My longtime friend and fellow Uriah Heep fan Mac Steagall from North Carolina has written a book – The Misadventures Of A Boomer. The book is a well written series of stories, essentially an autobiography in short chapters. It’s an interesting and entertaining read, detailing Mac’s life growing up in a close-knit family in a small town in North Carolina. A different time and place for me, which made it very interesting. Mac goes on to cover stories from his youth, school, college, early jobs, and career, with various tales for each period. Later in life it was Mac’s desire to attend a Heep fan convention in St Louis in 1997 {i was there], which would help him overcome his fear of flying, and he talks about further Heep fan conventions and shows he would attend overseas. Not a lot of musical content, but as a friend, fellow Heep fan, and one who likes reading about life in different eras and places [just before my time], it was a fun read.
Not too lengthy of a read, at just over 160 pages [no pics]. and or $5 on Kindle, it was well worth it.
Released early this year, Wilderness was the first album recorded as the world went in to the Co-vid pandemic, and Robin would follow it up with 3 more albums since! He’s also edited and remastered 4 other releases during this time, so the man has been very busy! (All 8 releases available at his website). But going back a bit, British guitarist / songwriter / producer Robin George spent much of his career being more known for the names he had collaborated with early in his career – David Byron, Phil Lynott, Robert Plant, Glenn Hughes, Roy Wood,….. plus he had a huge hit in the 80s with “Heartline” from his 1984 debut album Dangerous Music. He remained busy, but his next solo album wasn’t until 2001’s Rock Of Ageist. Wilderness is the follow up to 2018 album Rogue Angels, and it’s a good rock album, with lots of great guitar work & mixes, lots of blues and groove throughout this album. There’s a great feel to the songs via Robin’s playing and the drumming of the legendary Charlie Morgan [Elton John] . For me the album starts out rockin’ with “Eyeball Kid”, and just gets better, with favorite tracks like “Deadwood”, “Freedom”, the title track, and “Belief”. Love the heavy riff that intros the outstanding “Cocoon”, as well. Robin’s vocals are kinda in that Marc Bolan style, which suits his songs, and there’s plenty of smooth backing vocals which add to the overall atmosphere, especially on the acoustic based tracks “Belief”, “Bittersweet Heartbeat” and “Rainbow Ridge”. Lots of stories told throughout these songs, with Robin being a poet and storyteller. Am looking forward to hearing more of his ‘rockdown’ albums that followed this.
*Wilderness comes with a 12 page booklet of poetry and words.
Asia’s debut album from 1982 featured a number of hits, but it was the lead off single that was most successful and became the band’s trademark song, as it would for John Wetton. The song became a Top single in at least a half a dozen countries, as well as #1 on Billboard’s mainstream rock charts. In a 2011 interview with http://www.rediscoverthe80s.com John Wetton explained the song – “The lyrics are an abject apology for my dreadful behavior towards a particular woman (the woman I would eventually marry, but divorce 10 years later), the chorus began its life as a 6/8 country song, but when Geoff and I started writing together, we moved the time signatures around, and “Heat of the Moment” emerged. No-one else particularly “got” the song, and it was the last song to be recorded for the album…”
Hearing this song always takes me back to when this first came out, and hearing it daily either playing pool at a neighbor’s house (with the radio on) or listening to it on my walkman while delivering papers. Years later I got to interview John Wetton, and he was happy to talk about Asia and that song. It would feature on every Asia collection, as well as every John Wetton live release.
Today sees a ‘live’ release of the classic track, from the band’s upcoming release Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1, to be released through BMG Records on 26th November 2021.
The live single version of “Heat of The Moment” was recorded live at Kleinhan’s Music Hall, Buffalo, NY, USA on 3rd May 1982. This performance came just days into their debut US tour. They were already selling out 2,000 – 5,000 seat halls. Within weeks, on the strength of an unprecedented amount of radio play and heavy rotation of their videos on MTV, their box office draw exploded.
