"Publisher's Corner"
by Geoff Wilbur
Sponsored In Part By
Night Ranger - Seven
CMC International Records
Night Ranger rocks again! For those whose most recent experience
with Night Ranger was the soft-touch Man in Motion (which, by the
way, I really liked), Seven marks the return of the eighties’ premier
non-metal guitar rock band. "Sign of the Times" opens the disc with a heavy
growl, and guitar solos fittingly dot the rest of the CD. Pick hits for
the appropriate rock charts: harmonious, almost Beatles-esque "Don’t Ask
Me Why" and "Soul Survivor." I still haven't dug up Night Ranger’s interim
CD, so this CD is welcome reintroduction to one of my two favorite bands
of all time. (Yes, I must admit serious bias toward these guys; my other
favorite is Honeymoon Suite.)
Train - Train
Aware Records
As usual, Aware has again uncovered a gem. A rough, Midwestern college
rock melody is built on this San Francisco band’s strong, Southern alt-rock
foundation. Spanning geographic tendencies, this disc also features
some bona fide potential hits -- namely, "Meet Virginia" and "Homesick,"
which both feature enough energy to keep impatient listeners from spinning
radio dials. Grit, harmony, and a sense of urgency in the vocals show that
Train has the talent to be in as good a position as anyone else to succeed
a popular-but-crowded genre.
Alabama - The Essential Alabama
RCA Records
Sixteen tracks from the ’80s. Songs include "Can’t Keep a Good Man Down,"
"The Fans (Original Version)" and "Close Enough to Perfect." Great way
to get some old Alabama music into your collection.
R. Kelly - "I Believe I Can Fly" (single)
Jive Records
OK, so this is the huge hit from Space Jam. You all either know the song
or have been living in a cave. What a voice! Wow! This two-song disc contains
the LP version and the radio edit of R. Kelly’s signature single. I believe
this proves he’s got an amazing voice.
Pearl Jam - Yield
Epic Records
There’s a different edge to this Pearl Jam album. It’s as if they’ve moved
in the direction of the Chili Peppers. But it’s more than that. Songs like
"Wishlist" are practically folk songs, complete with extremely gravelly
vocals. Could Pearl Jam be mellowing? If so, maybe we don’t mind.
Bangkok Shock - Back on the Streets
Rock Vegas Records, 2413 S. Eastern #169, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Long hair, stage clothes, high vocals, and a brand of gritty, raw punk-based
metal that’d be at home in the Ramones’ time or during London’s late ’80s
alongside D.A.D. and the Quireboys. There’s even a little Thorogoodish,
bluesy bump ‘n grind to "Problem Child." The disc closes especially impressively,
with the rockin’ "White Trash Girl," the Skid Row-reminiscent ballad "Dead
and Gone Electric," and a Ramones cover, "R-N-R High."
Slaughter - Eternal Live
CMC International Records
With the passing of guitarist Tim Kelly, what began as the first-ever Slaughter
live album tragically became a final, 12-song tribute to a dedicated four-man
line-up of good-time rockers who kept touring and recording the same brand
of rock through the nineties even as they saw their genre’s audience dwindle.
The CD, which showcases the band’s musicianship in a live setting, includes
favorites like "Mad About You," "Fly to the Angels," and "Searchin’" and
closes with the band’s first hit, 1990’s "Up All Night."
Lari White - Stepping Stone
Lyric Street Records
Lari takes her brand of rockin’ country to Lyric Street. Her energy powers
the faster stuff like "This Is Love" and "Take Me." And, course, Lari ends
the disc with a powerful ballad, "Look Homeward Angel." Also worth noting
is Lari’s duet with Toby Keith, "Only God Could Stop Me Loving You."
Luxx - Luxx
Push Records
Sometimes I’ll play a disc for a while, set it aside, then give it one
last listen a few weeks later to write a review. In this case, Luxx’s edgy
nineties hard rock fronted by Katrina Chester’s loud, rough-edged, emotional
vocals ring familiar in such a way that I forgot my previous listens to
some songs -- album opener/potential hit "Inside Your Head," for example
-- were on my CD player rather than the radio. Luxx has all the tools.
The other best bet for a hit single: "Flying Too Near the Sun."
Trinket - Trinket
RCA Records
This cassette has been in my car for almost five months, and I'm still
not tired of it. Trinket delivers a catchy brand of rock mixing talented
'80s pop rock musicianship with a raw, edgy late '90s pop rock feel. Pick
hits range from "Unbehaved" (recently featured during a montage scene of
Sabrina, The Teenage Witch) and "All the Rave," to "To Be a Star"
and the highly original-sounding "Haunt Pallenberg." Watch for these guys
to joint the Matchbox 20 club of consistently charting, classic-rooted,
modern rock performers.
Vixen - Tangerine
CMC International Records
There's still a melodic vein running through Vixen's music, but the additional
aggressiveness on this disc shows that the band has, indeed, been influenced
by the music of the '90s and fits with the current music as well as they
did a decade ago.
Van Zant - 4 song CD sampler from Brother to Brother
CMC International Records
It's a disc of crisp, growlin', bluesy Southern rock -- a little grittier
than .38 Special. Songs like "That Was Yesterday" would fit well on classic-oriented
rock radio
Lowen & Navarro - Live Wire
Intersound
Recorded live at Club Lingerie in L.A. on my 22nd birthday a few months
before I wrote my first review (when Geoff Wilbur's Renegade Newsletter
wasn't even a gleam in my eye), this disc shows why Eric Lowen and Dan
Navarro are considered great singer/songwriters. It's a recording of a
gig they believe helped propel their careers to the next level. With great
harmonies and songs like "We Belong" (which was made famous by Pat Benatar),
it's clear to the listener that, at the time, there was obviously a career
ahead of these guys. It's nice to be able to look back at the beginning,
as this disc allows us to do.
Emmet Swimming - Big Night Without You
Epic Records
"No Way to Say Goodbye," "Tom Collins," "Sarah When the Wind Blows"...
any of these songs could be a breakthrough hit for this band, whose aggressive,
power pop energy would fit them well on a stage alongside The Verve Pipe.
Like our local Michigan favorites, extensive touring and maintenance of
a massive mailing list have built a strong fan base that'll serve them
well above and beyond the degree of label assistance. I've seen 'em live
at showcases a couple of times, and their CDs do capture the group's
live energy.
Eve 6 - Eve 6
RCA Records
OK, so "Inside Out" is already a mega-hit, and deservedly so. The rest
of the disc carries a similar sound, though varied enough to be interesting.
Eve 6 is a good band of young guys; watch out -- they'll just be getting
better.
Cyberlin - Seasons: A Journey Through Vivaldi
Intersound
I love classical music, but I can't say much about it in detail. I usually
use mine as a backdrop to housework -- cleaning, paying bills, etc. --
reserving "active" listening time for rock and roll, but composer/conductor/pianist
Lee Johnson's visions of Vivaldi's Four Seasons are a nice companion
to the full orchestra version I've had in my collection for years. The
disc also includes "The Colors of a Soul," Johnson's tribute to artist
Lamar Dodd.