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Los Angeles - Neverland
Friday, 01 January, 2010
Los Angeles features singer Michele Luppi and bass player/producer Fabrizio Grossi. Michele sang with Italian Progressive Metal band Vision Divine and Melodic Metal band Killing Touch. Los Angeles was created as an outlet for his AOR/Melodic Rock interests. The band released a self titled album in 2007. On this second album the reliance on outside songerwriters has been cut back with Luppi & Grossi collaborating on a number of the tracks with contributions from some of the other musicians such as guitarists Joey Sykes and Robero Priori and keyboard player Eric Ragno. Completing the lineup we have got Tommy Denander on guitars and Tony Morra on drums.
The main reason for this album and the star of the show are the enthusiastic vocals of Michele, even though he 'over eggs' it occasionally. For example, on the opening and title track you are left with the impression that he is trying just too hard to make an immediate impression. As the album goes on I must get used it as I don't notice it as much. With the musicians involved the playing is excellent, as expected.
This is one of the those albums that sounds good when you are listening to it, and has you wondering why you don't listen to it that often. The songs on here, which include a cover of Richard Marx's "Nothing To Hide", are all decent, and reading my review notes I don't have any negative comments. It just lacks that couple of really killer tracks to stick in your mind so that the album grabs a regular slot on your playlist.
Jeff Scott Soto
Saturday, 26 December, 2009
Jeff Scott Soto is capitalising on his tenure with Journey. Last month I was reviewing the excellent W.E.T. release and this month we have a live CD of a concert in Madrid (a DVD is also available). JSS has been in the music business for more than 25 years. In that time he has fronted bands such as Eyes, Talisman, Yngwie's Malmsteen's Rising Force, Journey & W.E.T. He has also released 4 solo albums - Love Parade, Prism, Lost In Translation and Beautiful Mess.
Great as the recent W.E.T. release is, listening to this album has reminded me that what I miss from that album is the funky edge that Talisman had to much of their material. On this live CD that side of JSS gets a welcome airing, especially on the Funky Medley at the end end of the second CD with the medley including We Will Rock You/I Love Rock & Roll/Play That Funky Music/Jungle Boogie/The Roof Is On Fire/Brick House/Shake Your Booty/Kung Fu Fighting/Yo Baby Yo/Macho Man/The Right Stuff/Ice Ice Baby/Stayin’ Alive/Another One Bites The Dust/Walk This Way.
Before we get to that track, JSS takes us through an energetic performance of highlights from his career. What comes across is that JSS just loves to sing. This isn't about turning in reproductions of the studio recordings. It isn't even about perfect vocals - occasionally JSS's passion triumphs over vocal control. It is about engaging and entertaining the crowd.
The first CD has highlights such as "Our Song", "Testify" (complete with Iron Maiden ending!) and "Broken Man", but it is the second CD where the JSS & the band seem to have warmed up and really flourish. It starts off with the catchy "Hey" and the culminates with that funky medley mentioned earlier. I've talked about the funk and the rock, on the pop side we get covers of Seal's "Crazy" and Madonna's "Frozen". Talisman's version of "Crazy" from their "Life" album is a favourite of mine, but JSS over stretches himself in when he tackles the decidedly average to start with Madonna song. However, it is a very minor blip in a hugely entertaining album. Just listen to the crowd singing along to "I'll Be Waiting" to hear how much the they enjoyed the evening.
Dare - Arc Of The Dawn
Thursday, 10 December, 2009
Dare's Out Of Silence is one of my favourite CDs of all time. It was really landmark album when it was released. The last time I checked out the band on "Calm Before The Storm" the product didn't quite match my expectations, which admittedly were quite high. I skipped "Belief" & "Beneath The Shining Water". After a break for a few years Darren Wharton is back with Richie Dews on guitars and Kevin Whitehead on drums for "Dawn Of The Arc".
The album opens with the soft Celtic rock of "Dublin" where you are immediately struck by Darren's vocals which always seem to have a stirring emotive quality. "Shelter From The Storm" and "Follow The River" continue with a little more pace.
After a break of number of years it is surprising that at this point, instead of new material, we get re-recordings of "King Of Spades" and "I Will Return" from the debut album, "Out Of The Silence". Both seem a little restrainted and I prefer the originals. Darren revisits his past again with a cover of the Thin Lizzy song "Emerald", giving it the Dare treatment and transforming it into a semi-acoustic Celtic rock song. It takes a bit of getting used to after the "Live and Dangerous" version. A less dramatic transformation occurs when the band turn their attentions of Cheap Trick's "The Flame".
That leaves a couple of ballads in the form of "Still Waiting" and "Remember". The latter being a slow ballad that I imagine the video for would feature Darren singing standing by a campfire interspersed with pictures of bleak Irish hills. Sandwiched between these is the catchy "Kiss The Rain" which is my favourite song of the album. The album closes with a semi-ballad that reminds me of Magnum crossing the Irish Sea.
Judge this as an AOR or a rock album and you will come away saying it is playing things too safe and that is too single paced, with not enough to distinguish individual tracks. That will happen if you look back and compare it to "Out Of The Silence", which is the frame of mind I was in whilst writing the majority of this review. However, if you look at the way Dare have developed over the years, and treat this as relaxing background, even new age, music, then you will have a much more positive view.
Blackwood Creek - Blackwood Creek
Friday, 04 December, 2009
Blackwood Creek date back to 1969 when a then 7 year old Kip Winger joined up with his brother Nate and Peter Fletcher to form a band. Between then and 1980 the band played a mixture of covers (Grand Funk, Sabbath, Skynyrd & Zeppelin) and original material in high schools and clubs. Kip went on to play with Alice Cooper and then form Winger. Nate played with a variety of LA bands including Ratt & Kix, plus Europe. Peter Fletcher formed Pigmy Love Circus, which included the drummer from Tool. Fast forward to 2007 when the band got back together to record these new songs.
The band were together during the 70's and this album has shades of this era mixed in with elements from the 80's, plus I guess inevitably modern day Winger, giving it a retro vibe.
