Go", "Without Love" and "I Want It All" the band score a nice little hat-trick. On the title track the band go for bust on the Whitesnake 1987 impersonations by incorporating a Led Zep influence. To be fair to them they do add their own little touch by incorporating a rap section. Snakes In Paradise have created a good album, albeit with a heavy Whitesnake influence. However, there are about just enough of their own ideas and style thrown in here & there to stop things becoming to derivative. | ||
Return To Zero - Lost
Friday, 06 November, 1998
Return To Zero - Lost | ||
| Tracks:
When You Love Someone |
Album Cover: |
Label: MTM Music Producers: Barry Goudreau Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 43:25 mins:secs Review date: 6 Nov 1998 |
| Web site: http://www.mtm.pi.se/mtm
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: It has been worth the wait. | ||
| After a lengthy absence, RTZ hit us with the follow-up to their debut. I remember listening to the debut virtually non-stop for a while, but eventually hitting the next button on the remote controller a few times to skip the filler between the moments of brilliance. With Brad Delp & Barry Goudreau being the main players, it is no surprise that Boston are a good starting point when describing the RTZ sound. Imagine a more acoustic guitar based version of Boston, then you'll pretty much get the picture. A good description is "Lightweight rock with classy vocal harmonies". The style established on the debut is continued here. "When You Love Someone" is the uptempo catchy start you'd expect from these guys. The song makes me wonder why the debut hasn't visited my CD player for a long time. Next up is "Turn This Love Around", which is a real gem of a song. It is easy to see why MTM picked this one for their "Ballads" compilation. "Someday" increases the electric guitar quota & is very immediate. And so the album continues with a procession of good songs in which RTZ add a few variations on top of the basic theme - moody electric guitars (Change For Change), a little bit of blues (One In A Million), some 10cc (Don't Wait) and barroom good-time boogie (Talk To Me). RTZ have created an album that is more consistent than the debut. I play this album all the way through without skipping out any of the tracks. There is always something about listening to a Boston album that leaves me feeling uplifted. I get that same feeling from RTZ. It has been worth the wait. | ||
Jimmy Lawrence - The World Is Round
Friday, 06 November, 1998
Jimmy Lawrence - The World Is Round | ||
| Tracks:
All We Have Is Our Dreams |
Album Cover: |
Label: MTM Music Producers: Jimmy Lawrence, Janice Roeg & Joe Boyland Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 44:35 mins:secs Review date: 6 Nov 1998 |
| Web site: http://www.mtm.pi.se/mtm
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: If you're looking for a slice of enjoyable commercial rock, then look no further. | ||
| Jimmy Lawrence is a new name to me & I had no expectations whatsoever about how this was gonna sound. Over the past couple of weeks this has gradually wormed it's way into my affections & is my choice from this month's MTM releases. As far as I know, Jimmy Lawrence has spent his time so far helping other people making their albums by doing background vocals. For his own album, he has called upon the services of some heavy duty & classy studio musicians such as Dan Huff, Tim Pierce & Stan Meissener. No surprise then that the playing is top notch - what else could it be with the mighty Dann Huff on board. I scribbled down lots of names when trying to come up with comparisons - Jimmy Barnes, Tina Turner, Bonnie Tyler, Joey Tempest, Michael Bolton & Bon Jovi. None of these seemed quite right & I have to confess that it wasn't until I read someone else's review of the album that it dawned on me who Jimmy Lawrence reminds me of - Mitch Malloy. If you're looking for a slice of enjoyable commercial rock, then look no further. There are a nice variety of styles on offer, possibly due to fact that the songs are co-written with a variety of people. On offer are Mitch Malloy style numbers (such as All We Have Is Our Dreams & Tonight I Got The World), uptempo commercial rock (Ain't No Thing But Love), slower numbers (Test Of Time & Cool Blue) and tracks with a slightly funky style (Under The Influence & A Little More Blue Sky). "One Night Like This" bears a remarkable similarity to Starship's "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us Now". My favourite track is Rose Tattoo. It has a prominent bassline, which propels it along, and a Tina Turner vibe. If only one song sticks in your head, its gonna be this one. This is the MTM release that has been getting the most airplay at Chez Mood Swings. This has got enough crossover appeal to generate interest outside the, at times, confining boundaries of the AOR market. If you've been sitting around waiting for the 'real' follow-up to Mitch Malloy's debut, then look no further, Jimmy is your man. | ||
