Archived Reviews: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Reviews Index
Frontiers/Now & Then 2000
Mark Boals and Rob Rock (reviewed below), two of the most distinguished
singers in the Heavy Metal community. Both of them
have been microphone shouters of the
Godfathers of the Neo-classical metal; I mean
guitarists Yngwie Malmsteen and Chris Impellitteri
respectively. Now, they stand on their own. Do they sound the same?
The answer is that these two are far from being two similar
albums.
For Mark Boals
this is his 2nd solo effort, and he has gone further into the
Neo-classical territory. Maybe it's because of the musicians involved: Boals has taken under his wing two of the
prodigal sons of Sharpnel Records (a label dedicated in
release instrumental albums); Tony Macalpine on
guitars and Vitalij Kuprij (ex-Artension) on
keyboards.
With "Ring Of Fire" we are facing the typical case of "musicians that are
in a hurry and they don't know the way". Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad album, but I can't pick a
song that really calls my attention. Maybe it's
because I feel it's so cold and calculated for my taste.
I guess that those people who are devoted to great
guitar/keyboard solos and who were expecting an album with vocals
for Tony Macalpine or Vitalij Kuprij, will find "Ring
Of Fire" to be a gift from the gods.
Frontiers/Now And Then 2002
Review by Kimmo Toivonen, 
27 October 2002
Former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Mark Boals returns to action with his third solo album. It hasn't been too long since he released "The Oracle" album with his band Ring Of Fire (also the name of his second solo album...confused yet?), but here he is again. The style isn't that different from "The Oracle", traditional hard rock/heavy metal in the vein of Malmsteen, Rainbow and Deep Purple.
The production is very good, the musicians highly competent (Tony McAlpine on guitars, Vinny Appice on drums, Lane Lane's keyboardist Erik Norlander tinkling the ivories, and that's just to name a few) and Boals is an excellent singer, but the songmaterial is seriously missing something. It's really unfortunate that an all-star cast such as this doesn't have better songs to perform - this set of songs is just way too average even for them to make something special out of them.
Apart from the first couple of tracks and the closing track "Hold On (To Our Love)" the songs have very few memorable hooks. There are some cool keyboard bits, some good riffs and some interesting vocal melodies scattered all over the 12 tracks, but there really isn't a single killer song in here.
As always, don't take my word for it if you're into Purple, Rainbow and latter-day Malmsteen etc. As I said, the performances and the production is as good as it gets...I just didn't like the tunes.
www.markboals.com
Frontiers
Now & Then Productions
Escape Music 2003
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallström, 
12 October 2003
The Canadian duo of David Sinclair (vocals/guitar) and Bob Buckley (keyboards/sax) started out in the early 80's as members of "Straight Lines". Body Electric was originally formed as a four piece when their previous act split up. The first album (Attic/1984) also included ex-Trooper keyboardist and now even lead vocalist Frank Ludwig and drummer Ross Friesen.
Sinclair & Buckely decided to carry on without the others and "Walking Through Walls" was recorded as a duo back in 1986. Body Electric is only one of many fine re-releases by Escape Music lately and it's music that goes straight to the heart. You need however to be a fan of the 80's era with all its aspects... to truly enjoy this CD.
The music is perhaps as much AOR as 80's Pop/Rock music and you can find similarities to acts such as: Go West, Mr Mister, Loverboy, and even Hall & Oates. You could say it's like watching any episode of "Miami Vice" with flashy clothing, fast cars, and fast women. Crockett would probably be spinning this CD... ummm... I mean playing the tape... in his car most of the time. I must however admit that Body Electric wasn't exactly something I haunted down in the past. In fact, the only song I've heard before playing this review copy was "It Must Be Magic". What a great song that is with lovely 'dut-dut' keys and a mean saxophone in the back. "Out Of The Blue" is a typical ballad for its time and "Ordinary Madness" really is a mix of Go West & Loverboy. "Fire And Ice" reminded me a bit of "Don't Stand So Close To Me" with Police (the verses), while the chorus is pure AOR. The album was mixed by famed producers Bob Rock and Mike Fraser at the Little Mountain Sound studios. Recommended if you're into that sweet 80's sound and there's also five bonus tracks included here. Where especially "Nobody Touches Me Like You" and "After The Storm" are darn fine ballads with the 'David Foster' sound written all over it. Excuse me while I fluff my mullet and dig out the mint-green jacket (big shoulders) again :-)
www.escape-music.com
BONFIRE: "Fireworks"
MSA/BMG 1987
After the success of the rather Scorpionish debut "Don't Touch
The Light" Bonfire were sent to the USA to record this album with producer
Michael Wagener. They were also introduced to a couple of songwriters
over there, and as a result, they came up with what is possibly the
finest album of their career.
"Ready 4 Reaction" is the perfect opener, a frantic melodic
metal number but with a huge harmonyladen chorus. "Never Mind"is
another catchy number, that sees the band showing growing concern about
the pollution problems of the world.
"Sleeping All Alone" is first of the collaborations with
american writers. Jack Ponti came in a helped the band to create this
magnificent piece of melodic rock. Great chorus with amazing backing
vocals.