Getting the Winger influence out the way first, I'll mention opener "Out in Outer Space" and "Dead Stung". From the 70's we've got tracks like "Nothing But The Sun", the 70's American hard rock of "Your Revolution" and closing lightweight number "Wooden Shoe". Also in the lighter weight division are the acoustic "After You Heart" and "Albatross", the latter having electric guitars chiming in to add more meat and a more modern feel. Clustered together we have "Jimmy & Georgia", which has almost a Thin Lizzy vibe, the metal of "Rack of Greed" and the Kiss-like "Love Inspector" representing the 80's. The variety inevitably means some tracks work better than others.
After I had listened to this a few times I found my curiosity aroused about the latest Winger and I've just started listening to "Karma". I have to admit that it feels a more natural fit to my personal tastes than Blackwood Creek. However, Blackwood Creek is an interesting and worthwhile project.
Randy Smith - Bittersweet
Thursday, 03 December, 2009
Randy Smith was previously a member of the band 8084 who where an AOR/melodic rock band whose style echoed bands such as Nightranger, Journey & Honeymoon Suite. In 2006 Randy left the group and started working on material for this first solo album with Hirsh Gardner (ex New England drummer) and Alan Maquera.
I guess you would expect Randy's solo album to not be too much of a departure from 8084. However, Randy has decided to put 8084 to one side, and explore a more organic musical route.
The album opener, "Learning 2 Live", reminds me of the John Taglieri album that I reviewed a while back. Maybe that is just because that was another example of an AOR act updating their sound. After the uptempo start, Randy drops down a gear for "Bleed" which is one of the tracks that reminds me of latter day Bon Jovi. In fact, although the sound has a rawer edge than Bon Jovi and adopts a more contemporary stance, I often thought about BJ and the way they have matured their sound as I listened to this album. "Broken" is a mixture of old and new, where a few AOR tricks are in evidence when delivering the chorus. Similar comments apply to both "Can't Stop" and "Yesterday".
In one of my recent reviews I was talking about PC69 doing a cover of a Police song, and Sting & Co crop up again here as a reference point for "Somebody"."All My Life" is a gentle, but effective, slice of Americana that had me thinking of acts like Sister Hazel, but actually just as I was writing that I started to hear Journey during the chorus."Cold Outside" has a singer/songwriter rock meets pop vibe with perhaps a little Jayhawks thrown in. The guitars get turned up again for "Shelter Me". As you might expect from the title, "Cowboys", has a Bon Jovi meets Lynyrd Skynyrd playing a chilled out Neil Young country track feel. The title track is a mid-tempo track that also throws Tom Petty into the mixture I mentioned for the previous track.The album's closing track is a sparse ballad written for one of his children. It is steeped in emotion - you almost feel like an intruder on a private moment when listening. There is a bonus track, which unusually doesn't feature Randy, but features Keeghan Nolan doing her version of "Yesterday" on which the track takes on a definite country vibe.
Randy is to be commended for stepping out of his comfort zone and letting us tag along for the ride as he journeys from the sounds of the 80s to the present day. This is modern melodic rock music that builds upon the AOR of Randy's past.
W.E.T. - W.E.T.
Friday, 27 November, 2009
For those of you don't know, W.E.T. is made up of Robert Sall from Work Of Art, Erik Martensson from Eclipse and Jeff Scott Soto from Talisman (& of course, more recently, Journey). Their record label, Frontiers, had the idea of combining the talent of the two songwriters together with one of the genre's best singers. Also, helping out in the songwriting department is Miqael Persson and Magnus Henriksson. Robban Back handles drumming duties.
Style wise this is a combination of the AOR of Work Of Art, the hard rock of Eclipse and the melodic rock of Talisman. JSS describes it as the "Journey album that could have been had I continued with them!". In fact, although this music has a few Journey-ism, it is harder edged than recent Journey.
Opening track, "Invincible", is a powerful opener that is a good combination of guitar riffs and melody. This transforms into the catchy Talisman meets Journey of "One Love". And talking of Talisman, "Brothers In Arms" may well be a tribute to JSS's Talisman late partner Marcel Jacob. By this stage it is time for a big power ballad in the form of "Comes Down Like Rain" which comes across as Whitesnake meets Journey. "Running From The Heartache" is a mid-tempo AOR style rocker that reminds me of early Winger.
The next track, "I'll Be There", and one of the later tracks, "My Everything", are like twin brothers with their uptempo melodic hard rock. Things get heavier for "Damage Is Done" and "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" which aren't as immediate as some of the other tracks on the album. It's great to hear a melodic rock band singing about something other than love and partying etc on the latter.
"One Day At A Time" is another big power ballad that incorporates elements of Whitesnake and Def Leppard into the W.E.T. sound. Then "Just Go" picks up the pace again like Talisman meets Fair Warning. On the final track, "If I Fall", JSS gets a chance to show the guys in Journey just what they are missing as the album closes with a track that could have been taken from a Journey Greatest Hits album.
I've been a fan of JSS ever since I first heard the opening bars of "Calling All Girls" from the Eyes S/T album. On this W.E.T. album he has been given the opportunity to shine on a great set of songs. This is near perfection in every department - songwriting, musicianship, vocals and production. My initial reaction was that things were too perfect and that the album lacked character, but as I've listened to it more and I've detected the craftsmanship that has gone into this & I really appreciate what a great album this is.
Pink Cream 69 - Live in Karlsruhe 2009
Wednesday, 25 November, 2009
This live CD has been released to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. A DVD of the concert has also been released. I always thought these guys were German, but in fact it more correct to say that they are based in Germany. Their lead vocalist, David Readman, is, in fact, English and the drummer Greek. Over the years they have been on my list of bands to check out on a few occasions, but they never made it off the list into my CD player.
A live CD isn't always the best introduction to a band. However, after 20 years they sure know how to cut it live and everyone turns in good performances. With live albums the options are to either go for a raw sound with no doubt about the presence of the crowd or to go for better sound quality allowing the band to demonstrate how close the shows come to the studio sound. PC69 have opted for the second, with crowd not very noticeable on the recording.
