Yngwie J Malmsteen's Rising Force - Alchemy

1. Blitzkreig
2. Leonardo
3. Playing With Fire
4. Stand (The)
5. Wield My Sword
6. Blue
7. Legion Of The Damned
8. Deamon Dance (7,105,726)
9. Hanger 18, Area 51
10. Voodoo Nights
11. Asylum
    

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Total Playing Time: 68:17 m:s

Review date: 08/02/2000

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Opening track, "Blitzkrieg", starts the album off in typical neo-classical style with Yngwie's guitar emulating a violin as he races up and down the fretboard for this instrumental. Vocalist Mark Boals first sees action after the Gregorian chant which starts off "Leonardo" dies away. Mark's style of singing is in the higher registers which suits this style of music. From this point onward it is really a case of a neo-classical hard rock assault on your senses with Yngwie taking every possible opportunity to display his undoubted guitar skills. Mark Boals and the rest of the band do an excellent job of providing the necessary background, but there is no doubting the star of the show. There isn't a great deal of variety on display and the pace never really drops below frantic. Stuck in the middle of this is an instrumental called "Blue" which has a more sensible pace and which interjects a sense of melody to proceedings. The culmination of all activity is the instrumental final track, "Asylum", which ranges from a reckless display of fretboard racing at the start, through some slower classical guitar to the suitably dramatic ending where Yngwie is off on a speed mission again.

I'm sure existing Yngwie fans will love it, but the faint hearted or casual listener will find this fairly inaccessible. I'm left thinking that maybe that covers album he did a while ago would have been better introduction to his work for me.

PV - Create Your Lover

1. Summer Days
2. Create Your Lover #2
3. The Things You Do
4. While You Sleep
5. Create Your Lover #1
    

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Total Playing Time: 19:40 m:s

Review date: 03/02/2000

Email: bigwavebuz@aol.com 

 Last month I was struggling to come to terms with Harem Scarem's increasingly more modern tact and their adoption of a power pop style. It is strange that when this slice of modern rock-pop made it into my CD player that I had no problems embracing it.

It is hard to describe just what is at the centre of PV's sound as it changes across the songs on here. The first track, "Summer Days", lilts in on some female vocals and then some acoustic guitar before it ends up as a vaguely jazzy Westcoast-AOR, but mainly pop tune. On "Create Your Lover #1", which strangely comes before #1, PV's voice takes on a Leonard Cohen/Nick Cave quality as it sits upon some sparse acoustic guitar. After this, the bright infectious uptempo "The Things You Do" comes as a bit of a surprise. PV shares the vocals with Jannicke Larsens for this jangle-ly  guitar driven pop which call to mind The Bangles. "While You Sleep" has another moody start before becoming a slow atmospheric tune. "Create You Lover #2" at first replaces the acoustic guitar of #1 with a piano, but gradually picks up more instruments and tempo as it progresses, before fading out in a very Jean Michel Jarre fashion.

As you can see PV crams quite a bit into just 5 songs, but somehow there is a continuity to it all. I find listening to this refreshing. It is good to know that it is possible to create a record with a sound for Y2K that isn't simply a clone of the Foo Fighters etc.

Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes From A Memory

1. Regression
2. Overture 1928
3. Strange Deja Vu
4. Through My Words
5. Fatal Tradedgy
6. Beyond This Lide
7. Through Her Eyes
8. Home
9. The Dance Of Eternity
10. One Last Time
11. The Spirit Carries On
12. Finally Free
     

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Total Playing Time: 77:06 m:s

Review date: 15/01/2000

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Concept albums are an often traveled road for bands with progressive tendencies. Whilst other bands might try to claim otherwise, DT have admitted having a corner in the recording studio called 'inspiration corner' which was filled with covers from albums like Pink Floyd - The Wall, Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime, Marillion - Brave etc.

Those influences come through in the music, mixed of course with Dream Theater's own inimitable style. It almost goes without saying on Dream Theater albums, but playing on this is very impressive. I remember listening to the Liquid Tension Experiment album and thinking how well Jordan Rudess gelled with the DT guys. As you probably already know Jordan Rudess has replaced Derek Sheridan on keyboards and is now a fully paid up member of DT. He fits in well and his style seems to be more suited to DT. In terms of the music, DT have managed to take the best from the past DT albums to create a stunning musical landscape.

Dream Theater have created a concept album that must surely rank as one of the greatest of all time.  If ever the phrase "a masterpiece" was used to describe a concept album, then Metropolis Pt 2 deserves this description. I'm sure many will call this the peak of DT career to date. My personal preference would be to have a more "uplifting" storyline as the basis for the concept.

As a concept album this is brilliant, but the lyrics and individual songs suffer by being forced to fit in with the storytelling format. That is why "Images and Words" is still my top DT album. Indeed, whilst I'm going to enjoy listening to this album, what I'm really looking forward to is the next regular DT album with this band line-up. I've got the feeling the next album could well rival I&W in the affections of those of us who prefer music in a more conventional format.

Bother - Losing Time

1. Free
2. Solitude
3. Return To Athens
4. Losing Time
5. Faith

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Total Playing Time:  30:24 m:s

Review date: 12/01/2000

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Whenever a new progressive metal band comes to my attention, these days I immediately expect yet another Dream Theater clone. Bother avoid this pitfall by employing two guitarists and dispensing with the services of a keyboard player. Indeed, for want of a better comparison, my initial shot at describing the Bother sound involved mentioning early Metallica. I think this initial impression was compounded by the somber lyrics which all focus on looking on life from a fairly jaded viewpoint. It was actually when I was listening to the new Dream Theater album, just after listening to Bother, that it stuck me that a few DT-isms do creep into Bother's work, but I don't think I'd have noticed under other circumstances.

Whilst there are examples of shredding guitar passages, Bother thankfully stick to regular song structures and don't forget that they're playing songs. I find many progressive acts simply create musical passages, which (possibly) other musicians can appreciate, but which leave the rest of us fast asleep. Singer, Sean McKnight, keeps the vocals in the middle registers which gives the album a slightly modern feel. One of the problems I have with many progressive metal acts, e.g. Fates Warning, are ridiculously the high pitched vocals.

The first couple of tracks, "Free" & "Solitude", are slow to mid-tempo numbers that feature some heavy duty riffing. At 8:26 m:s "Return To Athens" is the most obviously progressive track on the album. Although the track does contain the obligatory tempo changes, the overall feel is more urgent than the opening duo. With about 2:30 m:s to go the guitars 'come out to play' and the song terminates in suitably heavy style. The title track reminded me in places of Awake era Dream Theater. The final track, "Faith", continues to stick to the formula established earlier, but is the track which comes closest to having a 'hook'.

