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Stephen Christian - self-titled

With a retro twist to it, Stephen Christian delivers a powerful collection, that is strikingly similar to a partially unplugged KISS album. In fact, he covers a song by Kiss ("Got to Choose"). self-titled is not just a KISS rip-off though, since Christian has a voice of his own which injects his sweet melodies with power and finesse. These songs are not what I'd call AOR in the traditional sense of the word, but they pack enough punch and melody to keep the listener interested.

"Got to Find a Way" opens the album strongly, giving us a hint of what is to follow: bluesy melodic rock with a freshsense of melody and originality.

"Dreaming" follows in the same fashion and is very reminiscent of classic KISS, done better. 

"Got to Choose" is pretty much a straight cover of the KISS song. This is not a real interpretation of the song as it stays extremely faithful to the original. However, Christian's voice is more soulful and projects more sentimentality to the song than Paul Stanley did.

"Slave to the Rhythm" starts to show some variety in the pace of the album. Kind of modern, but still melodic, this proves once and for all - as if there was ever any doubt -  that Christian did grew up with his vinyl collection close to him.

Christian slows down for "All I'll Ever Be (Faded Memory)" - a rather introspective acoustic ballad with a kick. By this I mean, that it is not your typical ballad - it has more of a punch and attitude than one expects from a slower song.

Now, "Forgiveness/Let Go of Yesterday" is a more traditional slow paced song - great strummed guitar parts and a sing-along melody define this song as campfire-worthy.

"No Greater Price" is a very 70's sounding rocker. Just pure rock and roll that'll make you play air guitar within the first listen.

"Won't Be Your Fool" follows in the same fashion as "No Greater Price" but it's a bit ballsier - with  pounding rhythm.

"Memories" is another acoustic ballad - very memorable, with a great picking pattern that showcases Christian's abilities as a guitar player. 

"Heart's Doin' Time" goes back to the style of rockers that opened the album. Again, very 70's sounding without actually sounding dated.

"Rebound" is almost a metal song, blending the pop elements of KISS with the heavier riffing of Judas Priest. The song doesn't actually achieve Priest-like heaviness, but the elements are certainly there.

The awesome piano ballad "In My Life" closes the album with a touch of emotion and sincerity that was almost missing from the rest of the album.. 

Stephen Christian has assembled a pretty cool cast of musicians for this recording, featuring Gregg Chaisson (of Badlands fame) and Dan Wexler (of Icon). The band sounds tight and whole, all the while keeping an air of freshness and spontaneity that adds to the fun element of the record. An additional "fun" moment is the inclusion of several voice mails left on Stephen's answering machine. These range from the simple, yet heartfelt declaration of love from a girlfriend to the hilarious messages left behind by band members, contributors and other people involved in the record. These bits of information are highly amusing if only because they reflect the atmosphere that must have defined the making of this CD.

Although this is not an AOR album, it certainly qualifies as a Melodic Rock disc which should appeal to fans of high-spirited, good-time rock n' roll with a definite 70's touch. Just like those old KISS records, it makes you want to jump, grab a guitar and jam to the tunes on offer.

Note: Apologies to Stephen for the lateness of this review. It took me a while, but it's finally here.

----Released in 1998 by Epilogue Entertainment | Tracklist: Got to Find a Way, Dreaming, Got to Choose, Slave to the Rhythm, All I'll Ever Be (Faded Memory), Forgiveness/Let Go of Yesterday, No Greater Price, Won't Be Your Fool, Memories, Hearts Doin' Time, Rebound, In My Life
www.inficad.com/~epilogue/

Currently the vocalist for Escape Records recording artists Departure, Dave Baldwin released this disc under his own name back in 1997. Although considerably mellower than the style of his current band, this album is an amazing collection of well-crafted pop-rock tunes with a folksy twist. The songs flow from introspective ballads to soaring rock anthems with ease and beauty, without missing a beat or affecting the overall feeling of the album.

Highlights on Time include the majestic AOR of songs like "You Are There" and "I Believe In your Love" - which sound so close to Journey/Survivor you'd think these were some lost demos from either band. Not only are these songs very well-written musically and lyrically, but the production is smooth and crisp making them sound like classics upon first listen. The ballads are quiet and emotional, the better two being "Sweet Sister" and the slightly Queen-like "I am Your Dream."

Dave also tests the waters of folksy acoustic numbers as evidenced in the opening track "Open Up." This song is lighthearted and up-beat and a fantastic way to introduce the style of the album. Other songs like "All the Lonely People" mix powerhouse vocals with deceivingly poppy arrangements resulting in an odd, but satisfying mix of styles that works just perfectly for Dave's vocals.

As a whole, the album has a melancholic overtone, due to the emotional conviction that Dave injects in his delivery. The sheer sincerity that permeates Dave's melodies are enough to captivate the listener - add to that brilliant song-writing and you get a potential hit-album that will, sadly, go unnoticed due to the current musical climate. Albums like this makes you feel you're a feeling, live person. Highly recommended.

Challenge - Acoustic Universe

I've had this album in my "to be reviewed" pile for the longest time - and I apologize for that - but I needed to find an edge for this review. I didn't want to give it an unfair review - and in order to do so, I had to absorb it for a while.

This is a very good record, but the listener needs to spend some time with it and digest it. It's not as instantly accessible as your typical melodic rock band, but once it reveals itself to you, you're in for a treat.

However, the melodies are a bit sparse (not missing - as evidenced in "Wake Into Daylight" and "Words," for example)  - not necessarily a bad thing, but if you're seeking an album full of very catchy hooks, you won't find them on this album. Instead you will find well performed songs that drip with sincerity.

The instrumental performance is to be commended. The guitars sound rich and full, as if someone was playing an acoustic right in your living room and Allison Lindsay's vocal performance booms like a reserved Ann Wilson (Heart). I'd love to hear her let loose backed up by a harder sound!

I do find this album enjoyable - when the mood strikes. It's calm and quiet, very well produced and executed with style. Sample before buying, but at least give it a chance - it may really be worth it.

----Released in 1996 by ALV Music | Tracklist: Words, Angel's Scared to Fly, Finding My Way, It's My Life, When Love Finds a Fool, Wake Into Daylight, How Does It Feel, The Voice of Freedom, I'll Fight for You, Don't Look Back
http://kspace.com/KM/music.sys/Challenge/pages/bio.html

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