Tag Archives: melodic rock

PETER GOALBY – Don’t Think This Is Over (a review)

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The third post-Uriah Heep solo release from Peter Goalby was discovered earlier this in a storage unit. 9 more songs that were thought lost decades ago. With the discovery of these songs, Paul Hodson (keyboards, programming) and Eddy Morton (guitar solos) – who worked on the previous songs released (Easy With The Heartaches and I Will Come Runnin’) were called upon to add overdubs. Former bandmate and longtime friend Mick Box added a brilliant solo to 1 track, and John Sinclair also worked on 1 track. In all, taking these late 80s recordings of demos to being a properly produced album.

I was hesitant to post a lengthy review, figuring I could easily be accused of bias, but oh well. I am excited to see this out (though not a fraction of how excited Peter must be). The finished product of this is probably beyond what fans could expect to still be made available… Don’t Think This Is Over is even more so impressive than the 2 CD released that came before, full of melodies, hooks, and Peter’s passionate vocals. This album is a great mix of different songs, with the easily likeable upbeat aor like the lead off cut “I’ll Be The One”, as well as “It’s Just My Heart Breaking”, “Heart What Heart”(with that keyboard intro being reminiscent of “I Will Come Runnin”), and the title song! Then there are those more unique songs here like “Another Paper Moon”, which begins as a piano ballad and builds into a power ballad, something unlike anything else in Peter’s catalogue; love the string sounds and synths throughout this. “The Sound Of A Nation” is more of an anthemic rock song highlighted by Mick Box’s guitar solo, which gives it a good lift. “Show Some Emotion” is my favorite here; a moving track, that starts softly and builds up, with one of Peter’s standout vocal performances here. The disc closes, fittingly with “I Don’t Wanna Fight”. This song was released as a single back in 1988, to mixed reviews, but the musical arrangement lacked a bit of weight, but this has been completely re-done here, with former Heep bandmate John Sinclair taking Peter’s vocals and putting them in to a completely new arrangement on keyboards, and along with Peter Kent’s guitar work, this one sounds like a brand new song, up to date and lively.

So many potential hits here. As I’ve said before, Peter’s specialty was writing choruses that are easily likeable and memorable, and songs that would be major hits for numerous acts in the 80s and 90s (probably still some now), as he’d intended to make his mark as a songwriter. I think he’s achieved that by now, with these 3 albums. Imagine a few of these either on a Heep album or on the radio back then!? This may not be the last thing we hear from him, but more than we expected still, and in time for Christmas!

*Artwork by Michael Inns, fitting nicely in the series of the previous PG releases.

*Check out the press release (edit) below, as well as links to Don’t Think This Is Over.

Uriah Heep’s Ex-Lead Singer Peter Goalby Announces the Completion and Release of his Long Lost Solo Album Don’t Think This Is Over – OUT NOW!

Peter Goalby was the lead singer of Uriah Heep, Trapeze and Fable but has now retired from the music industry after an illustrious career.

Peter had been living with the knowledge he’d recorded a solo album just after leaving Uriah Heep but it was only when a poorly labelled DAT was spotted, at a storage facility over 30 years later, that the lost album was found.

Peter Goalby explained the background to the release: “In 1987 I was offered a recording and publishing contract with RAK Records just after I’d left Uriah Heep.  I thought these songs would be very commercial in the 1980s and Smokie recorded Fallin’ Apart. I later found out the master tapes had been lost and I silently carried the disappointment that music I’d put my heart and soul into was gone forever.  Never say never!”

The lost album’s release follows the successful release of Easy With The Heartaches and then I Will Come Runnin’.  Don’t Think This Is Over is OUT NOW from all good retailers:

Amazon CD: https://geni.us/DontThinkCD

Apple Music: https://geni.us/PGapplemusic

Spotify: https://geni.us/PGspotify

All Peter Goalby’s solo albums are also available from Cherry Red: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/artists/peter-goalby/

RISING WINGS to release ‘Reach’

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One-man band RISING WINGS releases their first full album on September 22 via Pride & Joy Music, titled Reach. The ‘band’ is multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Florian Bauer, who’s used a few drummers on Reach as well. A solid 10 track set of hard-rock and AOR. There are 3 videos released so far, the latest being the ballad “Remember”. Favorites include the lead off rocker “Ride On”, as well as “Whatever It Takes”, “Keep Going On”, and “Reach The Sky”. An excellent 10-track melodic hard-rock album that’ll appeal to fans of Giant, Harem Scarem, Coney Hatch, H.E.A.T., Bonfire, and Eclipse . Reach will be out on CD and Vinyl LP (in gatefold) *Check out the clips below, as well as the bio, and links.