As a double CD there is plenty of music on offer, too much for me to go into in detail. The first CD is good, but if I was asked to pick out highlights then the second CD seems to have the band hitting the high spots with tracks like 'The Spirit', 'Livin My Life For You' and 'No Way Out'. Hard Rock and Reggae aren't usually compatible bedfellows but, surprisingly, the band manage to come through the other side of mixing The Police's So Lonely with Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry with their reputation intact, perhaps even enhanced!
Congratulations to the band on reaching the 20 year landmark. This CD is a fitting record of the celebrations.
Jaded Heart - Perfect Insanity
Friday, 20 November, 2009
Jaded Heart have been around since 1990 when the band was formed by Michael Bormann (ex-Bonfire) and his brother Dirk. The band released 5 albums before Michael Bormann decided to leave. He was replaced for the 2005 album, 'Hellva Time' by Johan Fahlberg (ex-Scudiero).
The last time I checked out Jaded Heart was back in 1999 for their fourth album. Back then they were playing melodic hard rock and when, not being aware of the changes, other than that Michael Bormann had departed, I first listened to this latest album, it seemed that I was listening to a different band.
On their previous album with this current lineup, 'Sinister Mind", and this new one, the band have switched to melodic power metal and are sporting a heavier sound. I assume that this can be traced to the arrival of Peter Ostros on guitar in the period between 'Hellva Time' and 'Sinister Mind'. The first proper track, 'Love is the Killer', is an uptempo track that is designed to get the blood pumpin' early on and it does so, but this romp is a bit of a shock if like me you are expecting something more melodic. Maybe song titles such as 'Blood Stained Lies', 'Hell Just Arrived', 'Psycho Kiss' and 'Exterminated' should have given me a clue!
The next track, 'Fly Away', is thankfully more typical of what is on offer here. A strong feature of this track, and indeed most of the other tracks, is a good chorus and background vocals. The music on this album is well executed by these seasoned musicians and the production is toP notch. The main issue I have is that on some tracks, 'Freedom Call' and 'Rising' being prime examples, the main body of the songs are a bit non-descript.
Proving that the shift in musical direction isn't an issue for me, 'Blood Stained Lies' which reminded me of Stratovarius, proved to be one the highlights. While I'm trying to describe the style, tracks like closer 'Exterminated' make it clear why a tour with Primal Fear is in progress at the moment. Unlike their previous album, a ballad in the form of 'One Life One Death', is included.
The band have clearly adjusted their style to match the desires of the new personnel and in doing so have continued the trend of their last couple of albums and produced an album of well executed melodic power metal that will satisfy existing fans. However, next time out I would like to see them pay more attention in the song writing department to help them expand their fan base.
Blanc Faces - Falling From The Moon
Thursday, 19 November, 2009
I'm not sure how I managed to miss these guys first time around with their debut self-titled album back in 2005, but this album, their second, is my introduction to the band. The band consists of brothers Robbie and Brian La Blanc (lead vocal/rhythm guitars and bass respectively), plus Kyle Woodring on drums, Jeff Batter on keyboards and Butch Taylor & Michael Patzig on lead guitars, which is the same as the debut. Sadly Kyle Woodring (Denis De Young/Styx, Survivor & John Mellencamp) passed away soon after the recording was completed and the entire album is dedicated to his memory.
Immediately upon hearing the opening bars of first track, 'I Come Alive', I am transported back to the 80s and even early 90s when AOR and Melodic Rock were in their heyday. The second and title track has almost a Westcoast feel - Richard Marx meets 101 South. 'I Swear to You' highlights that this band are all about catchy AOR style melodic rock. 'Everything' is an excellent big ballad. Survivor/Pride Of Lions are an influence that crops up in a few tracks such as 'It's All About The Love' and closer 'Fly', teamed with Foreigner in the first of these tracks and "The Storm" in the other. The next couple of tracks, 'Goodbye Summer' & 'Deep In The Heart', are mid-tempo tracks that keep album ticking along nicely. There is attitude on display on 'Don't Take It Away' and the band step up the pace on 'Like A Believer' which features some controlled rockin'. 'Light of the World' and 'I Will' are both mid-tempo AOR gems that evoke memories of The Storm.
This gelled with me very quickly as this is precisely type of music that is at the centre of what Mood Swings is all about. These guys feel comfortable and seem to be having fun playing this type of music and they do it well. Yes, this is retro rocking, but when it is done so well, it is time to sit back and enjoy the experience.
Third Light - Leaders & Followers
Friday, 06 November, 2009
Third Light, from Kingston-upon-Thames, have been performing around the London area since 2005. In 2007 they recorded an EP which got quite a bit of play on LastFM. This self-produced single, "Leaders & Followers", is their first proper release and it is available on iTunes. The band are currently working on their debut album, "Built By Machines".
The band list influences such as Feeder and Smashing Pumpkins, Idlewild and Jimmy Eats World. I have to put my hands up and say that my record collection isn't exactly overflowing with this type of post-grunge alternative rock, but it the type of stuff I have been known to listen on internet radio and Spotify.
"Leaders and Followers" is a catchy blast of power-pop that is consistent with the list of influenced mentioned above. The other track, "Garden", is a slower affair which takes are more stealthy approach to working its way into your good books. These tracks, together with a few listens to their next single, "Time To Shine", all indicate that the debut album is one to watch out for if you are looking for some bright and breezy power pop-rock.
Bad Sister - Because Rust Never Sleeps
Friday, 11 September, 2009
http://badsister-rock.com/html/english/home_e.html
A positive comeback.
Bad Sister trace their roots back to 1980 when the band was formed under the name Bogart Joint. There followed a period of intense gigging. In 1988 the band changed their name to Bad Sister. The band released their first album, "Heartbreaker", in 1989. This was followed in 1991 with "Out Of The Business". In 1993 Suzie Lohmar replaced original singer Petra. In 1996 the band split up. In 2002 following a good reaction to their website, Point Music re-released "Heartbreaker". This led to a live CD in 2003, Suzie Lohmar re-joining in 2007 and this new studio release at the start of this summer.
