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I'm a Top 100 reviewer at Amazon;

Northern Soul: 20 Original Classics Volume 2
Various Artists
Spectrum 2012



Yes, it's here! The stunningly titled follow-up to, wait for it, "Northern Soul: 20 Original Classics". And as with the first one, it's sure to antagonise the extreme wing of the Northern Soul Fascio di Combattimento, but for those of who just like helpings of classic soul, with the emphasis on the dancefloor, this will do nicely. Especially at an insanely cheap price.

As with the first volume, the album mixes up some well known names such as The Supremes, Dusty Springfield and The Temptations, although compiler Johnny Chandler has the good grace to go for the lesser known tunes. But its real strength lies in the songs and artists you'd either forgotten about, or never knew in the first place.

I'd forgotten just how good The Dells 'Run For Cover' is (listen below), and I'd only recently rediscovered The Supremes 'Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart', so it was rare to hear them collected here. There's a mad version of the Doris Day track 'Secret Love' from Billy Stewart, and a couple of new discoveries in the shape of Joe Cato's 'I'm So Glad' and the Kelly Brothers with 'Crystal Blue Persuasion'. Add in a few well played classics like Ray Charles with 'I Don't Need No Doctor' and Fontella Bass performing 'Rescue Me', and you've got a sure fire winner. And did I mention the price? Madness.

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Track List

1. The Impressions - Can't Satisfy
2. Martha Reeves & Vandellas - Show Me The Way
3. Ray Charles - I Don't Need No Doctor
4. Dusty Springfield - What's It Gonna Be
5. The Temptations - Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
6. The Supremes – Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart
7. Billy Stewart - Secret Love
8. The Dells - Run For Cover
9. Nolan Porter - If I Could Only Be Sure
10. Mary Wells - Drop In The Bucket
11. Eddie Holman - I Love You
12. Yvonne Baker - You Didn't Say A Word
13. Greg Perry - Variety Is The Spice Of Life
14. Fontella Bass - Rescue Me
15. Joe Cato - I'm So Glad
16. Kelly Brothers - Crystal Blue Persuasion
17. Kim Weston - Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me For A Little While)
18. Tammi Terrell - All I Do Is Think About You
19. The Hit Pack - Never Say No To Your Baby
20. Terry Callier - I Don't Want To See Myself (Without You)

ZEN ROCK AND ROLL
Undone
Prog Rock Records



A one man progressive rock and roll band, Zen Rock And Roll is the work of multi–instrumentalist Jonathan Saunders from over there in the Tennessee colonies. He doesn't mess about, playing all the instruments and singing on the third Zen Rock And Roll record, a concept album (oh yes) which tells the of the "undoing of three idealistic rock and rollers, a maritime poet, a love struck pawn on the western front, and those immortalized lovers who blew it for Everyman". Which should be more than enough for even the most hardened progster.

His prog is a mid to late seventies prog rock, sometimes bordering on pomp rock, with hints of Styx, Starcastle and even Queen added in to the mix. It leans heavily on keyboard parts, is drenched in vocal harmonies, and even on the lengthier tracks such as the 'Concerto for the Original Sinners' never strays far from a melody and a hook. Which is a good thing. Little touches like the flute on 'Antiquated Love Song', and the odd late period Genesis poppy moment makes for a pleasant change, from the more out there moments.

It's a really good offering, if somewhat one paced, but when he brings a sense of the dramatic to the table, it raises the game. Given a chance, fans of melodic prog will more than lap up numbers like 'At The First Glance', 'Strange' and 'Lament'.

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KILLERFIX
Bridge Of Disorder
Dust On The Tracks 2012



Metal!!!!!!!!! Indeed, yes, metal. And proper metal at that. None of your whiny, skinny white boy mewling over a scratchy guitar faux metal, but Proper Fudging Heavy Metal.