"Champion" is more in the vein of early Bonfire, a straightforward
uptempo rocker but again with big chorus. And when talking about big
choruses, midtempo stomper "Don't Get Me Wrong" has one of
the hugest choruses I've ever heard. At the time producer Michael Wagener
was very much into layered backing vocals, and this song (and the whole
album) proves it very well.
"Sweet Obsession" was the lead-off single and why not,
it is a great melodic rocker co-written by Jack Ponti, Joe Lynn Turner
and the band. "Rock Me Now" is the only song that leaves me
a little cold, again in the vein of their earlier material, with a rather
boring chorus. "American Nights", co-written with Marc Ribler,
washes it off soon though, with its uptempo rhythms and massive hooks.
Yep, this baby has one the catchiest choruses ever and a deliciously
melodic bridge too!
"Fantasy" is a bit Dokken-like midtempo track and again
with a big chorus. "Give It A Try" is a big ballad slightly
in the Scorpions vein, with great vocals from Claus Lessmann. "Cold
Days" is the CD bonus track, but not by any means weaker than any
of the other tracks. Just like most of this album, it is a great example
of this marriage of european styled hard rock and american AOR sound,
with biting guitars and soaring melodic choruses.
Bonfire have released several albums after this one, most noteworthy
being the follow-up "Point Blank", another classic and soon
to be included here. In 1999, after a few decent, but not so classic
albums, they released "Fuel To The Flames", which was a big
improvement and showed that this band shouldn't be written off yet.
Review by Kimmo Toivonen
2001
Review by Michael "Batsy" Klima
20 June 2001
Latest release from the German rockers is Rock'n'Roll of the highest level. On this CD they continue the style of "Fuel To The Flames", but "FTTF" had no good compositions [Kimmo: say what?!] and now the guys have learned how to create a good, solid R'n'R release.
After a short intro they start with the hard "Under Blue Skies". Someone can say that this song is a little too slow but the fact is that is worth listening. Classic Bonfire song - no more no less. "Strike Back" sounds more like Pink Cream 69, but once again is great. And now is the time for a tune that will stay with ya for a long time. I'm talking about "Down To Atlanta". You should get a feeling that it sounds familiar, but it has got really amazing hooks.
In "Southern Winds" guys are proving that they're masters in playing ballads and they're not exaggerating. No sense to write about "Good Time Rock'n'Roll" 'cause we're into best part of the CD. "Until The Last Goodbye" is a song I was waiting for - all what I love about Bonfire, hard riffs and very melodic hooks. Superb. For people who love "smashing-crushing" guitars we've got "Diamonds In the Rough" - rough, dynamic song. I have to truly say that I wasn't expecting such good songs. They're again closer to Pink Cream 69 than old Bonfire but it was nice surprise.
Next song and next potential hit - "Damn You" - they're keeping good wave. "Anytime You Cry" you can listen the whole day thru without a chance that it'll become boring. How many amazing songs they can put one after another??? Now is the time for the best song on "Strike Ten". Believe me that I've been into this genre for a long time, and not too many tunes can surprise me. But "Too Much Hollywood" is a real pearl, a real gem. I've beem listening to it for the last few weeks and I haven't got enough. MASTERPIECE. The CD is closed with a very calm song "I Need You". It's a nice acoustic ballad and a beloved song of my GF.
With this CD Bonfire guys assure us that they are still in the first league of european hardrock. This album is much better than the last one, has better compositions and production. What are ya waiting for? You should go to nearest shop to buy it. I nominate it for the album of the year.
BON JOVI: "Crush" ***
Mercury 2000
Review by Endre "Bandi" Hübner, 
Since "New Jersey" and the "Blaze of Glory" solo album writing a Bon Jovi review has been a pain in the ass. This is especially true for "Crush". Months before the actual release of the album the whole AOR world was already talking about it as a return to the high-quality, melodic party rock we all grew to love Bon Jovi for. Having heard the latest releases and especially the solo release "Destination Anywhere" it was hard to believe. The different versions of "It's My Life" floating around long before the release only made waiting worse because the song is okay, resembles to those old days (though it does not reach those energetic standards).
Now the album is out, I have already played it more than 20 times and still don't know what to say. Well, it's definitely better than the latest releases, still just a far cry from "New Jersey" or "Slippery When Wet". After listening 5 times to the album I had to stop and dig myself into my CD collection. The first time to do so was "Thank You For Loving Me", the first ballad of the album. It's a potential huge hit but to me it's just a brutal rip-off of Celine Dion's fantastic ballad (by Diane Warren. who else?!) "Because You Loved Me". Not musically (because the Diane Warren tune is better by a mile) but the lyrics are so much similar that it's more than annoying.
There's a 90s flavored kind of depression lingering all through the album, taking the solo releases by Jon and Richie into account probably because of Jon. The sound of the album also resembles to his latest solo release and to those untalented three chord progression bands ruling the 90s. Just gimme Sambora's solo albums or the Des Child co-written, co-produced early Bon Jovi stuff any day than this!!