The album kicks of with a very familiar guitar riff (Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane) on "Surrender" which is a good Rainbow inspired start to the album. The weak male vocals on the second track, "Zero Zone", don't help this track which maybe tries too hard to rock out and ends up sounding like filler. Suzie is back in charge on "Take Me As I Am" to get the band back on track. This track and the following lighter track, "Unless You Talk To Me", both evoke memories of Heart. "Carry On" is a piano led ballad that actually reminds me of ABBA when the vocal harmonies kick in. "Rocky Road" and a later track, "Hard Times Shuffle", bring a Rainbow/Purple edge to the music, giving a muscular, less melodic, approach. In between these two is the parping keyboards of "Heat Of The Night" which vies with the opening track as the catchiest on offer. "Don't Love Me Again" has the band taking a more successful stab a ballad, this time of the power variety. Melodic Hard Rock is on display on the next couple of tracks "Through The Night" and "Blackmailed", with the guitar work on "Blackmailed" being particularly effective. Former vocalists Petra Degelow takes over vocal duties for the Bon Jovi "Runaway" influenced "Talk To Me Later". For a band that seem to favour uptempo rock tracks for the most part, it seems strange that they close with an 'uplugged' track called "Last Train", which does show the variety of style the band offer, but it doesn't quite seem to have the edge required to make this sort of finale work.
The album is well produced and although the standard of a couple of tracks drops below the others, the overall result is a good album which is bonus for all fans of 80s style AOR/Melodic Hard Rock.
John Taglieri - The Lives Project
Friday, 11 September, 2009
http://www.johntaglieri.com/index2.htm, http://thelivesproject.com/
Enjoyable scene setter for this EP/ebook series.
John Taglieri is a guy that I encountered back in 2000 when I reviewed his "Leap Of Faith" album. Since then he had dropped off my radar. Now he is back with a new project containing not only an album but also a book. In fact, we are talking an EP and a short (75 page) ebook. The song titles mirror the chapter titles in the book.
I have to admit that I'm not that much of a book reader with most of my spare time spent grabbing small info-bytes on the internet rather than taking the time to get into a good book. However, I just happened to be listening to this album during my summer holiday and I have to admit that a printout of the ebook proved to be enjoyable poolside reading. The 'Lives' we are talking about are a couple of rejects called Max and Cate. This opening instalment revolves around their meeting and their road journey from New Jersey to Chicago. The project will consist of 4 EP/ebooks released over a 2-year period.
Maybe it is the fact that John is from New Jersey, but I found myself using Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen as reference points when writing notes to describe the music. I guess in some ways the EP is a bit like a concept album. In this respect the carnival music of the intro and final track are maybe necessary from a storytelling viewpoint, but don't enhance the album, especially after repeated listens. The feel extends to the first proper track, "Ferris Wheel", which has spoken parts and an overall theatrical vibe. After this stuttering start, we cruise down a motorway of comfortable and enjoyable American AOR rock with a smattering of power pop giving the songs a contemporary edge. Whilst I know the EP is available as a standalone product, I think the songs take on a new dimension after you have read the book and the lyrics come to life.
There is also a website which is designed to add an interactive element, via facebook & twitter, to this well thought-out project. This introduction has captured my imagination and I am keen to see how the next instalment of the story of Max and Cate unfolds.
Crucified Barbara
Friday, 26 June, 2009
More info: www.crucifiedbarbara.com, http://www.gmrmusic.se/
Verdict: All female band let the music do the talking
Crucified Barbara started out with punk rock on their minds, but have traded that in for a more metal approach. So you've seen the album cover at the top of the article and you know that we're talking about an all female rock band - a genre which gets lots of press coverage, but not always for the music. The girls scrub up well to say the least which will no doubt help them in many ways, but maybe not to get taken seriously. Not that I think judging from their comical monikers, such as Kicki Wicked & Mia Coldheart, it will annoy them too much.
Given their punk heritage it is no surprise that the band play heavy metal of the sleaze rock variety and a quick summary would be to describe them are Vixen meets Motley Crue. They have toured with Motorhead and the overall vibe from their music is reminiscent of Motorhead pals Girlschool.
"Killer on her Knees" kicks off the album decently, but "Pain & Pleasure" which has more a hard rock rock base and a catchy chorus fairs better. The first single from the album, "Sex Action", shows that the band aren't afraid of trading on their gender. Crunchy is a word that I'd use to describe quite a few of the tracks and "Creatures" certainly fits that description. "Jennyfer" has the band change pace and style with Vixen & Lita Ford springing to mind.
The next couple tracks "Dark Side" & "Can't Handle Love" are decent, if unremarkabke, mid album tracks. Even the title "Blackened Bones" conjures up images of Metallica and this track has the girls taking a heavier approach. From one bunch of megastars to another on "Danger Danger" where GnR get the Crucified Barbara spin. This leaves "Rats" and "Feels Like Death" to close the album with more crunchy rock.
Quite often with all female rock bands it seems that the music is a bit of an afterthought with the publicity machine focusing on other aspects of the band. In the case of Crucified Barbara, the girls have created an album where the music is good enough to do the talking and the whole image thing can be merely be the icing on the cake.
Prey - Knights Of The Revolution
Friday, 26 June, 2009
More info: www.prey-nation.com, http://www.gmrmusic.se.
Verdict: Nostalgic melodic heavy metal
Prey are a new name to me but they have been in existence since the late 90's. The band consists of THOMAS NYSTROEM (Guitars), PETER BAECKE(Bass), FREDRIK PLAHN(Keyboards) and PATRICK JOHANSSON (Drums). The band recorded their debut album, "The Hunter", for Mausoleum Records in 2005. In 2008 they then signed to the GMR Music Group and created this album in their own studio, also mixing and producing it themselves.
Listening to this album takes me back as I haven't listened to this type of melodic heavy metal for ages. It harks back to the heyday of this type of hard rock music during the 80's. In fact, it isn't true to say these guys are pure melodic heavy metal as on a few tracks power metal is also added to the mix. However, the band keep the tracks short and melodic which usually is a plus for me, but curiously I found myself wanting the guys to add some 'rock out' instrumental sections to give some of the tracks an extra dimension.