MTM Music - Ballads
Friday, 06 November, 1998
MTM Music - Ballads | ||
| Tracks:
Bad Habit - Forever |
Album Cover: |
Label: MTM Music Producers: Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 77:35 mins:secs Review date: 5 Nov 1998 |
| Web site: http://www.mtm.pi.se/mtm
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8 | ||
| Verdict: If you're thinking of spending the night in and want a CD to create a romantic atmosphere, then MTM can help you out. | ||
| Record company samplers are a good method of 'try before you buy the album'. The potential pitfall for such projects is that the variety of styles across a record label portfolio leads to a disjointed sounding album where you find yourself skipping out the bands that you don't like. With this sampler, MTM have picked a theme - ballads, a common thread to hold the album together. Soft rock and power ballad albums have long been popular with the record buying public and, in fact, appear to be one area of rock that still attracts mainstream interest. Bad Habit start off the album with a duet - "Forever", which is the track that finishes their "Adult Orientation" album. This is an excellent start, albeit a rather gentle one. Harlan Cage, Dare & Steelhouse Lane follow and are all good, althought I keep expecting to hear Phil Lynott's vocals on "Still In Love With You". D2 offer a Beatle-esque acoustic offering, which, in keeping with my general dislike of all things Beatles, I'm not that keen on. Think Out Loud's lazy relaxed "The Invisible Man" steers the album back on course. CITA offer us a typical power ballad. Axe do a cover of Kevin Chalfant's "Love Changes Everything" which I find difficult to judge because I'm so familiar with Kevin's own version. It is strange, but the big power ballads, are the tracks that I'm not that convinced by. Such is the fate of Ransom's "Let The Night Be The Night...", which probably works well in the context of their album. Every rule has at least one exception and Velocity's power ballad - Janine - works very well, one of the songs that you'll remember after the first play. I'm a big Harem Scarem fan, so it won't surprise any of the regular Mood Swings visitors that I love the Fiore track - excellent track from a great album. Von Groove is one of those bands I've wanted to check out for ages and this is the first time I've heard any of their material. Yeah, I still want to check out one of their albums. The good patch continues with Sunshine Jive, who give us a big Journey-esque production. RTZ follow with one of the best tracks from their new album. The album's flow is interrupted somewhat by the Public Domain track, which doesn't work as well for me as some of the others. Still, Heaven's Edge finish off proceedings with one of my favourite tracks from their album. For me, an album of ballads only works if the material is top notch. The vast majority of the songs here work well. Since the list of disappointing tracks is shorter, I'll give you those - Steelhouse Lane, Danger Danger, Axe, Ransom & Public Domain. The standout tracks are by Bad Habit, Think Out Loud, Velocity, Fiore & RTZ. If you're thinking of spending the night in and want a CD to create a romantic atmosphere, then MTM can help you out. | ||
Heavens Edge - Some Other Place - Some Other Time
Thursday, 01 October, 1998
Heavens Edge - Some Other Place - Some Other Time | ||
| Tracks:
Rock Steady |
The Band: |
Label: MTM Music Producers: ? Year: 1998 Total Playing Time:43:29 mins:secs Review date: 31 Sept 1998 |
| Web site: www.come.to/heavensedge
Email: | ||
| Rating: 7/8 | ||
| Verdict: If you put off hearing this until "some other place-some other time" you'll be missing some fine 80s style melodic hard rock. | ||
| Heavens Edge released their debut album in 1990. I don't have it in my collection, but from what I remember the album was well received. Of course, grunge happened & a lot of melodic hard rock bands went tits-up as a result. Heavens Edge did start recording material, still in the melodic hard rock theme, for a second album, but the project got shelved. The guys at MTM got to hear some of the second album material and as a result the band went back into the studio at the start of '98 to get this album together.