In a genre where many new acts seem content to plagiarize from Dream Theater, Fates Warning etc, it is good to see Bother forging their own path. Although I'm not adverse to the odd touch of metallic riffing, that path is erring on the heavy side for my personal tastes. Perhaps a little bit more variety might have I led me to a different conclusion. For those of you with a more metal orientated outlook than myself, Bother are a band to investigate. I will certainly be keeping an eye on what the band get up to in the future.

This self-financed EP-length debut CD is available through the Bother web site and www.CDbaby.com .

Harem Scarem - Rubber

1. It's Gotta Be
2. Who-Buddy
3. Coming Soon
4. Stuck With You
5. Sunshine
6. Face It
7. Trip
8. Pool Party
9. Headache
10. Somebody Else
11. Enemy (bonus track)
     

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Total Playing Time: 43:34  m:s

Review date: 12/01/2000

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Harem Scarem have modified their style for every album to date and Rubber is no exception. Rubber sees the band playing power pop. Whereas their last album still had a rock feel to it, Rubber edges the band into the land of pop. They've kept the great vocals and harmonies which makes this instantly recognizable as a Harem Scarem record. The biggest disappointment is that Pete Lesperance's guitars take a real back seat.

When it comes to thinking of comparisons, well I'm struggling because simply don't listen to much power pop. Elsewhere I've seen the Foo Fighters and Marvellous 3 used as comparisons.

"It's Gotta Be" is an uptempo power pop tune that sounds pretty uninspiring at the start, but does get better by the time the chorus arrives. On the next couple of tracks (my favorites), "Who-Buddy" and "Coming Soon", I actually hear a little bit of country creeping into the formula and I'm reminded of the Jayhawks or someone like that. On "Coming Soon", and later on "Sunshine", Del Amitri's brand of rock-influenced guitar pop also springs to mind. "Stuck With You" & "Face It" increase the pace and feature some of those great HS vocals. On "Trip" there is a real Cheap Trick vibe going on and this track is the one with the most obvious rock feel to it. My reaction to the first two thirds of the album is positive, but end of the album sees my attention fading. "Pool Party" is the low point of the album for me. Very average power pop with a few tempo changes thrown in. I was channel hopping on the TV the other night and came across a program about UK new wave/punk band The Jam. Listening to "Headache" I can hear a few similarities. There seems to be a Ska-type rhythm going on in the background. If the Jam were still going today, then Paul Weller & Co. might be churning out stuff like this. On the acoustic guitar ballad, "Something Else", a boom/echo on the drums detracts from the song. The final track, "Enemy", is described on the cover as a bonus track and features what by this stage I'll describe as anonymous power pop.

Harem Scarem have been hedging their bets between the worlds of rock and pop with the past couple of releases. With the name change and the release of this album it looks like they've jumped off the fence and planted their feet firmly in the world of pop. This style of power pop isn't something that I've investigated too much. However, by following Harem Scarem/Rubber, I've ended up listening to something different. If a new band called Rubber, that I knew nothing about, came on the scene playing this type of music, I don't think I'd have paid much attention.

This band called Rubber have created a good album of power pop and to be honest with anything I'd call 'pop' I'm happy if I like most of the tracks for a couple of months (maybe even a few weeks). Whenever I get bored I can always move onto something else. On this level HS/Rubber have succeeded. However, it is impossible not to think of the earlier albums. Voice Of Reason, for example, which I'll admit I hated when I first heard it, took me about 3 years to get into. It is one of those albums you can revisit a multitude of times and still find something new each time. I don't think I'll be doing the same with Rubber.

Even with a 'bonus' track this only clocks in at 43 min, so I guess that means that a few new tracks have been held back for whatever HS compilation the record company can think of next and for the Canadian/European release of the album which is bound to have a different track listing to this. With all this talk of Rip-off Britain in the press, makes me think music fans should have their own expression - "Rip-off Harem Scarem".

Jimi Jamison's Survivor - Empires

1. Cry Tough
2. Run From Thunder
3. I'm Always Here
4. Empires
5. First Day Of Love
6. Have Mercy
7. Just Beyond The Clouds
8. A Dream Too Far
9. Love Is Alive
10. November Rain
11. Calling America
12. Burning Heart
13. Rebel Son
     

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Total Playing Time:  58:03 m:s

Review date: 05/01/2000

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Survivor's Vital Signs album is somewhere in my list of Top 10 albums and I rate Survivor above the mighty Journey as THE definitive AOR band. So this album had some high expectations to meet to convince me it was worthy follow up to Vital Signs, When Seconds Count, Too Hot To Sleep etc.

"Cry Tough" starts up and it's great to hear that Survivor vibe on some fresh material. Think what you like about the whole name business but just hearing Jimi's voice make you think about all those classic Survivor tunes. On "Run From Thunder" things get even better. This is maybe a little heavier than expected. "I'm Always Here" is the Baywatch theme slightly reworked. Surprisingly it doesn't sound out of place here. I've always liked this song. "Empires" is a splendid ballad with Lisa Frazier complementing Jimi's voice beautifully. "First Day Of Love" starts off like something from Vital Signs before getting surprisingly heavy yet retaining a sense of melody. "Have Mercy" changes pace a few times, but is a good AOR rock tune. "Just Beyond The Clouds" is a ballad. "A Dream To Far" is a mid-tempo AOR rock tune that rocks out more that expected. A little bit of funk gets added on "Love Is Alive", but it doesn't quite work and the song is just about the only one on the album to lack impact. The acoustic guitars of the ballad "November Rain" creates one the album's sparser moments. "Calling America" is a cover of the Tom Cochrane tune. Live versions of "Burning Heart" and "Rebel Son" are tagged on the end of the album, presumably to remind us of Survivor's past triumphs, but really aren't needed as the new material stands perfect well on it's merits.

Without the presence of Jim Peterik & Frankie Sullivan, apart from song writing credit on "Empires", many question whither or not the use of the name "Survivor" is justified. Whatever the rights or wrongs, the bottom line is that this is a great album which is a successful follow up to previous Survivor releases.

Bobby Kimball - All I Ever Needed

1. 'Till Tomorrow
2. All I Ever Needed
3. My Kinda Lover
4. Two Souls
5. This Time
6. Kristine
7. Live The Groove
8. Do You Ever
9. Loves Gonna Find A Way
10. Hand In Hand
     

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Total Playing Time: 50:18 m:s

Review date: 05/01/2000

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Surprisingly, not that much Toto or Toto related material has found it's way into my collection, despite the fact that they up there with Journey, Survivor, Styx etc when AOR reigned supreme in the 80s. Of course, it is only relatively recently that I've found myself gaining some appreciation of Westcoast style AOR.