Folks a lot smarter than me have pointed out the Machine Head comparisons (that's the band, not the album, for any stray Deep Purple fans who might be confused), and it's a fair comparison. See they're taking Pantera as their metal beginnings, and ramping things up with a thrashy overview, which is basically the Machine Head template, with some added Lamb Of God. But why should there only be one band doing that? Eh? Go on, tell me. See.

They do go a bit hippy with the acoustic intros, but once the metal thrashing guitars get to work, you really don't care. They've got a good vocalist on Craig Wilson, and an array of cracking riffs from the guitars of James Fitzpatrick and Christian Lloyd. It's a brief introduction, clocking in at eight tracks, but I'd rather have some meat in my sandwich that an over-abundance of salad, and that's what you're getting as they crash through tunes like 'Beckoning, 'In Texas' and in particular, the utterly vicious sounding 'My Kingdom'.

It's not as mind gushingly wonderful as some would have you believe, but as an opening salvo from a new metal band, it really does the business. If they can pull this off live, and come up with an equally good follow-up, then they should be ready for the big time, sooner rather than later.

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KEVIN KASTNING & CARL CLEMENTS
Dreaming As I Knew
Greydisc 2012



A new name to me, but a veteran of the jazz world, Kevin Kastning attended Berklee College of Music, studied privately under the tutelage of Pat Metheny and has gone on to compose over 200 compositions for various solo and chamber group instrumentations, including ten piano sonatas, seven string quartets, and many works for duets, trios, quartets, and quintets. He's also recorded a series of albums under his own name including collaborations with Sandor Szabo amongst others. This latest offering sees him teaming up with winds and horn player Carl Clements, whom he first met back in the eighties when they were both at Berklee.

For the technically minded Kastning performs on 14-string contraguitar, 12-string alto guitar and classical guitar, while Clements takes care of tenor and soprano saxophones, flute and bansuri flute, across thirteen entirely improvised pieces. After extensive research (2 minutes on Google), I'm led to believe that this fairly dark and moody set is a bit of a departure for Mr Kastning, but as I have no way of proving this one way or the other, over the next five minutes, so I'm happy to lead with my ears, and say that is really rather good.

They've been working on this for a few years now, meeting up for recording sessions where they brought in conceptual ideas and verbal descriptions of form and composition, rather than fully blown pieces of music, going on to explore the themes within the confines of the studio. And, at its best, numbers like 'Mountains Lie in Darkness' and 'Nothing Here But Dreams' really draw you into the music, thoughts and desires of the piece. For sure, not everything works, but that's the nature of improvisation, and the odd track like 'All the Elsewheres' overstays its welcome. But they're few and far between.

The interplay of the musicians, however, is outstanding from start to finish, and folks who're looking for something a wee bit new and fresh in the world of improvised modern jazz will take to this.

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Rockin' The Blues Roundup - 24 Pesos vs Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges vs. Sauce Boss

24 PESOS
When the Ship Goes Down
Ourgate 2012



Damn, but they done got the blues in Sarf London. And it must be just as depressing as it was when I lived there, for them to be this good at it. But it's not just the blues as 24 Pesos take on some swamp rock, New Orleans funk and an assortment of other goodies to come up with a might fine record.

Songwriter / vocalist Jukian Burdock has got himself a cracking band to bring his songs to life, and the sweeps of slide guitar, Hammond organ and more, really fill out the arrangements on songs likde 'Melon Man', 'Leadbelly' and 'Peace In The Valley'. As a band they've got more in common with some of the American jam bands than they do straight ahead blues, but without tipping over into self indulgence.

If you're looking for a band who can come across like a mix of Little Feat and Gov't Mule, then 24 Pesos are the act for you. A cracker.

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EUGENE 'HIDEAWAY' BRIDGES
Born to Be Blue
Manhaton 2012



I'm not entirely sure why this 1998 album by Eugene 'Hideway' Bridges is getting a reissue, but I'm certainly glad to hear it again. Recorded in the UK, with the legendary Mike Vvernon at the helm, it's a fine example of the soul / blues crossover purveyed by Mr Bridges.