Geoff Downes, who co-wrote the track with the late John Wetton commented: “Just before we went into the studio to record the first ASIA album, we realized we were one track short. So John and I sat down one afternoon and came up with “Heat Of The Moment.” He had the chorus, I had the verse and we literally put the ideas together there and then. I’m glad we did, because it became the lead-off single from the album and really established the band in the mainstream pop/rock charts. It’s hard to say whether or not the album would have been as successful had we not had this track, but for sure it certainly created a lot of momentum for us at the time. I’m proud of it, as it shows the instant magic John and I could work together as songwriters, and it still remains relevant 40 years on.”
The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1 celebrates the huge appeal of the concert tours that followed ASIA’s first two albums in 1982 and 1983. The success continued following ASIA’s 25th anniversary reunion in 2006 and three more highly acclaimed albums. The slipcase boxset features 5 x 2CD concerts from 1982 (Buffalo, NY, USA), 1983 (Worcester, MA, USA), 2007 (São Paulo, Brazil), 2008 (Tokyo, Japan) and 2010 (London, UK).
I can’t remember many of the recordings, it was so long ago. The thing I remember more than anything was the excitement I had when it was time to record Pete’s vocals. He made it look effortless, and for me, the guy on the other side of the glass, it was a dream. He knew how to deliver a vocal, not just with ballads but with the rockier songs too. It was great that, other than the guitar solos, it was just me and Pete on the recordings. The technology was just getting interesting at that time and allowed us to work without the confines of other musicians. I’d like to think we had a chemistry that allowed us to work without evening speaking at times! I knew what he wanted from me, he knew what I wanted from him. Having heard the recordings again for the first time in many years, I can almost feel that relationship in the music. I guess Easy with the Heartache would be the song that gets me every time! When I heard the mix, I could picture a 20 something me smiling back at myself, also with a tear in my eye. I love Pete, with all I am! –Paul Hodson
Recorded in the immediate few years following Peter Goalby’s departure from Uriah Heep, the songs on Easy With The Heartaches show that he had not only gotten better as a songwriter, but also that his voice was in fine shape [contrary to news at the time]. One fellow Heep fan commented that Peter “sounds better than he did with Heep!” Upon hearing this, as a fan, you might have a number of questions that all start with ‘Why’ – like why did no one pick this up and sign him at the time, why did no other artists record a bunch of these songs already, and why did it take over 30 years for them to get a proper release. All these answers are probably what lead to Peter’s frustrations that lead him to leaving the music business in the early 90s, and not looking back. But I think the ‘legend’ of this ‘lost’ solo album, and the feedback so far since the announcement of Easy With The Heartaches shows just how many fans are still eager to hear more from Peter and what he did after Heep. Heck, dare I say – many many be much happier with this than Equator 🙂 If you’ve heard these songs on the internet, with crappy sound, having been passed around for many years on audio cassettes and computer files, you will be happily surprised to hear a proper remastered and authorized set of these songs. The sound is excellent, and the songs chosen are some of the best Peter wrote in his career. These songs were done in a studio in Wolverhampton with Peter, keyboardist Paul Hodson, and guitarist Eddy Morton [guitar solos]; Robin George also co-wrote 3 songs and plays guitar on those. Many Heep fans may gravitate to “Mona Lisa Smile”, a track that saw a single release in 1988, and more so for it’s being the basis for the track “Voice On My TV” on Heep’s 1989 Raging Silence album [the first studio after without Peter]. it is an easily likeable song and Peter used the original recording of it here. For me it is those punchy 80s pop rock tracks that really jump out here. I think what Peter was best at was writing those catchy and most memorable choruses. “Hold The Dream” is the standout (IMO), such a great chorus, you can easily imagine this on a Heep album, and more so see it as hit single; it might’ve suited nicely in an 80s movie somewhere [heck, a number of these tracks sound like they could’ve fit right in to an 80s movie]. But, there are a number of tracks that are upbeat and listeners will easily get in to, such as the title track, which one might (like Peter) imagine Tina Tuner singing. “Chance Of A Lifetime”, “I Built This House” (both with Robin George; the latter sounds like it would’ve fit nicely on Heep’s Head First!) and “They’ll Never Find Us (Running For Our Lives)”. Another favorite here is “Take Another Look”, it start’s out soft, but gradually picks up, and by the time it gets to the chorus I am thinking of Foreigner, A shame Peter never got an offer to join Foreigner beyond Heep, because this song would’ve been a huge hit. (It reminds me slightly of Foreigner’s “Heart Turns To Stone” & Lou’s “Just Between You And Me”.) That track is one of a handful of excellent lighter songs, along with “Used To Be Your Lover” and “Perfection” – another favorite here.
