Dream Police ~ Dream Police (aka debut) (album review) ... Smoking blues-rock with hints of Van Halen & early Whitesnake!

Style: blues rock, acoustic blues
Label: CBS Records
Year: 1991
Home: Norway

Members: Rene Andersen ~ vocals/harmonica
Trond Holter ~ guitar/b. vocals
Ole Petter Hansen ~ drums/b. vocals
Rino Johannessen, Janne Titz ~ bass

Additional: Jon Terje Rovedal ~ organ
Leif Digernese ~ b. vocals

Started in 1989, Dream Police, named after the Cheap Trick album, fuse melodic hard rock with a heavy dose of the blues. It would have made more sense to name themselves after Cinderella, who takes the same approach. I have a sweet tooth for the blues, so I always am curious how hard rock bands interpret it. I did a review of Cinderella where I said they just needed to take the blues to the next direction & abandon the rock/glam thing that they came out the door with. Dream Police are doing it. The outcome is a must hear blues success for folks that like early Whitesnake or the rock end of Gov't Mule. Dream Police are gutsy, gritty, & straddling rock & blues in the best way. They aren't the most original of bands & wear their influences on their sleeves, but they have a good sound that is hard to not enjoy for those that like bluesy rock. Its almost a shame to call this a rock album as its gutsy than so many of the group's peers, but there's enough rock here to not be easily dismissed. Out the door with "Need Your Lovin'" there's strong hints of the groove side of Van Halen with David Lee Roth, in the guitar's style & the vocal approach. This swaggers so much, but doesn't have the over-the-top feel of Roth & company. The rhythm section even takes a laid back approach while the guitar chugs away, much like Van Halen, yet, this doesn't feel in the least like an imitator. Van Halen is only one of the influences that are heard throughout this album. A lot of the songs sound more like the blues rock in the way Whitesnake did it when David Coverdale first came out the door after Deep Purple (i.e. "Rock Me", "Surrender"), & before he became MTV's sex god with slick love ballads. There's also songs (i.e. "Little Angel") that are gritty & dark that would be bettered compared to early ZZ Top or perhaps Santana, while one will also find slow steamy ballads (i.e. "When The Sun Goes Down," "Surrender") that have more in common with Coverdale/Page's mood, to acoustic down home harmonica & slide guitar blues (i.e. "Hot Legs," "Uncle Gus"). This is so bluesy that when they break out the slide guitar it doesn't sound gimmicky or out of place. Its a bit of an addicting listen with a pretty solid set of songs from start to finish. I'd only skip "Moving" & "On Fire" which sound like lackluster Van Halen a bit too much. Think Van Halen before Eddie overdubbed a firecracker guitar solo. Other than that, I recommend this album a lot. I particularly like the singer who has the feel of David Lee Roth, but doesn't scream himself into orbit. Dream Police would make one more album the next year before breaking up in 1992. They occasionally reunite for concerts. The guitarist would go on to glam rockers Wig Wam, & has worked with Taylor Dayne & Jorn Lande. The other members have played with different European outings.

Emerson, Lake & Powell ~ Emerson, Lake & Powell (aka self-titled) (album review) ... Emerson, Lake & what?

Style: prog rock, hard rock 
Label: Polydor
Year: 1986
Home: England

Members: Keith Emerson ~ keyboards
Greg Lake ~ vocals/guitars/bass
Cozy Powell ~ drums

Emerson, Lake & Powell was born when a re-union of Emerson, Lake & Palmer didn't happen due to drummer Carl Palmer's obligations with Asia ... the band, not the country. Replacement Cozy Powell at first seems like an odd choice. His reputation is largely centered not on progressive rock, but hard rocking outings with Rainbow, Brian May, Graham Bonnet, Whitesnake, Michael Schenker & later with Black Sabbath & Yngwie Malmsteen. Its easy to forget that underneath the hard rock is often some often adventurous non-straight ahead playing. While he also worked with the always limit pushing Jeff Beck, Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord, & Robert Plant. If Keith Emerson & Greg Lake were looking for a more '80's sound, yet not wanting to not completely push away the past, Powell had the chops to bridge both worlds. I'm honestly not a big enough ELP fan to be able to comment on how Powell compares to Palmer. While even though I've heard Palmer in all the Asia albums, I'm not a drummer & not good recognizing drum styles. I just know what works or doesn't, as in does it clutter up the music or make it groove or just pound away brainlessly. So, moving on from Powell, how is the end product in general? I don't blame Powell for this, but Emerson, Lake & Powell is clearly more '80's than '70's. The rock guitars & driving rhythms (i.e. "The Score") makes it firmly '80's, & thus very different than the Emerson, Lake & Palmer we all know. This is pretty much a distinct entity musically. Though, I will back-up & say it might not be that distinct, but I haven't heard Emerson, Lake & Palmer's '80's output. It might be exactly the same ... which is essentially, I'm going to guess, not what most people want when they turn to ELP. ELP was a proggy classical rock band unlike no other with long wandering songs. We want Brain Salad Surgery, not something that is proggy Bon Jovi or early Def Leppard. So, Emerson, Lake & Powell might be a different entity or the same, but the end result is pretty iffy whatever the context. If this is what Emerson, Lake & Palmer were doing at the time ... I'm not inspired to hear any of those albums. I would compare this album more to Asia & GTR, but not as good. The only thing that keeps it with a few toes in the '70's is the keyboards, which thankfully dominate with classic prog sounding arrangements. I was reminded of Rick Wakeman's solo outings (i.e. "Touch & Go") or the first few albums after Genesis became a trio. While Lake still has his recognizable vocals, absolutely sounding like no band in the '80's.Yet, the playing felt rambling & uninspired, & often tedious. It didn't have the proggy spark. So, I should clarify that the dominance of the keyboards gives this a '70's feel, but not the playing itself. So, put rambling playing against rock guitars & driving rhythms & this is Emerson, Lake & whoever in name only. Though, for their defense, many classic bands such as Yes were moving in this direction turning their prog into something commercial. Its not bad, but it lacks the emotional elements of the past with lots of boring flash. Instead of going through the whole album, I would recommend listening to the "The Miracle." This is a track worth putting in your playlist. Absolutely skip over the anti-war anthem "Lay Down Your Guns" and the Broadway musical wannabe "Step Aside". Or, at least, save the later for when the band includes Barry Manilow.

Step Ahead ~ Step Ahead (album review) ... A forgotten dreamy prog rock classic!

Style: prog rock
Label: RCA
Home: Nice, France
Year: 1982

Members: Danny Brown ~ vocals, tambourine
Christian Robin ~ electric guitars
Gerald Macia ~ acoustic guitars
Claude Truchi ~ keyboards
Jean-Yves Dufournier ~ drums
Antoine Ferrera ~ bass

Additional: Claude-Marius David ~ flute
Thomas Quef ~ b. vocals
Genevieve Teuliere ~ cello

Step Ahead, 1980 - 1984, released only this album, but what a great album. If you're a prog rock fan than this is well worth hunting up. The Yes influence is very strong, with the Rick Wakeman-esque extended classical keyboard sequences, & guitar parts that recall Steve Howe with their single note soaring melodies moving into complicated mind bending rhythms. The difference is that it is two guitarists here. There is also the power & psychedelic realms of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, while one might also hear some of the lush moments of Pink Floyd getting a new interpretation. The music actually floats more like Pink Floyd, versus rumbling along like Yes, though it has the layers & genre defying sound of Yes' many ensembles. The listener will never know what is coming next. At one moment it might be cascading like ELP, the vocals here are a lot like Greg Lake, only to suddenly fall into a lush acoustic part or a cosmic keyboard melody or while electric guitar solo. Though, lush is a word that I would use to generally describe this album. Its lush, finely crafted, delicate, enchanting. Its dreamy in a way that Yes & the other prog bands have never really been. Its also not full of angst like Pink Floyd, or does it venture into the abstract territory of prog a la Gentle Giant. Its not out to bang you on the head with solos, but instead wrap you in a blanket & send you to sleep with an ever-changing array of dreams. So many colorful dreams! The balance between acoustic & electric guitar parts is a real highlight worth hearing. Its nothing like power metal where the acoustic takes the rhythm with the electric over it. This is more like trading parts & weaving off each other with very different textures. Absolutely stunning. Essentially, the complete range of mainstream prog-rock was brought together by Step Ahead. It is a shame they are not better remembered. Though, this album has been re-issued a couple times, as the minority who hear this likely can't forget it. Not to mention there's not a bad track here, nor a moment of filler. Just prog perfection.

