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Mr. Big – What If…
Mr. Big – What If… [Russian Import] (2011, Frontiers Records/IROND Records)
1. “Undertow” … 4:49
2. “American Beauty” … 3:44
3. “Stranger In My Life” … 4:26
4. “Nobody Left to Blame” … 4:20
5. “Still Ain’t Enough for Me” … 3:04
6. “Once Upon a Time” … 4:03
7. “As Far as I Can See” … 3:55
8. “All the Way Up” … 5:12
9. “I Won’t Get in My Way” … 4:40
10. “Around the World” … 3:51
11. “I Get the Feeling” … 4:34
Bonus Track
12. “Unforgiven” … 4:16
Band:
Eric Martin – Vocals
Paul Gilbert – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Billy Sheehan – Bass, Backing Vocals
Pat Torpey – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: Kevin Shirley
I waffled back and forth on picking this one up more than John Kerry because Mr. Big has never been of much interest to me. Sure, I own Lean Into It and despite that record having some standout tracks, I never thought it was ever good enough to where I needed to hear the rest of their catalog. The first few times I listened to “Undertow” after it was released late in 2010, I wasn’t impressed a bit and I had pretty much made up my mind I wasn’t going to get the album. But then the album was highly recommended to me by Rob Rockitt over at Hard Rock Hideout, so here we go…
After having listened to “Undertow” numerous times since getting this album (the song was on my iPod which is a high honor), I have to say I absolutely love it. Especially the break where it gets a bit funky. Other favorites are the metallic “American Beauty” and the ballad “Stranger In My Life”. “American Beauty” is apparently an old Mr. Big song that didn’t make their debut album. Reminds me a lot of Van Halen or David Lee Roth’s “Shy Boy” (which Sheehan also played on).
The album features a good mix of heavy numbers along with the slick melodic rock they are more known for. No offense to him, because even with a bit of wear he’s still a fine vocalist but I’ve always had a hard time buying Eric Martin on Mr. Big’s heavier and faster songs. I think he has a voice that is much more suited to the polished melodic rockers. Other than that, the musicianship on this album is fantastic and that really goes without saying. The interplay between Billy Sheehan & Paul Gilbert is amazing. Pat Torpey drives the songs and I have much more respect for him having watched a few of the band’s recent live clips on YouTube.
“Unforgiven” is a bonus track included for the North American/European release. I thought maybe we finally stuck it to Japan (Mr. Big’s biggest market) since they ALWAYS get bonus tracks but they ended up getting the exclusive “Kill Me With A Kiss” on their release. Anyway, it’s a decent tune that again showcases Gilbert & Sheehan.
The album has been pretty well reviewed by fans of the band and melodic rock sites so I imagine virtually anyone that’s liked what this band has done in the past will like this album. For me, I like the album but it isn’t something that will ever get much play from me. There’s just something missing from this band. Maybe it’s that they’re too good of musicians and too polished.
This is a used copy I picked up from Amazon.com… turns out it’s a Russian import and looks like it was released in collaboration with UK’s Classic Rock magazine — cool!