The next time I had to dig the long shelved albums of the 80s up was when I got annoyed by Jon's singing. On "Two Storey Town" he is still okay but after that and mostly on the ballads he is definitely whining. He is whining so strong and so long at the end of the words that I had to go back and check the early Bon Jovi releases to decide whether we didn't recognize so far that he needs to visit a speech therapist or he just changed his singing style all through the years. And the results?! (The diagnosis by Dr. Bandi:) He didn't do it back then. So what is all that whining for?! It's so damn annoying and totally kills some of the songs. Especially the ones having the word "mystery" in their titles.
Still the album has some really good tunes. I found "It's My Life" to be a good rocking tune and "The Next 100 Years" is a good power ballad (disregarding the whining. which is not as strong on this one as on the others). There is "Older" that sounds like as if it was taken out of Richie's second solo release, and "One Wild Night", the follow up of "Wild In The Streets", a great stadium rocker with extremely catchy refrain. All in all this album ain't as bad as I myself expected it to be (after the latest releases) but if you are looking for a pure AOR release resembling to the greatest years of the 80'ies then go for Brian MacDonald, Kharma or Metropolis (just to name some of the great, fresh released albums).
Mercury-Def Jam 2000
01-03-16
No matter what others say: don´t believe them, cuz this CD rocks!!! Well, it´s not a new "Slippery When Wet" but those days are gone and like it or not BON JOVI have moved on. I never liked the album "THESE DAYS" and JON´S latest solo album only gave me a headache! But CRUSH is a much more catchy CD filled with hits and a couple of really good guitar-party stompers.
They might be influenced by bands like MATCHBOX 20 or even ENUFF Z´NUFF but it´s still BON JOVI and the ballads are all great and wonderful (like in the past). Well, all except for the horrible "SHE´S A MYSTERY" that nobody seems to like. First single "IT´S MY LIFE" is a TOP-5 Hit all over Europe and I must say that I like the "Max Martin" sound! Hey, it´s much better than all the boring Bruce Springsteen songs that they tortured us with on their album: These days.
"SAY IT ISN´T SO" is a good semi-rocker with a chorus that sounds a lot like ENUFF Z´NUFF nowdays. "THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME" is a superb sentimental ballad that will be a BIG hit and it´s a good make-out song :-) "NEXT 100 YEARS" is a song that could easily have been on their NEW JERSEY album and same goes for the superb "JUST OLDER". Maybe "MYSTERY TRAIN" sounds a little bit too much like SOLE ASYLUM and their hit "Runaway Train" but "SAVE THE WORLD" is another superb ballad that will top the charts all over the world (well, at least in Europe). "CAPTAIN CRASH & THE BEAUTY QUEEN FROM MARS" sounds like a mixture of BEATLES/early DAVID BOWIE/MATCHBOX 20/ but you can still hear that it´s BON JOVI and I do like it. Let´s not forget the superb uptempo rocker "ONE WILD NIGHT" with a really catchy chorus and some great guitar-work by SAMBORA. Give them a second chance... just don´t expect a new SLIPPERY CD.
Bootleg
5 February 2001
“Unwired” is the title of a collection of Bon Jovi’s unplugged performances. Jon and Richie are masters of this kind of shows and this CD features some great ones from them. However it also introduces us to the downside of recent Bon Jovi.
An extremely boring version of “Diamond Ring” opens the album. I have never been a big fan of that song (read: I hate it with passion) and this version is even worse than the one on the album. Unfortunately, the first three tracks are the most recent recordings. And the lack of fire that I keep ranting about since “These Days” shines through. The usual “Wanted Dead Or Alive / Living On A Prayer” set follows and probably this is the worst one they have ever recorded. This set was the one that started the whole Unplugged movement after they had performed it at an MTV Award some thousand years ago. I probably have some 8-10 versions of those two songs since then but none of them gets close to the first one. The one here is the weakest, with the least passion, Jon just keeps on whining (if you have read my review of “Crush” last year, you know what I mean here, if not, just go to the Archives and see it). Fortunately, this very same CD contains a much better version of this set too from the years when Bon Jovi was on the top. The next set was recorded in Tokyo, Japan, right after the “New Jersey / Blaze of Glory” era, so basically in the best times of Bon Jovi. And the performance is just killer. The recording opens with a wonderful version of “Ride Cowboy Ride” and the venue almost explodes of the fans’ response. “Blood Money” from Jon’s solo album follows, and the crowd sings it louder than Jon. Goosebumps making experience. The performance is perfect, Jon’s vocals shine, they are powerful, full of emotions, this is THE Bon Jovi we would all love to see / hear once again. Same is true for the following “I’ll Be There For You”, I’m a bit puzzled whether I prefer this version or Sambora’s San Diego 1991 bit more bluesy one, anyway they are both killers. Talking of Richie, next thing on the CD is his solo that features some motives of Hendrix’s “Little Wing”, some of his usual blues-based improvisation elements, and ends up in the intro of “Wanted Dead Or Alive”. They deliver a full-band acoustic version of the song here that manages to wash the bad taste of the first version of the song away.