" 'Till Tomorrow" starts the off the album in a mid-tempo Toto westcoast groove, which is pleasant, but maybe lacks the impact that an opening number should have. The title track is a big keyboard driven ballad which outclasses the opening easily. The album is fairly mellow affair with quite a helping of ballads. These ballads are where the album excels. "Two Souls" is a slow smoochie number with a soulful feel. On the biggest ballad, "Kristine", which features piano, strings etc, Mickey Thomas shares lead vocals. This is easily the album's highlight. There are yet more ballads in the form of "Do You Ever" and "Hand In Hand". Whilst other artists might struggle to maintain interest with so many ballads, Bobby manages to carry it off with style.

The remainder of the tracks didn't capture my interest quite so much. The funky horn driven "My Kinda Lover", the swirling keyboards and funk guitar of "Live The Groove" and "Love Gonna Find A Way" all didn't match the standard set by the ballads. Only the Toto/Huey Lewis "This Time" seemed to come close

For me, I've got to be in the right mood to get into this album. There are some very impressive ballads on here and the mid-tempo westcoast style number merely serve as adequate filler as far as I am concerned. I'm not sure how much appeal this will have outside existing Toto fans.

Jaded Heart - IV

1. Live And Let Die
2. Hey God Don't Hesitate
3. Way Back Home
4. Stonecold
5. When You Hear The Thunder
6. Ain't A Perfect World
7. With Your Eyes
8. But You Like It
9. Take My Soul
10. She's A Woman
11. Behind Your Pride
12. Easy Lover
     

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Total Playing Time: 66:25 m:s

Review date: 05/01/2000

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This album sees the band signed to MTM and they've traveled to Bobby Barth's NEH Studio to record the album and let Bobby do the knob twiddling. As you might expect Jaded Heart have taken on some of the characteristics of GOA/CITA and Axe in the process. The result is a beefy full sound that I get the feeling their previous recordings were lacking. If you like muscular hard rock/AOR with good vocal harmonies then Jaded Heart deserve your attention.

"Live And Let Die" get proceedings off to a cheesy start with a kid's choir at the start of the tune before it develops into a solid mid-tempo rocker. More heavy happenings occur in the form of the Aerosmith influenced "Hey God Don't Hesitate", "When Your Hear The Thunder",  the catchy "Ain't A Perfect World" which all work well. "But I Like It" is a fairly standard slice of Euro-rock that gets rescued by a decent chorus. The heaviest tune is "Take My Soul" which mixes Metallica and CITA. "Behind Your Pride" is the remaining rocker and features a slightly more subtle approach.

On the ballad front there is the power ballad "Way Back Home", the semi-ballad "With Your Eyes" and the blues of "She's A Woman".

That just leaves the two most talked about songs on the album - "Stonecold" and "Easy Lover". These are of covers of the Rainbow and the Phil Collins/Philip Bailey tunes. Jaded Heart have chosen a couple of great tunes to cover. Unfortunately for Jaded Heart the original artists did brilliant versions in the first place and these cover versions end up sounding a bit on the clumsy side. The result is that, instead of being content with the covers, you're left itching to hear the originals.

Don't be put off by what you may have heard about those cover versions, Jaded Heart's own material is worth investigating for those with a liking for hard hitting melodic hard rock/AOR.

Robin Brock - Blame In On Rock & Roll

1. PickBoy Rules
2. She's Outta Control
3. You Lost Your Heart
4. Rockin On The Ariwaves
5. I Lied
6. Burning Up
7. Just A Fantasy
8. If I Can Forget
9. Lipstick And Lace
10. It's My Heart
11. Drowning
     

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Total Playing Time: 47:20 m:s

Review date: 04/01/2000

www.robinbrock.com 

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When it comes to female vocalists, it is the country arena that has been grabbing my attention recently with Shania Twain and Faith Hill. It made a pleasant change to hear someone successfully approaching things from a rock perspective again. On the rockier numbers Robin sounds like Pat Benetar and the on the slow, more AOR, numbers like Heart's Ann Wilson. That's a combination that is hard to ignore.

"Pickboy Rules" is a bit of shock to the system when you first hear it. A surprisingly heavy instrumental introduction. From then on it is a mixture of rockers and ballads with Robin sounding like the singers mentioned above. "Rockin' On The Airwaves" is one of the more catchy numbers and I think it is lined up to be a single. "I Lied" beats it to the best song on the album award. The Heart-style mid-tempo AOR number has been used in the soundtrack to the film "Out Of This Mind". "Burning Up" is the rockiest tune of offer and it is the type of rock 'n' roll rocker that sounds like a Poison tune. A few tracks, "She's Outta Control", "Just A Fantasy" and "It's My Heart", have a real 80's AOR feel to them.  The trashy "Lipstick & Lace" and  the ballad, "Drowning", weren't to my tastes.

Robin has a great voice and it is good to hear some classy female AOR again. This is a good album and I think fans of 80's AOR divas Pat Benetar and Heart will welcome it with open arms. 

Mariah's Trench - Beyond Orgasm

1. You're The One
2. Throw Your Stone
3. Upon The Mighty Wind
4. Attack The Deceiver
5. I'll Climb The Clouds
6. I Believe It's True
7. Dreams Will Fade
8. The Dogs Of War
9. The Pharoah's Message
10. Endless Voices
11. Sword Of Justice
     

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Total Playing Time: 45:12 m:s

Review date: 04/01/2000

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The first thing that struck me about the album has nothing to do with the music. I like the art on the album cover. Some bands and record labels don't seem to pay much attention as the how their product looks. It is good to see someone making the effort to make an album look attractive.

Mariah's Trench play what I'll describe as guitar orientated rock. Their brand of hard rock/metal always has the guitars to the fore. It is one of those albums where it obvious that the guitar player is the main songwriter. When it comes to comparison Diamond Head meets MSG is the best I can come up with.

"You're The One" starts the album off in an uptempo fashion. The track is a fairly ordinary start and doesn't really show the band in their best light. More metal orientated listeners may find them more appealing, but I found the faster tracks fell into the 'ok' category. The final rocker "Sword Of Justice" fares best, mainly due some blistering guitar soloing.

On the second track, "Throw Your Stone", the pace slows and the effect is immediately more pleasing. I'm reminded of early-MSG. When "Attack The Deceiver" starts up it is clear to me that everything seems to gel much better on the slower numbers. The lead guitar really kicks in about a minute from the end to bring this track to a climax. "I'll Climb The Clouds" and "The Dogs Of War" are slow-ish instrumentals with just a smattering of spoken samples, which highlight the guitar playing abilities of the "Rockin' Doc". It looks like the band feel happiest on the more deliberately paced numbers and they stick with the same style on "I'll Believe It's True" and "Dreams Will Fade". "Endless Voices" is yet another successful slow rocker that features some good guitar work.

If you prefer you metal/hard rock in a slightly more intelligent guise, ala Diamond Head or MSG, then Mariah's Trench are worth checking out. 

The band are featured on www.mp3.com, so surf on over there to find out what the band actually sounds like.