Highlights: “Undertow”, “American Beauty”, “Stranger In My Life”, “Nobody Left To Blame”, “I Won’t Get In My Way”
http://www.mrbigsite.com/
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Liberty N’ Justice – Chasing A Cure
Liberty N’ Justice – Chasing a Cure (2011, Roxx Records)
1. “Say Uncle” (Paul Shortino of Quiet Riot / Rough Cutt, Ron Keel of Keel & Eddie Ojeda of Twisted Sister) … 4:27
2. “Throwing Stones” (Donnie Vie of Enuff Z Nuff & J.K. Northrup of King Kobra) … 4:16
3. “Paige’s Song” (Philip Bardowell of Magdalen/Unruly Child/The Beach Boys & Tony Palacios of Guardian) … 4:09
4. “Playing God” (Terry Ilous of XYZ, Jeff Paris and Richard Kendrick of Near Life Experience) … 3:47
5. “Chasing a Cure” (Benny Mardones, John Pine & Bill Leverty of Firehouse) … 4:29
BONUS TRACKS
6. “Black Or White” (Terry Ilous of XYZ, Alton Hood of D.O.C., & J.K. Northrup of King Kobra) … 3:57
7. “Quicksand Jesus” (Kelly Keeling of Baton Rouge) … 5:29
8. “Snake Eat Snake [Electric Version] (David Raymond Reeves & Don Webster of Neon Cross) … 4:53
9. “Butterface” (Mark Allen Lanoue of Biloxi & Joshua Perahia of Joshua) … 3:56
10. “When Mullets Ruled The World” (Philip Bardowell of Magdalen/Unruly Child/The Beach Boys & J.K. Northrup of King Kobra) … 4:16
11. “Ground Zero” (Kelly Keeling of Baton Rouge, Kerry Livgren of Kansas, & Carmine Appice) … 8:20
12. “Eve” [demo] (Tommy Denander on guitars) … 3:18
13. “Damascus Road” [demo] (Tommy Denander on guitars) … 3:43
Liberty N’ Justice is a Christian hard rock band that began in the early 1990s and has shifted into more of a melodic rock project in recent times. I say “project” because each LNJ release now features a variety of guest musicians with the only constant being founding member Justin Murr.
This particular release was originally an EP and was a digital download only. It was done to help raise money for The Epilepsy Foundation and help raise awareness about epilepsy. I guess the project was enough of a success that a physical pressing of the album was produced with 8 “bonus” tracks turning Chasing a Cure into a full-length album.
I’d been aware of LNJ for a number of years but was always surprised at how low-key the hype around the releases seemed to be considering the talent that was involved. This a truly all-star outfit as Lou Gramm, Phil Collen, Sebastian Bach, Chris Jericho, Michael Sweet, Jack Russell, Stephen Pearcy, Phil Lewis, Jamie St. James, Robert Mason and Jani Lane (yes — all THREE Warrant vocalists) have all appeared on various albums. On this release alone Paul Shortino, Ron Keel, Donnie Vie, Carmine Appice, Eddie Ojeda, Bill Leverty and Kerry Livgren all pitch in alongside members of XYZ, King Kobra, Baton Rouge and various other Christian rock bands.
Let me put this out there — despite some of the names I mentioned, this is most definitely a melodic rock album. I’m talking “Why didn’t Frontiers release this?” melodic. So for me, a few songs fall short. A few are too slow or too polished for my tastes but this is still a solid release overall. The only song I truly cannot stand is “Snake Eat Snake” which sounds like something from the grunge era and is so bad I’m wondering if it’s meant as a joke! The hardest rocking song on the album is “Butterface”, which is pretty modern and kinda reminds me of Velvet Revolver. “Ground Zero” reminds me of Kansas which is no surprise with Livgren participating on this track.
A couple of good cover songs are thrown in on the bonus portion of the album. XYZ’s Terry Ilous does a great job on Michael Jackson’s “Black Or White” and Baton Rouge’s Kelly Keeling is truly impressive on Skid Row’s “Quicksand Jesus”. No offense to the rest of the album but it is this take on “Quicksand Jesus” that I have listened to most (but to be fair, it is one of my favorite Skid Row songs).
Frequent MelodicRock.com visitors will probably get much more mileage out of this album than I have but I still liked it a lot and the money goes towards a good cause so go buy it!