Born in 1963, the son of bluesman Hideaway Blues, and a cousin of Anna Mae Bullock aka Tina Turner, Mr Bridges has taken the influences of both sides of the family and put out a goodly number of top class records, of which this is one of the finest. So if you've never heard it, and want someone who can cross pollinate BB King and Sam Cooke, then this will be right up your street.

It's a wee gem, with songs like 'If You Don't Wanna Love Me, 'Learn How To Let You Go'' and 'Good Thang' as good as it gets in this style.

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SAUCE BOSS
Live At The Green Parrot
Burning Disk 2012



This is an, um, interesting one. Sauce Boss aka Bill Wharton has been on the go for nigh on 30 years, and is surely the sole purveyor of cooking blues. And by that, I don't just mean hot, I mean actuall cooking. Over in his part of the world he is well known for his cooking skills, which he brings to the stage, serving up free gumbo to folks who're listening to his music.

So if you were at the Green Parrot on the night this was recorded, then you're really going to enjoy this record. Of course, I'm guessing that's not too many, so for those of not sated with free gumbo, it's not quite as much fun. There are some good tunes here, with 'Killer Tone', 'Gumbo Recipe' and the swamp funk that is 'Chicken In The Gumbo'.

He seems like a funny fella, and there is some great slide guitar work on this record, so even if the recording is a wee bit rough and ready in places, it does have merits. Away from the stage, the Sauce Boss has spent years dishing out free gumbo in homeless shelters, and released over a dozen records. So I'm certainly tipping my hat to the Sauce Boss.

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EKLIPSE
A Night In Strings
Premium / Soulfood 2012



So, you're what? Fifteen? You've no friends, no one understands you. You're in pain, and this has never, ever, ever happened to anyone else in the history of the world ever. You're alone, and trying to decide whether to become a fat goth or an anoxeric / bulimic. What you really need is an instrumental soundtrack to your misery, a bit like stick insect Bella out of Twilight.

Well, here it is! Oh, yes. Courtesy of some "sexy" Germans and their stringed instruments. But they're not guitars. Oh no. These are proper string instruments. Violins, cellos and the other one. So far, so Apocalyptica. But, and here's the rub. Eklipse are girls! Oh, yes, they'll understand me as they saw their way through a series of depressing cover versions.

So, you get angst drenched versions of tunes by Snow Patrol, Depeche Mode, Coldplay and Hurts. But just to show that they're edgy, you get a Lady Gaga tune. And to show that they're "with it", they do a Linkin Park tune. But they're also serious artists, so here's Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting'. And just when you thought your veins were fit to pop, they go and perform, wait for it, 'A Night In Strings', the New Moon Theme from Eclipse New Moon. Oh, God, I love thm.

Now where's my sick stick and my razor blade.

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SAVAGE
Sons Of Malice
Minus2zebra 2012



Savage, eh? One of the also rans from the NWOBHM era. that glorious period of music that soundtracked my teenage years. But despite the plethora of dodgy home made vinyl cluttering up the room, they never even made it into the realms of rubbish Ebony Records compilation albums. In fact, had not Metallica's Lars Ulrich been a fan of their debut album "Let It Loose", then history would have consigned them to stacking shelves in Morrisons a long time ago. But he was, and Metallica recorded a version on their very first tape back in 1982, alongside a couple of originals, a handful of Diamond Head tunes, and one from Sweet Savage (no relation). On such flimsy grounds are reputations built, and the band reconvened in the nineties for a trio of records - "Holy Wars", "Babylon" and "Xtreme Machine".

