Wings Of Steel is a new hard-rock / metal band out of California based around Swedish singer Leo Unnermark and guitarist Parker Halub, who met in 2019 while studying music in Los Angeles. The pair wrote and recorded a 5 track EP (CD). They’ve produced and released it themselves, with Mike Mayhem on drums, Damien Rainaud mixing it, and Spencer Caligiuri providing some pretty cool CD artwork.
The band delivers 5 excellent ’80s type of heavy guitar rockers, with great riffs, hooks, solos, and Unnermark’s high end vocals. These guys take on plenty of classic ’80s influences from Whitesnake and Scorpions, Maiden, and sometimes reminiscent of the likes of Skid Row, Dokken, and MSG.. There’s 4 rockers here, plus 1 acoustic ballad. The ballad is good, but for me it is the other 4 that are solid rock tunes. Lead off track “Stormchild” is a good rocker, a bit pf a euro metal feel, as does the title song, which stands out right away, a bit of power metal, great vocals, fast solos, reminds me of Germany’s Helloween,. “Rhythm Of Love” is another excellent track, this one is a bit more LA 80s, aside from the shredding solo, parts of this remind me of Great White, very cool song. Favorite track here is the last one – “Black Out The Street”; a great 80s melodic hard rocker, reminding me a bit of late 80s Whitesnake. Love the production on this EP, just a great big sound, lots of cool guitar solos, harmonies,hard hitting drums, all mixed well.
Tracklisting: Stormchild / Wings Of Steel / Rhythm Of Desire / Khamsin Riders / Black Out The Street
L-R – Jayme Black – Vocals/Bass, Nate Pole – Drums/Vocals, Benny Kemp – Guitars/Vocals
Another Canadian metal trio, Rebel Priest is from Vancouver, and will be heading out in British Columbia and Alberta with Toronto’s Deadwolf. Rebel Priest has a new 4 track EP coming out titled Lesson In Love, which has also been released as a video. “Lesson In Love” is good heavy rocker, that quickly reminds me of D’ianno era Iron Maiden. Check out the video below. Following that fast rockers like “Dive Bomber” and “Coatcheck Girl” feature cool riffs, with shades of Motorhead, early Maiden and Motley Crue. The last track is “Bonfire”, coming in under 2 minutes, and musically reminded me of 70s Sabbath and AC/DC. Plenty of energy here, nothing tame or smooth here, and dig the guitar sound. Matching Rebel Priest with Deadwolff sounds like a pretty cool bill, as both bands have a definite Motorhead influence, as well as a few others, and loads of rock energy on their new releases.
Press Release:
Vancouver’s Rebel Priest has been bringing its eclectic brand of rock n’ roll to fans for years in a true unadulterated, unapologetic fashion. A little bit greasy, a little bit sassy, but 100% committed, they have released four records, with a fifth on its way this year. “Lesson In Love” is the name of the upcoming EP as well as the first single, an untraditional ballad, like a love song sung by a Tommy gun. According to the band, it’s about going through the trials and tribulations of loving something – the ups, the downs, the spirals, but without the direct subject being a person. The band explains further:
“It’s open-ended in that it is what you love or love doing and how it’s a journey that can always find a way home. There’s always that one thing in your life that keeps you going, a person, a hobby, a theology. No matter what your vice is, it always comes at a price. You have to go through the blood, sweat, and tears to get what you need outta it and it doesn’t always come easy. This is your education, your lesson in love.”
When people put on the new record, Rebel Priest intends for them to forget about everything else, take a break from the grind, and get pumped! Whether you’re working out, going out, or down and out, put it on and play it loud! Get into it and go wild! Their music is fluid, they find a riff and then follow it where it wants to go. They say it’s just about finding the groove and cruising the wave.