Highlights: “Say Uncle”, “Throwing Stones”, “Playing God”, “Quicksand Jesus”, “Butterface”, “Ground Zero”
Night Ranger – Somewhere In California
Night Ranger – Somewhere In California (2011, Frontiers Records)
1. “Growin’ Up In California”
2. “Lay It On Me”
3. “Bye Bye Baby (Not Tonight)”
4. “Follow Your Heart”
5. “Time Of Our Lives”
6. “No Time To Lose Ya”
7. “Live For Today”
8. “It’s Not Over”
9. “End Of The Day”
10. “Rock N’ Roll Tonite”
11. “Say It With Love”
Band:
Jack Blades – Lead Vocals, Bass, Backing Vocals
Brad Gillis – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Joel Hoekstra – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Kelly Keagy – Drums, Percussion, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Eric Levy – Keyboards, Piano, Backing Vocals
Producer: Night Ranger
Since in the last year or two I’ve heard a startling number of melodic rock albums that I’ve actually ended up enjoying, I decided to give the new Night Ranger a chance despite never really being a fan of the band other than a few songs (and I HATE “Sister Christian”). Deep at the core of Night Ranger I’ve always felt there was a really good HARD rock band there. When the band isn’t writing slick commercial melodic rock numbers, they can really go balls to the wall and they do this a number of times throughout Somewhere In California.
Pointing out the album’s highlights:
- “Growin’ Up in California” is a high-energy opener that name checks a few California locales and instantly brings to mind a song like “(You Can Still) Rock In America” as it somehow finds a perfect balance between the melodic rock & actual rock ‘n’ roll, keyboards & guitars.
- “Lay It On Me” is a great heavy number that precisely shows that the band can get down and dirty when they want to. Guitars!
- “Time Of Our Lives” follows in the great tradition of Night Ranger writing excellent ballads (“Sister Christian” is the exception to this excellence!) and is well-sung by Kelly Keagy.
- “No Time To Lose Ya” is extremely catchy and features a great chorus, one of the album’s best and most inspired tracks.
- “End Of The Day” is another excellent guitar-driven song, a bit dark sounding other than the chorus and yet somehow reminds me of Rick Springfield.
- “Rock N’ Roll Tonite” features a great chorus and is yet another guitar-centric number, classic Night Ranger hard rock. Tailor-made for a live setting and would’ve been a great way to close this album.
- “Say It With Love” is the album’s actual closer though and is absolutely infectious melodic rocker and ends the album on a high note.
Though Hole In The Sun was a step towards a more modern sound that proved to be controversial/disappointing for some longtime Night Ranger fans, Somewhere In California has the band delivering what you would expect a Night Ranger album to sound like. In other words, this is “classic” Night Ranger. Having only casual knowledge of the band, if you would have told me this album was one of their releases from the 1980s for the most part I would have believed you.
It sounds like Night Ranger: hooks, melodies, harmonies, great vocals from Jack Blades, great backing vocals, Gillis continues to prove himself as an unsung guitar demi-god (Joel Hoekstra is no slouch either!) and the keyboards are expertly woven into the tracks and don’t become overbearing. Somewhere In California is a really enjoyable album and should be a big hit in the melodic rock world and, most importantly, with Night Ranger fans. It was certainly a big hit with me since I consider 7 of the 11 tracks to be “highlights”!
Highlights: “Growin’ Up in California”, “Lay It On Me”, “Time Of Our Lives”, “No Time To Lose Ya”, “End Of The Day”, “Rock N’ Roll Tonite”, “Say It With Love”
http://www.NightRanger.com
http://www.facebook.com/nightranger
Buy ‘Somewhere in California’ at Amazon.com!
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Journey – Eclipse
Journey – Eclipse (2011, Nomota LLC)
1. “City of Hope” … 6:02
2. “Edge of the Moment” … 5:27
3. “Chain of Love” … 6:10
4. “Tantra” … 6:27
5. “Anything Is Possible” … 5:21
6. “Resonate” … 5:11
7. “She’s A Mystery” … 6:41
8. “Human Feel” … 6:44
9. “Ritual” … 4:57
10. “To Whom It May Concern” … 5:15
11. “Someone” … 4:35
12. “Venus” … 3:34
Band:
Arnel Pineda – Lead Vocals
Neal Schon – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ross Valory – Bass, Backing Vocals
Deen Castronovo – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Jonathan Cain –Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Producer: Kevin Shirley with Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain
(And now for a really long review…)
After the incredible success of Revelation as a Wal-Mart exclusive in the United States, it was a no-brainer for Journey to ink a new deal with the world’s largest retailer for Eclipse (in other markets the album was released on the Frontiers Records label), their 15th studio album. Despite not having two extra discs to help boost sales like Revelation did, Eclipse still debuted at a very respectable #13 on the Billboard charts with 21,000 copies sold.