Europe ~ Bag Of Bones (album review) ... The best musical pieces of Europe together in one great album!

Style: blues-rock
Label: earMUSIC
Year: 2012
Home: Sweden

Members: Joey Tempest ~ vocals/acoustic guitars
John Norum ~ guitars
John Leven ~ bass
Mic Michaeli ~ keyboards/b. vocals
Ian Haugland ~ drums/b. vocals

Guest: Joe Bonamassa ~ slide guitar

Additional: Anton Fig ~ percussion
Jeff Bova ~ orchestration

This is promoted as a blues album, but I worry some might see that & bail on it. I would call it more a rock album with some bluesy ingredients. This is more blues like how Bad Company & Cinderella handle the blues, that is letting the bluesy aspect of the rock template come to the surface, stripping back the pounding rock riffs & pulling out some acoustic guitars. I would promote it more as a back to square one album. It takes a little bit from all of their career, cuts away the junk & turns out what I would call the best album I've heard from them. This is the fourth studio album I've reviewed & compared to what I've heard: this is their masterpiece. All you need is this & if its your introduction you'll likely to be a fan. Maybe it gets better, but I can't imagine how. Let me know in the comments. "Not Supposed To Sing The Blues" might be one of their best songs, right there with "The Final Countdown", if not better. For those who haven't read my other reviews, I called Europe musical chameleons great at imitation, but lacking distinctiveness & personality, though their later day albums are more solid affairs than The Final Countdown. I change my tune here, as this is everything I was looking for before. This oozes personality & distinctiveness. Whatever they did to make this album they should keep doing. They finally hit on perfection. The energy is high, the creativity wild, the musical diversity wide, the music rocks hard, the groove is strong. Everything comes together so perfectly that when the acoustic guitars are introduced it sounds natural & not like they're doing an obligatory power ballad. I previously reviewed post-comeback albums Last Look At Eden & Start From The Dark. There's bits of those albums here, but they've streamlined their sound & in the process taken things up a notch. Those two albums had them aiming to sound like they are metal & grunge, respectively, but they came off as imitative. Here its like they're not being anyone but themselves. They know they're not a blues band & there's no blues scene they're trying to tap into, so they're just free to be. I feel like since day one Europe has always been trying to be someone other than them. They finally just played music & its a great experience. Bag Of Bones has the hard rock of Last Look At Eden, but isn't indistinct metal like that felt for me. While it has the emotional quality of Start From The Dark, but doesn't overdose on the depressing vibes like I felt that album did in its attempt to be a grunge thing. This album finds the right balance. This feels less like a blues album, & more a best of Europe album with a few unexpected sparkles (i.e. sitar break on "Firebox" & the acoustic guitars). Though, like their other albums, no filler. Every song is strong, which is an amazing feat.

Iron Maiden ~ Virtual XI (album review) ... Can't wait for this album to end!

Style: hard rock, heavy metal
Label: EMI
Year: 1998
Home: England

Members: Steve Harris ~ bass/keyboards
Blaze Bayley ~ lead vocals
Dave Murray, Janick Gers ~ guitars
Nicko McBrain ~ drums

Additional: Michael Kenney ~ keyboards

 

Iron Maiden's second & last album with Blaze Bayley on vocals. Where to start? First, honesty: I'm a super casual listener of Maiden. You're not getting insider's insights here. I've only heard 3 albums by them, two of which are on this blog, & the other is The Final Frontier I had mixed feelings over. I have heard stuff by the members outside the band, though. I enjoy Paul Di'Anno's stuff. I've also never seen a concert video of them other than clips. They aren't bad. I don't hate them. I just have never been bitten by the exploration bug, as there's so much music out there & so little time. But, after listening to the Virtual XI I want to listen to more of their albums. No, Virtual XI hasn't made me a fan. I simply want to know if they are ... if they could be ... if this is ... okay, I'll say it, given their reputation they can't be this bad. I want to know if the other albums are such a slog. Putting their reputation aside, & since I can't compare any of their classic albums to this, its not good from a general point of view. Or, let me rephrase. Its not bad.  Its far far from the worst album I've tortured myself with. But, I drafted this review 24 hours ago & now can't remember a single song from the album, nor a lyric, nor a riff, nor anything other than it just never seemed to end. I remember feeling bored by it & wondering why their producer didn't step in with a pair of scissors, meant literally in cutting away reels of tape. Which means before I post this review I'll have to listen again, as I'm now re-writing a review of music I can't remember. Given I have a head full of songs that I can recall in seconds, which is pretty scary how my mind remembers all that, given I can remember lyrics from something I heard decades ago, given all the trivia I also retain, given listening to some musicians has made me an instant fan, if I can't remember something a day later than it must be pretty bad. The rest of this review is going to be a re-write of the notes I took hearing this album yesterday. I always like to think that Maiden is such a musical powerhouse that even without Bruce Dickinson wailing away things will be alright with Steve Harris' rolling bass lines, his interesting lyrics & the intertwining guitar parts. While I don't know them well, I think of the Maiden crew as a dynamic entity that is bigger than any one player. Yet, listening to Virtual XI my opinion might be in error. Maybe its the songs themselves, but without Dickinson something is dramatically lost. The vocals don't feel quite up to par, but neither do the songs nor the band. Using the opener "Futureal" as an example, its not a bad song but its not something I need to hear again. There's still the tongue-twisting fast moving lyrics & bouncing music, but it dies before it ends. Bayley is a good competent singer, but he doesn't have the dynamics of Dickinson, nor does he have a particularly memorable voice, also like Dickinson, nor a particular phrasing style. Due to these three things he doesn't bring anything much to the table, which means he doesn't have anything to give to the song. Thus, it never really takes off, but just plods along. He can sing well, no question on that, but he doesn't add to the dynamics I think of when I think of Maiden. He doesn't even sound very inspired. The music isn't driving him. The lyrics aren't emotionally grabbing him. He's just singing & not giving any energy or feeling to it. I'm actually bored listening to him & I hate to say that about a singer, particularly one who obviously knows how to sing. To clarify, one doesn't need dynamics or Whitney Houston chops to have emotion. Listen to jazz sing Jimmy Durante for someone with an average voice but a wonderful since of nuance & feeling. Its about using what you have to express as much as you can. I don't know the history of the band, so I'm asking if he was the best Maiden had to choose from. Did they owe someone a favor & thus got stuck with him? Or, were things going back & he was figuratively mailing in his performance counting the days to his departure? Paycheck collected, next! At least when Phil Collins was replaced in Genesis Ray Wilson brought a new distinct sound to the band, both loved & hated by fans, but Bayley doesn't seem to be offering anything other than an ability to sing in key. I picture him as the guy you hire for a wedding covers band. One need only hunt up live versions of "Futureal" with Bruce to hear how the song may not be the best Maiden have ever done, but with a shot of some vocal dynamics its much better. "Futureal" sadly sets the tone for the album, which is more like a dirge. It goes on & on, but goes nowhere, with the good moments all musical & all lost in the clutter. I really hate to lay the blame all at the singer's feet, but really there's nothing here that grabs me & says to me this is a legendary band I want to hear more of. There is also one other problem. The lyrics. Harris gets credit for all but one song, while Bayley gets some writing credit. This is not inspired writing, or if it was the arrangements are mailed in doing the writing no favors. Maybe this is good writing for the band, but the arrangements are ruining everything. I don't know, but I'm so tired of hearing the last minutes of a song consisting of Bayley repeating one line over & over with no vocal variation. Those last 3 words are the key. Bayley drones, but I'd rather hear the shimmer of a tambura than this wedding singer. Anyways, I plan to get married with an Elvis impersonator doing the singing. So, I'm not looking for a wedding band. Where was the producer with a pair of scissors going, 'We shall end the song here, not way over here.' One of the things I think many bands do wrong is they don't know when to end a song. Sometimes you don't need to drag it out or add in yet another solo or repeated chorus. I speak from experience helping guitarist Allen Peterson with his second solo album. Nobody was listening to the entire songs in their original form or having much good to say about the album. He was distraught. Having heard the album many times both in his house & his truck while we drove around, I told him to crop at least a minute or two off each song. Just ditch some solos & extra lyric repetitions. He did, hesitantly I'll confess, & suddenly everyone was more attentive. What was happening, he found, was the songs were indeed too long & people were getting bored. There was no surprise in the last couple minutes. That's what is happening here with Virtual XI. & when you're bored you get forgetful of what you've just listened to, then you're going into the next song bored. If you're going into the next song bored, you not hearing what good parts there are. So, if the guitarist has a good solo, nobody is really in tune with the album to hear it. I'll confess on my first listen to this album I couldn't make it to the end in one sitting. Generic rock with a generic bored singer. Though, "Lightning Strikes Twice" is worth a mention, as I enjoyed that, but it just makes me want to hear Bruce attempt it. All the above is based on my previous day's listen. Finishing this up now I've listened to the album 2.5 times in total. It hasn't improved with age. On today's front to back listen I'll add one more thought. I enjoyed "The Educated Fool" & "Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger", though they aren't going into my playlist & didn't lift the album up. Also, to note, after my last listen I went & listened to The Final Frontier. Not becoming a Maiden fan. I basically come to the same conclusion I always have: I like a few singles, but not rushing to hear complete albums. But, I do plan to listen to more of them before solidifying this opinion, such as Powerslave & maybe a few other classics. I do like to do my due diligence.

