Melodic Review

Dare - Blood from stone

2011-10-03T06:43:00.001-07:00

Dare goes heavy! Released in 1991, Dare took a step from the much softer debut "Out of the silence" to a tougher sound. It's easily recognized as Dare, though, as the melodies are there as of course the voice of brilliant singer Darren Wharton. To be honest I was at first disappointed with this release, as I expected a follow-up in the style of the debut album. It soon grew on me though, and I started appreciate almost every song. The first track, "Wings of fire", is a great start to it all with its memorable chorus. The middle section of the song, just before the solo, reminds of Gary Moore with its Celtic influences. "We don't need a reason" follows, an up-tempo rocker with another strong hook. I believe this was released as a single. "Surrender" is another melodic, memorable song - great! "Chains" is a track with a bluesy vibe to it and leads to the ballad "Lies". I remember hearing this live on their "Calm before the storm"-tour, and think it's a great song. "Live to fight another day" is another straight-forward rocker. "Cry wolf" starts off as a ballad but is soon transformed into another rocking track with a stadium rock chorus. "Breakout" is more of the same and in my opinion a bit boring, which does change a bit with the track that follows; "Wild heart". The ballad "Real love" finishes the album in a good manner, not being the best Dare ballad ever but still "good". So, that's that then. I believe some versions of the this CD, the Japanese release maybe, contains the bonus track "Walk on the water" (yes, the same song as on "Calm before the storm") - definately a good bonus! On the whole I think this CD contains a great deal of good tracks, but is not as good as their debut. I also think that this could have deserved a better production, as it sounds way to distorted a times.

Steve Perry - For the love of strange medicine

2011-10-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

Steve Perry is well-known for having one of the best voices in the world of rock. He's done tons of fantastic tracks with Journey, and is not only a singer but a great songwriter. Joining Journey in late 70:s, together they recorded 8 albums (the japanese soundtrack "Dream, after dream" included) before calling it quits after "Raised on radio" in 1986. They got back together in 1996 for "Trial by fire", after which Steve Perry said goodbye (due to a climbing injury). This solo album is from 1994, and is his second one (the first being Street Talk from 1984). His first solo effort was quite poppy, with radio friendly tracks like the hit single "Oh Sherrie". This release shows the AOR side of Steve Perry, and a very good side that is. Following the ballad-like beginning of "You better wait" is a great melodic rocker with bite - a strong start to this album. The next track "Young hearts forever" is an upbeat track with a good chorus, encouraging the embrace of young love. The first two tracks are (to my ears at least) actually the only "happy" tracks on this release, as the rest of the songs are a bit more dark and moody. The soft ballad "I am" is the third song, and a good one in the true spirit of Perry. This release doesn't come short of ballads, in fact, every other song on this album is a ballad. But, contrary to some Journey releases of late, it works perfectly and never gets boring. I like every single one of the remaining tracks, but if I was to pick any favourites I'd say "Tuesday heartache" and the ballad "Somewhere there's hope" (a song perfect for late night listening). Each one of these songs are written with passion, that's for sure.

Heart - Desire walks on

2011-10-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Released in 1993, 3 years after their previous release "Brigade", this somewhat combines the 70s and 80s sound of Heart. The album starts with the ghostlike whispering intro of "Desire", and then rocks off with the track "Black on black II". This is a track in the style of "Barracuda" from the "Little Queen" album (1977), with its guitar rhythm. Not a bad start at all, as it shows the rocking side of the band. "Back to avalon" also goes in the vein of older Heart albums, with an acoustic verse and a catchy chorus. Following is a synth-bas(s)ed soft ballad (almost Roxy Music-like), "The woman in me". Very pleasant and not bad, though no favourite track of mine. "Rage" is heavier sounding and ok. "In walks the night" is another one of those feel-good ballads of the Heart that I truly like, and could easily have been found on one of their late 80s albums. The following track "My crazy head" is one of my favourites. Classic, very melodic 80s Heart. "Ring them bells" is an all-acoustic track by Bob Dylan. Not bad. "Will you be there" follows the hit tradition of "All I wanna do" ("Brigade"), very commercial and a good track. "Voodoo doll" is a track I easily could have been without, which certainly doesn't apply to the next track "Anything is possible". A great ballad and also one of my favourites, resembles Brigade's "Stranded". "Avalon (reprise)" is like a short intermission. Next up is "Desire walks on", not very memorable but ok. The last two tracks are the songs "The woman in me" and "Will you be there" sung is Spanish. So, is this their best release ever? No. I rate this number four after "Bad animals" (1987), "Brigade" (1990) and "Heart" (1985). Still, a good album with some really strong tracks. The sound and production is also very good.