Rick Monroe - Shame

1. Shame
2. Pray
3. Trippin' On
4. Gypsy Soul
5. Can I Call You Home
6. One Becomes Two
7. Don't You Tell Me
8. Suspicious Eyes
9. Urban Cool
10. Tomorrow Turns
11. Travelin' Song
12. Best Damn Woman
13. You
14. To Believe

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Total Playing Time: 56:18 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

Email: divorcerec@earthlink.com

I described his last album as sitting down and having a chat with your old buddy Rick. The same thing applies here. Whilst the last album took quite a while to work it's magic, this time my reaction was more immediate. I'm not sure that this album is any more of an instant fix than the debut, I think it is just that now I'm more familiar with his style.

The backup musicians are mostly from a band called The Texas Tornadoes, plus a couple of guys who backup country legend Charlie Pride. It is no surprise then that Rick has stuck with his roots-rock style of music. If you play "Legend's Diner" and "Shame" back to back you'll hear a slight difference in emphasis. "Legend's Diner" relied on electric instruments, but on "Shame" a more acoustic approach has been taken. Song-wise I detect a more roots/country influence compared to "Legend's Diner" which had more of an underlying rock feel to it.

"Shame" and "Pray" are an uptempo duo to get the ball rolling. Whilst they keep the Mellencamp tendencies in check, "Trippin' On" lets them run free on this catchy uptempo tune. The first single from the album is "Can I Call You Home?" which is a  semi-ballad dedicated to this wife of 3 years. At this point Rick hits a good spell with the next bunch of songs all hitting the mark. "One Becomes Two" is a slow ballad that bears a resemblance to the work of Lyle Lovett. "Don't You Tell Me" & "Suspicious Eyes" are another two mid-tempo hits. The guitars crank up for "Urban Cool"  which doesn't match up to the class of it's neighbours.  This good patch continues on the Del Amitri-like "Tomorrow Turns". The mood changes with the disappointing blues/barroom boogie of "Travelin' Song". From blues to swing on "Best Damn Woman", which fares much better. To me, Rick sounds least convincing on the more uptempo numbers and "You" provides further evidence in reaching this conclusion. A ballad, "To Believe", closes the album.

 A good album which, in my opinion, fades a bit toward the end when Rick tries to introduce some variety into proceedings.

MTM Ballads Volume 2

1. Metropolis - The Power Of The Night (The Power Of The Night)
2. Dare - Cold Wind Will Blow (Calm Before The Storm)
3. Harlan Cage - Making My Way Back To You (Forbidden Colors)
4. Steelhouse Lane - All I Believe In
5. Von Groove - The Damage Is Done (Test Of Faith)
6. Joe Lynn Turner - Can't Face Another Night (Hurry Up & Wait)
7. Guild Of Ages - Wish That I Was There (Vox Dominatas)
8. Fergie Frederiksen - Crazy (Equilibrium)
9. Jaded Heart - Way Back Home (Jaded Heart IV)
10. Bad Habit - If I Can Do It All Again (Adult Orientation)
11. Danger Danger - She's Gone (The Return Of The Great Gildersleeves)
12. Axe - I Don't Wanna Be Alone Tonight (Twenty Years Volume 2)
13. David Carl Band - Arms Of Love (Can't Slow Down)
14. Jimmy Lawrence - Test Of Time (The World Is Round)
15. Metropolis - Restless Moon (The Power Of The Night)
16. Michael Morales - No Way Out (That's The Way)

Album Cover:

Total Playing Time: 77:02 m:s

Review date: 4 December 1999

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Metropolis get the privilege of providing two tracks. the title track from their album is a bit of a low key start, but the Westcoast "Restless Moon" certainly deserves it's place in the team. Another classy recent MTM release is Michael Morales and "No Way Out" closes this compilation in style, as it did his album.

Another slice of westcoast balladry is provided by Fergie Frederiksen. As with the other MTM compilation reviewed this month, the Dare track sounds good here, despite the fact that the complete album lacks impact. "All I Believe In" is the big ballad from the Steelhouse Lane album and the great harmonies sound just as good in this context. I never noticed how much like Dare the beginning of this track sounds before listening to this compilation. With the other MTM compilation it was relatively easy to pick out the weaker tracks, but I can't really say that any of the tracks here let the side down. With an album full of power ballads I was worried that the album would come across as lacking variety, but that really isn't the situation. Von Groove and the excellent Bad Habit contribute to the variety with their semi-acoustic offerings.

The person who has listened to MTM Ballads Volume 1 most in our house is actually my wife who's tastes in much are very mainstream compared to mine, but I've been trying to educate her. I'm going to continue her education with Volume 2.

MTM Volume IV - Rock Is Coming Home

1. Steelhouse Lane - If Love Should Go (Slaves Of The New World - Bonus track Japan)
2. Dare - Run To Me (Calm Before The Storm - Bonus track Japan)
3. Danger Danger - I Do (The Return Of The Great Gildersleeves)
4. Jaded Heart - Live & Let Die (Jaded Heart IV)
5. Storyteller - What She Wants (Storyteller)
6. Harlan Cage - Can't Tame The Raven (Forbidden Colors)
7. Beggars &Thieves - Gypsy (unreleased)
8. Reingold - Killer On The Loose (Universe)
9. Guild Of Ages - Let It Go (Vox Dominatas)
10. Metropolis - Never Look Back (The Power Of The Night)
11. Axe - Let The Music Come Back (Twenty Years Volume 2)
12. Michael Morales - That's The Way (What's The Way)
13. ACT - Abandoned World (Today's Report)
14. Brett Walker - Rain In My Heart (Lift Off)
15. Joe Lynn Turner - No Room For Love (Hurry Up & Wait)
16. Brian McDonald - Wind It Up (tba)

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Total Playing Time: 72:07 m:s

Review date: 3 December 1999

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Quite few of the albums upon which this compilation is based have already been reviewed in Mood Swings. For example, Metropolis, Michael Morales and ACT all got dissected last month with the first two getting a very positive thumbs up from me.

The Japanese bonus tracks by Steelhouse Lane and Dare give the album a strong start and certainly don't sound like the filler expected of bonus tracks to these ears. In fact, I'm enjoying the Dare track more that I would have expected given my somewhat cool reaction to the album. The unreleased Beggars & Thieves track was another shock. Whilst I could take or leave, and erring on the side of leaving, the album, "Gypsy" is an great GnR meets Rolling Stones number. Whilst I'm on the subject of being pleasantly surprised, the Harlan Cage track, "Can't Tame The Raven", with it's Magnum meet Survivor vibe, is a far better than I expected, as I never really 'got' their debut album and promptly forgot about them.

