Jimi Jamison - Never Too Late Album Review

Often referred to as one of the American top Rock vocalists, Jimi Jamison has been the singer with Target, Cobra and finally Survivor – who rejoined in late 2011 - for more than a decade, apart from being an accomplished solo artist on his own.

Jimi performed back up vocals on recordings by ZZ Top, Joe Walsh and numerous other recording artists. Billy Gibbons refers to Jimi as the fourth member of ZZ Top and Casey Kasem (kids of a certain age know him as the voice of Shaggy, in Scooby Doo, before Scrappy came on the scene and fuckin' ruined it!!), on his nationally syndicated radio show American Top 40, referred to Jimi Jamison as “The Voice”. Among Jamison’s best known performances are "Burning Heart", from the Rocky IV movie which hit #2 on the Billboard Charts, "High On You" (#8), and "The Search Is Over" (#4).

His solo career started in 1991 with the release of “When Love Comes Down” followed in 1999 by “Empires”, the album which included the theme, "I'm Always Here" for Baywatch. In 2008 he teamed up with ex Survivor band mate, Jim Peterik who wrote and produced for him the acclaimed album “Crossroads Moment”. On the heels of this superb release, Jimi toured Europe a few times and culminated with an appearance at the popular Firefest in the UK in 2011.

In the meanwhile Jamison started to work together with Swedish songwriter and producer Erik Mårtensson (W.E.T., Eclipse etc), who had met “virtually” while working on the successful Kimball Jamison duet album to which Mårtensson had contributed with some songwriting. 

 
So there you have it, whether you admit to it or not, practically everyone knows Jimi Jamison, unless you’ve been living under a rock, or in a cave for the last 30 yrs, or if you thought your dad had a surname called Fritzl!!

So what we have here is a mighty fine slice of modern contemporary melodic rock. The heaviest he’s done (as Frontiers PR states)? I’m not so certain of that, considering other Mårtensson projects (Eclipse and Toby Hitchcock) this year have rocked (much) harder than this album. That aside, it’s the best album that Jamison has put his John Hancock to quite some time indeed.

‘Everybody's Got A Broken heart’ and 'The Great Unknown' really kick the album off to a great start with Jamison's trademark vocals having more polish than Mr Sheen's door knob. Couple this with infectious choruses and more licks than my dog can muster, and 'Never Too Late' doesn’t look back for a moment. We also get out obligatory ballads. If you want ballads, then there's a feast of them in the way of the excellent ‘The Air I Breathe’ and the heartbreaking, ‘Heaven Call Your Name’.

If you’ve a hankering for 80s Survivor themed songs then look no further than 'Never Too Late' as Mårtensson has delivered a set of songs that they can both be very proud of. ‘I Cant Turn Back’ is huge, and stands up well against any previous Survivor song. ‘Street Survivor’ is and edgier song than most, think Survivor on Viagra!

With a voice that has not waivered over the years, I can see this in many a melodic rock fans Top 10 albums of the year

Score : 70/100

Tracklisting: Everybody's Got A Broken Heart; The Great Unknown; Never Too Late; I Can't Turn Back; Street Survivor; The Air I Breathe; Not Tonight; Calling The Game; Bullet In The Gun; Heaven Call Your Name; Walk On (Wildest Dreams).

 

 
JIMI JAMISON
PRODUCED BY : Erik Martensson

Jimi Jamison - Lead Vocals
Erik Mårtensson - Lead & Rhythm Guitar. Bass, Keyboards & Backing Vocals
Magnus Ulfstedt - Drums
Jonas Öijvall - HammondB3, Piano & Analog Synthesizers
Magnus Henriksson - Lead Guitar on "Street Survivor" & "Heaven Call Your Name"

Random Rant!

Random Rant No4!

Girls Aloud to play MEN Arena in 2013!!



My thoughts on the subject on behalf of most of the bands I love and haven't played there............

FUCK OFF YOU TALENTLESS BUNCH OF MIME ARTISTS!!!!!

Much better!!!!!!

Black Country Communion - Afterglow Album Review

Well there may well we trouble a t’mill within the Country of Black Communion, but I can tell you all from the very first listen, that there is absolutely bugger all wrong with the music being turned out. When me ‘n No.1 son were down in ‘dat dare London’ the other week for the marvellous  ‘50 years of Loud – Marshall’ gig, a bit of a rift was opening within Twitter between Hughes and Bonamassa (who is probably the only person of the planet whose output is more prolific than BCC), and in the weeks that have passed, time has proven not to be a healer with a one off UK gig being arranged and swiftly cancelled, with Bonamassa stating that ‘’principle still stands for something in 2012. I’m ready to move on’’, with a swift response of ‘’Me, too!’’ from Glenn Hughes. Phew!