The band didn't jump on any alternative bandwagons back at the start of the 90s and in 1998 they are still remaining true to their melodic hard rock inclinations. This is illustrated by opening track - Rock Steady. It is a big slice of 80s hard rock. This is followed up by the more AOR orientated title track. Next track, Jacky, is where things start getting really tasty, especially on the contagious chorus. The band continues firing on all cylinders on the Halen-esque Jump On It. Many 80s acts fluffed the ballads, but as Just Another Fire proves Heavens Edge can cut it on the slowies. The band cranks it up on Backseat Driver, which rocks out nicely. The band continue to rock in a VH kinda style on the next couple of tracks. Cry is a power ballad. Rollercoaster finishes the album very much the way it started with another slice of 80s hard rock. When the band put their more hard rocking aspirations on hold and add a little more melody in their place, the album works best for me. Tracks like the title track, Jacky and Just Another Fire are the stars of the show for me. Most of the harder rockin' tracks work perfectly well, but when I scribbled out the draft copy of this review I singled out Cuts Both Ways & possibly Call My Name as being the songs that let the side down a but by sounding a bit too "we wannabe VH". Definitely one for fans of 80s hard rock to look out for. | ||
Southpaw - Southpaw
Thursday, 01 October, 1998
Southpaw - Southpaw | ||
| Tracks:
Christmas |
The Band: |
Label: Z Records Producers: Fredrik Akesson & Mats Leven Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 45:36 mins:secs Review date: 31 Sept 1998 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 6/7 | ||
| Verdict: Plenty of punch, but I ain't knocked out. | ||
| Another group of Swedes on Z, what a surprise. This time we've got Fredrik Akesson (Talisman), John Leven (Europe), Mats Leven (Treat/Malmsteen) & Richard Evensand (It's Alive).
With those backgrounds I was expecting some tasty Scandi hard rock. The track on the Z Sampler CD told me that it was most likely that Southpaw had different ideas. Now that I've heard the CD, it appears to me that the band seem to be hell bent on taking us into the new millenium with a distinctly modern style. The more pink & fluffy Mood Swings visitors can stop reading this now, because it is going to be too heavy for you. For the rest of you the modern approach could be the problem. Whereas labelmates Human Race managed to get the balance right, these guys are too modern for my tastes. I always believe in giving something a fair go & I've listened to this more times that I really wanted to, just to write this review. I sit listening to this, track after track, and they all sound the same. To put it simply, I just don't get what this album is all about. A typical listening experience is that I sit with track after track washed over me, then I hear something interesting - "that sounds a bit like Kings X. I like that track". Glance of at the CD player - track 10, the final track. Maybe this one of those albums where if you stick with it, it might just click & be a life long friend. I just can't see me investing the time to find out if that is gonna happen with me. I guess Z have to cover a spectrum of styles to develop the portfolio of the label. This train is leaving the station with me still standing on the platform waving it goodbye. | ||
Hush - If You Smile
Wednesday, 30 September, 1998
Hush - If You Smile | ||
| Tracks:
Talk To Me |
The Band: ![[Image]](../../Images/hush.gif) |
Label: AOR Heaven/Point Music Producers: Kenneth (Keith) Kristiansen Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 53:04 mins:secs Review date: 30 Sept 1998 |
| Web site: http://home.sol.no/~hush1/
Email: | ||
| Rating: 7/8 | ||
| Verdict: Tried & trusted formula, but very listenable | ||
| To avoid any confusion, I guess the first thing that I should say is that this isn't the same Hush that featured Robert Berry & released an album on Escape a while back. No, these Scandi-rockers from Norway are much more worthy of your attention. In fact, if you're going to this year's Gods event, then you can hear them live. Hush have been together for a while and even managed to make it over to Northern Ireland, under the moniker Headstone, back in 1991 to support the Quireboys. Enough of the history lesson already, what about this CD.