Danger Danger, Guild Of Ages, Axe and Joe Lynn Turner all provide consummate performances without varying from their own formulas. As Deep Purple/Rainbow were my first love in the hard rock world, I'm always going to like Joe's ventures into this area. When it comes to choosing tracks for a compilation, I guess it's all a matter of personal choice. Reingold's Rainbow-influenced "Killer On The Loose" wouldn't have been my choice from that album as I think the cop car radio sample spoils it. It's a similar story with Jaded Heart where the cheesy kiddie's choir at the start of "Live & Let Die" knock the edge off an otherwise decent tune. The strong production on the Jaded Heart track makes like difficult for Storyteller who's lightweight progressive style sounds weak in comparison. Another looser in the same department is Brian McDonald who's track sounds muffled to me. Brett Walker's track also sounds a bit out of place amid the heavier company, but this lightweight catchy number has certainly wetted my appetite for his new album.

The Situation - the situation

1. Say Uncle
2. What Would DeNero Do?
3. In The Zone
4. You Are The One
5. Thin Skinned
6. One In A Million
7. Our Situation
8. Zydecco Road
9. My Mother Likes Black Men
10. Prophet Of Doom
11. Hurricane Jo

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Total Playing Time: 39:04 m:s

Review date: 3 December 1999

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They say variety is the spice of life, well, The Situation certainly provide you with a spectrum of musical styles & lyrical themes. However, blues-based rock is probably the term that covers most the album. With all these different things going on, it is difficult to make up your mind just where The Situation are coming from, or indeed intending to go. As far as I can tell, it's all about having some fun and isn't that what music is all about.

Talking of fun, the white-boy rap of "What Would DeNiro Do?" and the funk of "My Mother Likes Black Men", both hit the mark in the smiles department. Dire Straits would appear to be the influence on "Say Uncle" and "In The Zone" (which adds a little bit of funk). "Thin Skinned" reminds me of Squeeze's "Cool For Cats". When the band are in a more serious mode we get power-pop ("One In A Million" & "Prophet Of Doom") and John Cougar Mellencamp roots-rock ("Our Situation" & the album's top tune, "Zydeco Road"). "Hurricane Jo" finishes the album in a David Lee Roth meets Aerosmith style.

"The Situation" is the album for when you just wanna sit back, relax and improve your mood with a mixture of music and humour.

Eric Lambert - Just The Way I Feel

1. Oh, Ok
2. South Side Tan
3. Left Coast Girl
4. Love Can Make It Alright
5. What My Love Can Do
6. Treat Me Right
7. Just The Way I Feel
8. Got The Kind Of Love I Need
9. Little Town Blues
10. Man & Wife
11. Gnome Breakdown
12. House On The Moon

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Total Playing Time: 47:03 m:s

Review date: 2 December 1999

Email: lambert@ericlambert.com  

As I mentioned last month in my review of Michael Lee Firkins my exposure to blues music doesn't extend much beyond Stevie Ray Vaughan. Therefore thinking of comparisons is a more difficult task compared to reviewing a more AOR artist. Certainly when listening to this I'm reminded of Eric Clapton.

Eric Lambert keeps things moving at a moderate pace and there's no certainly no long drawn out slow blues to allow your attention to wander. 'Acoustic blues boogie' is the phrase I'd use to describe the majority of the tunes. The selection on offer includes the traditional barroom blues of "Treat Me Right", light acoustic blues on "Just The Way I Feel", Clapton-esque "Love Can Make It Right", soul/Blues Brothers of "What My Love Can Do", the instrumental "Gnome Breakdown" and the electric blues of "House On The Moon". "Love Can Make It Right" & "Got The Kind Of Love I Need" are the two tunes that made the biggest impression.

As far as I know Eric Lambert handles the vocals himself and herein lies the main inhibitor to my enjoyment of the album. Eric's voice has a got a kind of 'catch' to it and sounds 'weak' in places. Whilst this is might be authentic when it comes to sounding just like a one of those pioneering bluesmen, it isn't to my tastes.

3rd Window - Tell Me Why

1. Tell Me Why
2. Beautiful Day In The City
3. In A Crowded Room
4. A Lot Of Lonely People
5. Somewhere Beyond The Blue
6. Shades Of You

The band:

Total Playing Time: 25:23 m:s

Review date: 2 December 1999

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The whole rock chic thing has been done by the like of Alanis Morrisette, Sheryl Crowe etc, so what can 3rd Window offer that hasn't been done a million times before. Well, their twist, apart from the dual dreadlocks, on the theme is to take an acoustic base to build the vocals upon. Bryn's vocals also have a soul foundation. From the rock world, I guess early Heart would be a valid comparison.

If I tell you that the opening line of the opening song is "I've never been burned by a fire of hate like this", then you can work out that we're not talking cheerful little tunes, but rather thought provoking lyrics dealing with the life and how to make your way through it.

The straightforward approach of "Tell Me Why" and "Beautiful Day In The City" makes way for a funky bass-line on "In A Crowded Room". The track that made the biggest impact on me was "A Lot Of Lonely People". It's a slow to mid-tempo number that reinforces it's message with a strong chorus. "Somewhere Beyond The Blue" glides in sporting a lazy jazz/blues vibe, whilst "Shades Of You" terminates the album with the most urgent offering.

Drew Barrett - The Strolling Minstrel

1. City Of Sin
2. Worked Myself To Death
3. Lovers
4. A Change Is On The Way
5. Soldier Song
6. Is There Somewhere Else We Go
7. A Song For Sara
8. Judicial Breakdown
9. Visitors from Saturn's Moon
10. Caught In The Act
11. Billy-Bob

Album Cover:

Total Playing Time: 51:02 m:s

Review date: 1 December 1999

Email: drewbarrett@netscape.net 

The opener, "City Of Sin" hits you with a wall of swirling guitars and Drew coming across as a mixture between David Bowie and Morrissey. On the next track, "Worked Myself To Death", the deep vocals are still present for the verses, but Drew moves up to a more normal vocal range for the chorus. This track is my favorite from the album, it's got a big hook and is simply very 'sing-able'. Indeed, Drew displays an impressive variety of vocals throughout the album. The duet with sister Corinne, "Lovers", which reminds me of the Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue single from a few years ago, is another highlight and sets the pace for much of the album, which is slow to mid-tempo numbers. "Soldier Song" is the first tune to give a hint at Drew's past metallic leanings. The guitars take on a more urgent metallic edge and the vocals move into a higher register, but, with the help of Corinne's background vocals, it steers a course which isn't too far from the feel from rest of the album. "Visitors from Saturn's Moon" again brings early David Bowie to mind with it's deep vocals and acoustic guitars. The final track, "Billy-Bob", is a shot at the presidency of Bill Clinton.

This is a difficult album to categorize. The deep vocals give it a dark, yet not depressing, feel and the music sits somewhere in the middle of rock, pop and possibly even AOR. This all combines to give it a modern feel. A rewarding experience for those prepared to look outside the confines of the standard musical genres.