If you liked the ’80s, the sounds that came from that era, the keyboards, classy AOR rock, or recall Goalby’s performances on Uriah Heep’s 3 albums in that decade you will want to check this out. Also for those who might’ve appreciated the likes of Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Richard Marx, and perhaps even John Parr (who Peter would write songs for) For being deemed as ‘demos’ at the time, the sound and performances are outstanding, and well produced, It’s a great collection of songs from a guy who sadly disappeared at the end of the decade (see his comments on the CD liner notes), but hopefully is back (enough) to clear out his archives for fans, and who knows …..!?
Paul Hodson recalls the technology and recordings – “If my memory serves me I think I used a program call C Lab Creator running on an Atari 1040 st computer. It was the the beginning of computer based sequencing and, despite it limited technology, it was really stable! Synth wise I guess I would have used a Roland D110 and an early sampler, either a Sequencial Circuits Prophet 2000 or a Casio FZ1 I guess. There may have been other synths but it was a long time ago! I think we were running a 16 track recorder onto 2 inch tape back then. I always remember we had a huge box of spare relays and a few hours before Pete came in I’d be swapping parts just to make sure it worked! We had a newer 24 track machine soon afterwards so the later recordings were done on that. I can’t remember which desk I used at the time, I think it was a TAC Scorpion! Showing my age now! For Pete’s guitar we used a Tom Shultz Rockman, it was the sound of the 80s, I think we used the same on John Parr’s album. Pete had got the best Telecaster I have ever heard, a real old one, I hope he still has it! I don’t do much now. I retired a few years ago from music and a enjoying my free time! I had a solo album out in 2004 and maybe I’ll do another but I guess nobody would buy it! Been away too long!”
From Robin George – My first recollection of Peter is, I bought a Gibson 330 guitar which was fab! A friend was opening a music store, and he asked me to lend it him for a window display. The first night, the shop got robbed and my guitar was stolen! He had no money so he gave me an MG Midget sports car as recompense. I loved the car so all was cool. The next time I saw the Gibson was at the Lafayette club where Trapeze were live (great band)… Peter was playing my 330 so I was really pleased it went to a really good home. Later Dave Holland, Trapeze drummer (later Judas Priest) introduced us and we got on well, so we started writing and recording together at my home studio. Peter would arrive with the titles and the choruses mapped out, so as he put it ‘I brought my guitar and played you the choruses and any other bits then you would add from there putting verses together and finished the JIGSAWS.’ I played the instruments and produced what we both agree were great songs. Peter later signed a deal with RAK records on the strength of the tracks, and Mickie Most produced Mona Lisa Smile, as a single. My memories of the sessions were mostly losing the great groove and atmosphere of the song, even a great gospel choir didn’t help. It was released, but I don’t know if it sold.