Blaze Bayley’s The Foundry ~ Live In Texas 2014 (live) (album review) ... Playing Iron Maiden the way I wanted him to!

Style: hard rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2014
Home: n/a

Members: Blaze Bayley ~ vocals
Rick Plester ~ guitar
John Moyer ~ bass
James Kottak, A.J. Pero ~ drums

First, its nice to hear an actual live album where I can hear every instrument & I know its actually live. The audience sounds are minimal, but when Blaze Bayley's voice cracks trying to hit a note in "Voices From The Past" there's a subtle pleasure that follows. The history of live albums is a history of partially live & lots of overdubs, so a real live album is a nice change of pace. It also shows the musician willing to show warts & all. That minor point being said, this outing goes under the name the Foundry, but I have a hard time seeing this as anything but Blaze's latest live band. I just add it to the list of names he's used, including his own, the Blaze Bayley Band & BLAZE. The prominence of Iron Maiden & his solo songs leads me to make this deduction. Plus, the fact it started as a Blaze tour where he was offered a strong all-star backing band, versus forming or joining a band to tour with. The clincher evidence is that the Foundry has a changing membership often based on what country Blaze is touring. It has included guitarists Rick Plester & M.G. Jones, bassists John Moyer & Matt MacLean, drummers Bobby Jarzombek, A.J. Pero, James Kottack & Bill League. All these folks were missing for a Mexico tour where Blaze was backed up by the metal band Overfire, while for 2 Canadian tours he was backed up Insurgent Inc & Maiden Quebec. If he had gone to other countries & brought at least one guy with him I might be more tempted to say this is an actual band. While it doesn't have any studio albums to give it the status of a Nine Inch Nails or Whitesnake, which is essentially one guy & hired hands rotating through. I’m guessing his humbleness led to wanting to call this a band to bring recognition to the excellent musicians he has with him, though its all cover tunes so we don't really get to hear what these guys can do together. Given this outing includes Blaze, famous for his time in Iron Maiden, plus Disturbed's bassist, drummers from the Scorpions & Twisted Sister, & a guitarist from Black Symphony & Blaze's solo group. If Blaze really wanted to make this less about him & more about a band, then there's one thing he could do without going into the studio: play more songs by the other members. Of the 16 songs 5 are solo cuts, 6 are from his gig with Iron Maiden, 2 are from his pre-Maiden band Wolfsbane. What's left is a Twisted Sister cover, representing Twisted drummer A.J. Pero who also gets a drum solo, & a Judas Priest cover, though no one was involved with Priest. Why not do a Disturbed song? That would be perfect in the set-list. Or the Scorpions? Or, more by Twisted? Instead of Priest's "Breaking The Law" they could have done one of the other bands. Likely everyone knew the chords to that song, so they did it, as its a standard cover bands rock out to ... I speak from experience. Speaking of which, keep it in the rehearsal studio. Its all about the hook, but doesn't give any musician much to chew on. Blaze tries hard to sing it with some distinction, but it ends the album on a weak note. Imagine ending on "Rock You Like A Hurricane" by the Scorpions instead. That would be a showstopper & make this more like a band. Membership & music choices aside, this is actually a really good live album. I don't know Blaze's solo stuff & only his second Maiden album, & had not heard of Wolfsbane before this, so I likely am not the right audience. Even so, it was a great listen. Blaze sings wonderfully & really is more than a typical screamer like so many of his peers. One can hear little nuances in his singing to round out the lyrics. I like the way he sings. He has way of phrasing that’s like he’s swallowing each word. I mean, pronouncing & trying to hit notes & give each word feeling, which so many don't do. I think the work Blaze did with Maiden was not his best. I believe they gave him weak material to work with & its not suited to his tone or style of singing. I think he gets lost in the songs. Yet, here he shines the way I felt he should have back in the day. With one guitar the songs are stripped back. They feel like Maiden, but don't sound like Maiden. Its like a band inspired by, but not imitating Maiden. The songs give him room to breathe & aren't rushing along the speed metal corridor while he's jogging. He fills the air & is not swallowed by the music. A few particular notes. Wolfsbane's "(Tough As) Steel" has a blistering finger shredding solo lasting 3.5 minutes that moves through grooving & soloing in a wonderful way that is so much better than just endless notes. The songs "The Brave", "The Launch" & "Voices From The Past" are all worth a listen. As for what Maiden songs, for Maiden fans, he does "Lord Of The Flies," "Futureal," "The Clansman," "Man On The Edge," "Wasted Years" & "The Trooper." "Wasted Years" is a highlight as Blaze really stretches for some tough notes, but makes up for any weakness by keeping them ringing long. "Futureal" I've often felt would be great live. To me it limped along & went too long in the studio. Here the song is driving the way I wanted it to when I first heard it. It has the energy that was missing in the original recording. This album was handed out only at shows, but is worth finding & one hopes he'll make it more public.

Michael Schenker Group (aka MSG) ~ MSG (aka self-titled) (album review) ... '70's infused rock awesomeness!