Atello - The Big Payoff

1. Intro
2. Love Me Down
3. Emotional Blackmail
4. (You've Got A) Grip On My Heart
5. Your Love
6. Full Moon Fever
7. Hold On
8. Blind Justice
9. Big Payoff

Album Cover:

 

Total Playing Time: 39:40 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

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Any band that so openly admits such influences are painting a huge target on their backs in today's harsh environment for that style of music. The group certainly can't be accused as going for the "big payoff" market at the moment.

"Let Me Down" was a pleasant surprise the first time I listened to the album. I was expecting something altogether more metallic sounding. Instead, there is a Firehouse vibe going on here. This theme is continued throughout the album, but is most noticeable on songs such as "Emotional Blackmail" & "The Big Payoff". The title track features a crunchy Firehouse style, creating one of the best tunes on the album which is helped out by some good guitar work.

On "Your Love" Van Halen get added to the formula producing a 80's style metal tune with a commercial edge. I get the feeling that Ozzy was the inspiration behind the metallic "Full Moon Fever", at least on the opening few bars. Blind Justice also rocks out with a NWOBHM feel. "Hold On" starts off quietly before moving up a gear and features a few volume & tempo changes. In the ballad department, "You've Got A Grip On My Heart", fares well, despite being a bit jaded on the lyrics & style front.

Harking back to the glory days of melodic hard rock, Atello's gamble of sounding distinctly retro pays off. They might not be able to retire on the proceeds from this pay off, but there should be enough to get them back in the studio to build upon the solid base they've built here.

Michael Lee Firkins - Decomposition

1. Still Alive And Well
2. Manic Depression
3. I Need You
4. Pink Panther
5. I Know A Little
6. The Window
7. Little Wing
8. Pick Up The Pieces
9. Caravan

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Total Playing Time: 41:53 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

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This is an album consisting almost entirely of cover versions, with only one original composition. The merits of such an undertaking can be debated, but it should be remembered that Metallica produced their most worthwhile album, in my opinion, when covering other peoples tunes.

Helping Michael out are Sonny Reece on vocals, Trevor Thorton on drums, John Purtle on bass and Neil G. Ives also on bass.

You'll recognize the most of the song titles, so I guess you've figured out by now that this is a blues-based album. When it comes to this style of music Stevie Ray Vaughan would be my main source of exposure, although I've obviously heard the originals of the Jimi Hendrix and Lynyrd Skynyrd originals.

On an album so obviously guitar orientated you might expect the vocals to be a bit of an afterthought, but Sonny Reece does an excellent job and certainly holds his own against the guitar heroics on display. What can I say about the cover versions? They are well executed and I didn't get the 'why bother to cover that' feeling when listening to the album.

When watching the cartoon, I've always found the Pink Panther theme tune to be slightly annoying, so I was therefore very surprised to find myself enjoying this 'bluesified' version. The original composition, "The Window", fares well amongst the more familiar material and until you become more acquainted with the album provides you with something fresh to think about.

This was a welcome diversification in my listening habits as I haven't heard any blues in quite a while. A great deal of blues music is created by borrowing from the early blues men, so against this backdrop perhaps covering some modern tunes is perfectly understandable. I personally would have like to have seen a couple of more original compositions on here. 

Dreamland - Tales From Area 51

1. Charlie 242
2. Master Of Motion
3. Leo's Chew Toy
4. Until We Meet Again
5. Sloppy Jane
6. Hit Me
7. Get Out Of My Way
8. Alien Funk Machine
9. Where's Charlie (reprise)

Album Cover:

Total Playing Time: 45:18 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

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"Charlie 242" sets the scene with some radio communications indicating that flight 'Charlie 242' is flying out to intercept a UFO before "Master In Motion" has some lead guitar work sitting on top a blues-influenced riffing. "Leo's Chew Toy" introduces a lighter note to proceedings in the form of an funky uptempo number. This is followed by the slow blues of "Until We Meet Again", which is very relaxing. "Sloppy Jane" strolls along with a confident gait, before "Hit Me" heads off still further into funky territory over which the lead guitars shred. A combination of Boston & Lynyrd Skynyrd would appear to be the influence behind "Get Out Of My Way". It might have been difficult to think up the name in the first place but somehow "Alien Funk Machine" sounds pretty much like it's title might suggest. By the time "Alternative Route" and "Where's Charlie?" come around I usually have trouble distinguishing individual tracks but they are no less worthy of our attention.

Dreamland are a talented bunch of musicians and they've crafted some acceptable pieces of music to show off those talents. If I listen to a few tracks at a time I'm impressed, but sitting down to listen to the whole album I find the music loses it's impact somewhat.

Neil Zaza - Staring At The Sun

1. I Spy
2. Lift
3. Lost In Your Dream
4. Zen, Karma and Other Good Things
5. The Wonder Of You
6. New, New Math
7. Rain
8. Every Thought Of You
9. Baking @ 350 °F
10. Fargo
11. Angel
12. Definition
13. Purple Rain

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Total Playing Time: 57:02 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

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Double trouble, or so I initially thought, this month with not one, but two instrumental albums to review and write about. The presence of Smith and Valory raised my expectations even before the album arrived. I was hoping a for an instrumental album that was accessible for non-musicians like myself.

Well, that's what I got, but I got a lot more besides. Neil Zaza has an impressive list of co-stars on this album, but manages to outshine them all. Neil is a genuine guitar hero, right up there with the others who release these types of guitar orientated albums such as Satrianni and Vai.

The opening track is an uptempo attention grabbing start which has got some horns to reinforce the impact of the guitars. The next couple of tracks are what I'd describe as AOR instrumentals, similar in style to the Journey instrumentals on Time 3. What good instrumental album doesn't have at least one reference to Zen, karma etc in one of the titles? The Egyptian vibe that fits between the guitar shredding was obviously the inspiration behind the cover art. In complete contrast, "The Wonder Of You" is a Westcoast style tune. "New, New Math" is very much riff orientated and romps along at quite a pace as well as including some frantic guitar work.

After all that frantic activity "Rain" is the perfect tune to accompany sitting at a window watching life carry on through the rain. The peaceful mood continues of "Every Thought Of You". These tunes prove that there is more to good guitar playing that racing up and down the fretboard. The blues of the Michael Lee Firkins' penned Baking @ 350 °F leads the way for the feel good "Fargo".

With "Angel" and "Definition" we're back to those AOR instrumentals I mentioned earlier. Maybe the presence of Smith & Valory influenced these tunes. The album closes with 8 minutes of more rain, but this time of the purple variety. Yes, this is a cover of the "Artist formerly known as Prat" hit. Prince might be a premier league plonker but he has penned a few decent tunes and Neil provides a new twist to one of them.

As you can tell from the Dreamland review, it takes a great deal to impress me when it comes to instrumental albums, but Neil Zaza has managed it. The reason is that not only does this album contain impressive guitar playing which showcases Neil's talent, but it also entertains as well.