Now, a decade on, they're back for another go, with original members Chris Bradley (vocals and bass) and Andy Dawson (guitars), joined by guitarist Kristian Bradley (Chris' son!) and long time friend Mark Nelson on drums. Now, to be fair, they weren't top drawer the first two times around, so I'm not going to claim that this record is a world beater. But what it is, is a fine representation of a sound long gone. Classic British metal. It's flat caps and whippets, ten pints of bitter and a fight on a Friday night metal. And, if you're as old and wizened as me, that's not a bad thing.

To be sure, they have added in some different influences this time around. So instead of balls to the wall metal, they've thrown in some seventies blues rock influences as well. So they're aiming for a 1979 Whitesnake meets 1977 Judas Priest sound, which isn't a blend that immediately springs to mind, but which works quite well. Yes, the album is about 4 songs too long, but them I am someone who grew up on vinyl, so I tend to say that about every CD nowadays.

The first couple of tracks set you up for what is to come, with 'The Rage Within' a fine piece of NWOBHM and 'Black N Blue' borrowing a title, as well as a style from seventies Whitesnake. They even go a bit Rainbowey on 'Choose Revolution' and a bit Lizzy like on a couple of tunes to hear. Now, this is all so far up my street, as to have a reserved parking space outside the front door, but I'm a man who likes to live in the past. Deal with it.

It's not world beater, as there are too many songs that don't quite hit the target, but I did enjoy hearing it and reliving my youth.

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HASSE FRÖBERG MUSICAL COMPANION
Powerplay
Reingold Records 2012



Flower Kings vocalist Hasse Fröberg and his group Musical Companion are back for another crack, with the follow up to their 2010 debut album, "Futurepast". That was a rather good progressive rock album, which had touches of melodic rock hither and thither, and was a good introduction to his solo band. He's kept the same group of players for this one, ramped up the guitars a wee bit, and put together a much improved second outing.

Fröberg says about this record, '"Powerplay" is more wild and crazy than "Future Past". Still, the melodies are in focus and we’re still the same guys in the band, so you’ll definitely recognize our sound. Some of the lyrics are by far the most personal I have written, while others reflect the world around us. At least the way I see it.' And even though it's not Motley Crue type wild and crazy I get where he's coming from, as there is an air of urgency here which was lacking in their debut.

The record sounds great, and with fellow Flower King Tomas Bodin engineering, it's not really a surprise. After working together all this time, they obviously have an understanding of what works. Add in some great work from the band, especially guitarist Anton Lindsjö and keyboard player Kjell Haraldsson, alongside some great melodic prog songs of the ilk of the 12 minute long 'The Final Hour' and the pithier, yet no less passionate 'Godsong', and you're left with an album that not only fans of the Flower Kings will enjoy, but anyone who likes classic prog with a melodic side order.

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EUROPE
Bag Of Bones
earMUSIC 2012



Europe done got the blooze. Well, sort of. Ever since they got back together, they've been drifting away from their eighties hard rock roots, into a darker territory, before turning a corner and ending up back in the days of seventies blues tinged rock. It might be a big step for their old fan base to take, but blimey, they're not half bad at it.

To create their new sound, they've reeled in producer Kevin Shirley, who's done time with Aerosmith, Black Country Communion and The Black Crowes amongst others, and he's done a bang up job in helping the band capture a rougher, grittier sound than on their past few efforts, something that they've pulled off with panache. He's a dab hand at the bluesy sound they're after, and "Bag Of Bones" really does sound good.

Of course, that would be to no avail, if they didn't have some good tunes to hum along to, and they've dug deep in the songwriting bag for some quality merchandise. The title track, the lead single 'Not Supposed To Sing The Blues', 'Doghouse' and 'Rags To Riches' are as good as, if not better, than anything they've done since their reformation. The title track, in particular, which features a guesting slide guitar from Joe Bonamassa is simply stunning. Joey Tempest may have dropped down the vocal scale since the eighties, but his deeper voice has richness and resonance, and John Norum really seems to have taken to the new direction with verve and enthusiasm.