Dokken - Tooth and nail

2011-10-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

I've always found the guitar playing by Geroge Lynch a bit magical. The harmonies in his playing are phenomenal, dark and almost mystical sounding. This album features some of his best riffing and soloing ever, and the whole band seems hungry in their approach. The first song, the instrumental "Without warning", slowly builds up the anticipations and explodes in track number 2: Tooth and nail. This is a fast Dokken rocker, with some of Lynch's best (and best known) guitar solos. The songs on this album are generally very strong, with several released singles. One track that is a favourite of mine is "When heaven comes down", a dark rocker with a memorable riff. Other highlights are the beautiful ballad "Alone again", the more commercial "Just got lucky" and "Into the fire". "Don't close your eyes" is also very good, with lots of heavy riffing. The album ends with the fast rocking "Turn on the action". The production of this release could be better, but it still sounds ok. The drums for example sound like they were recorded in an oil tank. You have to remember that this album was recorded in 1984, though.

Sahara - Sahara

2011-10-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Other than die-hard AOR collectors, I guess not many have heard of this album or the band for that matter. This was a Swedish AOR act (featuring singer Ulrick Lönnquist and guitarist Peter Lidström), and it was their only release. The music is in the vein of another great Swedish AOR act; Street Talk (maybe with a little Richard Marx thrown in), though the production on this one's not as good. Such a shame we haven't heard more from these guys, as I think this album is a very good collection of tasteful AOR/Westcoast music. I keep coming back for another listen once in a while, and never seem to tire of it. I particulary like the guitar work, which I find very tasteful throughout the album. It's now very rare, so if you see a copy buy it! Released in 2001.

Dare - Out of the silence

2010-08-30T02:50:00.001-07:00

This is the debut album from the UK band Dare, and also in my opinion their best effort. It's very melodic, the song writing is strong and the production is good considering this album isn't that fresh anymore (released in 1988). Keyboards play a strong role here, and they are the elements that make this album sound very atmospheric. Singer Darren Wharton has a hauntingly brilliant voice perfectly suited for the material. The rest of the band doesn't shine too much, but they all make excellent contributions as a team to the whole package. Vinny Burns (later in the band Ten) is the lead guitarist here, and his solos fit the tracks quite well. I remember trying to get hold of the singles for this album, as the B-sides contained excellent tracks not included on the LP/CD (for example songs called "Valentino" and "Love is the price"). When this CD was re-released not long ago, I took it for granted that these B-sides would appear on it. But, no. Almost criminal not to include them and I really can't understand why! It's hard to pick some favourite tracks off this album, as I think they are all good. By the way, Brian Cox (the keyboard player, who was with the band until the split in 1992) is nowadays Dr Brian and currently works at the CERN laboratory in Geneva. He has received many awards for his work in publishing science. Quite a change of direction, eh?

Atlantic - Power

2010-08-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

1994 was not an easy time for any band in the AOR genre, and I think that's the main explanation that this album didn't get the success it deserved. Batteling with increasing Grunge popularity, anything melodic did have a hard time. It's truly a forgotten slice of AOR perfection. For me, this is the genre at its best. This was the band's only release, though I've heard somewhere that they've plans to release a new album in the near future (let's hope for it!). All elements that make a great melodic rock album are here; upbeat rockers with pumping bass lines like the opening track "Can't hold on" and "Power over me" to great ballads such as "It's only love". This album was out of print for some time, but was finally reissued in 2008 by Escape. Featuring a digitally remastered sound as well as a never before released bonus track ("Hearts on fire"), I consider this a must buy for ANYONE into AOR.

Starship - Knee deep in the hoopla

2010-08-25T01:27:00.001-07:00

Now classic songs like "Layin' it on the line", "No way out" and "Find your way back" showed Starship moving closer to the mainstream after years as Jefferson Airplane and then as Jefferson Starship. Starship was one of those underrated 80:s bands that produced great music and adjusted very smoothly during this great decade. This is pure 80:s for me, and pure feel-good music! This album is a lot more than the superhit "We built this city". In fact, most tracks are really good. Two of the song writers here include Bernie Taupin (Elton John's songwriting partner) and Martin Page. Personal favourites are "Before I go" (keyboards played by Peter Wolf who also played on Heart's self-titled album from 1985), "Desperate heart" and "Hearts of the world (will understand)". The latter should definately have been released as a single! "Sara" is a great, beautiful ballad. Released in 1985 and wayyy better than their previous album "Nuclear furniture". Grace Slick, with her unmistakable voice, was 46 years old at the time of release.

Strangeways - Any day now

2010-08-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

If your mind is set on a true AOR experience, then don't expect to find it here. Strangeways of old, with their now classic albums "Native sons" and "Walk in the fire", provide this. This release however, drastically changed my view of the band's music. Released in 1997, it mainly followed the sound of the 1994 release "And the horse". I wasn't too big a fan of the forementioned, but this one I found a great deal better. If you forget about the old Strangeways AOR-sound for a moment, this is quite good. It's definately an album suited for late night listening, as it's very atmospheric and on the soft side. Listen to tracks like "Blue line" for example, and you see what I'm talking about.