With that said, THIS is a Journey I could really grow to love! Obviously the band has delivered many classic radio staples over the years and the “hits” I have never had a problem with but for the longest time I could not fall in love with any of the band’s albums no matter who the singer was (and let’s be honest, no matter your preference, the vocalists have always delivered even when songwriting maybe did not). Sure, Journey’s albums have been “good” or even “very good” to my ears but there’s always been a certain wimp factor to AOR/melodic rock. A band like Journey has always been especially disappointing to me because Neal Schon has always seemed so content to rein in his guitar playing so that Jonathon Cain can deliver another keyboard-drenched ballad. Schon could’ve been a true guitar hero.
Well, I don’t know how it happened. I guess after the success of Revelation, the band finally decided to take somewhat of a chance because I’m happy to say the guitars are all over this album and Schon is standing center stage on this release. The keyboards have taken a backseat (as much of a backseat that they’re ever going to take in this band). Neal is dropping solos and inspired riffs all throughout the album but don’t get it twisted — this is not a “guitar” album as I have read other reviews state. Yes, Journey is rocking harder than they have in YEARS but it’s still Journey and you’re still gonna get some sticky sweet ‘n’ pleasant AOR sap in your ears after listening to this one.
It’s really the first half of the album that is most impressive. “City of Hope” is a good selection to open the album. It is a larger than life uplifting melodic rock song. “Edge of the Moment” is all Schon and is one of the album’s best songs. “Chain of Love” starts off with the keyboards but then kicks into a nice heavy guitar riff that reminds me of Led Zeppelin. “Tantra” is the album’s only true ballad and quite frankly, it’s a powerful and majestic one at that, almost sounds like something I’d expect to hear from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. “Anything Is Possible” is next and it’s acceptable but nothing essential, just the standard positive AOR message.
Halfway through the album is Eclipse‘s crown jewel: “Resonate”. Just a fantastic piece of work, very catchy, the chorus will stay in your head for days and it’s on par with the band’s classic material. I had see a live performance of this song on YouTube month’s before the album’s release. I loved the song then and I still love it now. Next up is “She’s A Mystery” which is a bit laid back sounding for Journey I think and does’t really go anywhere until closer to the end where it turns into a hard rocking number with Schon going mad on guitar. Too bad the first five minutes or so of the song weren’t like this.
Oh well, we’re saved by “Human Feel” which has a really cool tribal drum beat to it and more good riffs. My second favorite song off the album. Just a really fun song, I could see this going over really well live. ”Ritual” is a high energy number but yet still a bit bland. Along with “To Whom It May Concern” you can pretty much count it as filler. “Someone” is a step in the right direction, pure upbeat AOR but still good. The album closes on a high note with the instrumental “Venus”. Yet another showcase for Neal Schon.
After all this time of talking about Schon firing up the guitars for this album, I should also point out that on his second Journey album, Arnel is starting to come into his own. On Revelation, he seemed like he was trying to sound like Steve Perry. He wasn’t doing a bad job of it but it’s nice to hear him now using his “real” singing voice in the band.
This is a must buy for AOR fans and anyone with even the slightest interest in melodic rock should definitely give this album a listen. The old masters are back and sounding as vital as ever and re-energized. Hopefully Journey will continue down this more hard rockin’ road… or at the very least I hope Neal gets inspired to give us a blistering solo album some day.
I was expecting a few good tracks and for this album to be a decent casual listen but it’s shaping up to be one of 2011′s best releases.