Z Plan - Circus

1. So Long To Yesterday
2. Guilty
3. Curcus
4. Calling Out
5. Maybe
6. Believe
7. Time Will Heal You
8. Paradise
9. Don't Wanna Wait
10. Part Of A Dream
11. Let Love Lead The Way
12. Lessons

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Total Playing Time: 47:27 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

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The band play AOR, but it isn't of the bog standard variety. The Z Plan style is a gentle form of AOR with an emphasis on strong vocal harmonies. In terms of comparisons Boston, but a chilled out Boston playing a semi-acoustic style.

"So Long To Yesterday" opens the album with some Boston style harmonies. "Guilty" is one of the mid-tempo semi-acoustic tunes that is typical of the band. I'm reminded of a band called Bread. It is time to sit down, relax and enjoy. The next batch of songs all follow the lead of "Guilty" i.e. semi-acoustic & great vocal harmonies. "Maybe" isn't so much a ballad as a lullaby where you'll enjoy the vocals so much that you'll hardly notice what else is going on the track. I found "Believe" and "Time Will Heal You" uplifting to listen to. My one criticism is that I sometimes find this bit of the album a bit 'one-paced', but I guess on those occasions I just haven't chilled out enough.

"Don't Wanna Wait" breaks the pattern when the band pick up the pace and the Boston style sound is in evidence again. This is at it's strongest on the rockiest song on the album, "Part Of A Dream". Once the band get fired up there is no stopping them. "Let Love Lead The Way" is the third rocker in a row. Needless to say the vocal harmonies are just as good on the rockers as the mid-tempo numbers. Z Plan leave you quietly contemplating the "Lessons" of love.

More and more it would appear that artists in the AOR and Melodic Rock arena seem happy to borrow ideas and styles from both their contemporaries and predecessors. That is why a band such as Z Plan are so refreshing. Whilst there are many who have gone for the softer end of the AOR market and ended up producing albums full of sappy ballads, Z Plan have gone for a 'gentle'  style. In the lyrics department most of the songs seem to have an underlying positive message, rather than languishing in the self pity of 'lost love' songs more typical of the AOR genre. The end result is an album which forges it's own identity and which I can best describe as an uplifting experience.

Michael Morales - That's The Way

1. Better Way
2. Change The World
3. Where Does Love Live
4. That's The Way
5. Blood
6. Let You In
7. What Kind Of Fool
8. No Tomorrow
9. Maria
10. I Remind Me Of You
11. Driving Back To Your Heart
12. No Way Out

Album Cover:

 

Total Playing Time: 45:28 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

Email: studiom@texas.net 

For this album, Michael has locked himself away in a studio creating a truly solo album, with Michael singing and playing all the instruments.

The press releases mention that Michael has released an album that positions him between Def Leppard and Rick Springfield. Having just finished reviewing the Z Plan album where I talked about the band forging their own identity, this comes as quite a shock. Michael's style is a hefty dose of Def Leppard with Rick Springfield and Bryan Adams filling in the gaps. The sound is very close to Def Leppard on many tunes. Another explanation could be that he has a Mutt Lange fixation and that it isn't Def Leppard he is trying to emulate but the production, whatever he sails pretty close to borders of plagiarism. Of course, if you're a Hysteria era Def Leppard fan, and Euphoria was quite the return to that style that you had hoped for, then this will be a godsend.

Having got all that out the way, this is a good album. I happen to like Def Leppard and Rick Springfield!!! "Better Way" kicks off proceedings in a Bryan Adams "Waking Up The Neighbours" vibe. That Mutt Lange drum sound and chorus style is very much in evidence and dominates the next bunch of songs. "That's The Way" could be "Pour Some Sugar On Me" part 2. "Blood" is another song where the connection is particularly strong, even the "Whoa! Whoa!" bit. On the ballads, "Change The World" and "Let You In", his voice sounds like a mixture of Joe Elliot and Bryan Adams.

Just when I think I'm becoming paranoid and hearing Def Leppard everywhere, "What Kind Of Fool" breaks the link and the only thing we have to deal with are clichéd lyrics - "Is he tougher than diamonds? Is he stronger than steel?". There's a hint of Bryan Adams on "No Tomorrow", but from here on Rick Springfield is what I hear the most. Maybe because Rick's style isn't quite so distinctive, I don't have so many ethical dilemmas with these tunes. It was whilst listening to "I Remind Me Of You" one day that I realized that if I wasn't spending all my time thinking about the obvious comparisons, the I'd notice that this is a bloody good album. For example, "Driving Back To Your Heart", is the kind of catchy lightweight pop/rock material that would have been huge in the 80s.

I seem to have spent most of this review bitching about how closely Michael's work borrows from other peoples, but else where in my Mood Swings reviews I've been a lot more tolerant. The bottom line is that "That's The Way" is a good album with hook filled tunes and crisp production that I enjoy listening to. 

A.C.T. - Today's Report

1. Abandoned World
2. The Wandering
3. Waltz With Mother Nature
4. Why Bother
5. Today's Report
6. Welcome
7. Cat Eyes
8. The Chase
9. Personalities (the long one)

1. Foreplay
2. Piece Of Meat
3. Tinnitus
4. Lord Of Lies
5. Emely (Ms. Amnesia)
6. Insomniac
7. Concluding Speech

Album Cover:

 

Total Playing Time: 53:48 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

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When I inserted this in the player and started listening, Saga were the first band that I thought of as a comparison, mainly because I couldn't think of any other band today that successfully combines AOR and progressive music. No progressive band can escape the influence of the ubiquitous Dream Theater these days, and A.C.T. are no exception, although they don't borrow all that heavily. Having just read an interview with the band, other influences upon the band that I didn't pick up on are ELO, Kansas and City Boy.

The band's sound relies heavily on keyboards and there is plenty going on in every song, so yes tempo changes feature heavily. The lead vocalist sings in the higher resisters, which helps give the progressive/pomp feel the album. A really long song, yes again, tracks 9 to 15 are all part of one song. Where A.C.T. differ from others in this field is that they are more song orientated than most and I'm sure that is what attracted MTM to the band.

At this point in a review I quite often start describing each song on an album. In A.C.T.'s case this is difficult because the majority of the songs sound similar. "Why Bother" reminds me of the AOR style numbers of DT's Images & Words and this helped it stand out. On the title track snippets of TV news are interspersed with some very DT like instrumental passages. Looking at the liner notes, at least the guys don't take it all to seriously as they've got a little comment about one of the instrumental passages - "too many notes?". "Cat Eyes" has got a ragtime start and the whole style reminds me of The Enid. A combination the City Boy track "Ambition" from "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" and the Beatle's "Abbey Road" were the inspiration for "Personalities". It is a mixture of what I'll call pop-pomp and quirky lyrics, that isn't as daunting as many multi-part pieces. I seemed to have picked up on the DT aspects of the album, but overall Saga are probably the overriding influence and in fact the band have been the opening act for Saga.