When the opening track belts it's way out of your speakers, you're hit by a blast of a Whitesnake-type sound. Vocalist, Keith Kristiansen, sound a lot like Mr Coverdale. We're talkin' mid-career Whitesnake when things still had a vaguely bluesy feel. A good start to the disc. Babe continues the good impression. Believe has got a bit of a Journey vibe added to the mix, or maybe it is just the title that makes me think that. All change for Piece Of The Action. A lil bit o' funk gets added a la Dan Reed. Let It Rain is the first ballad, which tends toward the predictable. Curiously, this followed by yet another ballad - This Side Of Love. A brave move - placing two ballads back to back. For me, anyway, this kinda kills the flow of the album. This Side Of Love wins this battle of the ballads. A third ballad, I don't think so. Heaven Ain't is a mid-tempo number which actually reminds me of Romeo's Daughter (with a male singer, of course). One of the best tunes on the album. Big Time, big tune, good time rock (Motley Crue, Poison, Loverboy.....) Sometimes feature that Romeo's Daughter vibe again. Just like early Whitesnake, Hush's rockers are a variation on the barroom boogie theme - G&B. The bonus track, If (Butterfly), has got a laid-back vibe and sits sligthly apart from the rest of the disk. Hush have a lot in common with a band like, say, Velocity. They have created a very listenable album by applying some tried and trusted techniques to getting their style together. My only question mark is the decision to put the two big ballads back to back. But, hey, that easily fixed by a bit of CD player programming. | ||
Pete Sandberg - Back In Business
Wednesday, 30 September, 1998
Pete Sandberg - Back In Business | ||
| Tracks:
When The Night Comes |
The Band: |
Label: blueStome Producers: Fredrik Bergengren Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 55:47 mins:sec Review date: 30 Sept 1998 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: Relax, have fun, listen to some classy AOR. | ||
| This was a unexpected visitor to my letterbox. Pete Who? OK, so the blurb mentioned Midnight Sun, Alien & Madison. Erm............Still, Pete Who? as far a I was concerned. A quick listen. By now I was thinking, I don't know who he is, but this a hell of an album. With Savannah last month & Pete Sandberg this month, things are looking good for us old fashioned AOR fans.
Those nice people at Hard Roxx put my curiousity to rest my including an interview with him in their October issue. This is Pete's first album, which I guess has been available in Japan for a while. Here, in Europe, blueStone Music have just released it. Fans of his work might like to know that a new Midnight Sun album, plus a new solo effort are about to hit the shops. The album starts of with a series of lightweight AOR tunes. The emphaisis is clearly on melody & Pete's voice is central stage. Then the Dan Reed style funk of Big Bad Rap catches you by surprise. With a name like Babe, it just had to be a ballad, and a damned good one to. River Of Tears stays in AOR ballad terratory, but this time it is a much bigger production. A December Monday gets the funk out once again. By this stage you'll be thinking - "hey, this is quite good". While you're in this positive frame of mind, Pete hits you with his 'best shot'. Cold Hearted Woman is the undoubted star of the show. A gloriously catchy chunk of uptempo AOR. A finger clickin' & foot stompin' gem. Worth the price of admission alone. So good that you're gonna hit the repeat button a couple of times to have another listen before moving on. The ultra slow ballad - Scared - tries it's best follow up, but sounds ordinary in comparison. Having tried funk, Pete give us a bit of bluesy/funky soul on Unchain Your Heart. Check out the credits and you see that Closer To Heaven is a FM number. I'm not sure if this appears on any FM album, but Pete does a good job with it here. That relaxed laid-back feeling that permeates the album continues on the final track, Need Your Lovin'. The blueStone describe this as rock mixed with pop & easy-listening AOR. Couldn't have put it better myself. Pete does 'the business' big time. | ||
Bad Habit - Adult Orientation
Wednesday, 30 September, 1998
Bad Habit - Adult Orientation | ||
| Tracks:
Shine Your Light On Me |
The Band: |
Label: MTM Producers: Hal Jonston & Bjorn Dahlberg Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 57:41 mins:sec Review date: 30 Sept 1998 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 9 | ||
| Verdict: Who said grown ups were boring! This is one Bad Habit I'm happy to have acquired. | ||
| My first Bad Habit album, the band's third. Apparently, this album heralds a new era for the band both mentally & musically. Heck, they've even cut their hair. After reading that Bad Habit fans are probably starting to panic, so I'll just set you minds at rest - they haven't soldout, gone grunge etc. They've simply grown up and become adults. Hence, the title 'Adult Orientation'.