Highlights: ”City of Hope”, “Edge of the Moment”, “Chain of Love”, “Tantra”, “Resonate”, “Human Feel”, “Venus”
The Poodles – Performocracy
The Poodles – Performocracy (2011, Frontiers Records)
1. I Want It
2. Until Our Kingdom Falls
3. Father To A Son
4. I Believe In You
5. Cuts Like A Knife
6. As Time Is Passing
7. Love Is All
8. Your Time Is Now
9. Action!
10. Bring Back The Night
11. Vampire’s Call
12. Into The Quiet Night
Bonus Track
13. Don’t Tell Me [demo version]
Band:
Jakob Samuel – Vocals
Henrik Bergqvist – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Pontus Egberg – Bass, Backing Vocals
Christian Lundqvist – Drums, Backing Vocals
Producer: Mats Valentin
I had heard of The Poodles for a few years but had never listened to them until I watched their In the Flesh DVD that was released last year. It was equal parts documentary, interviews and live performances and all of the guys in the band came across as pretty cool and down to earth and I liked the music I heard.
If you’re not familiar with The Poodles they are a melodic hard rock band from Sweden that combine AOR, heavy metal and ’80s hard rock. I believe at times they have referred to themselves simply as “heavy metal” but I honestly think that’s just a small part of their sound. They are much more driven by a melodic rock and glam metal sound than by heavy metal, IMO (and Jakob Samuel reminds me of Vince Neil). But at the same time, while some of their sounds are delightfully cheesy they still retain a modern touch. These guys are absolute hook masters. These songs just suck you in. The whole album is heavy yet commercial and most of these songs became stuck in my head after only a few listens.
“Cuts Like A Knife” I believe was the first single and is my favorite track on the album. Despite the somewhat upbeat music, the lyrics are about holding onto ex-love that isn’t coming back, something I think most people in the world can relate to. Then there’s the touching “Love Is All”, which features Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at the beginning and has some great lyrics there as well. Another top notch song is “Action!” which has a slightly darker sound than the rest of the album.
The Poodles seem to be one of those bands whose lyrics I have latched onto and really enjoyed. Most of the songs deal with some form of love: romance, heartbreak, family, betrayal, peace, etc. but songs like “I Want It All” and “Your Time Is Now” have a positive message behind them about living your life to its fullest and not being scared to do so.
“Don’t Tell Me” is noted as a bonus track and is said to be a demo but it sounds just as polished and just as good as the rest of the album and actually turns out to be a highlight. I’m not familiar with the band’s back catalog so maybe this is a song that’s been released in some form in the past.
Fans of ’80s pop metal and melodic rock should not pass this one up. This album is a true highlight of 2011 and has strengthened my resolve to check out their previous albums.
Highlights: ”I Want It”, “Until Our Kingdom Falls”, “I Believe In You”, “Cuts Like A Knife”, “As Time Is Passing By”, “Love Is All”, “Action!”, “Into The Quiet Night”, “Don’t Tell Me”
Vega – Kiss Of Life
Vega – Kiss Of Life (2010, Frontiers Records)
1. “Into The Wild” … 5:17
2. “Kiss Of Life” … 4:20
3. “One Of A Kind” … 3:21
4. “Staring At The Sun” … 4:11
5. “Too Young For Wings” … 4:16
6. “A.N. Other” … 4:19
7. “Headlights” … 3:54
8. “Hearts Of Glass” … 5:04
9. “Stay With Me” … 3:51
10. “Wonderland” … 4:28
11. “What It Takes” … 4:38
12. “SOS” … 4:36
Band:
Nick Workman – Vocals
Tom Martin – Guitar, Bass
Dan Chantrey – Drums
James Martin – Keyboards
Produced by: John Greatwood & Vega
Another fantastic melodic release that’s blowing me away. Vega is a project put together by writers/musicians/brothers Tom & James Martin (they’ve written songs for House of Lords, Joe Lynn Turner’s Sunstorm and Khymera). They recruited Nick Workman for vocals, who had previously sung for the melodic groups Kick and Eden. Has anyone else ever noticed how many side projects there are in the melodic rock world? No one seems to have a full-time band! Everything is always a “project” and not a band, but oh well, as long as the music is good who cares!