The last part of the CD is a radio broadcast recorded in a Virgin Megastore in Melbourne, Australia on the “Keep The Faith” Tour. Unfortunately, there are only two songs. The sound quality is perfect and the band is in top form. This is another full-band recording with the honky-tonk like piano pretty much in the front, definitely amazing! The first song they play is “Love For Sale”, something they do not play too often, and they even changed the post-solo refrains on this version, it is different, and worth the album alone. So is “Sleep When I’m Dead”. The performance explodes of enthusiasm, the fun of live music shines through the record; remember it was the beginning of the tour and you can feel the excitement of the musicians playing new stuff live. The Japanese and the Australian parts of the record are pure gems and help you to forget the “below our expectations” first part of the CD. If you are Bon Jovi fans or just fans of different, acoustic recordings, be sure to pick this one up if you come across.
Island 2002
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
27 October 2002
Here it is, most probably the biggest melodic rock album of the year. The pre-release hype was that "Bounce" would be a "big loud rock album". In fact as I write this, there's a Bon Jovi concert from August on TV, and that's what Jon just said. But as usual, the truth is something else, at least in my opinion.
The album is kicked off in a very heavy style with "Undivided", a very cool rocker with excellent chorus. The guitars rumble and growl, to an extent that my wife said that the song reminded her of Rammstein! Lyrically it's about the WTC tragedy, and has a very positive "United We Stand"-type of a message. The first single "Everyday" is a decent rocker as well - as everyone must have heard by now - and while "The Distance" is lighter in approach, I'd tolerate it on a "big rock album". It has a modern mainstream rock sound not too far from the likes of Goo Goo Dolls or The Calling, and it's a possible single candidate.
"Joey" is the first of many ballads here, and like the others, it isn't too bad, but not one of the band's best ones. Nice "storyteller"-lyrics and nice melody, but nothing that would raise it above average BJ-ballad. "Misunderstood" is the second single, and it's even closer to The Calling than "The Distance", with its' opening vocal melody very similar to that of The Calling's "Wherever You Will Go". A good song though, but I don't think it's going to be the biggest single from this album.
"All About Lovin' You" is a trademark Bon Jovi-ballad, and that's about everything that needs to be said about it. "Never Say Goodbye 2002" maybe? "Hook Me Up" is one of the harder-edged tracks, and while it rocks, it's my least favourite out of the four hard rockin' tracks here. Although it's co-written by Andreas Carlsson and Desmond Child, the "hook" isn't one of the biggest here.
"Right Side Of Wrong" is another ballad, another good story there, while "Love Me Back To Life" is a kind of a ballad-meets-modernradiorock track and quite good at that. "You Had Me From Hello" is a subtle ballad with touches of Springsteen, and the it's time for probably the best song of the album - the title track. "Bounce" is an energetic rocker with a certain similarity to "It's My Life", but it's not a carbon copy or anything like that. Funnily enough, it's not co-written by Desmond Child or any of the swedish hit-makers, instead it's credited to Jon, Richie and Billy Falcon, whose album "Pretty Blue World" was produced by JBJ back in the early nineties.
As a kind of a anti-climax there's still one song left, and it's a ballad. "Open All Night" is again a bit Springsteenish, and ok, if nothing else. And that's it, the "big loud rock album" that has 5 ballads on it has been reviewed...
www.bonjovi.com
Island 2003
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
330 March 2004
After "Bounce", the "loud, brash rock album" (according to Jon Bon Jovi) with only around seven ballads, Bon Jovi went and recorded this, an acoustic, experimental album with nothing but ballads...even uptempo rockers like "It's My Life" and "Keep The Faith" have been slowed down to fit in the format. It's not all bad, when you're in the right state of mind these athmospheric versions do work as nice background music, but...I don't think that any of these versions can match the magic of the orginals.
Let's see what we've got here:
"Wanted Dead Or Alive - I don't consider the original as one of their best songs, and this version doesn't make me change my mind. The arrangement is quite interesting, progressive even, but I could've done without the effected vocals.
"Livin' On A Prayer" - A classic track gets a special treatment...and it dies on the operating table. Jon duets with a female vocalist who sounds a bit like Cartman. Enough said.
"Bad Medicine" - a big, loud rock anthem turned into a acoustic track might work in some cases but not here. This song has to be played loud, with big guitars, big vocals and "everything louder than everything else"...it just doesn't work as a "whispered version".
"It's My Life" - this works! The song has interesting melodies which come to their own even with a minimal arrangement.
"Lay Your Hands On Me" - see "Bad Medicine".
"You Give Love A Bad Name" - what is this? A "swamp blues" version? I'll pass.
"Bed Of Roses" - I've pretty much grown tired of the original, so this new version could have given it a new life...but it doesn't.
"Everyday" - starts with a similar vibe as the "Prayer"-version, reminding me of the theme of "Twin Peaks"...drums kick in, and the track starts "rocking" a bit more. Not bad, but not that good either.
"Born To Be My Baby" - is this a waltz now? Weird!
"Keep The Faith" and "I'll Be There For You"...yawn. I just can't get excited about these versions.