Style: hard rock
Label: Chrysalis
Year: 1981
Home: London, England

Members: Michael Schenker ~ lead guitar
Gary Barden ~ vocals
Paul Raymond ~ keyboards/rhythm guitar
Chris Glen ~ bass
Cozy Powell ~ drums

Additional: Stephen Stills, Billy Nicholls ~ backing vocals

I'll also confess I've never heard anything by Schenker solo or with his group MSG, or with UFO & the Scorpions, except for his one album Assault Attack. I'm a fan of vocalist Graham Bonnet. I really like that album, yet never felt compelled to investigate Schenker further. I came across this second album from MSG & decided to take a listen. More confessions. I expected a blistering guitar onslaught that had foreshadowed '80's glam metal, or maybe something like the blistering Vinnie Vincent Invasion. My expectations were so far misplaced its not even funny. Considered a classic by fans, this is well worth seeking out. One last confession. All my reviews are written after numerous listens. I refuse to post a review before at least two complete spins. Sometimes I hear an album, but will sit on it for a few weeks before listening again. I just know I want to review it, but have other things I want to hear first. Other times I actually have an album spinning for weeks, because I don't know what to say about it. This is one of those cases. Its been at least three weeks since I've come across this album & I've spun it every few days. The reason for this is because ... its really good. Its really really good. Not just did this break all my expectations, but I can hear why folks call it a classic. Yet, I also can't put it into words, which is why I keep spinning it. It has a particular feel that I can't wrap my words around, thus I'm unable to sell the album to you in the way I feel it deserves. At this point I'm just going with what I got & you should just go & listen without delay. Its just as good as Assault Attack, though musically oranges & apples. This is way more laid back. It grooves more than attacks. It has a very '70's feeling. It pre-dates so many of the cliches of the hair metal scene. The trademarks of that sound are missing, so its a really strong melodic album of big riffs & interesting vocals, not to overstuffed, not too wild, not trying to fit a template but just making memorable songs. It has the raw feeling that came from Van Halen when they debuted, & like Ratt & Quiet Riot, while having its own feeling like those bands. I thought this might be a guitar noodling album, but absolutely not. Its not show-off, but an actual cohesive band outing. Gary Barden's vocals actually carry many of the songs & keyboards play a strong role. I really like the clean riffs & the fact this isn't in your face solos that are cluttering up the air. At times Schenker might even be under-playing. A few highlights to mention. "Ready To Rock" is the complete opposite of Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock". It's more like a guy who is putting on his clothes, combing his hair & chillin' like Fonzie. I'm kinda reminded of Montrose in its feel. He doesn't have to come on too strong, cause he knows how cool he is. "Attack Of The Mad Axeman" has a funky guitar riff that has a very '70's prog feeling. "On & On" is dominated by keyboards that go from Tony Kaye-like chords to a classical verse in something that is very proggy. The guitar takes over for an off the wall solo. It would completely be over the top if it wasn't for Cozy Powell's strong beat that allows both a keyboard dominated song & a crazy solo. Its like the keyboards are just a tease until the big surprise. This is a highlight of the album. There's also the big piano ballad "Never Trust A Stranger" that has that timeless '70's sound before power ballads became more more power than real ballad, or when Queen set the bar of what makes up a ballad. Another highlight of the album.

Fast Eddie Clarke's Fastway ~ All Fired Up (album review) ... Burning hot blues-rock!

Style: AOR, hard rock
Label: Columbia
Year: 1984
Home: Britain

Members: Dave King ~ lead vocals
"Fast" Eddie Clarke ~ guitars
Charlie McCracken ~ bass
Jerry Shirley ~ drums
 

Fastway is the post-Motorhead band led by guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke. This is their second album, which got some MTV play. The group went through a few line-ups. This album includes future Flogging Molly vocalist Dave King, & co-founder/ drummer Jerry Shirley. Shirley has played with Alexis Korner, Syd Barrett, John Entwistle, Sammy Hagar & Humble Pie. The bluesy roots of these bands might explain how he turns in more interesting drum parts that really flesh out & drive the songs, versus straight forward typical rock patterns that don't always work with the blues. As a life long blues fan, I find its hard finding a drummer who knows how to rock the blues. I've given so much away about this album with that statement. The band name might say speed metal, but its firmly blues rock. Or, I might describe it as melodic metal with a bluesy strut. Whatever the description - this is hot! Its not flashy hot. More like radio friendly hot with hints of Motorhead & lots of Led Zeppelin, both timeless influences. Others have called frontman King like Robert Plant. Its a legit comparison, though I think due to his phrasing more so than his tone. There are lots of singers who sound a bit too much like Plant, but in this case I think King walks the line on the safe side. He sounds like him, but not always, & in a good way. He's like Plant in the way David Coverdale is like Plant, sorta yes/sorta no, though extremely no today & on most albums. For me its like he's got the best traits of Plant, not the ones everyone imitates. While, with Plant, Clarke is Jimmy Page. Not figuratively as in songwriting partnership, but quite literally. Listen to "Misunderstood" & tell me that doesn't sound like Zeppelin. On the other hand, its amazing how a band can sound so much like another band, yet feel distinct. Fastway uses the influence of Zep, but for me doesn't abuse it or try to be Zep. The power ballad "Hurtin' Me" actually sounds like something Plant solo would do early in his career. It is thick blues with a rock edge. For the record, Plant's "Hurting Kind (I've Got My Eyes On You)" came out years later. If anything, there's just a strong '70's AOR vibe here, of which Zep was often a part of. "Steal The Show" is an example of that with its retro sounding melody. This is also a highlight, not to mention it includes a quasi-bass solo moment. It lives up to its name. "The Strangers" further switches things up with a folksy feel. It absolutely puts the expectations of a power ballad on its head & feels very much like what one might find in the '70's & never in the '80's. Pretty much this whole album breaks expectations & feels like its from another era. This is due to the fact that most '80's bands fell back on glam & metal with big sounds, but Fastway fall back on the blues. They're not faking it either, but going all the way. The call & response blues of "Telephone" you might have heard from some '70's white boy blues band. In the context of the 1984 this feels totally unique. Decades later it sounds refreshing. Sadly, at the time the album found critical success & rightly so, but the band's bluesy attitude never gave them the commercial success they really deserve. In a glam metal world people wanted more of the same, versus something different. That is too bad, as this is a solid & interesting outing. It is way more interesting than what so many of their hard rock peers were doing. The fact it had an all star producer in Eddie Kramer didn't hurt. He produced Carly Simon, Whitesnake, Robin Trower, Buddy Guy, John McLaughlin, Carl Perkins, Peter Frampton, Brian May's Another World, Alcatrazz's Disturbing The Peace, Anthrax's Among The Living, Hendrix's The Cry Of Love, & most notably Ace Frehley's 1978 solo & Trouble Walkin' & Frehley's Comet debut, plus Kiss' Alive!, Alive II, Alive III, Rock & Roll Over, Love Gun.

Merzy ~ Rock The Blues (album review) ... Thick ass blues via Bad Company!

Style: blues-rock, southern blues
Label: Iceberg
Year: 1991
Home: Denmark

Members: Henrik Bjorn ~ vocals/bass/percussion
Tim Andre ~ guitars/percussion
Mickey Hurricane ~ drums/b. vocals

Like thick ass blues heavy rock? Think Bad Company should have a higher status in the rock pantheon cause they had more emotion than many of their peers? Do you secretly like George Thorogood? Do you think if Johnny Winter had been a rock guitarist he'd be a huge guitar god, cause he rocked the blues harder than many guitarists played rock? I once heard a musician say the death of rock came the moment blues left the rock vocabulary. Would you agree? If you say yes to any, most or all of these questions, then check out Denmark's Merzy. This second album from them is a thick ass slab of the blues with hints of just enough rock to please many listeners. At times its straight out of the Bad Company catalog (i.e. opening of "Give Me What You Got", the bridge of "Out On The Highway", the haunting ballad "Dreamer"), yet its also as bluesy as its gets with the energy of Johnny Winter (i.e. "Good Times"). The songs are blues to the core, but revved up with rock solos & polish. They never get too raw or rootsy. I wouldn't compare them to AC/DC, which is a rock band with super blues roots. I'd put them more in the category of 70's/90's ZZ Top, which was blues with rock elements, or blues for a rock audience. Think Paul Rodgers style blues, George Thorogood soaring guitar solos, maybe Gary Moore, some of Ron Wood's solo work, the energy of Canned Heat & Jeff Healey. If any of these things get you interested, then check out Merzy without doubt, as they put the guts back into rock. Formed in 1988 under the name Pure Fucking Rock, their four albums were released across Europe & Russia. They got little traction in America, though given what was happening in music in 1991 that is no surprise. This likely would have been lost under the radar, or found a small following. It deserves a small following. The only hole in the bucket is the "Elmstreet Boogie", written for the Freddy Krueger films with samples of him speaking & people screaming. Obviously a producer told them to dump Gary Moore influence & try something mainstream, or a prog band trying to do a boogie. The producer should have been fired on the spot. It doesn't sound like the rest of the album & if that's all you know by them, you'll quickly write them off. They did themselves an injustice with this track, though likely thinking it could bring them attention. It might have had they kept to doing what they did best. On the other hand, I've yet to hear any song from those movies that really was worth repeated listens. I include the Fat Boys "Are You Ready For Freddy?" in this conclusion. Only a 14 year old boy is going to rock out to Merzy's horrible line "Back in the saddle with Freddy tonight / baby, please don't go." Skip this blunder & enjoy the rest of the album

Europe ~ Start From The Dark (album review) ... Europe's alt-rock days!