The opening title track is a good blast of melodic heavy metal. Likewise the following track, "Deliver The Goods". On "Playing With Fire" the band up the pace and they sound like a mixture of Accept & Stratovarius. What seems like a more aggressive start to "Bloodred Sky" mellows into something more melodic reminding me a little of P:O:B. Ten were one the purveyors of melodic hard rock during the 90's and they crop up as point of reference for "Get Out". Initially "Into The Fire" conjures up sounds similar to Dream Theater forged with Eloy but settles down to the same hard rock vibe of previous tracks. The band romp their way through the power metal of "In Memoriam" towing through "Addicted" and "Run" in it’s wake before embarking on more Stratovarius style power metal on "Personal Fantasy" to close the album.
I'm a sucker for this type of 80's melodic metal and it is easy for me to enjoy listening to this album.
Fab Box - Music From The Fab Box
Sunday, 14 June, 2009
More Info: www.fabbox.net
Verdict:A sunny mixture of Westcoast, Pop & AOR.
Fab Box consist of Fabrizio Ugolini, formerly of Italian hard rock band Revenge, and Massimo Bozzi, who has released two solo albums and been involved as producer, arranger and musician with various Italian pop acts. Their shared passion of acts like Toto, Journey, Bryan Adams and Richard Marx brought them together to write songs. Recently they have been involved with LA producer Fabrizio Grossi to write songs for Joseph Williams and Danny Vaughan. As celebration of the 10 year anniversary of this artistic collaboration they have recorded this album.
This album arrived with me just at the same time as the somewhat rare good weather here in Ireland and the overall Westcoast vibe to the album was a perfect match. Normally I dust off my LA Cowboys CD to accompany this sort of weather.
In fact, that is a bit of a simplistic description of the album as there are strong lightweight AOR and even pop themes also on display. Opening track "Tell Her I'm Alright" sets the overall Westcoast vibe rather well. Next track, "Nobody Tonight", had me scribbling down Cutting Crew, Mr Mister and Peter Cox as I'm getting an 80's AOR meets pop feel to the track that crops up again on other tracks such as "The Key". On tracks such as "Inside", "A Matter Of Time" and the Westcoast meets Boyzone "You Are The One" this balance tips toward the pop end of the spectrum.
Around the middle of the album the tracks edge closer to pure AOR with Mark Spiro being a reference point. I like listening to a variety of music, but AOR is like "coming home" for me and it is therefore no surprise that tracks like "Together", "I Still Believe", "Reason Of The Heart" and "Always" are the ones that particularly appealed to me. The version of the album which I reviewed, which is the special digipak edition available at their website, has a bonus track, "Eres mi vida", sung by Francis Benitez on vocals which has a Tina Arena feel.
This album contains an entertaining mixture of lightweight music styles which has made it the perfect accompaniment to sunny weather we have been experiencing recently.
Red Goodbye - One Time Mountain
Sunday, 14 June, 2009
More info: http://www.redgoodbye.com
Verdict: Alt-rock for AOR-heads.
Red Goodbye came into existence when Grammy-nominated songwriter, and founding member of Spyro Gyro, Jeremy Wall introduced songwriter/vocalist Andrew Horn to songwriter/guitarist Alex Ruimy whilst they were at college. The guys quickly gelled and the songs on this EP are some of the many they have penned together.
I stumbled upon their music through a music submission website. With less time than I would like to devote to writing reviews for Mood Swings, I have to say the vast majority of artists I preview get rejected, but even though Red Goodbye are a little outside what I normally feature at Mood Swings I asked them to send me the full EP for review.
The other item that peaked my interest with these guys was the fact that they list one of their early-90s influences as my fave prog rockers Dream Theater. That list of influences also includes Alter Bridge, 3 Doors Down and Creed, all of whom I have to admit I don't know that much about. The little bit of research I did suggested that Creed are a definite reference point and based upon the positive experience with these guys I plan to check out Creed at some point in the future. The Dream Theater influence doesn't seem to have made it through onto this collection of songs.
The most striking point on first hearing their music is the deep rich vocals which remind me of a country singer, but I can't remember the name. I guess if I mention the Crash Test Dummies and Hootie then you will get the idea, but only smoother than either of those two.
The music is polite alt-rock with a big production and seems pretty radio friendly to these ears. Almost like an AOR version of Nickleback or Daughtry. The fact that I mentioned AOR in the description might give you a clue that I surprised myself and really liked this one. There is something stirring and yet relaxing about Red Goodbye's music that keeps me listening, whereas many of their contemporaries fail to make an impression. Yes, many of the song's are all similar sounding, but in this case I like the basic sound enough to overlook the genre's rather uniform approach to songwriting. I think that this has a lot to do with the positive vibe I get from the music. In the lyrics department, the band are a notch above average. I especially like the words of "God and Girl".
In my stereotyped world these guys should be pigeonholed as alt rock which an old-time rock fan like me shouldn't be listening to. And yet, despite the criticism that I level at this type of music over lack of variety in the songwriting department, I find myself listening to this album frequently.
Id Guinness - Cure For The Common Crush
Friday, 01 May, 2009
More info: http://www.idguinness.com/home.html
Verdict: Intelligent progressive rock
Id Guinness is a Canadian artist who has performed with a number of Canadian artists and bands such as KD Lang, Randy Bachman and The Wyrd Sisters. He is a touring member of the Wyrd Sisters. He has previously released a 6-song "Beat The Heat" EP, but is his first full album release.
His list of influences includes Roxy Music, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, U2, The Beatles and Radiohead. That is quite a diverse set of influences and it also covers quite a few decades of music. The obvious question is will this retread old ground or will Id create something new and interesting.