Apparently the songs on Afterglow were going to be for Hughes’ next solo album, and frustrated that they couldn’t really get together as a unit, the songs became the next BCC ones for Afterglow. That doesn’t mean a step in the wrong direction for lovers of the previous two releases. Far from it, to be precise. Whereas Hughes has been the undoubted king of funk these past years, Afterglow ‘s songs are planted firmly in the Classic Rock genre of the 70s, only with better production!

Whereas BCC1 seemed like a quick get together (but the songs still kicked serious ass), BCC2 was a more of a band affair with the songs having a much better flow and cohesion, Afterglow comes at you like a runaway train with 1000W of Marshall/Orange Cabinets strapped to the front. Which leads very nicely into Big Train, and for me is one of the best tracks to come from the pen (or keyboard) from Hughes, fuelled not by coal, but by Bonham’s drumming, and a great bluesy solo from Bonamassa. 

The plan this time round was to give Sherinian more keyboard time, and this is more prominent on the 70s influenced ‘This Is Your Time’. ‘Midnight Sun’ sees Bonamassa give a very Pete Townshend /The Who feel to proceedings, with Hughes being Hughes and just singing his Wolverhamton ass off! On ‘Confessor’ the sound goes back to BCC1, mean, lean, a Black Country fighting machine.  On ‘Cry Freedom’ equal vocal time is given between Hughes and Bonamassa and the end result takes me back to the first time I heard Deep Purples Burn album. A sledgehammer of a blues rock number, with both singers fighting it out for blues supremacy rights! Even Bonamassa goes all Hughes on us.

The lighters come out for the slowed down title track, and is an instantly memorable number, with Hughes’ voice taking centre stage going from soft and subtle vocals to powerful and screaming, then pastoral to full on heavy hock in a little over a heartbeat. Very Zeppelin-esque. Bonham’s drumming drives ‘Dandelion’ forward, and ‘The Circle’ is a more tranquil affair, atmospheric and haunting, with a riff straight from Bad Company’s finest. Rush have just been on the phone, and they want the opening riff to ‘Common Man’ back! ‘The Giver’ harks back to the DP Burn Stormbringer era, and the final track ‘Crawl’, gets all manner of genres thrown in with the proverbial kitchen sink. Funk, rock, blues, 70s rock, Puprle, Led Zep all in this electric blender of a song. Sherinians eastern sounding keys even take me back to my youth with a Rainbow (Tarot Woman/Stargazer) vibe running through the song like a 70s stick of Rock!!!

After 3 albums in quick succession, and the recent and hopefully not terminal fall out between Hughes and Bonamassa, it would be criminal if they didn’t sort out differences and gave us a tour in the not too distant future. Even if there’s no tour, please give us more albums. It would be a shame to bow out after three, but if this is their last album, fuck me it’s a good ‘un!!

SCORE : 88/100

BCC are

Glenn Hughes

Joe Bonamassa

Derek Sherinian

Jason Bonham

the 5th member - Kevin Shirley

 Track Listing

1. Big Train
2. This Is Your Time
3. Midnight Sun
4. Confessor
5. Cry Freedom
6. Afterglow
7. Dandelion
8. The Circle
9. Common Man
10. The Giver
11. Crawl

Geoff Tate - Kings & Thieves Album Review

 

A lot has happened in Geoff Tate Land these past few months. Severe ructions with his Queensrÿche band mates saw him evicted/sacked from his lead position in one of the greatest modern metal prog bands I have ever witnessed in my 30 years of attending rock gigs. Tate was fired from his own band, and accusations were levelled at Tate’s door, mainly in trying to punch Rockenfield’s lights out.  Then there’s the whole Rocklahoma thing (google it!). Tate has also had the balls to admit his failings when some (many) would not, and for this alone deserves huge credit to the fellow! The last thing that anyone wants is two bands plying their trade as a pair of Queens(rÿche’s). This sacking all seems strange as it’s killing the goose that laid the golden egg as Tate is responsible for over 80% of The Rÿche’s output over the last 30 years!

Now over the years I’ve been a huge Queensrÿche  fan after seeing them support Dio in the UK when they were promoting ‘The Warning’. I must admit that the last 10-15 years have been a bit difficult for me, and I often wonder how on Earth Queensrÿche  have lasted this long, based on the commercial output over this 10-15 year period.

Currently we have two? Yes, two Queensrÿche’s about to do the rounds, the other (non Tate version) now operating under another name. Basically after getting thrown off the horse, he’s back on it straight away going what he does best, and that’s getting his music heard. 

Now most of you all know that Geoff Tate is best known for his work with the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Geoff is regarded as one of the most skilled vocalists in the genre with hundreds of modern, popular artists citing him and his band as a major influence.