There is no doubt that A.C.T. are talented musicians and they do a good job of taking slightly retro style of music and still managing to sound like a new 90s band. I like Dream Theater and some Saga, but most other progressive music leaves me cold. When it comes to A.C.T., I like the idea, but the execution on this debut I can't quite warm to as much as I would like to. The whole album sounds 'samey' with individual songs indistinguishable from their neighbours. I'd like to seen more diversity between songs, rather than tempo changes within songs.

Metropolis - The Power Of The Night

1. Wild And Blue
2. The Darkest Side Of The Night
3. Never Look Back
4. Walk Through The Fire
5. Restless Moon
6. A Million Miles Away
7. Whatever It Is
8. The Eyes Of Love
9. The Best Is Good Enough
10. Running After A Dream
11. The Power Of The Night

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Total Playing Time: 49:00 m:s

Review date: 26 October 1999

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The collaboration project started when Stan asked Peter to record vocals for a demo version of "Wild And Blue" way back in 1987. The guys worked on the songs over the next several years, but never quite got around to completing the project. In 1999 enter MTM who knew about the recordings and persuaded the guys to go back into the studio to finish the album. This album consists of re-recording's of the older songs and some new songs written specifically to complete the album.

Style wise this is classic AOR. The album is a combination of mid-tempo rockers with infectious hooks and lush ballads. Think of all those classic albums by artists like Jeff Paris, Aviator, Survivor etc, well Metropolis's music is very much in that vein.

The song that started if off all those years ago, "Wild And Blue", is uptempo and catchy. No problems getting inside the artist's head trying to figure out what the artist is trying to convey. Just great uptempo melodic rock.  "The Darkest Side Of The Night" is a slower tune with a Kim Mitchell meets Mark Spiro feel. "Never Look Back" is a nice balance of keyboards and guitars, plus a big chorus and big hooks. The stabbing keyboards on "Walk Through The Fire" remind me of Balance. The programmed drum track on the ballad "Restless Moon" and the keyboard sound used combine to make this a Westcoast style tune. "A Million Miles Away" and "Best Is Good Enough" are the two songs that I'd written down average beside when making notes before writing the review. "Whatever" is a good mid-tempo Mark Spiro style track. It's Spiro meets Balance on the keyboard ballad "Love And Desire". Picking a top track is difficult, but "Running After A Dream" is my nomination - a melodic mid-tempo rocker with a big memorable chorus. The title track is another ballad which is ok, but a little clichéd sounding.

I'm a sucker for this style of classic AOR. Big hooks, big chorus's and I'm hooked!!! 

Johnny Vance - Johnny Vance EP

1. One Dance (with Mia Farrow)
2. Time Stands Still
3. World Won't End
4. Tug Of War
5. Fifteen Minutes

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Total Playing Time: ? m:s

Review date: 6 Sept 1999

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Johnny Vance plays semi-acoustic rock. My initial comparison was to describe him as a semi-acoustic Bryan Adams, but on further listens John Cougar Mellencamp is a closer reference point as there is a rootsy feel to the music that gives it a more up to date sound. His time in Nashville has obviously had some effect as there is the occasional county influence coming through

"One Dance (with Mia Farrow)" is a catchy pop-rock tune that would fit in well on a John Cougar Mellencamp album. "Time Stands Still" slows things down a smidgen. On "World Won't End" the catchy pop-rock continues.

"Tug Of War" is a slow number that glides along in a pleasant manner. For "Fifteen Minutes" Johnny picks up the pace slightly in his tribute to Andy Warhol.

This is an EP that is very easy to listen to. It took a few listens for it to make an impact on me. Maybe that is because I've listening to it along with the hard hitting Reingold album.

This is an interesting mix of mid-west, new country & pop-rock. There is certainly the potential to appeal to a wide audience. It will be interesting to find out if one of these elements gains the upper hand on the full length album.

Reingold - Universe

2. Universe (part 1)
3. Glorified
4. Overloaded
5. Highroler
6. Eye For An Eye
7. No More I Love You
8. Killer On The Loose
9. Carolina
10. Northern Light
11. Sacrifice And Suffering
12. Can I Take You To Heaven
13. Universe (part 2)

Album Cover:

Total Playing Time: 46:22 m:s

Review date: 6 Sept 1999

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His Midnight Sun co-founder, Pete Sandberg, went for a funky-AOR direction on his recent solo album, but Jonas has gone for a Scandinavian hard rock direction with this project. Whither this is closer to Midnight Sun I can't comment, as I haven't actually heard any Midnight Sun material.

With the spoken word grandiose opening and the 'big' sound of the album, Ten were an initial thought when it came to thinking of comparisons. As the album progressed I realised that this doesn't have the pomp overtones that the Ten albums possess. This is hard hitting, yet melodic, hard rock in the style of Talisman, Malmsteen (and therefore I suppose Rainbow), with elements of bands like Stratovarius. This style of Scandinavian hard rock isn't an area that I've examined as much as I probably should have. I've got a couple of Talisman albums and whilst I like some the tracks I don't play the CDs that often.

A combination of this arriving relatively close the cut off date for this month's update and the fact that I been very bust this month, has meant it is only now that I am sitting down to write the review that I'm getting the chance to listen to this in detail. Prior to this my view was that, whilst it was a good album, it erred on the side of too many fretboard antics for me. The songs do tend to stick to a tried and tested formula, but then that comes as part and parcel of this style of music. Somehow all the elements for a great album were there - good musicianship, classy vocals and a decent production - but the album just wasn't quite hitting the 'right spot' for me. The problem? I hadn't listened it enough! Plain & simple - I hadn't let it work it's magic on me.

First proper track, "Glorified", has some big vocal harmonies to lead you into the track before it turns into a fast paced romp in the style of Talisman and Stratovarius. The band then use the more deliberate mid-tempo "Overloaded" to introduce you further to their world (or should I have said Universe?). "Highroller" & "Eye For An Eye" both rattle along at a hell of a pace, but still manage to maintain a sense of melody. The band take a rest with the overly formularised ballad "No More I Love You". Reingold don't allow themselves much time to sit around before it is on with the rockin' "Killer On The Loose" where I could have done without the police radio sample."Carolina " swaggers into the No. 1 position as my favourite track. "Northern Lights" is the surprise of the package with it's folk/jig structure but rock sound. "Sacrifice And Suffering"'s chorus has a Queen feel. "Can I Take You To Heaven" is a slower number with a blues influence that has hints of Hendrix. And so the band left as they began- Universe (part 2) is a brief outro in a similar vein to the intro

Fans of this style of Rainbow influenced Euro-rocking will lap this up.