Style: alt-rock, hard rock
Label: Sanctuary Records
Year: 2004
Home: Sweden


Members: Joey Tempest ~ vocals/acoustic guitars
John Norum ~ guitars
John Leven ~ bass
Mic Michaeli ~ keyboards
Ian Haugland ~ drums

This is the third Europe album I've heard & the second post-80's release. The newer albums are such different beasts. I'd previously written about my disappointment with their classic The Final Countdown, as beyond the title track it let me down feeling like a lot of filler. 2009's Last Look At Eden was a million times better, but lacked a distinct personality I could grab on to. It had all the pieces, but I've heard the same album come from Michael Sweet & Stryper. I continuously kept thinking of other bands who they sounded like. Now I turn to 2004's Start From The Dark out of curiosity. At this point, I have no real clue what the Europe sound is & who they are musically, but if this like Last Look At Eden - & I hope it is, being in the same decade - then it will have some great singing, much better lyrics than many bands, be awesome melodic rock, have wonderfully crafted music & great guitar riffing. I just hope it has more personality. So, I'm very curious going into Start From The Dark, which was their comeback album after over a decade away. First, this is not the boys of Stryper. Last Look At Eden was a big layered affair that clobbered you fast & easily with powerful riffs. Start From The Dark is not just nothing like Stryper musically, yet its also not like Last Look At Eden. Is this the same band? Its hard to tell. This is a very streamlined affair that is so much more raw than heavily produced like Last Look At Eden, or, more properly, its well produced but doesn't sound too glossy like the other album. That album rocked your face off, but this is the far more emotional affair due to more focus being put on the lyrics & less on the riffs. This album is not about hooks, but the words. This album has a strong mood, whereas the other one didn't. I'm not going to say its alt-rock, but it has a lot of that flavor. Given the year it was released, I might not be so far from the truth of what they were going after. I might compare this to later day Bon Jovi, as in the more mature Bon Jovi. A better comparison is the first Danger Danger album with Paul Laine singing, Dawn. That was their deliberately grunge album in an attempt to match trends. Soundgarden might also be referenced in some of the down tuned guitar parts (i.e. "Song No. 12") here. This is the most musically diverse album I've heard yet from them. Truth be told, they sound like three completely different bands. So, Europe essentially fails when it comes to finding their own personality, but are monster musicians. These two later day albums are well worth listening to, I just wish I knew what I might get in a fourth album or be able to name something distinctive about their sound. That being said, this is the more distinct album of the three. As it straddles different styles of music it creates its own thing, whereas the others feel more by the book & imitative. This is a band trying to be like something they are not, but after a decade what are they, so it comes off unique. It's alt-rock tinged melodic rock. This has so much more feeling than the other albums do. Honestly, "The Final Countdown" is just a throwaway anthem hit. There's none of that here, as every song has something to say. It has a lot to say, actually, which at times emotionally drags the album down. This is not a happy listen, while songs tend to blend together due to them all being emotionally heavy. I said this was not like Michael Sweet, yet I have to reverse that a bit. "Reason" questions god about the meaning of life. "Cause there must be a reason / Why you're keeping me alive / On broken days like this / There must be a reason / A hope that God exist". It even references heaven, though not by name, saying: "After all the fear is gone / There's place where everybody goes." "Hero" might not be about Jesus, but one might interpret it that way with such lyrics as: "'Cause you are my hero / My friday night / You wrote the soundtrack to my life / & gave me something / To hold on to / When I was growing up / You were the rock / In my life." While other songs have a spiritual message, though not overtly Christian. This could be a Stryper album in disguise. The entire album is about working through life, such as "The race is on / I found my way / Something has changed since I've been away" in "Got To Have Faith" & "Tonight, this is where we go / To find out who we really are / We've got nothing left to lose / Tonight, this is how we breathe / To put some strength back in our hearts" in the title track. The album is laced with burdens & conquering them with a helping hand. Its depressing, but also hopeful. As "Roll With You" sings: "When what you're feeling is too intense / When the darkness seems to draw you in I roll with you / When you're so sorry & don't know why / It came to be a sad time in your life I roll with you we'll get you through." Yet, even with such hope, this is a heavy album to listen to. Recommended to Christian rock lovers.

Fisc ~ Handle With Care (album review) ... Slightly improved more of the same!

Style: hard rock, glam metal
Label: N.E.W. Musidisc
Year: 1988
Home: France
 
Members:Jimmy Martin ~ vocals
Alain Aime, Jean-Michel Mauffray ~ guitars
Dominique Henry ~ drums
Pierre Bechet ~ bass

Additional: Scott Gorham ~ keyboards
Dave McClain, Greg Youtsey, Mike Thomas, Scott Gorham ~ b. vocals

Sometimes a band strikes me as, honestly, not very good. Strange as it may seem, this actually sometimes drives me to seek out more of their music. Maybe I want to know if they are really bad, or maybe I want to know if I just heard a band album or bad line-up, or maybe they are huge & I want to figure out why I'm totally missing what the hype is all about, or maybe I just want to verify my instincts. Sometimes I find my first impressions are wrong, & I just was missing the good stuff. Sometimes I realize I'm not a fan of a band, but I've done my leg work & can justify with a list of valid reasons why I don't like them or may just like a few hits. Sometimes I still don't get it & just figure fans must be wrong, or just like the band because its their fave or sounds like something they like. I'll even accept the criticism that I'm overly critical of some music, but when there's so much amazing music out there why settle for anything but the best & why call someone the best when they really aren't? If you have a choice between Lil Wayne's guitar playing vs Steve Howe, or Nick Cave's lyrics vs Rok's of Sadistik Exekution (known for singing the word "fukk" over & over & over in every song), I don't think I'm being overly critical by saying music doesn't have to be dumb to rock nor do we have to say Rok is the next Jim Morrison or Lil Wayne the next Joe Satriani. Let's be honest. We're not doing each other any favors by declaring non-sense. So, all that being said, I turn to Fisc's 4th & final album Handle With Care. I've previously reviewed their 3rd album Too Hot For Love. My summary was they were the kings of imitation, to the point where zero personality of their own comes through. They were so much imitation that it just made me sad, particularly as it cast a shadow over anything good they had to offer. I did mention how their frontman had a baritone versus the expected tenor, which helped differentiate them a little. So, I decided to give them another listen coming across this album. They're so bad, I couldn't resist & was I right or wrong? Here the singer taps into more of his higher range & the songs aren't all fast rockers. They are slowed down & stripped back for a more creative output. There is also a great instrumental showing off the bassist & guitarist in "Got To Beat The Clock." I would like to hear more of this one. Overall, this is the better of the two albums & the one I would recommend listening to. By far. But, its still so incredibly imitative outside of a few moments, that it fails in all the same way. It even opens the same with a soft guitar before going into some power chords. Not good & its sets up the album poorly essentially telling the listener that they've heard this before. This album sounds a lot like the Scorpions. There's even the compressed clipped drums on "Let Met Leave" that the Scorpions are known for. The other album was not so Scorpions, so Fisc have shown us they are good imitator. I recommend "Hold Your Head Up" & the instrumental as all you'll need to hear. I realized listening to this but a day after the other album I couldn't remember at all what the earlier album sounded like, which is not a good sign. Bands kept coming to mind who they sound like. Very sad state of affairs. So bland. Its no wonder their time came when it did after nearly a decade in existence. If as far as they got is a lackluster being everyone else with no personality of their own, its shocking they lasted this long. The changed line-ups likely kept things moving. Coming back to the instrumental "Got To Beat The Clock" ... I feel like they could have done a great powerhouse guitar album with only half the songs as vocals & maybe gone farther in their career. This one song has more personality than both albums combined. They've got the skills, no doubt, but just a huge damper on their creativity. Imitation is great, but you have to make it your own. These guys spent too long imitating & for one moment let their creativity fly. Too little too late.