Combining social consciousness and expertly crafted lyrics with high-energy, melodically complex music, Geoff and his band have become internationally recognized as the thinking man's rock band. The band's first three albums -- their self-titled EP (1983), The Warning (1984) and Rage for Order (1986) -- all hit gold status selling over 500,000 units each. With the release of their landmark concept album Operation: Mindcrime (1988) -- which won critical and popular acclaim and comparisons to the Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's The Wall -- Queensrÿche went on to bring their progressive music to sold-out audiences the world over. I have to add here that ‘Mindcrime’ is one of the ‘Every Home Should Have One’ albums. If you haven’t heard this then shame on you matey!

Following the album's platinum success, Queensrÿche released Empire, which quickly entered the Top 10 on the Billboard charts, eventually generating sales of more than 3.0 million copies. The album featured the hugely popular hit, "Silent Lucidity," which would be the band's first Top 10 single (#9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart).

The band celebrated their 30th Anniversary in rock by releasing Dedicated to Chaos and, once again, toured extensively. Since their inception, the band has sold over 25 million albums worldwide and has performed in over 46 countries.

Enough of the history lesson, what about Geoff 2^nd solo album? Remember his first, way back in 2002? Me hardly, either! But one thing is for certain, ‘Kings & Thieves’ isn’t up there with the best that Queensrÿche  has to offer, but it’s probably better than most of the Queensrÿche albums churned out after Promised Land. . That doesn’t mean it’s a great album, but it’s not shite either . So don’t judge this purely on the best Rÿche output as that’s grossly unfair to the individual. Geoff’s vocals come out rather well, although there are a couple of songs I don’t really care to hear ever again – ‘The Way I Roll’ is one in particular. ‘TWIR’ is a bit of a whoozy, jazzy number that’s too mid 90s Queensrÿche  for my liking, but Tate blows his own sax on the track! (make your own jokes up, I’m being serious for once). ‘Say U Luv It’, with spoken word lyrics is a strange one which gets under my skin, but not in a good way.

Start with the negatives and move onto the positives I say. Bringing Kelly Gray on board was an inspired move, his playing is varied and interesting, and proves a good foil for Tate. The first couple of songs ‘She Slipped Away’, and ‘Take a Bullet’ are both decent songs, both two of the melodic, and heaviest on offer and Tate seems to be enjoying his new life with some of his strongest vocals being present in many a recent year. The split has done him a world of good. ‘She Slipped Away’ sets out Tate's musical habdashery for the 21^st century, with Kelly Grays guitars shining brightly, giving an Empire/90s Queensrÿche era feel to proceedings.

‘Tomorrow’, the longest track on the album, is a stripped back affair, with a rather nice mid-section with Gray playing an Eastern influenced sound , then up the tempo with ‘Evil’, in which Geoff sings, “Why don’t you say it to my face, you don’t move me, you don’t fool me, it doesn’t matter because what you give is what you get…”  a slant at his former band mates? Highly likely! ‘Evil’ is definitely one of the highlights  due to the darker tone and subject matter. ‘Dark Money’ goes back to the lighter, poppier tones of the opening track. Apart from ‘The Way I Roll’, the biggest departure away from what you’d (possibly) expect, is the synth/piano led ‘Change’ and it makes for a refreshing,  well , er….change! After a couple of listens, it turns out to be the finest track on the album by a long chalk.

So..don’t expect any of Queensrÿche’s power prog metal anthems of yesteryear, Aside from Kelly, Geoff has also employed fellow Seattle musician (and former Mother Love Bone member) Gregg Gilmore on drums, Chris Zukas on bass and long-time collaborator Randy Gane (with whom both Geoff and Kelly played in Myth) on keyboards. The band also features harmony vocals courtesy of Jason Ames and Emily Tate.

Despite the foibles, Tate has his own direction away from the prog tinged power metal of Queensrÿche, preferring a more condensed, modern sounding melodic rock (but not in its purest AOR form).

I doubt it will bring in too many Queensrÿche fans who probably gave up after ‘Empire’, but I’m certainly glad that I got the opportunity to hear it. Tate has shown the musical direction he wishes to take for his solo work and it’s diverse and interesting. It was an inspired move in bringing Kelly Gray to contribute to mixing/production and guitar as his bluesy style is a great fit for Tate’s, warm and trademark vocals. Not all of it appeals to me, but one things for certain, its 100% Geoff Tate!

65/100

 

Track Listing: 1. She Slipped Away 2. Take A Bullet 3. In The Dirt 4. Say U Luv It 5. The Way I Roll 6. Tomorrow 7. Evil 8. Dark Money 9. These Glory Days 10. Change 11. Waiting
Recorded & Mixed by Kelly Gray Produced by Geoff Tate Geoff Tate Online: www.geofftate.com  Geoff Tate – Lead and Harmony Vocals, Saxophone Kelly Gray – Guitars and Bass Randy Gane - Keyboards Gregg Gilmore - Drums Jason Ames – Harmony Vocals Emily Tate – Harmony Vocals Chris Zukas - Bass

 http://www.insideoutmusic.com/

Release date - 29th October 2012