Peter later told me, ‘The Mickie Most Session WELL ? You can mention the fact that I have used our original version and NOT the Mickie Most version!’ You can tell Kevin about me doing the vocals in your kitchen LOL’ – He was in good company at the kitchen sink, Robert Plant Glenn Hughes Ruby Turner Pete Way Daniel Boone to name just a few of the stars who sang there… nobody washed up though 🙂 Later Peter contacted me to say Estrella, the band, wanted to do a version of Mona Lisa for their album ‘Come Out to Play’ ( a good version it is too) which we were both pleased with. They also covered our song ‘Chance of a Lifetime’. Later Peter asked if I had the recordings we did for his new project (he only had a cassette tape of the sessions) so I tracked them down and had the 5 tracks re-mastered and they sound really good! We’re still very much in touch and I’m really pleased with the interest in Peter these days… His new album ’Easy with the Heartaches’ is out on 19th November on Sanctuary Records and includes Chance of a lifetime, I built this house, and Mona Lisa Smile of course. Cheers (www.robingeorge.co.uk)
*Easy With The Heartaches can also be found on Amazon sites, and various online shops. When you get it – come back and let me know what you think in the comments!
The 2nd YES album to featured Jon Davison on vocals. I never did give it’s predecessor much of a chance [but have picked it up while enjoying this new one]. The 2nd video released “Future Memories” I really liked right away, and that got my interest. It is still the stand out song here, for me, a classic Yes ballad, and if the band ends tomorrow Jon Davison will have left an amazing mark with this one. Lead off track / video “The Ice Bridge” is a strong track as well, love Geoff Downes bright keyboards throughout this number, with the intro briefly reminiscent of ELP, and elsewhere this song reminds me a bit of Saga, and love Steve Howe’s riff and solo. Davison and Billy Sherwood co-write and share vocals on the upbeat “The Western Edge”. Though much of this album is near ballads or acoustic numbers, it is a pretty uplifting set of songs, as The Quest according to guitarist and producer Steve Howe – “The Quest is a strong album with a common theme: posing the great questions of life and finding that we have our destiny within our own hands.” The band also pays tribute to The Beatles in the track “Mystery Tour”. YES also pays homage to their won past according to Geoff Downes – “There’s a lot of retro sounds, reminiscent of some of the early Yes recordings. I was really a big fan of Tony Kaye, his style of Hammond playing, and even going back to the Drama album, the basic keyboard instruments – like the Hammond organ and acoustic piano – have really come out on this album..” The album also includes orchestra on a couple of tracks – Howe’s “Dare To Know” – “I wanted to augment what Yes does – To have something as beautiful as an orchestra was really appealing, and that was done remotely in Macedonia. Paul K. Joyce did the arranging for me.” The orchestra was also used on the Davison / Sherwood track “Minus The Man”. Howe’s “Leave Well Alone” is an epic Yes tune with a classy mix of vocals, and plenty of changes, and I’m pretty sure I hear a nod to “Starship Trooper” later on in.
As I’ve said previously, I never was a huge Yes fan, and post 90125 albums were hit and miss with me, but I did like The Ladder, and going back recently [upon hearing this] really liked Fly From Here, so I will put The Quest up there as my next favorite Yes album, despite being fairly laid-back, overall. There are a few songs that have jumped out at me, and there is lots to still get in to here. For all that’s been said of the line-up being without a few founding members, I am quite happy with this and look forward to more.
The Quest comes in various formats, colored vinyl, a box set… Beautifully packaged in Roger Dean artwork again.
British keyboard player [+ writer, producer, singer] Paul Hodson produced this album in 2004. Hodson recorded with the likes of Ten [Gary Hughes], Bob Catley [Magnum], Cloven Hoof, John Parr, and Peter Goalby [Uriah Heep]. I got this album well after the fact [British bands like Magnum and Ten were not in my collection til the mid 2000s], but it is a very strong album and heavier than the band’s mentioned above, which is due mainly to the guitar playing and sound of Vince O’Regan [Escape], as well as Hodson’s vocals, who at time can be as ‘eavy as Bruce Dickinson, but hey toss in the likes of Graham Bonnett and Gary Hughes too., …. But yeah, some huge guitar sound – riffs and big lengthy solos, love the lead off track “This Foolish World”, epic ” The Calling”, “Soulman”, and a pretty good cover of Rainbow’s “Light In The Dark”. 9 track album ends with the ballad “The Swan” [co-written with Eddy Morton, ex The Bushburys] – which features a nice fast keyboard/guitar break. Bass – Josie Vespa, drums – Lynch Radinsky.