So this is the second great melodic album I’ve heard recently (the first being Prime Suspect). This album is everything AOR should be. If more bands could put out albums like this, I would become a huge AOR fan. Sadly, I don’t think many people are gonna come close to touching this UK act!
So what’s so great about this album? Production, vocals, keyboards, just the songwriting in general… Melodies and hooks galore! Choruses that will have you screaming from the rooftops! Okay, maybe that’s going over board but the songs are very catchy. Every song on here is a winner and touches you on some level whether it’s uplifting anthems like “Into The Wild” or “Kiss Of Life” or ballads that tug on your heart like “What It Takes”. The lyrics are great too, I love all the positivity (not that AOR is ever negative but these particular get stuck in my head and speak to me).
I’ve seen some others talk about how this is great “British melodic rock”. I don’t know what that means. I just know that it’s melodic rock and it’s a fantastic album that I’ve spun about 8 or 9 times in the past week! Though the genre seems to be stuck in the ’80s sonically, this is one of the finest melodic rock albums you’ll hear outside of that decade.
Highlights: “Into The Wild”, “Kiss Of Life”, “Stay With Me”, “Wonderland”, “What It Takes”
Prime Suspect – Prime Suspect
Prime Suspect (2010, Frontiers Records)
1. “What Do You Want?”
2. “I’ll Be Fine”
3. “Change This World”
4. “I Never Knew”
5. “I Would Like To Reach The Sun”
6. “It Could Have Been You”
7. “Hear Me Calling”
8. “Deep In My Heart”
9. “So Strange”
10. “Watch Me”
Band:
Olaf Senkbeil – Vocals
Tommy Ermolli – Guitar
Mauro Catellani – Bass
Dario Ciccioni – Drums
Daniele Liverani – Keyboards
Produced by: Daniele Liverani
Prime Suspect is an AOR/hard rock group and the latest project from Daniele Liverani. I plead ignorance on the comings and goings of the melodic rock world but from what I can tell, Liverani has done quite well for himself over the years with projects like Empty Tremor, Daily Trauma, the Genius Rock Opera trilogy, Viewpoint and most recently, Cosmics, Khymera and the progressive Twin Spirits.
I have never listened to Khymera but I am told Prime Suspect sounds very much like them. So there ya go, if you’re a Khymera fan, you’re probably a Prime Suspect fan and don’t even know it! In fact, this album actually two other Khymera members: Tommy Ermolli and Dario Ciccione.
The comparison that I make myself is to House of Lords. Prime Suspect isn’t as heavy, but there is still that great balance between hard rock bite and a stellar polished production. The keyboards enhance the songs but don’t drown them, which is very important to me if I am to enjoy a melodic album and Ermolli also lays down some great guitars while singer Olaf Senkbeil is extremely talented. As good as the music is, it’s really Olaf that carries this album to being something special. He puts in a great performance all around.
In short, I think this is a great melodic release. Great vocals, catchy choruses, fantastic guitars, keyboards are used appropriately… what more could you ask for? The only clunker on the whole album is “I Would Like To Reach The Sun”. While the ’80s AOR vibe is present throughout the entire album, that’s the only song that offers a cheese sampler. The opening anthem “What Do You Want?” more than makes up for that misstep though, as do the ballads “I Never Knew” and “It Could Have Been You”. Offering up a slight twist is “So Strange”, which is a bit of a funky number. Definitely sticks out from the rest of the album and I enjoy it a lot.
Prime Suspect is well worth seeking out for AOR enthusiasts!
