Melodic Rock Webzine

Melodic Rock Webzine


MTM Ballads Volume 2

MTM Ballads Volume 2

Tracks:
 
  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:

 

 Label:  MTM Music
Producer: various
Year: 1999

Total Playing Time: 77:02 m:s

Review date: 4 December 1999

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Rating: 8.5
Verdict: Get cozy with your significant other and enjoy
It is coming up to Xmas, must be time for compilation album mania. MTM have certainly taken the chance to provide the listener with a couple of 'executive summaries' of their recent output. This time the best ballads from recent releases have been pulled together into a compilation album. As the liner notes remind us, these are the type of song that were standard components of radio play-lists in the almost dim and distant past. All of which might lead you make a compilation tape (or CD) of your own to listen to as an alternative to today's radio. But before you start, let's see if it wouldn't easier to let MTM do the hard work for you.

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.

 

Mood Swings - Nigel Wilson - All Rights Reserved