*Great cover art from Al Barrow [former Hard Rain bandmate, ex Magnum]. A shame there was no follow up, but an excellent one-off project / release worth checking out.
Well, something very different….hard rockin’, but plenty of ’70s influences, some prog, some pop, and a lot of imagination – musically and lyrically. Check out tracks like “Children Of The Stars”, “Vultures Of Nevermore”, “To The Unknown”, “A Night Upon My Shoulders’, and epic piece ” Sweet Promethean”. Great songs and productions, plenty of acoustic guitars, vocal harmonies, cool guitar breaks, and synths. The bio compares these guys to one of my favorite bands – Blue Oyster Cult, which is what caught my attention. Like BOC, very crafted songs, and not really ‘heavy’ in the metal sense at all. Very good cover of “California Dreamin”, with great harmonies. Awesome cover album cover art to boot!
SIX SILVER SUNS is a recent addition to the Finnish rock field, but the band’s members are all well known musicians. Janne Mannonen on the drums is known from Finnish legendary band, YUP. Vocalist Markku Kuikka has been heard on many of heavy and hard rock albums. Guitarists Toni Bite and Harri Petjakko, bass player Teo Lehto and keyboardist Sammy Tabermann have released dozens of records with several bands. Helena Haaparanta is heard as a background singer.
Six Silver Suns has emerged from the desire to wander back to the golden years of rock and pop music: the 70s and the 80s. The band’s inspiration comes from progressive rock, goes towards Blue Öyster Cult, and combines all with the catchy tunes and melodies from AOR and Hard Rock scene.
Their first release is entitled “As Archons Fall”. The album includes ten versatile songs which have beautiful harmonies and melodies all the way. “As Archons Fall” is a fantastic journey to the Six Silver Suns Universe, where any song can lead a listener into different kind of cosmic soundscapes. You cannot underline just one song only because “As Archons Fall” is an entire experience for the listener. There is also pleasant cover song, The Mamas and the Papas – “California Dreamin`”. The album’s opening song – “Lord of the Southern Tower” lead you into distant worlds and tune you in to following songs. Until you have reached the song “A Night upon My Shoulders”, you will understand the whole. Of course there is some pieces to pick up as a enjoyable moments as you like.
“Six Silver Suns has two main composers, and both have a strong vision. On my other band YUP, I felt I did not have much to offer as a composer, while now I feel like I’m more on my own field, musically. When Toni and I started to write music for Six Silver Sun, we soon realized we work really well together, even though our tastes in music are quite different”, explains Janne Mannonen.
“Six Silver Suns has given me a chance to sing in a completely new musical environment. Our goal has been to take influence from the 70s and it was surprisingly easy to find that natural groove. We all have been playing in quite different type of bands, but all that experience came together nicely in Six Silver Suns, and – at least to my ears – we sound good! ” Vocalist Markku Kuikka says.
“This record is an awesome and casual journey into the world of rock music where there are no rules. Imagination and the freedom to compose without frames was a key element of this record for myself. I think this record will be a joy for many people for a long time to come”, explains Toni Bite
Line up: Markku Kuikka-vocals, Toni Bite-guitar, Janne Mannonen-drums, Harri Petjakko-guitar, Teo Lehto-bass, Sammy Taberman-keyboards.