I wasn't impressed on the first couple of listens. The vocals didn't sound quite right to me, can't figure out why now. Anyway, never one to write something off after only a couple of listens, I put this in the car. That must have been when it happened - whilst I was driving around. I acquired a bad habit. Sitting at the traffic lights, I suddenly became self-concious and released that I was sitting screaming (I wouldn't describe it as singing) at the top of my voice. What was the song? - Bad Habit - Heart Of Mine. In fact, now that I thought about it, Bad Habit had been top of my in-car playlist ever since I stuck it the multi-changer. Apart from the very obvious description of 'mature AOR', how else can I describe this - AOR with a mid-West influence. It isn't exactly an instaneous proposition.That might not be a bad thing, because sometimes it is the albums that take a few listens for you to get into, that turn out to be long lasting favouritesWith nearly an hour's worth of music on offer, a blow by blow account of each song isn't a viable proposition. Here are a few of the names I jotted down whilst listening - Joey Tempest, Jamie Kyle, Romeo's Daugher, Brett Walker, Agent, King Of Hearts........ The album has got a natural, relaxed feel to it. It is like these guys just play this type of music so effortlessly. This is laid-back AOR at it's best. Yes, it is a relaxed effort, but there is an underlying energy running along in the backgound, which I guess is a result of the band's conviction that the new style is the right direction for them. At this point in writing the review, I decided to pick out a few highlights. This caused a few problems - 1. I started listening to the CD instead of writing the review 2. I looked at my list of highlights & I had selected practically all of the 13 tracks. From uptempo lightweight AOR (Heart Of Mine, Lost Without You), semi-ballads (Everytime I See You, If I Could Do It All Again), mid-tempo tunes (When The Sun Goes Down) to ballads (Forever), they've got all the bases covered. This is one Bad Habit I'm happy to have acquired. The top MTM release in my collection. | ||
Savannah - Savannah
Friday, 28 August, 1998
Savannah - Savannah | ||
| Tracks:
Down Ever Road |
Album cover:
![[Image]](../../Images/savannah1.jpg)
|
Label: Z Records Producers: Savannah & Jim Lightman Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 43:06 m:s Review date: 28 Aug 1998 |
| Web Site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 8/9 | ||
| Verdict: A good debut. | ||
| After listening to the Z Records Sampler CD earlier this year, Savannah were one of the bands I wanted to hear more of. Well, their debut album was released on 24 August 1998, so now the waiting is over. Z's releases, so far, have tended to be on the harder side of things & could have left AOR purists wondering if the label had forgotten about them. Enter Savannah.