Heart - Passion works

2010-08-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

Released in 1983, this was the last album to be released before the hugely successful self-titled album "Heart" in 1985. It was also the last album under their contract with Epic. If the production of this one had been slightly better (like their albums from the late eighties), it would definately have become more successful. I don't think this album gained the band many new fans, but the songs are actually not bad. Actually, I find it underrated. Songs like "How can I refuse" (a single the unfortunately failed to crack the top 40), "Language of love" (a slow-rocker) and "Blue guitar" (another slow-rocker) are really good. "Johnny moon" is another song that grew on me after a few listens. That track somewhat reminds me of the chorus in "Seven thunders" from Dokken's debut album "Breaking the chains" (also from 1983...imagine that) and a track from Strangeway's "Any day now". And oh, "Allies" was written by THE Jonathan Cain of Journey!

Dokken - Dokken

2010-08-21T02:30:00.000-07:00

Released as a come-back album in Japan 1994, and a year later re-released in the rest of the world with the title "Dysfunctional". Hearing the latter release first, I had great expectations as Dokken was one of my favourite metal bands of the eighties. I remember being disappointed of the modernized sound of this album, as it was a long way from the sound of the classic Dokken albums. It had some of the old Dokken elements, though. The guitar riffing of George Lynch is easy to recognize, as of course is the voice of Don Dokken. 2 or 3 of the tracks might even had fitted on a Dokken album of old ("Too high to fly" and "Long way home"), while the rest was clearly a step towards a more modern approach. The Beatles-like vocal harmonies for example was clearly a new move. Anyway, this 1994 release was in my opinion a bit better than "Dysfunctional". The sound and mix is a bit more "rough", which makes it heavier sounding and leans more towards the old Dokken sound than the re-release.

Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force - Marching out

2010-08-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

I remember my first encounter with Mr Malmsteen's music, watching the music video for "I'll see the light tonight" on MTV in the mid-eighties. I was totally, and I mean totally, blown away by his blistering guitar playing! I also loved the sound, the dark sound with some classical influences thrown in. Yngwie has released a whole bunch of albums since then, but I still rate this album among the best. I think there was more magic in his first 3 albums, and his playing sounds a bit more inspired and "fresh". Released in 1985, this was his second album after his nearly all-instrumental self titled first album. Yngwie has always managed to get talanted musicians into his band, and this album shows no exception to that rule. The voice of Jeff Scott Soto (later in Eyes, Talisman) fits perfectly to the songs, and this was a very important album for his career. The Johansson brothers, Anders (drums) and Jens (keyboards, later in Dio and Stratovarious) both do an amazing job. Jens in particular, classically influenced in his playing, makes an excellent contribution to the sound and feel of this release. Last, but certainly not least, is Marcel Jacob (later in Talisman) on bass. What an amazing bass player this was! Truly missed by his fans all over the world. Personal highlights on the album are the forementioned "I'll see the light tonight", "Disciples of hell" and "Soldier without faith".

BB Steal - On the edge

2010-08-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

Def Leppard are not really known for releasing albums very often. Pyromania 1983, Hysteria 1987, Adrenalize 1992 are just examples of that time frame. 1993 the Leps released "Retro active" with a collection of covers and some B-sides, e.g. nothing new to feed the fans. Their next release didn't see the light of day until 1996, when "Slang" came out (reviewed on this site). So, luckily then, some guys released an album in "true" Def Leppard sound, maybe the sound many fans wanted to hear on "Slang". This is "On the edge" by BB Steal, released in 1994. The "stadium rock" feel is very much present here, and the harmonies and songs works perfectly. The production is not quite as good as on the last Leppard albums, but, honestly, who cares when the songs are this good?

Journey - Raised on radio

2010-08-20T07:28:00.001-07:00

This was the first Journey album I ever heard. Maybe it wasn't the best one to introduce me to the world of Journey music, as no other Journey album sounds like this one. Very radio friendly at the time (hey, look at the title..), and I'm sure some Journey fans were put off by the sound on this one. It doesn't rock (with few exceptions), but it does have a strong collection of songs. This resembles more of Steve Perry's solo album "Street Talk" (1984) than for example "Frontiers" (1983). Released in 1986, it was the last album the band recorded before calling it quits (this time, at least). This truly is a favourite of mine. I just love the feel of it. It's got soul! Steve Perry sounds better than ever on this one, Jonathan Cain does fantastic keyboard work and Neal Schon delivers his solos with passion. This album didn't see the classic members Steve Smith (drums) and Ross Valery (bass), instead these positions were filled by session musicians Larrie Londin and Randy Jackson (future American Idol judge). One track I like in particular is the haunting, almost mystical sounding track "Once you love somebody". I kept going back to this track for weeks after first hearing it! Other highlights are "Girl can't help it", "Suzanne" and the last ballad "Why can't this night go on forever". A classic! I'm not sure all Journey fans would agree, though.

Mark Spiro - Now is then, then is now

2010-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is truly a fine example of good Westcoast/AOR. Following the 1994 album "Care of my soul", this has a lot more energy as "Care of.." was more laid back and in the vein of his latest efforts. "Now is then.." was followed by "Devotion" and "The stuff that dreams are made of", both very good albums, but I tend to think this one is the best. Starting with the track "All the love we kill" end ending with "Midwestern skies", all tracks are good and there are no fillers. A beautful collection of melodic songs with haunting melodies by the master Mark Spiro.