Highlights: “What Do You Want?”, “I Never Knew”, “It Could Have Been You”, “Hear Me Calling”, “Deep In My Heart”, “So Strange”, “Watch Me”
http://www.danieleliverani.com/
http://www.myspace.com/liverani
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106086349434616
Reckless Love – Reckless Love
Reckless Love [European Import] (2010, Universal Music/Mercury Records)
1. “Feel My Heat” … 3:46
2. “One More Time” … 3:37
3. “Badass” … 4:05
4. “Love Machine” … 3:44
5. “Beautiful Bomb” … 3:13
6. “Romance” … 3:16
7. “Sex” … 4:03
8. “Back To Paradise” … 3:57
9. “So Yeah!!” … 3:26
10. “Wild Touch” … 4:09
11. “Born To Rock” … 3:29
Band:
Olli Herman – Vocals
Pepe – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jalle Verne – Bass, Backing Vocals
Hessu Maxx – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Ilkka Wirtanen – Keyboards
Producer: Ilkka Wirtanen
Having originally formed under the name of Reckless Life (as a Gun N’ Roses cover band), Reckless Love is a Finnish hair band that’s been garnering LOTS of positive reviews from all over the place. I’ve wanted to check them out for awhile, but high import prices kept me from doing so. Finally, I was able to get my hands on this disc at a reasonable price.
Their original music is a far cry from the GNR songs they would cover in theirs infancy. There’s really not even much of a sleaze influence, this is pure glammed-up pop metal cheese with an AOR influence. While lead singer Olli Herman (who sat in with Swedish sleazers Crashdiet for an album a few years back) may be trying his best to look like a cross between the 80s versions of Vince Neil and Bret Michaels, the band I think they closest resemble in sound would be Danger Danger. The entire album is backed by a slick, glossy, shiny production. The band and songs don’t come across as particularly raw, sleazy or dangerous like some of the ’80s glam masters did, but who cares? The songs are good and extremely catchy and frankly, I’ve been getting tired of some of the modern sleaze bands anyway. A lot of them have their heart in the right place but the music is becoming a bit bland, I think. It’s good to hear a modern band take up the more slick AOR qualities that the hair genre had if for no other reason than a little bit of variety.
The band seems to be doing pretty well for themselves. The album has been a success in their home country, they’re getting good reviews and they’re on a major label. Good for them, I say! Can’t wait to hear what they come up with next but in the mean time, I’m really enjoying this offering the band has presented to the Gods of Glam Metal.
Highlights: “One More Time”, “Badass”, “Love Machine”, “Beautiful Bomb”, “Romance”, “Sex”
http://www.recklesslove.com/
http://www.facebook.com/RecklessLove
http://www.myspace.com/recklessloverocks
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McAULEY SCHENKER GROUP – Save Yourself
McAuley Schenker Group – Save Yourself (1989, Capitol Records)
1. “Save Yourself” … 6:16
2. “Bad Boys” … 4:05
3. “Anytime” … 5:46
4. “Get Down To Bizness” … 4:23
5. “Shadow Of The Night” … 5:22
6. “What We Need” … 4:15
7. “I Am Your Radio” … 4:49
8. “There Has To Be Another Way” … 1:40
9. “This Is My Heart” … 5:01
10. “Destiny” … 4:35
BONUS TRACK
11. “Take Me Back” … 4:51
Band:
Robin McAuley – Vocals
Michael Schenker – Guitar
Steve Mann – Guitar, Keyboards
Rocky Newton – Bass
Bodo Schopf – Drums
Producer: Frank Filipetti
I’m working back through the McAuley era of Michael Schenker’s career (I started with 1991′s M.S.G.) and Save Yourself is another solid slice of melodic hard rock. I prefer the M.S.G. album but there’s a still a few choice cuts here like the minor hit “Anytime”. It’s easily the album’s best song and is a fine example of what good things could come out of the pop metal genre in the late ’80s. I also like the other two singles this album spawned: “This Is My Heart” is another great commercial rocker and “Save Yourself” is a high energy number. ”Take Me Back” was a bonus track exclusive to the CD version of the album and it’s pretty darn good.
The trend with McAuley Schenker seems to be an effort to fit in with the glossy hard rock scene of the day, thus Michael Schenker seems content to lay low for the most part but the instrumental “There Has To Be Another Way” shows particular fire and reminds me of Schenker’s earlier works. Robin McAuley again delivers a good performance with his gravelly voice.