Listening to the intro to the first song, had me thinking about how good things used to be. You know, when every new band wanted to be the next Journey, Survivor or Foreigner. These days new bands want to the next Alice In Chains or whatever masquerades as rock music in the pages of Kerrang etc. Savannah have a 'classic AOR' sound that contains elements of Journey, The Storm & Survivor and on the more rocking numbers Danger Danger. Many will pick vocalist, Earle Lord, as the star the show, but I'd say everyone plays their part in creating a sound that is surprisingly refreshing. Opener, Down Ever Road, sets the tone for the rest of the album - a mixture of Journey & Survivor. The second track starts with the sound of Rain. Just what is this obession with the weather for Journey wannabes :) Seriously, you're gonna have a big smile on your face by this stage. It is great to hear that classic AOR sound again. Premonition is another winner. On Never Too Late they sound more like The Storm. Two Young Hearts is the song you might have heard on the Z Sampler disc. It is an uptempo number that echoes Danny Vaughan era Tyketto.The guitars are cranked up for Spend A Little Time, Never Let It Go & Back In Line. Never Let It Go comes off best, the other two being the only places on the album that I'd say the quality dips slightly. After listening to the Useless Alibis ballad you may well reaching for your copy of The Eagles - Hotel California, I know I was. A bit too pink and fluffy for some, but I'm partial to a bit of candy floss. For the final tune, we get something a little different - a good time tune as dispensed by the likes of Poison. A good debut. It is nice to see a band going for that Stadium AOR sound. In days gone by, these guys would have been getting loads of airplay on American rock stations. | ||
Harem Scarem - Big Bang Theory
Friday, 28 August, 1998
Harem Scarem - Big Bang Theory | ||
| Tracks:
So Blind |
Album Cover:
![[Image]](../../Images/bigbang.jpg)
|
Label: Warner Music Ltd Producers: Harry Hess & Pete Lesperance Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 39:11 m:s Review date: 28 Aug 1998 |
| Web site: http://www.warnermusic.ca/harem/index.html
Email: | ||
| Rating: 7/8 | ||
| Verdict: A welcome return to form by one of my favourite bands, but it stinks in the VFM category. | ||
| Any new Harem Scarem release is of great interest to me, simply because one of their albums was a source of inspiration when naming my web site. However, my life as a Harem Scarem fan hasn't all been plain sailing. Harem Scarem like to change things around with each new album and develop their sound. Something which I admire them for. The down side is that the last couple of Harem Scarem incarnations haven't been that easy for me to get into, as I exlained in my review of Believe on the 1997 Reviews Page.
After the Believe release, my opinion of HS was that I thought it should be possible for HS to find some way of combinating the sounds from the first 3 albums to give them something to move forward with, but that Believe wasn't the right combination. To be honest, I thought it more likely that the band would be back with more VOR-type material on this new album and that my days as a HS fan were numbered. The good news is that I think HS have found that right combination. To a certain extent the band have returned to the sound of Mood Swings, but this doesn't feel like a retrograde step for the band. The majority of the songs on BBT could easily fit on Mood Swings II, if the band had decided that was what they wanted to do. If they had gone into the studio with a 80s hard rock attitude, MS II would have been the result. But, thankfully, the band have avoided repeated themselves. Instead of going for a depressing 90's sound, as they did on VOR, the band have taken a few of the elements from 90s music and blended it with the basic HS sound. We get the melodic hard rock & the great vocals, but delievered with a minimum of fuss and lots of raw enthusiasm. What I mean is that they still retain the basic HS sound developed on the first couple of albums, but with an up to date delivery that keeps in mind that we're in the 90's rather than fully embracing the whole 90's sound. This is AOR/hard rock for the 90s. The majority of the songs are uptempo, with the final track, In My State Of Mind, being a ballad. Tables Turning is a remix of one of the studio tracks on the Live At The Siren album. Sometimes I Wish sees Harry Hess taking a back seat and letting bass player Barry Donaghy handle lead vocals, which he does well. Never Have It All shows a heavy Queen influence. Other than those few notes, there isn't much else I can say about individual tracks, except that there isn't any 'filler' material on here. Based solely on the music, this album