Rebel Priest is headed out on tour with Toronto’s Deadwolff this summer, and spectators are in for a rock n roll treat – guitarist/vocalist Benny Kemp is the embodiment of a denim tornado; that guy will (and has) break his legs to party on stage! Drummer/vocalist Nate Pole is a groovin’ attitudn’ mean machine behind the drums that will sometimes make a wood chipper look like a pencil sharpener on those skins. As for vocalist/bassist Jayme Black, he’s a bit of a mouthpiece and likes his bass real gritty.
The trio just wants to bring rock n roll back to street level, when it was outlaw music for the underdog, so expect a greasy, sweaty, down and dirty rock show. They are recommended for fans of Motörhead, ZZ Top, and Rose Tattoo.
About:
Rebel Priest is a no-nonsense, real-deal rock n’ roll band composed of three seasoned musicians who have been making their way through the Western Canadian rock n roll scene for years. Vocalist/bassist Jayme Black (Lust Boys, The Toxiks); guitarist/vocalist Benny Kemp (Lust Boys, Road Rash); and drummer/vocalist Nate Pole (Kill Matilda, The Toxiks) bring nothing but unadulterated, high energy grease infused Trash N’ Roll! The band has had the pleasure of touring Japan, and performing alongside bands such as Udo (Accept), Lordi, Diamond Head, Crystal Pistol, Flotsam, and Jetsam along with playing many headlining gigs with the energy of Motorhead meets Motley Crue. Since forming in 2014, the band has released three studio albums “R’ley Heavy” (2019), Enabler (2017 ), Self-Titled (2015) along with one live record “Dead Alive @ SBC (2017). and an EP – Lost In Tokyo (2021)
The Rebel Wolff Tour w/ Rebel Priest and Dead Wolff June 24 – Vancouver, BC – Have A Good Laugh Festival. *Afternoon show – Deadwolff only June 24 – Vancouver, BC – Lana Lous June 27 – Maple Ridge, BC – The Wolf Bar June 28 – Kamloops, BC – Pogue Mahones June 29 – Kelowna, BC – Missions Tap House June 30 – Lethbridge, AB – TBA July 1 – Calgary, AB – The Palamino July 2 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Temple
Legendary YES vocalist/songwriter Jon Anderson will be playing select shows with The Paul Green Rock Academy in Summer 2022! Jon and the ensemble will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the release of YES’s classic album “Close to the Edge” by performing the album in its entirety, along with other classics and surprises!
This Jon Anderson with The Paul Green Rock Academy tour is a resumption of the tradition started in 2005 when Jon toured with Paul Green’s original School of Rock all stars.
These early shows, over 30 in total between 2006-2008, were nothing short of magical, and now Jon Anderson returns to continue that magic with a set of Yes Classics, deep cuts, mash ups, and solo works, all with lush arrangements featuring choral singing, horns, and all the other benefits of having a backing band with 25 young musicians.
Says Paul Green, “Having done a few of these songs in the past with Jon and my students, I couldn’t wait to add them to the current show. Once we did ‘Close to the Edge’ and ‘And You and I’ on our Florida run in April, I was reminded of the magic of hearing these songs recreated by young musicians…They really capture the frenetic energy of the original recordings. Then when I heard it was the 50th anniversary of the album I just knew we had to do the whole thing. Jon agreed.”
There are so many wonderful moments in my musical life, and being on stage with these young teenagers performing Classic Yes songs, makes me so happy and proud …..
It’s a marvel and a tremendous pleasure for me..
They are a joy to be with and so much fun!!!