As I mentioned earlier, this album isn’t as good as M.S.G., there are a few songs here I consider filler like “Bad Boys” and “Get Down To Bizness”. Looking at the song titles, you would not be incorrect to assume they are fairly generic pop metal numbers.
Still, all told, this is a good album. It’s a shame this group only managed to squeak out a few minor hits, three studio albums and one live release. Robin and Michael made for a good pair.
Highlights: “Save Yourself”, “Anytime”, “Shadow Of The Night”, “There Has To Be Another Way”, “This Is My Heart”, “Take Me Back”
http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com
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http://www.robinmcauley.com/
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KING KOBRA – Thrill of a Lifetime
King Kobra – Thrill Of A Lifetime [Limited Mini LP Edition] (2008, Caroline Records)
Original Release: 1986, Capitol Records
1. “Second Time Around” … 4:09
2. “Dream On” … 4:29
3. “Feel The Heat” … 3:58
4. “Thrill Of A Lifetime” … 4:12
5. “Only The Strong Will Survive” … 4:00
6. “Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)” … 3:33
7. “Home Street Home” … 4:20
8. “Overnight Sensation” … 4:19
9. “Raise Your Hands To Rock” … 3:47
10. “Party Animal” … 3:58
Band:
Mark Free – Lead Vocals
David Micheal Philips – Guitar, Synthesizers, Backing Vocals
Mick Sweda – Guitar, Synthesizers, Backing Vocals
Johnny Rod – Bass, Backing Vocals
Carmine Appice – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: Carmine Appice, Duane Hitchings and Spencer Proffer
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What happened to the band that gave us hard rockin’ guilty pleasures like “Ready to Strike” and “Hunger”? For the most part, they seem to have disappeared. Not that Ready to Strike is a heavy metal classic. It’s pure ’80s pop metal cheese but still a very good debut, in my opinion. Thrill Of A Lifetime lacks the bite and venom of the debut. It’s synth-heavy AOR/melodic rock pop that signals where Mark “Marcie” Free’s heart really was. This was Mark’s last album with the band, he would go on to form AOR outfits Signal in 19891 and Unruly Child in 1992.
“Dream On” (no, not the Aerosmith song) is by far the album’s best song and would have been better served if it was given a harder edge. The rest, I’m sad to say is fairly generic ’80s AOR music. There’s more keyboards than guitars on this album it seems! UGH!
But wait! That’s not at all! There’s rapping. Yes, rapping. “Home Street Home” is rap rock. I’m assuming this was done to cash in on the success of the Run DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on “Walk This Way” (which was released the same year this album was). So yeah, if you’ve ever wanted to hear Mark Free rapping about living on the streets, this is an essential album for you.
For the rest of us? Hardcore AOR fans may find a few worthy tunes but anyone who really liked the hard rock direction of Ready to Strike will probably be disappointed by this venom-less effort. How can a song called “Party Animal” come off sounding so limp? At least the band was able to gain some credibility back with King Kobra III.
Familiar with this album for years, I finally bought a copy just to fill a hole in my collection. Pretty interesting edition as my version is a mini-LP. It was listed as such when I ordered it but I thought maybe that meant the insert was an exact replica of how the vinyl looked or whatever. Not so. The album comes in a cardboard sleeve that is bigger than your standard jewel case and inside that sleeve is another sleeve featuring a photo of the band standing on roller coaster tracks on the front and all the lyrics and credits on the back. An exact replica of the original LP release, I imagine.
Pretty cool issue but I’m surprised to see this done for such a cult band. You’d think it’d be a much cooler and popular idea for more successful acts. Sadly, they didn’t go all out and make the CD look like the actual vinyl record. How could they miss that step? I’ve seen that done before and it always looks cool.
Highlights: “Second Time Around”, “Dream On”, “Raise Your Hands To Rock”