would be getting a 9 rating. This album doesn't even make it to the 40 min mark, instead we get a 'free' poster of the band (wow!, not). If we take into account that may fans already have Tables Turning on the live album, that makes just about 35 min of new tunes!!! In the end there were 3 versions of the Believe/Karma Cleansing album. I jumped in with the first (Japanese) release, and I've been told that the third (Special Edition remix) version is much better. Instead of learning a valuable lesson, I did the same thing again on BBT. The difference this time is that time I reckon that whatever version of BBT you buy, you'll enjoy it. Trouble is, I'm sure the Canadian release of this will have a different track listing, so there are extra tracks out there which should have been included here. Big Bang Theory might not get top marks in the "Value For Money" category, but, musically, it is a good album and easily beats both VOR and Believe. In the space of a few weeks, I've probably already played this more times than VOR and Believe combined. I had no option but to knock down the final rating to reflect the poor VFM. | ||
Crown Of Thorns - Lost Cathedral
Friday, 28 August, 1998
Crown Of Thorns - Lost Cathedral | ||
| Tracks:
Lost Cathedral |
Album Cover:
![[Image]](../../Images/lostca.jpg)
|
Label: Now & Then/Frontiers Records Producers: Jean Beauvoir Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 62:55 m:s Review date: 28 Aug 1998 |
| Web site: Crown Of Thorns Homepage
Email: cr0wns@aol.com | ||
| Rating: 9 | ||
| Verdict: COT finally fulfil the promise of the debut. | ||
| Until I listened to this, I had COT labelled as 'diamond geezers'. What is a 'diamond geezer' I hear you say. Well, 'diamond geezers' give great interviews and all the rock journalists love 'em, but their recorded work doesn't quite justify their legendary status. Other 'diamond geezers' include UK rockers Thunder.
COT's debut showed potential, but after I listened to it, I was left wondering what all the fuss had been about. The critics weren't so keen on the second album, so I gave it a miss. A couple of days after being asked to include a link to their new web site, I was in town and came home owning their latest album. If there was such a term as Glam AOR, that is how I would describe COT. Crunchy AOR is another. At just over an hour of music, it is quite a long album. By the time I had listened to it first time through, I wasn't that impressed. A lot of the songs sounded a tad similiar. However, after a couple of more listens, I'd 'got it' and I've been playing this to death ever since, to the detrement of the other albums I was supposed to being reviewing this month. Riff-tastic numbers include opener Lost Cathedral, Motorcycle Loretta, Greed Of Love & Cold Hearted Bitch. The rocking is continued on Lyin' and Although We're Fools which features a Beatle-esque chorus that seems a bit at odds with the rest of the song. From what I remember of the ballads on the debut, this was the area which let COT down by being a bit too predictable. This time there is a slight improvement in the ballad & semi-ballad area - Free Me, End Of The Road, Wasted Prime and final wimpout If You Need Me. Hard Rain did it on That Ain't Love, now COT have continued the hard rock/dance crossover on Hell Of A Night. That just leaves my favourite tune on the album - Live & Die. The title track is a good start to the album, but it doesn't prepare you for Live & Die. A wonderful mid-tempo tune that features a good mix of keyboards and guitars. Stuffed full of big hooks & infectious grooves, it is one of those albums that kinda works it's way inside your brain and becomes addictive. I guess I finally see why all those people have been singing COT's praises over the years. On Lost Cathedral they finally deliver on the promise of the debut. | ||
Guild Of Ages - One
Friday, 28 August, 1998
Guild Of Ages - One | |||
| Tracks:
Into The Night |
Bonus CD
CITA Live Over Germany Tracks: Heat Of Emotion Total playing time: 69:25 m:s |
Album Cover:
![[Image]](../../Images/goaone.gif)
|
Label: MTM Music/NEH Records Producers: Bobby Barth Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 60:02 m:s Review date: 28 Aug 1998 |
| Web site:
Email: | |||
| Rating: 7 | |||
| Verdict: The name may have changed, but the song remains the same. | |||
| If Guild Of Ages is a new name to you, then perhaps CITA will be more familiar. Another name change was necessary due to a boy-band of the same name. Th irony is that I heard recently that their name rivals have now broken up. Caught In The Act, CITA, Order Of Power, Guild Of Ages, wonder what they will call themselves for the fourth album? Well, the name may have changed, but the song remains the same. "One" continues on where Heat Of Emotion left off.