I am grateful, thankful and feel very blessed to be able to sing along with them. Janee and I love them all Love and light… Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson with The Paul Green Rock Academy tour dates:
7/7: Plymouth NH – The Flying Monkey Performing Arts Center 7/8: Beverly MA – The Cabot 7/13: Huntingdon NY – The Paramount 7/14: Montclair NJ – Wellmont Theater 7/16: Ridgefield CT – Ridgefield Playhouse 7/17: Sugar Loaf NY – Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center 7/20: Glenside PA – Keswick Theatre 7/22: Kent OH – The Kent Stage 7/23: Des Plaines IL – Des Plaines Theatre 7/27: Greensburg PA – The Palace Theatre 7/30: Milwaukee WI – Pabst Theater 8/3: State College PA – The State Theatre 8/6: Albany NY – The Egg
photo by Robin Gilbert
Jon Anderson is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable voices in music as the lead vocalist and creative force behind YES. Anderson was the author and a major creative influence behind the ground-breaking album “Fragile” as well as the series of epic, complex pieces such as “Awaken,” “Gates of Delirium” and especially “Close to the Edge” which were central to the band’s success. Additionally, Anderson co-authored the group’s biggest hits, including “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Roundabout” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” After 50 years of success in the music business, Jon has worked with many variations of YES, as well as collaborations with Vangelis, Kitaro, Roine Stolt and Jean-Luc Ponty. He has released several critically acclaimed solo albums including “Olias of Sunhillow,” “Song of Seven,” “Animation,” “Three Ships,” “Toltec” and “Survival and Other Stories” to name just a few. In 2017 Jon reformed YES with former band members Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman. YES Featuring ARW toured the world to rave reviews and released “Live At The Apollo” CD/DVD in September 2018. Never to stand still musically, in 2019 Jon released an album he started 28 years ago, now called “1,000 Hands,” a reference to the fact that numerous guest musicians perform on the album, including Ian Anderson, Billy Cobham, Jean-Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Zap Momma, Chris Squire, Alan White, Steve Howe and many more.
Following the sad news of the passing of drummer Alan White, YES will go ahead with their forthcoming The Album Series Tour 2022 in June celebrating the 50th anniversary of their iconic album Close to the Edge, dedicating the tour to Alan.
Alan White joined YES in June 1972, just days before their Close To The Edge Tour began. Over the following 50 years Alan would appear on every YES album including 2021’s The Quest. Following the global pandemic, Alan had been looking forward to this tour and re-joining his bandmates on stage, something he lived for, in the run up to his 50th anniversary of joining Yes.
Sadly that was not be, but Alan’s towering presence will be omnipresent on the tour. Alan’s good friend, Jay Schellen, will join Yes for the forthcoming tour, alongside Steve Howe (guitars), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (vocals) and Billy Sherwood (bass guitar and backing vocals).
Steve Howe: It is with great sadness that I join with the other members of Yes to acknowledge the passing of our dearest friend and drummer, Alan White.
He gave so many of his best years to the band and was a true believer and determined professional til the very end.
Being a kind and loving human being just came naturally to him, with his mellow, non-confrontational personality and abundant generosity, which made him so popular with his friends and everyone he met.
Geoff Downes: It is with the utmost sadness I have received the news of the passing of my dearest friend and bandmate Alan White. He was truly one of the greatest men I have ever met. Honest, loyal, passionate, caring, kind, generous, considerate, charitable, funny – so many superlatives, too many to mention – simply, an all-round top guy and one of the best. And despite living for many years in his adopted hometown of Seattle, he never lost that Geordie wit, irony and charm.
As a musician he was unique in every way, and his powerhouse technique influenced whole generations of drummers and percussionists – an absolute legend in the true sense of the word. He was a joy to share the same stage with, often glancing over at the keyboard riser with a wink and a smile, but still laying down that solid, yet intricate groove as only he could. This was Alan – a genius who never took himself too seriously.
We had some great laughs together, became very close, and always looked after each other to the point where they started referring to us as ‘The Odd Couple’!
The Close to the Edge show will comprise full production and a high-definition video wall featuring the work of Roger Dean who will also be joining the tour with an exhibition of YES related art.
Following the release of The Yes Album and Fragile, in 1971, YES released what is widely considered one of the most defining albums, not only for YES but for the whole progressive movement. Close to the Edge became an inspiration for their contemporaries and for successive generations of musicians.