Since returning in 2004 with the somewhat disappointing "Start From The Dark", Europe have gone from strength to strength, as they refined the new sound they were looking for, and it looks as though they've finally got there. They may lose some of their old fans, but anyone who yearns for the classic hard rocking blues of the seventies will find an awful lot to love here.

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HOLY MOSES
30th Anniversary – In the Power Of Now
Steamhammer/SPV 2012



God I'm old. How is it possible for Sabine Classen to have been touring and recording with her assorted Holy Moses bandmates for that length of time. It's just not possible. Dammit. But somehow, she has, and to mark the occasion has taken the current Holy Moses lineup into the studio to revisit the Holy Moses songs of yore, re-recording them for this 30th anniversary collection.

And there lies the nub. See, if you're a Holy Moses fan, then you'll have all the songs bar the two new tunes. And if you're not a fan, why would you want 22 songs from Holy Moses? Nope, me neither. But let's listen to it and see what happens.

Well, I liked it. Holy Moses have never strayed far from their thrash metal roots, and what with not actually having heard anything by them in yonks, the latter day tracks were very enjoyable. Sabine Classen has always had a top notch voice for this kind of metal, and she's still got the pipes to rip the shreds out of songs like 'Finished With The Dogs' and 'World Chaos'. The two new tunes - 'Borderland' and 'Entering The Now' - aren't out of place, showing that Holy Moses still have a role to play in the world of 21st century metal.

We'll ignore the fact that it's not really their birthday (Temple Of The Absurd anyone?), whip out the studded wristband and air guitar, and just shred in celebration.

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GEORGE HARRISON
Early Takes Volume 1
Commercial Marketing 2012



Well I'm well known for my antipathy to all things Beatles, but I did always reckon that the George Harrison tunes were the pick of the bunch. Something that seemed to be validated by the quality of his early solo work. And so, all this time later, here's a rather brief alternate foray into that work.

Now, the press release says that it "features a wealth of previously unreleased recordings from Harrison", something that seems to have kicked up a bit of a shitstorm out there in Beatles world, what with them apparently having been released last year as part of a bulky and expensive boxset, "Living In The Material World". You won't be surprised to learn how that passed me by, so I'm just going on the music that's on offer. And it's really rather good.

There are early takes of 'I’d Have You Anytime' and 'Awaiting On You All' plus "unheard" demo versions of 'Behind That Locked Door', 'All Things Must Pass', 'Run of the Mill' and 'My Sweet Lord', all from his 1970 album "All Things Must Pass". You're also getting "unreleased" tracks including demos of 'The Light That Has Lighted the World', 'Let It Be Me', the Bob Dylan tune 'Mama You’ve Been On My Mind' and an early take of 'Woman Don’t You Cry For Me'.

It's good to hear stripped down versions of these songs with the "All Things Must Pass" tunes of the highest order. But even regardless of the veracity of the "unreleased" claims, I do have to take issue with an album called "Volume 1" only lasting 30 minutes. It's not 1971 anymore! But for Harrison fans who couldn't afford the box set, this will keep them sweet.

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KISSIN' DYNAMITE
Money, Sex & Power
AFM 2012



I wasn't exactly blown away by the first two albums by German sleasesters Kissin' Dynamite. For sure, "Steel Of Swabia" and "Addicted To Metal" had their moments, but I wasn't rushing back to play them. However, I'm pleased to report that on album number three, they've taken a big step forward.

They've beefed up their sound a wee bit, and placed more emphasis on the metal instead of the sleaze, and the new mix, alongside their best set of songs to date makes this a real treat. There are some great riffs on offer here with tunes like 'I Will Be King', 'Sex Is War' and 'Club 27' belying their themes and lyrics with some really punchy metal vibes.

There are still hints of the Gunners and their eighties ilk, but they're also now squeezing in some proper eighties metal influences with their countrymen, Accept and the Scorpions springing to mind. The ever present group backing vocals and short, snappy solos lift the songs, and with a cracking production, the whole record leaps from the speaker. Just try playing the closing track 'Six Feet Under' to someone who's never heard of them, and I guarantee you any self respecting metalhead will be blown away.