Thankfully the latter applies as Id fuses all these influences into creating what at times reminds me of a less intense Porcupine Tree sound. However, whereas Porcupine Tree's music is clearly identifiable as them, Id's influences tend to be to the fore on many tracks with the listener left wondering what is the core Id Guinness sound lurking underneath. A minor criticism and one which if often levelled at debut albums. An identifiable sound is something that needs to developed over time.
For all the talk so far of retro influences opening track, "Rising River", actually has a hint of U2 about it. Clearly Pink Floyd are a big influence and this shines through on "The One That Got Away". "Jade Garden" slows the pace with a down beat track that at first reminded me of Coldplay ,but surely they don't write songs with a decent chorus. Bowie is another influence that crops up a couple of times, such as on next track "I Have Seen The Future" and most obviously on the cover of "Always Crashing In The Same Car" from "Low". "Down To This" & the title track remind me of artists like Camel and Barclay James Harvest, with ELO also cropping up whilst listening to "Negative". "The Joke" is a ballad in a form of a duet with a female vocalist. It is a cross between a Pink Floyd song and a modern country ballad. The atmosphere is chilled out a little more with the delicate "Beaches". "Beautiful Goodbye" picks up the pace, and needs the guitar work to help it keep it's head above water. "25 Watts" on the other hand is a much better version of a straight catchy rock song. The final track, "Wailing Wall", is a spacey affair that pays homage to Pink Floyd.
This is an intelligent progressive rock album that has been well constructed and like all good progressive rock albums each play seems to reveal more of it's beauty.
John Orr Franklin - Transformation
Saturday, 25 April, 2009
More info: http://www.johnorrfranklin.com/
Verdict: a good commercial pop rock album with progressive elements coming through in the guitar work.
John Orr Franklin is a singer, songwriter and guitarist hailing from Austin, Texas, USA. "Transformation" is a follow up to his debut album "Pathways". Both albums were written, engineered, and produced by John for release on his own label. The band on the album consists of Rob Palladino & Brandon Aly on drums, Josh Batschelet & Kris Mathesen on bass and Laurel Hostak adds vocals to the title track. "Pathways" didn't get too much publicity as John was keen to return to the studio to record this album.
At his website and in the promotion material, John describes his music as progressive rock as this is the area where most of this influences come from. Whilst I can hear those progressive influences coming through in places, I'm not sure that progressive in the main tag I'd attach to this. Anyway, let's run through the tracks and see what we end up with.
"For All The World To See" is a catchy Tom Petty style start to the album, whilst the following "Dance Till Three" slows things down slightly with some fluid guitar work. Parts of "Kiss the Sky" seem to have a Celtic hint to them, but if you're from America I guess Cajun or Country could equally well apply. "Disappear (Only One World)" is a good pop rock song that has a hint of Robert Cray about it. On "Flow" John shows his guitars skills on a Neil Schon type instrumental track. On the Alan Parsons sounding title track it is the Pink Floyd guitar parts that first make the progressive elements of John's work audible.
Robert Cray, maybe Eric Clapton, spring to mind when listening to the bluesy commercial rock of "The Dove". The title "Summer" perfectly fits the next retro sounding track as it lilts along. The instrumental "Chrysalis" gives John another chance to rock out a little more with some fine guitar work. These instrumentals break up the album nicely. Taken on a song by song basis the vocals are all more than acceptable, but my minor quibble is that it seems to me that the same style is utilised on every song, whereas some variety would have been a positive contribution. On the longest track on the album, "True 2 U", the progressive elements show up again. About a third of the way through the guitars step up and rock out in a Molly Hatchet meets Led Zeppelin style. "This Day" is a gentle song to fade out the album is a style similar to latter day Pink Floyd.
This is a good commercial pop rock album with progressive elements coming through in the guitar work. I'll have the admit that listening to the instrumentals I would have like to have heard some of the other tracks 'rock out' a little more. Having, said that John and his music give out a positive vibe and making this album a joy to listen to.
Rick Manwiller - Chocolate Detox
Wednesday, 15 April, 2009
More Info: http://rickmanwiller.com/
Verdict: Quirkiness works!
Rick Manwiller is a member of Dakota, playing keyboards, guitar and also doing some of the vocals. I'm not too sure what is happening with Dakota, it has been quite a while since their last album. In the meantime we have new solo album from Rick to listen to. In fact, this is his third solo album, having previously released "Another Fine Mesozoic" and 1998's "Living at Square One".
The album starts off with a West Coast meets Billy Joel pop track, "Going Nowhere", that is what I'd expect from Rick. "Answers" follows this by adding a little of brass to the formula. The third track, "Cadaver Dogs", which is my favourite track, is a West Coast track that wouldn't be out of place on a Toto album. The album then slows right down with a country rock ballad called "Red State Blues".
The next track, "Attack Yoseff" heads off in a Blues Brothers direction. Get your Pork Pie hats out! The album heads off in another direction with a jazz-funk fusion style that again has hints of Toto on "I Got 2 Go". "Pathocrazy" is full of weirdness and reminds me of Rob Zombie of all people. In total contast "The One Who Got Away" is a ballad with a Richard Marx meets Garth Brooks vibe. The brass section comes out again for "Rokki The Porn Star" but the jazzy chorus I actually find rather annoying and I seldom listen to the whole track.
Happily "Easy Way Out" has the album back on track with a song that will please Dakota fans. The West coast meets funk of "New Shoes" helps it win the prize for the catchiest track. The quirkiness that gave us "Pathocrazy" is back on "Krunk" which sounds like Toto doing battle with The Smurfs (yes, The Smurfs!). The album closes with a warm sounding, track called "The Best That I Could Do" which features some great storytelling lyrics.
Reading some info at Rick's website it seems that the album is split into two sections (yeah….just like the 2 sides on good old vinyl albums). The tracks up to and including "Pathocrazy" are devoted to Rick's commentary on the his "love of politics" (or maybe more accurately his gradual disillusionment with politicians and the political system), whilst the second half, "the politics of love" deals with more routine rock song lyrical content.
When I reviewed the Anti-M album earlier this month I summed it up by saying "Diversity works!". Maybe I'm being lazy, but the same summary applies here. Ah! Hold that headline, I've thought of a twist on that - "Quirkiness works!".