YES 2022 UK Tour Dates Are:
15th June Wednesday Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
17th June Friday Manchester Bridgewater Hall
18th June Saturday Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
20th June Monday Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
21st June Tuesday London Royal Albert Hall
22nd June Thursday York Barbican
24th June Friday Birmingham Symphony Hall
26th June Sunday Newcastle O2 City Hall
28th June Tuesday Dublin Vicar Street, Eire
29th June Wednesday Cork Opera House, Eire
For full details and to book tickets for all shows go to venue website or http://yesworld.com/live where you can also book Meet and Greets with the band.
A mere 6 months after Peter Goalby’s surprise solo debut album, decades after he retired from the business, a sequel has arrived! Easy With The Heartaches came out last November 2021, and the quality of the songs, recording, and Peter’s vocal performances were a long awaited (and overdue) treat to fans who’ve wondered where and why he disappeared years ago. Heck that album only made many wonder even more why he went away with so many great songs yet to see the light of day! Now, there is a ‘part 2’ to his long lost solo recordings – I Will Come Runnin’, featuring the same cast – Paul Hodson and Eddy Morton, as well as Robin George on 2 tracks. Safe to say if you enjoyed the first release – you will love this as well. The song quality and performances are as good as Easy With The Heartaches, being from the same period and recording sessions. The difference being that overall I think I Will Come Runnin’ is a bit more in the softer AOR realm, with a few less ‘punchy’ tracks than it’s predecessor. “Hold The Dream” may still be my favorite of either of these releases, but there’s some damn great tunes here, with early favorites being “Somebody’s Fool” and “Waiting For An Angel To Call”. The title track leads off this disc (as with the first one), and it’s a good positive lighter aor pop-rock tune, but like most, what makes Peter’s songs so good is the catchy and memorable choruses, I also think Eddy Morton’s guitar break here gives the song a nice lift.
Lots of potential here for ‘hits’ had this come out in another era – “Dancing On Water” (co-written with Robin George), “It Was There All The Time”, “Perfect Strangers” (one of the excellent ballads here), “There’s Always A Place In My Heart”…. Robin George also co-wrote the rockier “Rock N Roll Crazy” – this one is a bit different, sounding like it would’ve fit nicely on one of George’s ’80s releases, or on Heep’s Equator (ala “Party Time”) . The last track here is the last track Peter recorded – “A Little Piece Of Heaven”, and judging from the lyrics (especially the opening lines), I would think he was already planning on getting out of making music – “Saved up all my rainbows, cashed in all my yesterdays / Changing my direction, giving all my things away / It’s time to make a new start, “ It is one of the best ballads Peter ever wrote and sang, but marks the end of his musical career, so it’s a bit sad in that case. Paul Hodson does a superb job on this one as well, and Eddy Morton delivers a cool short guitar break (sounds )a bit country. This is The Big ‘hit’ off this album, IMO.
I Will Come Runnin’ likely marks the end of Peter Goalby’s ‘archived’ material that we’ll see a proper release of. I don’t believe there is that much in the way of good material / recordings left that could or would possibly be released in the future. So, enjoy this and Easy With The Heartaches as much as you can. They are both fantastic CDs of songs we are fortunate to get to have. Decades after leaving the business Peter can now add “successful solo artist” to his legacy, besides just “former lead singer of _____” .
*CD cover art designed by Mike Inns (who also did Easy With The Heartaches), and who’s done album covers and art for numerous acts, including Collins / Shaw, Asia, John Wetton, Alan Simon and Focus, among others.https://www.discogs.com/artist/2879524-Michael-Inns
Alan White of YES has passed. A legendary drummer, who had an amazing resume even before joining Yes. He was the band’s longest serving member, and aside from all the classic Yes albums he was on since 1973, he also released a solo album in ’76, and an album under the band name White in 2006, which also included Geoff Downes of Yes.
[Press}:
It is with deep sadness that YES announce Alan White, their much-loved drummer and friend of 50 years, has passed away, aged 72, after a short illness. The news has shocked and stunned the entire YES family.
Alan had been looking forward to the forthcoming UK Tour, to celebrating his 50th Anniversary with YES and their iconic Close To The Edge album, where Alan’s journey with YES began in July 1972.