Track list: 01 Lord of the Southern Tower, 02 To the Unknown, 03 Children of the Stars, 04 Fading by Light, 05 Sweet Promethean, 06 Cosmic Bitter Blues, 07 The Stranger, 08 Vultures of Nevermore, 09 Edge of Forever, 10 A Night upon My Shoulders, 11 California dreamin` (The Mamas and the Papas cover)
As expected with the associations guitarist Jo Henning Kaasin has [see bio below], this has a definite Deep Purple / Rainbow influence. The lead off track “We Are One” is pretty close to Rainbow’s “Spotlight Kid”, with that opening riff, and fast tempo; good song, very familiar. Elsewhere it’s a good set of guitar rockers, and strong vocals from Jan Thore Grefstad [who’s recorded albums with Highland Glory and Saint Daemon]. He suits this Purple/Rainbow direction quite well. Love the variety of tunes here, from the heavy epic “Revelation” [pretty cool organ in there too], to more ’80s type rockers like “Chain Of Love” and “Carry On”, to the album’s lone acoustic ballad “Shades Of Yesterday”, possibly the best cut here [great guitar break and vocal].
Debut album from hardrock band KAASIN. KAASIN was founded by guitarist, Jo Henning Kaasin, who, in the past has collaborated with with Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple/Rainbow), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple/Black Sabbath), Doogie White (Rainbow/Michael Schenker), and Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), Kaasin was a founding member, guitarist and songwriter with Come Taste The Band, who began as a Deep Purple tribute band, and released their lone album of original material in 2019, which featured guest appearances from JL Turner and Doogie White. CTTB was put on ice in January 2020 and JH Kaasin, then went on to form his own band, simply called KAASIN. He recruited his cousin, Staale Kaasin from Spider and 2020 Vision, to handle bass. The band also features the Norwegian singer, Jan Thore Grefstad, known for his incredible vocal duties with SAINT Deamon, Highland Glory and TNT. KAASIN also includes Benjamin Dehli on Hammond organ/analog synth and Chris Brush on drums.
KAASIN released two singles “Runaway Train” and “Revelation” on Streampeak Music in 2020. Both have been a great success, streaming in thousands on Spotify, Youtube, iTunes, and other download/streaming services. “Runaway Train” also went Top 10 on rock radio stations in France, the UK, Sweden and Norway. KAASIN released a third single, “Hidden” on Pride & Joy Music in July 2021, (i.e.the first single from the upcoming album, Fired Up).
The CD version of this release contains last year’s two digital singles, “Runaway Train” and “Revelation” as bonus tracks. KAASIN – Melodic hardrock in the tradition of the great bands from the seventies and early eighties.
Track list: 1. We Are One, 2. Hidden, 3. The Smoking Gun, 4. Carry On, 5. Shades Of Yesterday, 6. Walking Downwards, 7. Chain Of Love, 8. Wrong, 9. Inside Out, 10. Revelation (CD bonus track), 11. Runaway Train (CD bonus track)
Recorded and engineered in JUKE JOINT STUDIO, Notodden – Norway and at DEHLI MUSIKK, Bø in Telemark. Produced by Benjamin Dehli, Halvor Halvorsen & KAASIN
Much like Ken Ingwersen’s latest album The Future Looks Bright, Barnabas Sky is a project put together by a guitarist / songwriter, and assembled with an outstanding cast of great singers for each track, from bands Markus Pfeffer admired [hence the title]. A solid collection of heavy rockers and a few lighter melodic numbers. Great hefty sounding guitars, and lots of good songs. Really liking the opener “Legends Rise” and “Say Goodbye To Darker Days” [both featuring Danny Vaughn of Tyketto], as well as the heavy riff rockers “Yesterday’s Gone” [featuring Bob Rock of Impellitteri], and “Youngblood” [w/ Jesse Damon of Silent Rage]. Love the sound and production of this album; nice big guitar sound, well placed keyboards where needed. And pretty cool songs, which I’m looking forward to hearing more of.