"Always" - it's a bit more appealing for some reason.
"The Distance" - Not bad I guess...but then again, nowhere near as good as the original.
All in all, a really disappointing album. There was talk of two new songs, but by the time this was released, they had fallen off the edge of the world or something...
www.bonjovi.com
Power Station Records 1997
Review by Kimmo Toivonen
These are the earliest recordings of John Bongiovi, nowadays better known as Jon Bon Jovi. I have always thought that the first Bon Jovi album is a great album, so I was eager to hear this, hoping that these songs are in that same style. It soon came obvious though that these songs have more in common with Bruce Springsteen's "The River" album than "Runaway". Not that it's bad, it's just not what I expected...
There are quite a few songs here that remind me of "The Boss", like "Open Your Heart" and "Head Over Heels", simple pop rockers in the vein of Springsteen's "Sherry Darling". I don't mind them but the best songs here are the ones with a little of that magic later known as the Bon Jovi sound. "Hollywood Dreams" (hints of Aldo Nova there too), "More Than We Bargained For" (First Big Bon Jovi Ballad?), and "Talkin' In Your Sleep" are all songs that JBJ should be proud of. All in all, not a bad album... Probably better than "Destination Anywhere" anyway!
Cosmopolitan 1999
Review by Endre "Bandi" Hübner
10 April 2001
I already have a tribute album from Cosmopolitan Records, it was a Cher tribute, a nice compilation of her works sung by a no-name female artist. I knew what to expect: underproduced stuff. But what else can you expect if you find a new, still sealed album for less than 3 bucks in a Supermarket next to the soap and the bread? Anyway, so much is worth for the album, mostly because it focuses on the golden Slippery/New Jersey era. Not a single track from the first two albums, some from Keep The Faith and the second Jon solo, that's all. These records must be absolutely unauthorized as no information on musicians, label-contact, or on any kind of contact are on the inserts.
Some of the recordings are just more than funny. Imagine the intro of "Lay Your Hands On Me" with a 150$ production budget, some really sound like a jukebox band of an "over 50 lonely hearts club" or of a nursery home. However on the other hand there are some that get really close to the originals. The opening "You Give Love A Bad Name" is not half bad; could be a good fun track to play at a house party just for the sake of obscurity. "Livin' On A Prayer" intro sucks big time, but the singer and the refrain sounds as if it were Steppenwolf. Funny, especially the off-key high-pitched backing vocalist! "Never Say Goodbye" sounds like the above mentioned jukebox band, not that the original were a kick-ass one! The first REALLY pleasant surprise is "Wanted Dead Or Alive". Having heard several awful acoustic renditions from Jon and Richie lately, this one just blew me away. It is bluesy, tasty, very good! Sounds like some Lynyrd Skynyrd ballad from the end of the 70s.
"Bad Medicine" sounds like a castrated Klaus Meine, a shame because musically it's there. "Born To Be My Baby" on the other hand features a vocalist who wants to be more American than Bruce Springsteen himself. Anyway, this version ain't half bad either, another party winner! "I'll Be There For You" brings the 50some jukebox band back, if you want to get your granny into Bon Jovi, try this version first! "Lay Your Hands On Me" is just a joke! A pity because the vocalist is trying hard and he isn't too bad. Very unlike the drunken Springsteen wanna-be on "Living In Sin", another funny moment, but surprisingly the bridge and the refrain rock! A lot more than the original.
"Keep The Faith" is another very pleasant surprise! The drum-bass-piano intro is cool, sounds crystal clear and the vocalist does a decent job too. The only downside is the weak "hey" part in the refrain but the rest is VERY good. So is "Bed Of Roses", the guitarist is doing a fine job, the piano sound is good enough, the vocalist sounds VERY close to Jon and the whole mix is balanced, maybe the snare is a bit too much in the front but the rest is okay. "In These Arms" is even better that the two previous tracks. I was pretty surprised that these tracks sound a lot better than the renditions of those huge 80s hits. This version could qualify as a Bon Jovi pre-production demo, and most of the people would only recognize that "Jon sounds a bit weak on this rehearsal recording".
In my opinion the production of Jon's second solo album sucked big time (too 90s for these ears) so it was easier to cover those songs with a low production budget. "Midnight In Chelsea" brought another pleasant surprise, the -so much hated- "sha-la-la-la" refrain sounds a lot better than on the original! Cool version! The same vocalist does a similarly good job on "Janie, Don't You Take Your Love To Town" and on a heavily rocking version of "Queen Of New Orleans", lots of transistor overdriven guitars on this one. Not being a big fan of the second solo record, I gotta say these versions are almost better than the originals. Disregarding the "joke" tracks this is a fun record to listen to, only recommended to those who wanna fool around with it and are open enough to laugh at the weaker points. Don't take it serious!
Escape Music 2001
01-11-01
The Day I Went Mad? I guess the title has something to do with his days with Yngwie "Larger Than Life" Malmsteen huh? Nah, seriously... the legendary vocalist Graham Bonnet ia not blessed with any toys in the attic! His latest release is a various sounding hardrock album with a lot of famous guest musicians, including: Viv Campbell (Def Leppard, Dio), Slash (Guns´N´ Roses), Bruce Kulick (Kiss), Tony Franklin (The Firm) and Kevin Valentine (Cinderella, Neverland) who also produced the album.