He recently celebrated the 40th Anniversary of his marriage to his loving wife Gigi. Alan passed away peacefully at home.
Alan was born in 1949 in County Durham. A number of health setbacks, since 2016, had restricted Alan’s time on stage with YES on recent tours with Jay Schellen filling in and Alan joining the band, to great applause, towards the end of each set.
Alan was considered to be one of the greatest rock drummers of all time and joined YES in 1972 for the Close to the Edge Tour. He had previously worked with John Lennon’s Plastic Ono band after a call, in 1969, to play at the Toronto Rock Festival. Alan continued working with Lennon including on the Imagine album and with George Harrison on All Things Must Pass. He also worked with several other musicians, over the years, including Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Joe Cocker, Gary Wright, Doris Troy and Billy Preston to name but a few. Alan White was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of YES in 2017.
YES will dedicate their 50th Anniversary Close to the Edge UK Tour in June to White.
Demons & Wizards was Uriah Heep’s 4th studio album. A few days ago the album turned 50 years old. It was the follow up to Look At Yourself, an album which saw the band solidify a heavy hard-rock direction, and featured classics like “Love Machine”, the title track, and the epic “July Morning” – the latter 2 would remain in the band’s set list almost permanently, and the album has been argued as the band’s best by some critics & fans, but it did not have the commercial success that Demons And Wizards would. In the time after Look At Yourself the band went through more personnel changes, first dropping founding member / bass player Paul Newton. Newton was a key figure in the band’s formation and early days, as he had played with The Gods – which featured Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake before moving on to Spice – which would become Uriah Heep with the addition of Ken Hensley, upon Newton’s recommendation. Newton was initially replaced by Colosseum bassist Mark Clarke, a friend of Hensley’s. Iain Clark, who was the band’s 4th drummer and played on Look At Yourself, left the band soon after Newton, and Lee Kerslake joined. With Clarke on bass the band recorded 2 tracks for a single release – “The Wizard” and “Why”. The latter had been around for some time, as the band had recorded it previously, much longer as “Why -14 Minutes?”, and it would never find a place on a Heep LP, but would become perhaps the band’s most popular non-album track. Clarke would also get a co-writing credit on “The Wizard”, with Hensley. The song featured acoustic guitar, the band’s harmonies, a mystical tale, and the whistle of a tea kettle! The idea to record the tea kettle was spontaneous in the studio and it fitted in perfectly. Clarke also sang the bridge in the song that was better suited to him than David Byron. Released in March “The Wizard” would chart in a few countries, a minor hit in Canada (#86), a top 40 hit in Germany, and a top 10 hit in Switzerland – where the band had previously had a top 10 hit with the single “Look At Yourself”.
Before the album would be completed though Clarke left the band while on US tour, with Gary Thain (ex Keef Hartley) brought in to replace him. “The Wizard” also became the first track on the album, an interesting way to start an album that would go on to be much heavier. (An interesting comparison is Golden Earring’s 1971 album Seven Tears, which begins with the acoustic track “Silver Ships”, as well as a unique lyrical subject). Side one would also contain “Traveler In Time”, and “Poet’s Justice” – the first featured in the band’s live show at the time, while the latter is one of the band’s great album tracks, rarely mentioned, and not featured on the Live ’73 album – just a classic tune, and and stellar performance from Kerslake – who would receive a co-writing credit on both of these tunes. “Circle Of Hands” is the track that had me going back to carefully drop the needle on that Ken Hensley organ intro, and listen through to the end with the David Byron’s vocal and Hensley’s slide guitar that plays out to the end. It is the Heep song that had me as an immediate fan, and remains my favorite Heep track. The band did a remarkable live performance of it on their Live ’73 album, and have occasionally revisited it in the live set since 1994, as it appeared on Spellbinder (Live in Koln) . “Easy Livin'” was the third track on Demons And Wizards, and the album’s 2nd single. It was short and full of energy, with that Hammond organ throughout with Mick Box’s fuzzy guitar tone. And again it’s full of harmonies, a great vocal from Byron, and the rhythm section of Kerslake and Gary Thain drove this one home. Kind of a cool follow up to the track “Look At Yourself” musically. It would be the band’s first (and only) top 40 hit in the US at #39, while in Canada it peaked at #25, and as put by one former Heep PR person “opened all doors” for them. It is among the most covered Heep classics, and is the band’s best known song globally, one of the few that still receives radio play on FM classic rock radio, and has rarely never been featured in the band’s live show.