This is a huge step forward for Kissin' Dynamite, and should definitely see them accruing new fans by the bucketload.

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Singles Bar - Nell Bryden vs. Stereo Influence vs. Showbizheroes

NELL BRYDEN
Buildings And Treetops



We're big fans of Nell Bryden round our way, and have been saying nice things about her for ages. So quite why you've been ignoring me is a bit of a mystery. I mean it must be about 4 years now since I first started salvering, but you're still no buying her records. Gits. However, Ms Bryden is better natured than me so she's decided to give you another chance with 'Buildings And Treetops'.

The first single from here forthcoming album, "Shake the Tree", this is more mainstream and pop than most of her previous country and blues tinged songs, but the tale of heartbreak highlights her voice well, and should hopefully garner more Radio 2 airplay, and persuade you to get up off your bahoochies and support her. A bit too smooth for the rough and ready white trash that is me, but still it's very nice indeed.



http://nellbryden.com/


STEREO INFLUENCE
Edgar Allan Poe



I didn't care for the debut single by Cheltenham teenyboppers Stereo Influence. It was a bit too indie by numbers for me, but this new one is a step in the right direction. For sure, it's now more in a pop-punk vein, but that's better than what went before. The b-side 'Prison Warder' is also an improvement, so maybe being 17 years old now has turned band mainman Marcello Constantinou into a more mature musician. It's not going to change the world, but I'm sure "the kids" hearing this for the first time will enjoy this up and coming beat combo.

http://www.stereoinfluence.com/


SHOWBIZHEROES
Climb To Fall



Ah, more indie rock. What joy. Or not. But here come London's Showbizheroes with their second single, which even after three plays has made no impact on my consciousness whatsoever. A mundane riff with dull vocals and a tune you can't remember. It's a bit 1995 indie, so think Suede and Menswear, then wipe the sick of your jacket and move on to something else. Which prety much guarantees they'll be huge by the end of the year. Just not here.

http://www.showbizheroes.com/

AOR Blitz - Tyketto vs. Trixter vz. Crazy Lixx

It's an AOR triple header as we welcome back some big names from the past, and some up and coming wannabee legends.

TYKETTO
Dig In Deep
Frontiers 2012



This is the big one round our way. I was a huge fan of Tyketto the first time around. One of my favourite gigs ever was a Tyketto show at the Newcastle Mayfair and I've followed Danny Vaughn through his post Tyketto years with interest. But now, eighteen years down the line, we finally have a follow-up proper to "Don't Come Easy" and "Strength In Numbers". And it's an absolute diamond.

They first started demoing tracks for the album a couple of years back, so they've put plenty of time and effort into making sure the album lives up to the classics of yore. And it certainly shows, as they rattle through a brand new set of Tyketto klassiks. With the core members scattered across the globe, there were a few hiccups to overcome on the way to this record, but it's been worth it in the end, as songs like 'Faithless', 'Battle Lines', 'The Fight Left In Me' and 'This Is How We Say Goodbye' can hold their heads high in the company of their predecessors.

I knew that Danny still had the pipes, but it's good to hear that Brooke St. James on lead guitar & backing vocals, Jimi Kennedy on bass guitar & backing vocals and Michael Clayton on drums hold up their end of the bargain. With an excellent ballad of melodic rockers and power ballads, this is probably the first great AOR release of the year. It's certainly essential listening.

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TRIXTER
New Audio Machine
Frontiers 2012



Trixter were too late to the party to make it big back in the day. Even though they'd been playing New Jersey clubs alongside the likes of Skid Row and Kix since the early eighties, they didn't release their debut album until 1990. Even though it went Gold and spawned some radio and MTV hits with the likes of 'Give It To Me Good', 'One In A Million' and 'Surrender', there were two things wrong. Number one, it was 1990, and number two, they were signed to a subsidiary of the rock graveyard that was MCA Records.