Jon Anderson ~ Song Of Seven (album review) ... Jazz rock meets forest dance!

Style: world beat, prog, folk rock
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1980
Home: England

Members: Jon Anderson ~ vocals/acoustic guitar/keyboards/harp
Damian Anderson, Ronnie Leahy ~ keyboards

Ian Bairnson ~ guitar/bass/b. vocals
Clem Clempson ~ guitar

Jack Bruce, Mel ~ bass

John Giblin ~ fretless bass
Simon Phillips, Morris Pert ~ drums

Johnny Dankworth, Dick Morrissey ~ sax

Deborah Anderson, Chris Rainbow ~ b. vocals

I was as big a Yes fan as one could get in high school. Who was my fave guitarist? Steve Howe. Fave keyboardist? Rick Wakeman. Fave drummer? Bill Bruford. Singer ... you see where this is going (i.e. Jon Anderson & any singer who sounded like him). This was a time when the internet was very young. There was no resource to hear every Yes album, nor even a place to get a list of every album. I discovered Yes' legacy by pouring through music store shelves. With each album I pieced together a new player & historical moment the best I could. A part of me misses those days where a new album might be a many month obsession. To place a little more context on the era, I remember when Yes' Talk was released. I heard it on the radio on the way to high school. After work I ran to the music store before coming home to get the cassette, which was more affordable than the CD. Cherished memories, but I must confess ... Today I don't rush out to buy Yes albums. Actually, I don't listen to them much anymore & don't get excited over new releases. They are still iconic prog rock pioneers, but their new music doesn't grab me like they once did. I don't claim any of the members as a favorite musician anymore, either. All the players currently in the group are super talented & the new albums, both studio & live, are pretty good listens on the whole. They may not ring my bells, but I don't say they are a tribute band that should retire, as some long time fans do. If they came to Portland, Maine I might see them. I've reviewed one of Billy Sherwood's solo albums here happily. Yet, what about the new Yes music doesn't grab me? There's a few little things, but one big thing. Essentially, the thing that instantly got my attention with the very first Yes album I ever bought, which was Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe, is the thing that pushes me away now: Jon Anderson's soaring vocals & mystical lyrics. I can't count the hours I have spent memorizing his lyrics & trying to sing like him. I became just as much interested in his solo career as I did Yes. Anything he touched, even with Vangelis though I don't care for that style of music, I wanted to hear. So, when Jon left Yes, so did I. I don't mind the singers that came after him, but they are not the voice of Yes I grew up with & the reason I became a fan on first listen. Sorry, loyalties, you know. My apologies for what is a very long & likely unnecessary introduction to a review of a non-Yes album. I wanted to be clear about my bias. I'm totally biased when it comes to Jon. I would even love to talk to the guy, though I don't know what I would say. When I first heard Song Of Seven, Jon's second solo album, you can imagine from all I've described it was like finding a buried treasure. I spent a lot of time listening to it, having already fallen in love with his debut. Thus, its interesting to come back to it to review decades later, particularly not having heard it in decades & falling out of love with Yes. First, both then & now, its shockingly not Yes, outside of passing moments like a guitar solo in "For You For Me" & some vocal lines in the title track. I'm not sure if Jon was deliberately going for a new musical direction, but Jon solo from day one to the present is not Yes. Lyrically he tends to avoid multi-part songs, & he doesn't create sonic landscapes topographic landscapes with his backing bands to take those lyrics into orbit. He finds a mood &/or style, puts some lyrics into it that are more personal & less abstract than Yes, with the outcome always feeling like a rather simple & modest affair. Considering his later solo work of which I've about half of, I feel that Song Of Seven is where Jon came into being as Jon without Yes. This is where he found his comfort zone & started to explore non-prog directions. This album also debuts his new solo band, the New Life Band, after doing all the instruments himself on his debut. This album lays foundation of so much that would follow in the years to come I feel far more than his debut. I have not reviewed his debut here since it arrived before my cut-off of 1980. With Song Of Seven Jon's vision of what he wants to have his solo career is forming, but its not yet there. Every song here is pretty cool, but there is an uneven musical focus as he is clearly trying to find himself. It would take till the 1990's till I believe he really found his niche, which is not prog or pop rock. The album opens with some songs that might be called jazz-rock. There is the funky cosmic-sounding keyboard-heavy opener "For You, For Me" & the more pop oriented "Some Are Born." From there comes some unexpected R&B with "Don't Forget (Nostalgia)" & danceable "Heart Of The Matter." These two tracks are a complete change of feeling from where the album was but minutes before. Each one of these songs could have spun out an album of their own, but instead we are left wondering where Jon is going next. Its exciting in a chaotic way. Every song is worth a listen, but one wants to hear an album of R&B or maybe more jazz rock. The diversity is like a tease of things not to come here. This diversity is likely due to the fact part of the album was demoed while he was still in Yes recording Tormato. "For You For Me" sounds like a demo for Yes, not too far removed from "Don't Kill The Whale" on Tormato. It even has a Howe-esque lead guitar line that crashes around like waves, courtesy of Clem Clempson of Humble Pie & prog group Colosseum. With the fifth song "Hear It" the album begins to change & fall into a softer more lyrically introspective groove. The keyboards are largely replaced by percussion, flutes & more organic instruments. "Everybody Loves You", "Take Your Time", "Days" & the title track feel more like a cohesive whole of a more new age influenced folk rock album with introspective lyrics, a firm contrast to the first 4 radio friendly songs. This is particularly true over the 11 minutes of the title track that ends on the album on something that might be comparable to modern new age music. Its a bit out of place with its synths going for orchestral sounds over spacey jazz-rock. Only the meandering lead guitar, with a Steve Howe tone, links the two songs as being on the same album. When I was young I like the opening 4 songs far more than the rest of the album. The over the top nature of the songs appealed to youthful me. Though, now in my 40's far from high school prog geek, I actually find everything past those first 4 get my attention far more. The rest of the songs are less glossy & cliched, intricately crafted, introspective & very personal. There is my old age speaking, excuse me. While the R&B of the early tracks is undoubtedly fun, the later half of the album sounds like Jon being Jon & not trying to be anyone else. He is the elf, the spiritual wander, the down-to-earth visionary wandering in the forest. The second half of the album is him speaking his mind crafting something more than just throwaway R&B dance songs, but a musical journey in time & space. He would attempt to find a balance between these 2 sides of his personality in the follow-up albums, with mixed results. His debut didn't have much of this down to earth feel, going for more of a heavy prog experience that always reminded me of keyboardist bandmate Patrick Moraz's early solo albums. Here he really tries to connect with nature & spirituality, almost like he was trying to discover something about himself at this point in time. We are on a journey with him, so this is not really just another album. Its a quite a journey, that is absolutely worth hearing & one of his best earlier solo albums, but be prepared to go all over the place & not necessarily find home. Its been a wonderful ride revisiting this album after so many years.

Haymaker ~ We Apologize To Nobody (album review) ... European Skinhead Oi for the modern world with great working man lyrics!