Side 2 opened with “Rainbow Demon”, another song featuring a tale of fantasy, though darker and heavier than “The Wizard”, it was (obviously) the track used for part of the album’s name. This one has occasionally crept in to the band’s live set over the last decade or so, as well. “All My Life” was the album’s other short and furious rocker, featuring plenty of slide guitar (via Ken Hensley). A Box/Byron/Kerslake credited track that was, in many countries, used as the B-side to “Easy Livin”. Admittedly, this was the last song on the album that I really got in to. The album closes with the epic combo of “Paradise / The Spell”, 2 different tracks that are edited to blend together, and fit well, clocking in at over 12 minutes. While “Paradise” is an acoustic ballad, the weight and pace pick up as the it blends in to “The Spell”, a more upbeat saga of good vs evil with Byron and Hensley trading off vocal lines. Lots of changes throughout, a fantastic production. A shame this one was never performed in full during at the time it came out.
From RPM (Canada) – A surprisingly sophisticated set of uniquely produced avant garde rock. The group has matured considerably and this album is easily the high point of their careers. Listen particularly to “The Wizard” and “All My Life”. This one should do it for them.
Demons And Wizards would be the first of a pair of Heep’s classic albums to feature the artwork of Roger Dean, who was quickly becoming famous during the era having done album art for bands such as The Gun, Atomic Rooster, Lighthouse, Osibisa, and Yes by this point. The album made the charts in numerous countries – top 10 (#1 in Finland, #5 in Germany and Norway), top 20 (Australia, UK) … in the US it would be the band’s most successful, making it to #23 there and #22 in Canada, the band’s first to go ‘Gold’, With Heep’s hectic schedule at the time the band were on the road much of the rest of the year, breaking to record and release a follow up within 6 months! The Magician’s Birthday came out, rushed before the end of the year, and although the 2 albums are often seen as a classic pair for their fantasy themes, Roger Dean covers, and legendary tracks, the latter would not be as successful, nor would it contain that global hit single as Heep had with “Easy Livin”. But another awesome album to look at in the future.
The 50th Anniversary of the Heep’s most successful and famous album seems to have gone by without a huge deal , due largely to the pandemic that pushed back the band’s 50th anniversary tour from 2020. There was a limited edition picture disc LP release, but heck I would’ve loved to have seen a box set (ala Led Zeppelin style) marking such an iconic album. But the year is far from over, the band is touring, and have a brand new album recorded in the can, and there’s a few more classic Heep albums coming up over the next year that will deserve celebrating as well.
RIP: David Byron, Gary Thain, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake.
It was 3 years and a month since Canadian band Teaze reunited for the first time in decades at Windsor’s historic Walkerville Theatrè. The original line up being singer/bassist Brian Danter, guitarist Mark Bradac, guitarist Chuck Price, and drummer Mike Kozak. Price however came out for the finale and encore, with Charlie Lambrick joining the band on stage as guitarist/keyboard player for the show. Teaze in April of 2019 was an amazing night – with Dusty D’Annunzio opening for Teaze, the band played an awesome set from the band’s catalogue of 4 studio albums from 1976 to 1980, when they were with Canadian label Aquarius Records (home to April Wine) . It was such a successful show that the band set a date for a 2020 show, which would be postponed more than once. This past weekend finally saw that date happen. The band – with No opening act, would play 2 sets with an intermission. The line up of Danter, Bradac, Kozak, and Lambrick were well prepared, and original guitarist Chuck Price came out to join the band halfway through the 2nd set. The band’s material is well over 40 years old, but sounded fresh and heavier than the original takes. If you’re not familiar with Teaze, check out favorites like “Heartless World”, “Touch The Wind”, “Young & Reckless”, “Sure Thing” and “On The Loose”. Post-show band members came out to greet fans, and sign stuff. There are hopefully more Teaze shows in the planning, including Rock The River Festival in Saskatoon, in August.