Rising Wings was founded in 2006 by Florian “Flo” Bauer in Schrobenhausen in the Ingolstadt region, as a melodic rock one-man-band. Florian Bauer has been playing in various rock formations for years, such as the AOR band Youringa and the hard rock cover band Saviors Cry.
 
In 2006 the first steps were taken with the 3-track EP “Rising Wings”. The second 5-track EP “Higher” followed in 2008. Both releases received consistently positive feedback. Since then, various singles have been released. 
 
In autumn 2023 Rising Wings will release the first full-length album “Reach” via Pride & Joy Music. The album features Florian Bauer on vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards and Franz Raßhofer (Joe Leila), Falco Münch (Reload), Markus Herzinger (2nd East) and Bobby Santiago (Bloodwork) on drums.
 
The album was recorded by Ray Balconis at Studio Ray Recording in Queens, New York, by Rolf Beyer and Peter Hillinger at Klangwasserstudios Halsbach, Germany and by Chris Lausmann at MS Productions Studio in Poing, Munich.
 
“Reach” was produced by Florian Bauer with Chris Lausmann (Bonfire, Voices Of Rock) co-producing and mixing the album at MS Production Studio. The album was mastered by Rolf Beyer (CD & digital) and Ludwig Maier (Vinyl).

Links:

http://www.risingwings.de

https://shop.season-of-mist.com/rising-wings-reach-lp-gatefold

https://www.juno.co.uk/products/rising-wings-reach-vinyl/966880-01/

Escape – Fire In The Sky

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ESCAPE - Fire In The Sky.jpg

British hard-rock/AOR band Escape returns with their 3rd album, and a almost completely new line-up, based around founding guitarist / songwriter Vince O’Regan, who was with Legion, and has also played on albums by Bob Catley [Magnum] and Paul Hodson. As the bio [below], these songs are mostly reimagined songs from O’Regan’s past, but checking out Escape’s previous 2 albums [2012, 2013] Fire In The Sky is quite an improvement. It’s kinda filled with ’80s type of high energy rock, with heavy guitars and great vocals. Not a lot of original song titles here, reading like a classic ’80s British hard rock record. A solid 11 tunes, with only 2 not fitting that 4 and a half minutes or less formula. Best tracks include – “Blinded By A Lie” [not the UFO tune], “Coming Home”, “Destiny”, “Heroes In The Night”, and the title track – which clocks in over 9 minutes, a lengthy ballad that turns out pretty heavy. A fun sounding album, should sound good in the car.

After decades of silence, renowned Black Country/West Yorkshire AOR/Melodic Rock band ‘ESCAPE’ are reborn and returning to the fray with a new line up, their third studio album entitled ‘Fire in The Sky’ and new on-location video for track ‘Heroes in the Night’.

This comeback album is very much in the vein of breathing new life into old classics, combining a wealth of experience and new recording technology.  Some of the tracks are over 30 years old and were in desperate need of a resurgence. They have been re-recorded, reimagined and brought to the forefront of a new era and audience in Melodic Rock.

All of the tracks on the album are taken from previous Vince O’Regan (Bob Catley, Legion, Arabia) releases but that’s where it ends. The production, sound and energy are all new. With new drums, bass and vocals and any original parts being remixed and remastered  – the result is a bigger, fresher sound which, whilst still giving a nod to original, has elevated some already great tracks to a new level.

Two tracks on this album are lifted (with permission) from Bob Catley’s solo album “Spirit of Man” album released back in 2006. They are “Blinded by a Lie” and “Walk on Water”. Vince wrote these two tracks many moons ago and felt they needed a resurgence and deserved a new lease of life. Other revisited tracks come from a previous Escape album ‘Borderline’ and an O’Regan solo release ‘Temptation’.

‘Fire In The Sky’ is very much a showcase for the new line-up and a springboard for a brand new album that is already in the writing stages.

This album was recorded at each member’s respective homes during lock down, then sent for mixing and mastering at Pro2 Studios in Castleford by Paul Twohig and will be released on German Label AOR Heaven in April 2021.

Website: www.escape-band.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/escape.band.official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escapebanduk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BandEscape

05/’21