Style: oi, metal, skinhead
Label: The Firm Records, Skin Collector, KB Records, Tough Times Music (depending on region)
Year: 2018
Home: Prague, Czech Republic

Members: Tim Steinfort ~ guitar/vocals
Stöbi ~ drums/b. vocals
Rick Groenewegen ~ bass

Prague's Haymaker was formed in 2016 by Dutch singer/guitarist Tim Steinfort, also of the oi! band Discharger & the folk band Tim Steinfort & the First Time Offenders, to carry forth the skinhead banner to a new crowd. This is their first full length album, which I found on youtube. My first response is how much the music sounds like Motorhead. Over these ten songs the instruments growl & churn venomously pushing one's ears forward, while Tim also has Lemmy's throaty rasp. Haymaker - who promote themselves as "Skinhead Rock'n'roll Prague" & have the bald heads, fearless lyrics, & boots & braces to prove it - could find a second career as a Motorhead cover band. But, aside from who they sound like, there's a lot more here worth listening to. Skinhead music came out of & was reflective of the 1970's punk scene, but times have changed, & now the instruments are played far better, the musical textures are more interesting, while the music often is much more metal than punk. Its still as aggressive as ever, but has expanded its musical sights. Haymaker is a testament to how far the music has come from just being angry young man music with some churning guitars & screaming frontmen. A message is important (if the band is one that has a message they are looking to share, i.e. something other than boy meets girl lyrics), but so is the foundation on which the message is placed. I've encountered bands that have had their message not go far as the music wasn't appealing or well made. If your ears want the skinhead message, but also some great music, than Haymaker is a band I recommend checking out. It should be noted the album closes on an acoustic version of "Hold On To Your Dreams." One might find this shocking for such angry music, but the iconic Skrewdriver used to do acoustic shows. This just shows the range of Haymaker. Not just do they have interesting grooves, but are willing to do something really out of the metal box. Any mainstream metal band might do this, & thus a skinhead metal band shouldn't be an exception. I've been holding off talking about the message, which is the most important, & most controversial, part of any skinhead album. "No one likes us / we don't care" is an early line from the anthem-like "Underdogs", that opens the album with a call to arms. Haymaker are literal musical & cultural underdogs with the boots, braces, shaved heads, beer, hard partying & are ready to fight ... & just don't care what anyone thinks. If you are like them, join the team. The guitar & bass roll with a vengeance, as "underdogs will go to war / like nothing ever seen before." Its unabashed pride of identity that sets the mood for the album. We fight. We party. Now, be prepared. I bet these guys are great in concert. My only complaint with this album is sometimes the lyrics by so fast in his gruff voice that I couldn't get them all, & was unable to find the lyrics online. Though, it is all such a bulldozer of energy, so where deciphering was harder, the energy was hot as a torch & made up for it. What lyrics I did get, they range from narrative stories of running from the police (i.e. "Boys In Blue"), to comically being sadly too drunk to be in a fight but not realizing it ("Too Drunk To Fight"), to poseurs who dress like skinheads but don't understand the lifestyle ("Hang Up Your Boots"), to forgetting childhood dreams ("Hold On To Your Dreams"), to other songs that are just begging for a sing-a-long from those who identify with & defend the skinhead lifestyle ("Underdogs", "No Social Life", "Skinhead Rock 'N' Roll", "We Want To Apologize" with the great chorus "We want to apology to nobody / absolutely nobody / & if we do, we die"). "Only A Sinner Becomes A Winner", with its opening acoustic guitar deceptively feels like a pop song rolling out in the midst of a metal onslaught with its low key droning guitar melody, but might be a highlight of the album due to its inspiring lyrics. "... You got shit / don't mean you got to take it ... Sometimes you have to lie / because the truth is disappointing / so you fake it. / What a man's got to do what a man's got to do / are the words he's supposed to live / if he wants to make it. ... It takes awhile to understand / the kindness of mankind / is over-rated. ... We cross the line / so many times / as everybody knows / only a sinner / becomes a winner." I love the 'you do it cause you gotta do it, but don't let it get you down' spirit of the lyrics. This album is full of some great lyrics, but one needs special mention. Special as in I was listening to it on repeat, & even found an acoustic solo version by Tim which I was sharing on facebook. "Freedom" is haunting & dark as it sings about breaking from the routine of a 9 to 5 life to find that freedom that "people talk about", while the bass churns underneath in that Motorhead fashion. "Freedom" deserves extensive quoting, as I just love these words & the message. I'll let leave them here, letting you to interpret them how you wish. If you disagree with the message, the song is probably about you! "You have the choice to rent or buy / But they made the prices extremely high / So now you need to work 8 hours a day / To cover for the bills which you have to pay / ... Freedom is there for those who are rich / but if you're not you're society's bitch ... Some people put there trust & hope in politicians / Who hunger for power & look for recognition / Egos go high talents go low / It's time to face what we already know ... (chorus) The companies own your primary needs / If you lose your job you'll be out on the streets / People talking about freedom / People talking about bullshit they know nothing about."

Europe ~ Last Look At Eden (album review) ... Michael Sweet comes strangely to mind!

Style: hard rock, AOR, blues rock
Label: Universal
Year: 2009
Home: Sweden

Members: Joey Tempest ~ vocals
John Norum ~ guitar
John Leven ~ bass
Mic Michaeli ~ keyboards/b. vocals
Ian Haugland ~ drums/b. vocals

Additional: Andreas Carlsson, Titiyo ~ b. vocals
Kleerup ~ b. vocals/backwards piano outro
Magnus Sjolander ~ percussion
Czech National Symphony Orchestra

I reviewed The Final Countdown by Europe, their biggest commercial album & the one everybody knows due to the title track. I'd never heard anything other than the title track, so I was looking forward to hearing the album. I was paintfully disappointed. All the things I loved in the title track where missing from the rest of the album. My biggest criticism of the album was: "After its done playing I can't really remember what I've heard. Its not because I'm busy or not paying attention, but because none of the songs jump out at me. They all blend into each other as one long thing." I've found, more times than not, that there's a lot of bands from the '80's whose albums I don't care for so much. Yet, I like them now because their post-80's albums are awesome. Essentially, a lot of bands are making better music today. They don't have the hits coming, but they also don't have the label pressure to conform to a scene, while the scene they were a part of doesn't exist. Being there's no scene & no pressure, I've heard so many bands really make what I consider to be some of the best albums of their career. They have no limits put on them other than to make great music. Nobody is expecting anything of them. Plus they've grown as musicians, while many '80's singers have stopped doing the cliched tenor screaming & have more interesting baritones. I'd rather hear a gruff baritone than someone who can hit every note on the right half of the piano. So, I wondered if Europe might be in this boat? Answer: yes! This 2009 album, which was just a random youtube choice, hits me with the first track so much faster than anything on The Final Countdown outside the title track. The opening track, the title track "Last Look At Eden", is largely better than all of The Final Countdown! "Last Look At Eden" fuses heavy metal riffs with orchestral parts courtesy of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, versus synthesized strings. Joey's voice is a little rougher, but has more of a personality, plus feels fuller & more rounded. It has so much more feeling now that he's not screaming like his '80's peers. His older voice gives the music a blues feel never heard on the earlier album. While the guitar playing & rhythm section is just in your face fierce with lots of textures. I can't honestly say the title track is the most original song on the planet. I'm reminded a lot of contemporary Michael Sweet. Its good just the same, though, & worth a listen. As for the rest of the album, am I going to be let down again like I was on The Final Countdown? No, I'm not. This is a good strong album from start to finish. Lots of great music to dig into, great singing & it will have you rocking, with not a hint of filler. I almost feel bad comparing it to their earlier album, as its a completely different beast musically. For me that tried to rock, but this really does. I think its the fact the band is loose & experimenting here in a way they didn't before in their drive to be in the '80's template & find success in America. I'll hold up any of these songs to the entire album of The Final Countdown. Yet, two albums in to their catalog & I couldn't tell you what the Europe sound is to save my life. AOR? Hard rock? Power ballads? Big guitars? Blues rock? I hear nothing that connects these two albums. I lack words to describe what makes Europe different or unique when compared to other bands. Its bluesy AOR hard rock that is really well crafted, but a lot of bands do this now & at the time. I'm not going to call them groundbreaking. The songs are way stronger & more enjoyable here than the earlier album, & I'm more excited about the diversity of music, but I wish there was more personality & distinctiveness. This means if I turn to a third album I have no idea what I'm going to get. I should mention both albums have the same line-up, but you wouldn't necessarily know it. I do applaud them going out of the box with heavy keyboards in the past & with an orchestra now. I wished they did it more previously, that is more focus on the keyboards, while here I'd love to hear more of the orchestra beyond just a backing role that feels like the equivalent of a forgotten keyboardist. The band has described this album as a modern retro rock album. I disagree. I don't get a retro feeling. I get a blues rock feeling if anything. I've said in other reviews that bands like to say this, much like they like saying they are inspired by the Beatles. Its more often than not just empty words. This is no exception. They are marketing their album with attractive words. Nothing wrong with that, but don't expect the marketing to be true in this case. This is a modern rock beast with all the flavor of more mature modern metal with lots of polish & perfection. Though, I kept wondering if Michael Sweet was involved as it reminds me a lot of what he's doing. Far too much, actually. Allmusic compares this album with Led Zeppelin & Whitesnake. I completely disagree having hard all of those bands. I'm sticking to Michael Sweet. Having overblown songs named "Run With The Angels", "The Beast", "No Stone Unturned", "Gonna Get Ready" & "Last Look At Eden" is also in the corner of my argument.