Anti-M - Damage
Saturday, 04 April, 2009
More info: http://www.anti-m.com/, www.myspace.com/antimband
Verdict: Diversity works
To fully appreciate this album you first have the know the history of Anti-M. The first album by the band was a surfing concept album called "No Waves In Hell" which seems to have been a none too serious attempt with the focus on electronic synth music but with quite a quirky mix of styles. For the second album the band went for a Depeche Mode approach with Ronnie Montrose on guitar helping the band to get more exposure. During the lead up to this third album John Wardlaw discovered female fronted goth rock bands such as Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation and Evanescence and Barbara Moseley, who had guested on the second album, was asked to join as main vocalist. The band is completed by Jon Moseley on guitars, Ruston Slager on keyboards, John Wardlaw on (guitars, bass, keyboards +) and Derek Poultney on drums and programming.
The references to female goth rock bands and the presence of Ronnie Montrose on a previous album certainly hint a rock affair, but the band haven't abandoned their past completely, which makes for a interesting journey through the album tracks.
"Dream in Metaphor" has a spoken vocal and Spanish guitar at the start before moving onto more determined guitars and a electronic programmed backing, which is the type of music you might expect on a guitar player's solo album. The female fronted goth style mentioned earlier takes over on the next couple of tracks - "Let U In" and "Damage".
When it comes to sheer beauty the winning track has got be "Deep" where Barbara's vocals simply shine. In contrast "Rage" has an epic middle eastern vibe. The relaxing "It's All Inside" changes pace and vocals to male. "Little Things" is a mid-tempo track that evokes thoughts of Suzanne Vega's Luka. The first time I listened to the next track "Beautiful Babe" I thought I had some sort of computer virus as David Bowie seemed to appear from nowhere. In fact, Anit-M feature 3 vocalists with the third one sounding very like Ziggy in his 80's Let Dance persona. "Waita While" is another chillout session from vocalist No. 2.
The reason I went into the band's past at the start of the review was because their electronic past surfaces on "Rose Of Love" and "Godzilla vs Rodan", especially the latter which is hardcore electronica.
"Into The Rain" moves things back into more of a rock vein as it builds up into a slow guitar workout. "Incineration" cranks up the guitars for a short instrumental. "Shiver" leads into the slow rock ballad "Damage In The Dream". As "The Sixth Extinction" get into full flight it seems like Tangerine Dream might have been an influence somewhere along the line. "No Kill I" seems like it is going to close the album with a Gary Numan/Kraftwerk electronic affair but the guitars take over, then Barbara's vocals cut in and the band rock their way to the end.
Quite a long journey at 70+ minutes and quite a diverse one. It seems like there is at least 3 different bands - electronic, female fronted goth & progressive instrumental rock - trying to grab my attention. When thrown togther in the melting pot that is Anti-M, the result is an interesting album that is well worth listening to.
Son Of Eric - Epiphany
Friday, 06 February, 2009
More info: www.torokmusic.com, http://www.myspace.com/sonofericband
Given the fact that Torok made a really good impression on me when I reviewed "Addiction of Fools", I was looking forward to this one which is basically a solo album by Torok vocalist Bryan Erickson. However, I listened to this a couple of times and to be honest I wasn't that impressed. Having to sit down and write a review forced me to take the time to examine the material in more detail.
"The Truth" was probably picked as the opening track as it rocks out, but like the majority of tracks in the first half of the album, it has to be rescued by the guitar work. Only second track, "Black Rain Falls", chugs its way above average. A possible explanation for my opinion is that the material has a modern twist and verges on alt-rock, but the guitar work still harks back to a more 80s based approach which is more in keeping with my personal tastes.
"Blind Man" with its Sabbath & hints of Whitesnake blues is the first track to really ignite the same level of interest as the Torok album. A hint of the blues is again present on "Good Bad Ugly" which has some nice vocal harmonies. "Lost & New Found", whilst not quite up to same standard, holds it own. So far I haven't mentioned the real star of the album which has to be Bryan's voice. On closing ballad "Gone", the stripped back format let's the vocals take a final bow.
I remember when Harem Scarem released the darker more alternative sounding "Voice of Reason" album I hated it. It wasn't until I went back, maybe a couple of years later, and listened to the album repeatedly to really get my head around the direction that he band had taken that it became one of my favourites.
Since starting this review I have gone back and listened to the Torok album and for the moment I'm sticking with that one as the preferred option. This doesn't mean that "Epiphany",is bad, in fact it is fairly decent, but whilst I would load it onto a 160Gb iPod Classic, if I had one, I don't think it will make onto my more limited 8Gb Nano. Maybe, if I revisit "Epiphany" is a couple of years time, I'll have a Eureka moment just like I did with "Voice Of Reason".
Doc Mustard - Prizoner
Saturday, 31 January, 2009
More info: www.prizoner.co.uk, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAj_lmGb_jM
Doc Mustard is a Penzance, England busker who has taken the opportunity of the internet to release a download album. Musically it is a bit of mish-mash of styles - reggae, pop, jazz, Casio syle keyboards and quirky progressive music (note - I said progressive music rather than progressive rock). The vocals are frequency spoken more than sung. I'm reminded of that "Happy Talk" track by Captain Sensible, a song that I've always found annoying, and I'm afraid the same fate befalls this album. The lyrical content is probably the most interesting feature here with a its comments on contemporary society.
Hyphen - Serpentine
Friday, 30 January, 2009
(Video shows the band doing a cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" - not on the album)
More info: www.myspace.com/hyphengroupe & http://www.hyphenhyphen.com/
I have to admit that when I first downloaded this album and had a quick listen, I dismissed it as indie alternative rock that didn't fit within the pages of Mood Swings. Quite a period of time passed by before I came back to it.