I believe this was at first only released in Japan a couple of years ago, until Escape decided to give it a go here in Europe. Bonnet, who started out already back in the 60´s with pop-ers Marbles, are maybe still most recognized for his work with Rainbow. The monster hit "Since You´ve Been Gone" will forever be his trade mark and legacy in the hardrock history. (He has also been the frontman in MSG, Alcatrazz and Impellitteri to name a few.)
I say, this disc really needs a couple of spins to sink in properly! I was not that crazy (or maybe I should write mad?) about the album at first, but it really does grow on you. Still, it lacks that extra dose of power, and to be honest... some of the songmaterial is just too dull in the end. By the way, none of the songs are penned by Bonnet! The album kicks off with the title track "The Day I Went Mad" which is the most outstanding track here. The guitar work by Mario Parga is really something out of the ordinary and not to mention that the song is really catchy. Other highlights are The Beatles cover "Oh Darling" with some splendid guitar work by Slash, the ballad "This Day" is a lovely little tune and "Flying Not Falling" will simply knock you down! Again a marvelous guitar solo by Parga and Bonnet sings better than ever here. As always, make sure to check out some soundclips before buying and you can find a bunch of MP3´s at the link below. www.escape-music.com
Indie 2001
01-09-28
Yeeeeee-Harrrr, let me introduce you to American virtuoso Steve Booke, whom I discovered via the Joe Satriani tribute CD, and this kid is easily the best guitar find of the year."Rare Earth" packs a holster full of great licks, twelve tracks that gun down hard proving themseleves in the final shootout to be one of my favourite guitar albums released by an independent artist this year.
Booke's style is similar to Satch and Jeff Scheetz, check out opening track 'Architecture' for example which has that shuffle similar to Satch tracks like 'Big Bad Moon', 'Friends' and 'Rubina' etc. This style is continued on the next track ''Purple' and the following tracks until we get to song number five 'Alone' a nice 'Day At The Beach/Little Guitars' style peace that soothens the albums mood, I also really loved 'Tears' which breezes along with it's classical edge. You know some of the tracks loosly sound similar to Tommy Shaw's last album, take away his vocals and tracks like 'India' will remind you of Shaw's 'Ocean'
Fans of instrumental guitar hard rock really need to check out this superb player, his songs are not about how fast you can play but instead are structured around themes, thus the songs glide freely through a diverse and interesting wealth of innovative ideas. Once it grows on you "Rare Earth" is actually rather excellent and suprisingly classy in approach. The final track 'Spiral Universe' is a showdown of three parts 'Desperation', 'Turmoil', 'Solace', the latter is the best of this three piece suit and evokes grand visions of sandy plains and vast frontiers baking in scorching heat.
There's not a filler in sight here and I welcome more music in the future from Booke, somebody sign this guy fast, are you listening Lion Music?!!!! The start of a new generation of guitar players starts here.
More info at: www.stevebooke.com and e-mail at: SBOOKE@AOL.COM
Indie 2001
01-04-25
Born Of Fire is a band from Phoenix / AZ who had enough of the crappy standards of today´s metal music in America and decided it was about time, someone continued to carry the torch lit by the metal masters from the early 80s. Indeed they have as J. Davis (vocals), Victor Morell & Bobby Chavez (guitars), Bill Kressin (bass) & Steve Dorssom (drums) play a music inspired by early Queensryche, early Iron Maiden.
Formed in the summer of 1997 with the intention of bringing back a feeling that had been lost by so many other American acts, Born Of Fire first appeared on Twilight records "Maiden America" a tribute to Iron Maiden. Last years release of their first full length album "Transformation" is now followed up by this three song promo, which will give a first taste of other good things to come? At least I hope so as this a darn fine promo CD, filled with excellent guitar work and powerful vocals.
Davis may not be quite as good singer as Geoff Tate (Queensryche) or Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), but he´s not that far behind either. Opener "Centrifuge" kicks off with some nice guitar work and a sound that mixes the best from Iron Maiden & Queensryche in their early days. The other two tracks "Lifemare" and "In the end" reminded me a lot of Queensryche in their The Warning/ Rage For Order days. Indeed a band to keep an eye out for in the future, for now check em out at: www.bornoffire.cjb.net
Escape Music 2002
Review by Endre "Bandi" Hübner
10 April 2002
A tribute to Boston? Sounds more like Boston re-mastered! Do I mind? Hell, no! Will you? I don't think so. Anybody who likes the originals will be more than pleased with these versions, and after all it's just so good to hear these songs with up-to-date production. Making a Boston tribute album is a bumpy ride though because even the best intentions can be ruined by bad vocal performances (like we have heard it on countless tribute albums lately) but Khalil Turk (Escape Music head) played safe. You can't go wrong with the likes of Steve Overland or Terry Brock, right?