The band are still playing the same style of melodic hard rock. When I'm listening to this I enjoy it, but the trouble is don't find myself playing it too often. The songs all sound similar and individual tracks don't standout that much. Listen to part of one track, flick onto the next, more of the same, flick on to the next, more of the same, and so the cycle repeats until you reach the end of the album. I get exactly the same feeling about this album, as I did about Heat Of Emotion - I keep thinking I should like this more than I actually do. It is very seldom that I listen to this all the way through. Play me any of the tracks on their own and I'll be impressed. Sit me down and play me the whole album and I'll give you a so-so reaction. Strange! Included with this copy of the album is a live album recorded in Germany. It features songs from the band's two previous releases. It proves the band can 'cut it' on stage. The band do a good job of re-creating the studio sound in the live environment, with everyone doing good job. I'm impressed that the vocals, lead & background, sound this good live. As you might expect, a bit of the studio 'Oomph' is missing, but that always happens on live albums. I'm listening to the live album virtually for the first time as I write this review and I'm enjoying it more than "One". I think that some of the melody in their earlier material got replaced by a harder edge on the "One" material. If you're gonna buy this album, make sure you get the version that includes the bonus-CD. I'm convinced that GOA are create a really great album some day. I'm still waiting. | |||
Rick Manwiller - Living At Square One
Thursday, 27 August, 1998
Rick Manwiller - Living At Square One | ||
| Tracks:
Let Go |
Album Cover:
![[Image]](../../Images/rm_sq1.jpg)
|
Label: Confidenial Records Producers: Rick Manwiller Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 36:33 m:s Review date: 27 Aug 1998 |
| Web site:
Email: | ||
| Rating: 7/8 | ||
| Verdict: Chill out with Rick! | ||
| As a member of Dakota, Rick was responsible for one of my favourite albums to be released last year. Rick and Jerry from the band were also the first band that I interviewed for my web site, shortly after 'The Last Standing Man' was released. During that interview, Rick mentioned that he was working on a second solo album. That solo album is now completed.
Whereas I'd say that Dakota's last album was rooted firmly in AOR, this solo album sees Rick in more of a Westcoast mood, with elements of AOR and mid-West pop on display as well. I haven't heard his first solo album, but I think this a continuation from where it left off. Solo really is the operative word here, with Rick playing all the instruments and doing the vocals himself. Rick is the keyboard player in Dakota, therefore it is no surprise that keyboards are to the fore on this solo outing. It is during the second track that the album starts to warm up. If the first couple of songs don't get your attention, then "This Night" will. A slowie with more than a hint of Chicago. Company, Bump and Blurring The Lines all continue in a laid-back Westcoast vibe. Nasty Li'l Bidness is a 70s funk 'thang'. The Best That I Can Do is an charming ballad and the only song to feature outside collaboration. This was co-written with Jimmy Harness, who also helps out on backing vocals, in 1993. Nothing To Say finishes the album in an uptempo mode with a Westcoast/Toto number. On the first few listens, I wasn't in the right frame of mind for this & kept thinking about how I preferred the more straight-ahead AOR style of Dakota, compared to the laid -back Westcoast keyboards dominated songs on here. When I approached it in a more relaxed mood, it suddenly became more appealing. The playing time is a bit short, but I'm aware of the tight budgets for such solo projects on the artist's own label. My favourite tracks are This Night, The Best I Can Do & Nothing To Say. For me, the album takes a couple of songs to warm up, but once it hits it's stride I find it more engaging than I'd expect from a laid-back album, because I usually like things to 'rock' a little more. An album to relax to. For Dakota fans, and those of you with a perchant for Westcoast, it is well worth further investigation. | ||
Winterland - Blind
Tuesday, 18 August, 1998
Winterland - Blind | ||
| Tracks:
The Damnation Game |
The Band:
![[Image]](../../Images/winterland2.jpg)
|
Label: Producers: Winterland Year: 1998 Total Playing Time: 53:15 |