Judas Priest ~ Firepower (album review) ... One of their best!

Style: speed metal, heavy metal, NWOBHM
Label: Epic
Year: 2018
Home: Britain

Members: Rob Halford ~ vocals
Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner ~ guitars
Ian Hill ~ bass
Scott Travis ~ drums

 

Fans & critics have called this album a return to a classic sound & even one of their best. I will say that as the first track, the title track, churned along I had to double check I was listening to the right album. This does indeed sound like something they might have done decades ago. The populous is right! It wastes no time in getting to a clobbering guitar riff, Rob's rhythmic singing with growls & cosmic highs, fist pumping lyrics, & a dual guitar solo that quite literally soars multiple times. Its everything you want from Judas Priest. What follows is more of the same for a superb modern album. Its a wonderful menacing assault over 14 tracks. Yet, laying alongside songs with a classic feel (i.e. "Evil Never Dies", "Flame Thrower", "Necromancer", "No Surrender") are also songs that have the epic flavor of some of their more recent albums (i.e. "Lone Wolf", "Lightning Strike", "Children Of The Sun"), while there is also some slowed down songs, or as slow as Priest gets (i.e. "Never The Heroes", "Spectre", "Traitors Gate"). There is even an emotive minute long piano & guitar interlude called "Guardians" leading into the power ballad "Rising From Ruins". Too many transitional parts like this slowed down some of their recent epic albums, but in this context "Guardians" provides a nice moment before going into the very un-Priest sounding ballad. While the album closes with the largely acoustic power ballad "Sea Of Red", which is a nice song though after such a strong album almost an unnecessary lull. It should also be mentioned that the album has throwaway rock songs, yet also songs laced with social awareness of the current world. The whole album rocks so hard that the two sides of the lyrical coin sit comfortably beside each other. If the whole album was empty rock cliches it might be boring, but if it was all message songs it might be too heavy. Together they balance each other out, something a lot of bands might want to take notice of. Your listeners hear the message, but also they want some fun in the mix. Thus, Firepower straddles both the past & the present in a way many bands say they do, but most really don't. There is a bit of the past here, yet nods to their contemporary musical explorations. Its amazing how they sound so fresh & vibrant going on 18 studio studios. This will find a place as a new favorite Priest album in your collection.

AB/CD ~ The Rock'N'Roll Devil (album review) ... AC/DC done dirt cheap!

Style: heavy metal, blues rock
Label: BMG
Year: 1992
Home: Sweden

Members: Mats "Braijan + McScot" Leven ~ lead vocals
Bengt "Bengus" Ljungberger ~ guitar/b. vocals
Nalle "Nalcolm" Pahlsson ~ guitar
Jim "Clim" Gustavsson ~ bass
Nicco "Fill Rules" Wallin ~ drums

Additional: Hakan "Saaate" Worminder, Leif "SU" Sundin, Mario Gustavsson, Micke Wiklund, Loa "Ostbage" Stromgren, "Owe "Male Whore" Jakobssen, Timo Vaisanen, the Cherie Boys ~ b. vocals
Micke Huganen ~ lead guitar 

AB/CD is an AC/DC cover band, founded in 1983, that has also done a few albums of their own original music. In terms of singers ... I'll bet folks money that they'll think this is AC/DC's Brian Johnson on first or second listen, or maybe even third listen. The hardcore fan may know the difference, but likely will still be impressed. Its one thing to sing with a gravel tenor, but its another to sound like Brian & have his phrasing. While AB/DC have the same big chorus vocals. As for the music. Maybe its due to the fact I'm not familiar with everything by AC/DC, but the guitar solos are not quite Angus Young, the blues not quite as thick as the rock, the riffs not quite as original & the music not quite as clean. There's not a lot of breathing room here for the music, & that's one thing AC/DC did incredibly well. If it wasn't for the voice, I wouldn't guess this was AC/DC & its the music that will likely make one realize its not Brian with AC/DC. This leads to the obvious question: are they trying to be AC/DC with their originals or a band that just happens to sound like AC/DC, i.e AC/DC doing songs you've never heard. I'm guessing its a bit of both, but more so trying to be AC/DC as their lyrics are very much int he AC/DC mold. While a couple songs have the singer attempting a Bon Scott voice, which he doesn't really pull off so well. That fact makes me think they are trying to be AC/DC, particularly given these Bon songs are thick blues like he was known for. The essence of AC/DC is in their huge blues soaked riffs & productions values where everything has its space. Neither of these things are found here. But, AB/CD is still worth a listen for their frontman's uncanny imitation. Not to be confused with bands of the same name from Germany & Italy.

Adrian Smith's A.S.A.P. ~ Silver And Gold Featuring Adrian Smith Of Iron Maiden (album review) ... Blues belting beer drinkin' tour-de-force!

Style: hard rock, heavy metal
Label: EMI
Year: 1989
Home: n/a

Members: Adrian Smith ~ lead vocals/guitars
Andy Barnet, Dave Colwell ~ guitars/b. vocals
Richard Young ~ keyboards/programming
Robin Clayton ~ bass
Zak Starkey ~ drums

Additional: Steve Lange, Johnny Diesel ~ vocals

I stumbled upon this album on youtube & listened just because I liked the name. I'd never heard of them & only recognized the name of drummer Zak Starkey. I'm obviously not an Iron Maiden fan, as obviously I would have recognized that the leader of of the group is their guitarist Adrian Smith. That might be a good thing, as I might not have listened had I know. Luckily, what I heard was a surprise I was not prepared for. As in, I really should have buckled up before listening as I was blown away from the first song. The music is fairly straight forward 80's hard rock with lots whammy bar solos & keyboards, with some programming for the only real variety. Yet, there's something here that knocks this album out of the ballpark: Adrian's vocals. If he'd been in Maiden when Blaze Bayley was brought in as singer I'd be saying: you got the wrong guy! Adrian is a phenomenal singer & better than Blaze. This album demonstrates how much a vocalist effects the music. What would be rather run of the mill with some good moments is instead an amazing romp a la Bad Company & the bluesy end of Whitesnake. Its working's man rock, over pretty boy rock. All due to Adrian. He gives the music guts, which on their own the keyboards & guitars attempt to reach but don't quite. He takes it all home making this a great album on repeated listens. It also helps that he stays away from typical rock'n'roll cliches, thus he has songs that already come with guts. Adrian has a husky baritone that might be compared to John Mellencamp, John Cafferty, Paul Rodgers, Tommy Farese, Bryan Adams. Its that blues belter chest voice far too few singers have, or utilize. Its the voice that made Paul Rodgers an awkward fit for Queen. I throw out all these names because its easier to say who comes to mind than try to describe a voice & hope you figure it out. I would have re-named the album "The Lion", the name of the must hear opening track, as Adrian is a lion of a singer that totally makes this worth hearing. This is the only album from ASAP, though Adrian & company played together in Urchin before he joined Maiden. This was a commercial failure, likely because some listeners have no taste for a great singer when they hear one, or they heard the guitars & thought it just another wannabe. Yet,"Kid Gone Astray" if done by Bryan Adams likely would have been a single if sung by anyone else.