"Long Time" opens the album with the above mentioned Overland on vox (his chameleon voice sounds as perfect here as singing Coverdale on another tribute album, well a pro is just a pro). One of the all-time-favorites "Rock n' Roll Band" follows with Terry Brock on vox. [Ten fans note that Vinny Burns played the solo here] Both versions are very faithful to the originals, but that's true for most of the songs, that's why I said "Boston re-mastered" in the beginning. Tony O'Hara's little more hardrock throat fits the uptempo "Smokin'" quite well, cool organ solo by Don Airey leading into Steve Morris' guitar solo, who did basically all the guitar-work except for some guest solos. Overland shines on "Amanda" too, then it's time for the best known Boston tune "More Than A Feeling" with Peter Sundell at the mic and one of my all time favorites Ronnie Le Tekro exercising his fingers a bit. You can't go wrong with these songs if the musicians are good enough to pull them. And these guys are all great musicians. Some other contributors like Tony O'Hora, Chris Ousey, and Tommy Denander must also be mentioned as they may draw the attention of their long-time fans to the album.
I could go on listing all songs but rather just
believe me you'll find all the classics here and they are performed just as
they have to be performed, and sound as they have to sound in 2002. Check it
out yourself if you are an old Boston fan, if you are too young to be familiar
with anything but "More Than A Feeling" then this album is a safe choice to
start catching up with the band. You don't have to spend a fortune on getting
the whole backing catalogue and won't be bothered by outdated sound or fillers.
Verdict: a cool best of with great sound quality and sometimes even better
performances than the original.
Escape Music
Sanctuary 2003
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallström,
3 January 2004
Twangy guitars and honky-tonk music for the middle aged, [white] American, doesn't always work well in Europe. This is red, white & blue, right down to the core and not even a "Blue Sky" will save this from being pretty average.
You almost feel like screaming: Pace! God Damnit... Pace!!! Does it get any worse than a bunch of country-rock troubadours without the knowledge of writing a decent uptempo rocker. Probably not as Bottle Rockets mostly like to twang their guitars in slow motion, throughout the whole freakin' album. Not even producers like Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule) and Michael Barbiero (James Brown, John Lennon, Metallica), help much to the overall picture, when the band is driving with safety belts and handbreak on.
There's however a couple of marvelous rock songs included on this record too. Both of them with bassist Robert Kearns on lead vocals, where especially "I Don't Wanna Go Back", hits ya' right between the eyes with a left hook. This song actually comes out sounding like if Cheap Trick would go country-lite. Kearns should really take over the lead vocals position from Henneman all of the time, by the way. Sure enough the opening track "Lucky Break", do rock in certain places and "Baby's Not My Baby Tonight", will take you close to the Allman Brothers sound (with a bit of imagination). Strictly for alt.country fans and Americans?? only.
Sanctuary
Eagle Records 2002
30 May 2002
A little bit older, a little bit wiser and a little bit better than before. I'm not entirely convinced about the latter statement actually. One thing's for sure though, they do sound a bit different than in the past. Not necessarily worse or bad... just different. I guess you could say they are Moving Swiftly Along.
Danny Bowes (vocals) and Luke Morley (guitars) used to be the main characters and writers in UK band Thunder, which played good, old UK-Rock (Free, Bad Company, Whitesnake etc.) in their own, updated version in the 90's. They've been playing music together since the age of 15 (back in 1975) and this you can really tell. They intuitively understand each others' artistic strengths (and weaknesses) by now. The result is 13 songs of sublime, soulful, soft rock, with a very mature sound.
Don't expect this to be Hard Rock in the same flashy package as Thunder. Sure, you can find a couple of raunchy tracks like "Dancing The Night Away" or "Sick And Tired", which both could have been included on any Thunder album, but overall the material is mellow music at its prime. Some of the songs are steeped in the influence of Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers & Otis Reeding rather than loud heavy metal. You can also find similarities to the music of Joey Tempest's solo albums (or why not Coverdale's). In fact, the ex-Europe vocalist co-wrote the track "Change" together with Morley and it's one of the highlights here. The smooth "Don't Take Your Love Away" sounds like a softer version of Whitesnake's old hit "Now You're Gone" from time to time. "Powertripping" is a cover of the Power Station tune. Bottomline, you wont find any real downside's here... but again! Do not expect this to be power rock á la Thunder! If you enjoy to sit back, relax and just slowly breathe with the music. Well, "Moving Swiftly Along" is the perfect choice for your 'laidback' days. Not to mention that Bowes sings like a small God here. Recommended indeed!
www.eagle-rock.com
www.bowesandmorley.com
Frontiers Records 2004
Review by Martien Koolen, 
16 February 2004
The second album of Bowes & Morley gives you an early taste of summer; 9 new songs and 2 covers lighten up your winter days and make you happy, even when the weather outside is shite. Their debut “Moving Swiftly Along”(2002) was already a great album, but this one is definitely one step further in their musical “development”.