It still isn't the sort of music that I'm going to put on my favourites playlist, but it deserves an occasional listen. The band cite influences such as Sonic Youth, The Beatles, Radiohead, Nirvana, The White Stripes, Nina Simone, Led Zep & Pink Floyd. To my ears Nirvana (yes, the band that killed off my beloved Hair Metal/AOR/ Hard Rock) would one of the biggest influences. Even the vocals have a hint of Kurt Cubain. I guess that Nirvana & grunge are considered retro these days. Kurt & the guys weren't exactly known for their cheerful little ditties and Hyphen tread a similar course. I gave the Smoke Fairies a hard time in a review earlier this week about being too melancholy, but at least Hyphen do it with electric guitars. In fact, there are a few acoustic numbers to provide musical contrast on tracks such as "Without an Arm" and closer "Sister Come". Best track award goes to slow burner and riff heavy "Tunnel Lips".
Vortex - The Hyperion Circle
Friday, 30 January, 2009
More info: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=353400731 & http://www.thehyperioncircle.com/
The Hyperion Circle is the work of multi- instrumentalist Orlando Blanco. Orlando is based in Costa Rica. A bit of research shows that in earlier work under the name "The Blanco Project" it seems like progressive guitar orientated instrumentals were the order of the day, whereas on this album keyboards play a major role.
I have a few instrumental electronic albums in collection including Jean Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream. Both of which are an influence here, especially Tangerine Dream, along with hints of Pink Floyd. Whilst I was doing some part time study a while ago I started to listen to SOMA FM internet radio which plays ambient & dance music. Maybe that has made me more receptive to electronic music, but I have really enjoyed listening to this. The style here isn't ambient or dance though, it stays within the rock sphere.
The danger with any instrumental album and I think maybe due to the rhythmic nature of electronic music it may be particularly susceptible, is that after a couple of tracks it simply gets boring, even sleep inducing - the reason why I tend no to listen to it in the car! But, this is not the case here, with the album being engaging throughout and for repeated listens.m In fact, the majority of time listening to this album has been in the car!
If you have the time, sit back, put it on your decent stereo, switch off the lights, close your eyes and let your imagination run wild as Vortex take you on a journey through time and space on their music driven spaceship as they pulse, sweep and plink their way through the cosmos. And when you reach the end of the journey on the final track, the guitar, which is understated on earlier tracks, gives a great ending reminding me of Eloy.
Heavy Water Experiments - Heavy Water Experiments
Friday, 30 January, 2009
More info: www.heavywaterexperiments.com
With a self titled album, you might expect HWE to be a new band, but in fact the band existed in a former incarnation as Imogene. The LA-based band is fronted by singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, and producer David Melbye—an LA native whose past bands/projects include Ludivine. Fuzz Beloved, and Zanzibar. His creative/artistic partner Roberto Salguero, originally from El Salvidor, plays drums and percussion. Recent additions to the live ensemble are: Rebecca Black on keyboards/vocals and Rick Staggs on bass.
The music of opening track, "Goldenthroat", floats in and mesmerizes you. It is the sort of music that seems to wrap itself around and envelopes you . The sound is bass heavy and swirls along. So we are talking psychedelic rather than progressive rock. And yet, at times I can imagine their music being received as indie pop with tracks such as the more lightweight Oracles.
I'm not sure if individual songs mean that much in the context of this album as it tends to works best if considered as a whole. Each listen seems to yields a little element you hadn't heard on previous listens. The vast majority of times I listen to the album, I get immersed in the soundscape, but just occasionally it feels claustrophobic and I don't get beyond the first couple of tracks. But usually I'm on board for the full ride through its fuzzy bass-laden soundscape.
Morton Finlay - Back To Basics
Saturday, 24 January, 2009
More info: http://www.finlaymorton.com/index.html
On listening to this album you would be forgiven for thinking Morton was American. In fact, he is originally from Aberdeen in Scotland and now lives in London. This is his second album, the first being "Interpret This" in 2006.
During my initial listens to the album I had written down Chris Rea as being a possible comparison, but that is maybe more about my reaction to the music rather than a valid musical comparison. At his website he mentions Rock, Blues, Country and Folk, which all feature here. A little more surfing turned up mentions of Tom Petty and Neil Young. When I saw Tom Petty my reaction was "why didn't I pick up on that myself".
The tracks are mostly mid-paced countrified rock with soulful gospel -like female backing vocals contributing well in the background. John Ryan, the producer, who has worked with Santana and Lynyrd Skynyrd, has done a great job with those backing vocals and the contribution from the accomplished session musicians. Like, the aforementioned Petty and Young, Morton's vocals are kind of understated, but yet convey the emotion of the lyrical content.
I mentioned Chris Rea earlier and that is because when I used hear a Chris Rea song the radio I would always think "that was OK, maybe even quite good", but I've never bought a Chris Rea album. I have a similar reaction to Morton's music - it is the sort of music to have in the background as you are driving along (in my case, imaging myself in an open top sports car cruising down some American highway, rather than stuck in a Belfast traffic jam watching the rain on the windscreen) and yet if falls into that category of Radio 2 style music that I'm happy to listen, but which never really gets beyond the "pleasant" tag.
Smoke Fairies - 2008 Demo
Saturday, 24 January, 2009
More info: http://www.smokefairies.com/
The Smoke Fairies, Jessica Davies & Katherine Blamire, talk about Led Zep dragging the blues into the modern day and about Jefferson Airplane reprising folk with a psychedelic sheen. For their part the Smoke Fairies take the delta blues of the deep south of America and fuse it with English folk.
On opening track and single, "Living With Ghosts", the girls set the scene with a track of slow blues with haunting vocals pasted on top. The overall feeling is one of melancholy. Just like the opening track, the rest of the album seems to drift along at one pace with little variety, resulting in set of songs that all merge into one big depressing pit of emptiness. My wife walked in while I was listening to this and described it as 'music to slash your wrists to, like..... what is the name of that guy…………Leonard Cohen".
I guess some people, with perhaps more refined tastes to mine, will hear this and describe it as "worthy". Others might describe it "sexy and sultry". They have toured along with Bryan Ferry and from what little some research I did most of the other reviews of their work, admittedly at much more 'trendy' websites, have been positive, but after a few tracks it leaves me drifting into a sense of desolation and ultimately boredom.