The new all-star hard & heavy project BARNABAS SKY comes from the mind of guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Markus Pfeffer (Lazarus Dream, Winterland, ex-Scarlett) from Kaiserslautern/Germany. The debut album full of catchy hooklines, edgy-groovy rocking guitar riffs and filigree guitar solos is titled “Inspirations” for a certain reason: Pfeffer was able to hire singers from internationally known bands for it, which had influenced him significantly during his musical beginnings: Jesse Damon (SILENT RAGE), Steve Grimmett (GRIM REAPER/LIONSHEART), Danny Martinez Jr. (GUILD OF AGES), Rob Rock (IMPELLITTERI/AXEL RUDI PELL), Zak Stevens (SAVATAGE) and Danny Vaughn (TYKETTO) do the lead vocals on the album.
TYKETTO’s “Don’t Come Easy” was one of the first CDs Markus Pfeffer listened to on an endless loop as a schoolboy in 1991. Three decades later, he composes two songs together with TYKETTO’s golden throat Danny Vaughn, the appropriately titled epic opener “Legends Rise” and “Say Farewell To Darker Days” with elaborate vocal arrangements and poignant lyrics.
SAVATAGE singer Zak Stevens contributed lyrics about the psychological effects of the pandemic for the heavy stomping track “What Lies Beneath”, which is underpinned with down-tuned guitar riffs and subtle orchestral arrangements, and he sings about a legendary figure of Russian folklore in the form of a bird with a woman’s head on “The Alkonost”.
GUILD OF AGES frontman Danny Martinez Jr. from Denver/Colorado dominates the melodic hard rock songs “Breathe Again” and “In My Mind” with his very own timbre and velvety voice. The latter is the album’s first video track with a more than hooky guitar riff and lyrics about the increasingly important attention to mental health.
SILENT RAGE’s smoky-throated frontman Jesse Damon carries the epic ballad “Till The End Of Time” and the rocker “Youngblood”, with AOR legend PAUL SABU contributing backing vocals for both tracks. Nostalgia fact on the side: Interestingly, the Hollywood classic movie “The Thief of Bagdad” starring Sabus’s father was Markus Pfeffer’s favourite film during his childhood. Damon recorded his vocals in North Hollywood at the studio of Bill Metoyer (FATES WARNING, ARMORED SAINT etc.).
Melodic metal siren Rob Rock (AXEL RUDI PELL, IMPELLITTERI, M.A.R.S. etc.) takes over the mic on the riff monster “Yesterday’s Gone” and GRIM REAPER’s Steve Grimmett’s unmistakable voice convinces on the straight rocker “Never Enough”.
As a tribute, Pfeffer has adapted the title tune of the seventies TV series “Timm Thaler” in a “GARY MOORE way” and provided it with deliberate sonic and stylistic reminiscences of Moore’s classic “The Loner”.
Musical guests on the album are keyboardist Thomas Nitschke and pianist Michael Weickenmeyer, drummer/percussionist Thomas Rieder and bassist Bernd Schreiber. The album’s artwork was designed by well-known French artist Stan W. Decker (RAGE, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, MASTERPLAN) and mastering was done at Rolf Munkes’ (CREMATORY) Empire studios in Bensheim, Hessia.
The names of the contributors speak for themselves – there can hardly be more arguments to lend BARNABAS SKY’s debut album an attentive ear.