However, they still got to play arenas with Poison, Warrant and Kiss before they released the follow up "Hear!" in 1992, but with the arrival of the evil grunge, their spell in the sun was over, and they split in 1995. However, 2007 saw the original lineup getting back together to play some shows, including the legendary Rocklahoma festival over in the colonies. They've put a fair effort into the new album, working on songs with the likes of Glen Burtnik (formerly of Styx) and Snake Sabo and Rachel Bolan (Skid Row), and it's turned out a rather pleasant surprise.

I really only knew 'Give It To Me Good' and 'One In A Million', so was delighted to discover that the original lineup of Peter Loran – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, Steve Brown– lead guitar, harmonica, backing vocals, P. J. Farley– bass guitar, backing vocals and Mark "Gus" Scott– drums, percussion, backing vocals - have plenty of melodic rock tricks up their sleeves, looking back to the eighties, but with an edgier guitar vibe. It sounds great, and songs like 'Drag Me Down', 'Live For The Day' and 'Walk With A Stranger' are thoroughly enjoyable. A couple of tracks don't make the grade, but there is an awful lot to enjoy here.

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CRAZY LIXX
Riot Avenue
Frontiers 2012



Now, the veterans of the scene might be having a rare old time of it, but there are plenty of young rawk upstarts looking for a piece of the action. Most of them seem to come from Scandinavia, so it's no surprise that Crazy Lixx are a Swedish outfit, formed back in 2002. As with a lot of their contemporaries, they're a sleaze rock band, and this third album really sees them raising their game.

Musically, they've actually got more in common with the likes of eighties Kiss and Def Leppard than they do Motley Crue, so it's more an image / lyric thing that ties them to the sleaze genre. And with songs called 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot', 'Fire It Up', 'Church Of Rock', 'Heatseeker' and 'Sweet, Bad & Beautiful' firing out of the speakers, it's rather obvious that their hearts lie with sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. And nothing wrong with that. It's how I lived through the eighties.

The one big change, and it's one that may be crucial to them moving up the leagues, is the addition of a second guitarist. It's really beefed up their sound and could be the key to them breaking out onto the wider market. I really enjoyed this, but then I was there the first time around, so it was just like coming back home again.

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Video promo

LULEY
Today's Tomorrow
AOR Heaven 2012



So you don't know the name, eh? Well, me neither, but that may be done to the unfortunate life I lived during the eighties, when the notion of reading the small print on records vanished in a haze of beer and pills. But, as soon as I paid attention to this record, it all came flooding back. Because Luley is none other than Klaus Luley, former frontman of eighties AOR legends Tokyo and Craaft!

Yes indeed. If you remember rocking away to albums like “Fasten Seat Belts” or "Second Honeymoon", then you'll certainly know his voice. I never saw Tokyo, but I saw Craaft more than once as they toured with the likes of Gary Moore, Bon Jovi, and Meat Loaf. Of course, the evil that was grunge put paid to many a melodic rock act, but Herr Luley carried on as a songwriter who has penned tracks for many artists (amongst them Meat Loaf), and doing vocal sessions with Donna Summer, and Jennifer Rush. But now, after twenty years, he's back doing his melodic rock thing.

And it's really good. Luley takes care of just about everything, although he has brought in Chris Elbers on drums (who's worked with Gary Barden) and former Michael Schenker bassist Matthias Rethmann. But, apart from that, this is his baby. There are some great songs here, with tunes like 'Slipping Away' and 'Can't Live Without You' reminiscent of his eighties heyday, and there is even a revisit to the old Tokyo hit single, which was called, wait for it, 'Tokyo'!

His was not a name I expected to be making a comeback, but it's a welcome return, and one that melodic rockers of yore will certainly enjoy.

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