A number of fans came from far out of town to see this rare occasion of Teaze playing live. My buddy Derek (a major Teaze fan) and I drove in from Niagara Falls. It ended up being a very nice warm & sunny day. I had a blast at the local Dr Disc (a huge record shop 5 minutes from the theater), as well there were a few fine restaurants & bars a short walk from the theatre.
Below are photos I took on my phone/camera from my seat down front. The pic of the set-list was from Rick LaBonte, who was at the show with Toronto rock journalist Martin Popoff.
RIP to Ric (RJ) Parnell who may be best known for his part in the classic rock n roll ‘mockumentary’ as the drummer Mick Shrimpton (and then Ric Shrimpton following Mick’s spontaneous combustion) . The band was assembled around Hollywood actors playing the roles members of a struggling British hard-rock band touring on a comeback in the early ’80s. Parnell was select in part for his past – having been in Atomic Rooster.
Between stints in ‘Rooster Parnell had turned down an offer to join Uriah Heep in the early ’70s – “I decided I didn’t want to play that particular style of music at that time; what one would call “musical differences”…I’vealways been a tad overly picky as to what I play…big mistake!! This is why I’m still a broke muso!” He would later turn down offers from Journey and Whitesnake.
Ric played on Atomic Rooster albums – Made In England and Nice ‘N’ Greasy [aka IV}. Previous to that he played on the highly collectable one LP by Horse (1970), and following Atomic Rooster he played on albums by Italian bands Tritons (73), and Ibis (74). Following a few other projects Ric would play on a number of records by the likes of Michael Des Barres, Lisa DalBello, Toni Basil (“Mickey”), Wayne Kramer and Ravi Shankar. He also relocated to the US, and spent his later years in Montana.
Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie’s fourth solo album comes out in a few weeks, and it’s surprisingly nothing that I expected. Now, to be honest I haven’t kept up with Dream Theater much since the early 2000s, just not huge on lengthy modern prog concept albums and pieces, I guess. But Beautiful Shades Of Grey is far from that. It is a collaboration with Paul Logue of UK band Eden’s Curse (I will have to check them out next), and features 11 tracks, with no heavy concepts, no long numbers, and no real heavy rockers. There’s plenty of acoustics, piano, synths, harmonies,… Sure, most of it would be classified as ballads, but it’s not too soft by any means, plenty of well crafted and performed tracks, They’re all pretty different, and there’s some nice use of strings and different guitars, piano… particularly on faves like “Give And Take” and “Sunset Ruin”. Strong acoustic cuts in “Wildflower”, “What I Missed”, and a cool take of Zeppelin’s “Ramble On” – which is pretty fitting, as this album has a good ’70s vibe to it all. Lead off number “Devil In Drag” comes in an acoustic and electric version, the stand-out track for me – an instantly likeable track, with a great melody, love the synths. The electric version, which ends this album is the only rocker here, but that’s OK. A very enjoyable album, just in time for summer! Cool cover, btw! Check out the first 2 videos from Beautiful Shades Of Grey below, and read the press info below.
James LaBrie, known internationally as the vocalist for progressive metal icons Dream Theater, embarks on uncharted waters with his fourth solo album, titled ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’. The new endeavor sees him traverse personal maturation, loss, a myriad of complex relationships, and most importantly – LaBrie’s burning passion for music. On paper, the latest studio offering from the Canadian singer first took shape shortly after the global pandemic began to emerge. But in reality, LaBrie formed a bond with his fellow collaborator, bassist Paul Logue, nearly a decade earlier.