Tracklist: 1. Legends Rise, 2. What Lies Beneath, 3. In My Mind, 4. Yesterday’s Gone, 5. Till The End Of Time, 6. Say Farewell To Darker Days, 7. Breathe Again, 8. The Alkonost, 9. Timm’s Theme, 10. Youngblood, 11. Never Enough, 12. Till The End Of Time (Piano Version)
Canada’s A FOOT IN COLDWATER released 4 albums in the ’70s, had a couple of hit singles here, then split after the 4th, but reunited on a few occasions. The Toronto band included Alex Machin [lead vocals], Hughie Leggat [bass], Bob Horne [keyboards], Danny Taylor[drums], and Paul Naumann [guitars]. The band’s first 2 albums were released in Canada on Daffodill Records, though the debut was also issued in Australia and New Zealand. But it was the band’s 3rd album All Around Us in 1974 that finally saw the band signed to Elektra Records and get released in the US and the UK. The album included 5 tracks taken from the band’s first 2 albums (notably the hits “(Make Me Do) Anything You Want” and “(Isn’t Love Unkind) In My Life”) , as well as new songs. Legendary British producer John Anthony (Queen, Van Der Graaf Generator, Genesis, Roxy Music…) was brought in to co-produce (along with Francis W.H. Davies;, also co-engineering was Mike Stone), with the album being recorded in Toronto and London [UK], and American artist John Van Hamersveld was tasked with the album’s cover art. The logo featured on the cover would be re-used elsewhere on CD compilations and concert shirts (I picked up 1 of each when I saw the band in 2011). *The album cover in Canada would be silver, while the US version would be white with the added ‘Or’ to the title.
Below is John’s words about the about cover for All Around Us, as well as info on his career before and after….
John Van Hamersveld’s background …
In 1967-68 I was a rock concert promotor for my company called Pinnacle Production, putting concerts on for a year. My partners and I booked and heard 43 bands twin a night on a Ltexlancing sound system. I was losing my hearing in the process. (Pinnacle Dance Concerts, which was founded in 1967 by Sepp Donahower, Marc Chase and John Van Hamersveld. Pinnacle promoted the early shows of the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Traffic, Cream, The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart and Pink Floyd. The Single Wing Turquoise Bird Light Show did many of the multimedia light shows at the Pinnacle Concerts.) … I was in the business for 17 years 1967 to 1984, and when the business went digital, I left the industry to work in Surf Subculture, and the re-entry of The Endless Summer Poster into the culture in the 80s.
On getting A Foot In Coldwater assignment…
Elektra Records had their office up the alley from Willoughby street where my studio was at the corner of Las Cienega Boulevard. There was the art director Glenn Christensen who was given 30 to 40 album cover projects to design every 90 days. He had to pick photographs and designs to get the order together. So he called me and gave me the Foot In Coldwater LP cover. (Glenn Christensen: US art director, graphic designer & photographer for Buddah Records, Elektra/Asylum Records, and 20th Century Fox Records. Glenn Christensen may have made the photograph, the photographer not credited)
Glen gave me the album cover because the group’s manager by contract didn’t with the art director doing the cover and campaign, the manager wanted control.
Familiar with or meet the band beforehand?
The politics of the company people at Elektra Records was the art director to guide the will. I don’t think Glenn introduced me.
Creating the band’s logo for the cover….
I presented the idea of a logo as the cover like a lot of bands used in the promotes. The title words were weak. So I thought a logo-like image would be more dominant in the Record Store, and they would hang the promotional logo around the store.
The wings: meaning… High Flying. Arranging the title words was being abstract in typography. The logo would be the visual trick for the promotion, visually simple, could be on the drum kit, ads, t’shirt, etc. The group didn’t photograph well, no style! They needed style, so the logo became the style.
All that JVH did on All Around Us…
Created the design of the front and back.
The most famous album cover worked on.
Exile On Main Street, by The Rolling Stones!
Other famous and favorite ones John worked on…
The Endless Summer soundtrack album from the movie 1965. The Beatles, MMT album 1967, The Jefferson Airplane, Crown of Creation 1968, Bob Dylan’s, soundtrack album Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid 1972, The Skeletons from the Closet: The Best of the Grateful Dead 1974, Steve Miller’s The Joker 1976, and Fly Like an Eagle 1978, Blondie’s Eat to the Beat 1979, Kiss, Hotter Than Hell 1974, The Doors, American Prayer, Jim Morrison’s Poetry album 1978. Claudia Lennear album cover Phew !, 1973 … to name a few.
Other art John has done over the years, and places people can view his work…
![The Misadventures Of A Boomer by [Mac Steagall]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41nniZhSyBL.jpg)
Outsider Rock 