“Desire” kicks off this CD and it is a swinging, soulful track, packed with trumpet and trombone passages. Danny’s voice, the typical timbre of Thunder, is doing a wonderful job there; he really has a voice to die for… “Living For The City” is a rather radio friendly, funky sing along song, while the ballad “On A Day Like Today” has some experimental Latin influences(hello Cuba!!). Then we have the first cover (if you guess who the original version sings, you’ll get a prize…)”Why Did You Do It?”, again real funky stuff here. So after four songs I can truly say that Thunder is more a genuine rock band, heavier, with more guitar parts.
Danny’s voice is again superb in the Beatles-like ballad “Since I Left Her”, and here Luke “let’s” out his first real guitar solo. “Come Together In The Morning” is a ballad (again), but it tends to be bluesier, maybe because of Luke’s laid-back guitar parts. On “How Could You” Danny does a duet with Tara McDonald and the last track, the second cover, has some extremely well vocal passages by Danny. All in all “Mo’s Barbeque” is a very relaxed album, full of pure pop songs, with a retro rock atmosphere, but sometimes I miss the power. So I still prefer the new Thunder album (“Shooting At The Sun”) to this one; sorry guys……
www.bowesandmorley.com
BOZZIO LEVIN STEVENS: "Situation Dangerous" *+
Magna Carta 2000Review by Endre "Bandi" Hübner,
This review has got its story. The disc was originally sent to Kimmo as the label did not know that usually it's me who's doing the instrumental reviews. He gave it some spins and sent it to me feeling it's not his field. When he told me he was sending me an instrumental CD from Bozzio Levin Stevens I thought this is one guy, some new guitar hero. Me stupid! I had to recognize it's Steve Stevens' project with drum guru Terry Bozzio (don't know how I didn't recognize his name in the assumed first name of some non-existent guitar virtuoso.) and Tony Levin on bass.
I already gave this album about 10 spins and still haven't got used to it. Maybe because I couldn't disregard Steve's name and expected something like his Atomic Cowboys project (that had the wonderful instrumental tune "Running Across Deserted Fields") or the energetic guitar sound known from the Vince Neil solo albums (to be honest I haven't followed Steve after that). But this album seems to be more the product of a natural jamming-songwriting process. Some of you might be familiar with this because (among others) Dream Theater uses the same method: let's put lots of great musicians together, let them jam in a rehearsal room for hours, record it, go back, find the best parts and start working on them. Of course I'm not sure whether it went this way here but the songs make me assume so. Mostly because there aren't real "songs" in the initial meaning of the word here but lots of themes put together. All of them are unique, enjoyable, entertaining in themselves, but I have to admit that - although I'm an instrumental music freak - they do not make a song or an album for me.
Honestly, I don't really know who this album is for. I don't think there is a wide audience buying this kind of albums. As for me if standing in a CD store I had to choose whether to spend hard earned cash on this album or on a new Satriani or Tamas album, I would go for the more entertaining other two. Don't get me wrong, the album is not bad, the musicians' performance is outstanding, I'm absolutely sure if I saw them on a music expo (in Frankfurt maybe) I would be raving about their performance, their music, their technicalities but listening to it from an almost 50 minutes long album is more than tiring.
So I'd say buy the album if you want to get something interesting into your collection, can respect difference, high musicality, and if you are really into instrumental music because although it has very tiring parts this album features some pure ear-candy parts too like the acoustic "Spiral" (an excellent song in the vein of the above mentioned "Running Across.", the moody "Melt" with its tasty guitar work with a little spiritual sound, and the mellow "Tragic" also has very entertaining parts. But if you expect some party hard rock sound that Steve Stevens was known for working with Billy Idol or Vince Neil then stay away from it.
BOZZIO & SHEEHAN: "Nine Short Films" 3
Magna Carta 2002
7 November 2002
It's been a long road since David Lee Roth and Mr. Big and lately whenever I am about to review an album featuring Billy Sheehan I have to force myself not to expect the easy-digestible, fun music he was playing with those artists. It's not the first Magna Carta album that features Sheehan or drum virtuoso Terry Bozzio and it's not the first one I review, but the tendency is that with each release it's getting less and less enjoyable. This time it's no instrumental but Terry singing (?), I'd rather say chanting over some technically spectacular drum and bass rhythms. Add some harsh sounding guitar riffing, some synth effects (that sound rather noises) and there you go. You got "Nine Short Films".
As for the instrument-work the album is fantastic, these guys are masters of their instruments. But come on, did anyone have any doubts about that? Do they really need to prove that album after album? What if they stick to what they are doing best? Namely: entertain. Cuz Terry's vocals are everything but entertaining and the "Nine Short Films" are more like experiments with effects, noises but not really songs. If these two guys want to experiment with their instruments, with studio technique, with their singing (?) voices, with production or sound engineer work, whatever, that's fine. But why release it?
"Nine Short Films" is an art movie. Some art
movie freaks may enjoy it and discuss it smoking pot in an uptown bar. But I
never liked art movies. Sorry. I'm a simple creature. Give me porn movies! Or
"The Adventures of Ford Fairlane". Or both. And all this review from an
instrumental fun... Scary? Huh?!
www.magnacarta.net
www.terrybozzio.com
www.billysheehan.com