The two first met in 2011, when James would lend his voice to a feature for Logue’s band, UK melodic metal outfit Eden’s Curse, on the song “No Holy Man”. As years went by the two remained in touch, occasionally kicking the tires on the idea of working together on another project. But when Dream Theater performed in Glasgow during the late winter of 2020, LaBrie and Logue would run into each other at the airport – once again asking the question. But this time, armed with the knowledge that a drastic change in the world was all but imminent, LaBrie made the decision to set things in motion.
“I said, ‘Let’s touch base as soon as I get home. Let’s start talking about it.’ So then, March 15th (less than a month later) the whole world shut down, and Paul reached out to me and said ‘Hey, do you have time now?” LaBrie’s response was simple and definitive “Wow, yeah. Let’s go for it.”
On the album, Logue plays acoustic rhythm guitar (both six & twelve string) and acoustic bass, while guitarist Marco Sfogli, who’s contributed on all of LaBrie’s solo albums since 2005’s ‘Elements of Persuasion’, handled the leads and solos. Logue recruited Eden’s Curse keyboardist Christian Pulkkinen to lend his playing on the record, while the suggestion to recruit James’s son Chance to play drums would also come from Paul. ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’, as LaBrie describes it, was a title that only came to him once he identified the record’s two core themes throughout its track list. “A lot of these lyrics are dealing with the beauty of human beings, and a lot are dealing with the grey areas of the in between. You’re not exactly happy, but you’re not exactly sad, either.”
The record starts off (and ends) with the track “Devil In Drag”, which emerges as a wall of synthesizers and acoustic strumming before exploding into a full-blown ensemble. LaBrie, who wrote all the lyrics on the album except for “Wildflower”, expresses that the song was written about “someone who started out as a decent human being, but along the way lost touch with their roots – overtime becoming self-serving, narcissistic and devoid of principles or values.” Going on to say, “’Devil In Drag’ is written from the perspective of someone who’s known them all their life and, seeing them now, asking ‘what happened?’”
Other early tracks like the adventurous and lovelorn “SuperNova Girl” and the uproarious self-revelation of “Hit Me Like A Brick” are eager to come to blows with false pretenses, be they felt with a romantic interest or from within. On the enduring melancholy of “Sunset Ruin”, LaBrie pays remembrance to his late brother, who passed from pancreatic cancer in 2016.
Going beyond the thematic and personal elements, for James, ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’ presented an opportunity to capture the love and enthusiasm he feels for great songwriting through a vehicle that wasn’t tied to the same rules and archetypes of his other projects. Reflecting on artists that he’s been drawn to over the years, ranging from Journey, Foreigner, and Gino Vannelli to Chevelle, Big Wreck and Prince, the common thread that’s kept him coming back to them was their eclectic, unpredictable output. “All these artists had versatility, and I think it’s primarily because of this that they maintained my attention. They always, I believe, pushed themselves to ask, ‘what else can I do?’”
The biggest homage on the album is paid to Led Zeppelin via a faithful and spirited cover of the song “Ramble On”. The mix on the track perfectly captures what LaBrie has established throughout the record with its “acoustic + full band” approach – that, sometimes, it’s best to give each instrument and instrumentalist the space to roam and harmonize, rather than obfuscate or gussy up. On ‘Beautiful Shade of Grey’, the end goal isn’t creating something that meets a certain genre characterization, but rather being informed by decades of finding beautiful expression across a wide swath of musical artists, and knowing that veering away from familiar habits is a part of creative growth.
Tracklisting:
1. Devil In Drag 2. SuperNova Girl 3. Give And Take 4. Sunset Ruin 5. Hit Me Like A Brick 6. Wildflower 7. Conscience Calling 8. What I Missed 9. Am I Right 10. Ramble On 11. Devil In Drag (Electric Version)
*Available on CD, as well as black And yellow vinyl!
Outsider Rock 