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Jabberwocky is the new extravagant project by Clive Nolan from Pendragon/Arena and Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick Wakeman) who have reunited luminaires like Bob Catley (Magnum/Hard Rain), Pete Banks (ex-Yes) or Peter Gee (Pendragon) and also the very special collaboration of Rick Wakeman as the narratator. This record contains some fine and tasty musical moments but the most important is the history of the Jaberwocky (based on the original poem by Lewis Carrol). I think this can't be considered a usual record but a fairy-tale with music. Each vocalist has a character and there is an epic feel all over. So I suppose that appart from Epic progrssiv/symphonic fans, it's very difficult to others to fully get into this opus. Some cuts are quite good and the keyboard wizardry of Nolan/Wakeman is superb but still the overall result leaves me quite cold and it becomes quite hard to listen to the 53 minutes from beginning to end.

Just every now and then you get introduced to a band that brings a fresh spirit and a new and unknown dimension to the music you love making you smile and realizing that you are in front of something really special. Californians Sedona are that special. Their combination of hard rock with classy melodies and 90's vibe makes this, their first full album, that brilliant piece of work that redefines the concept of Melodic Rock for the upcoming millenium. Yes, it might sound really biased but I really love this band. "Dragonfly" not only has the songs but also a great multimedia content made by the band themselves with some 360º landscapes and a couple of videos. Mike Fox vocals are like Eddy Veder singing AOR with spirit...but don't stop reading because this not a bandwagon jumping grunge-like band... quite possibly the opposite. "Filling up the holes" proves this band has what it takes: power and melody all in one. "Highest star in Heaven" is also on the same legaue adding great rythm acoustic guitars. This song is also in video format in the Multimedia content of the cd. Possibly just "Mama's in the Kitchen" is not as high as the other tracks and "Wrong" much too 90's for my taste but tunes like "My Secret Garden", the AORish "Crazy" or "Run wild Horses" will please Melodic fans all over. Those of you who have been reading this site for some time now will know that I am constantly supporting the bands that make tasty melodic rock with 80's fundations (they have gigged with Rick Springfield, REO, Foreigner or Night Ranger to name a few) but definetly making a bet on the times to come. Sedona are one of these bands. like I have said something special...visit them and end their stocks, they deserve it: http://www.sedonaworld.com.

The Escape label ends with this release the Franke and the Knockouts trilogy that started with the classic "Makin' the Point". If you hold the other releases there's no reason why you should not end your collection. This was originally the debut of the Knockouts and to those who don't I must say that there are little stylistic diferences between this and the prior duo. Classic AOR of the beginning of the eighties which is interesting enough for people who loves this kind of bands like Airborne, Balance at al. This album contains the biggest hit the band had "Sweetheart" which is a nice pop/AOR tune with a good keyboard solo but also a very special bonus track in the form of "I've had the time of my Life" which was the academy-award winner for best tune included in the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack but in the original version sung by Franke himself. The end of a very interesting reissue and a must for collectors out there.

Streets was like Franke and the Knockouts (which is just reviewed above) a classic act and a collectors piece for many AOR freaks during the last years. After a couple of powerful AOR albums named "1st" (1983) and "Crimes in Mind" (1985) the band went separate ways and their mastermind Steve Walsh reunited pomp favs Kansas with Billy Greer. Also very interesting is the participation of ex-City Boy and currently in Steelhouse Lane Mike Slamer who shows in this release how much he has learned from Eddie Van Halen halycon days. He's really well even overtaking Steve Walsh labour. This live cd was released a couple of years ago by King Biscuit and was recorded in Pittsburgh in the '83 tour so all the majority of the tunes are included in the band's debut. The sound quality is quite good and the highlights for me are the opening "If love Should Go" and the bombastic "Fire" showing how many powerful AOR tunes this band had in the early 80's. Fans of the band or Steelhouse Lane freaks get a copy of this.

Phil Vincent is an American singer and songwriter. "No Turning Back" is his fourth album and the best of them all. The production is still not really good but much better than in "Calm Before the Storm". Phil's music could be described as Melodic rock with the guitars driving the majority of the tunes in here. "Between Here and There" is the opener and one of the best tracks. I can that Phil sings better than in any other of his past works. Some of the tunes in this record like "No turning back", "Blink of an Eye" and "Undone" where included in the Maxi-single "Undone" released last year. The ballad "Outcast" mixes AOR with prog elements to build a tune that grows and grows. The hard rocker "Code" is possibly the worst track in the record being just hookless.
I remember I said this in the review of "Calm Before the Storm", in fact I have said this several times before (sorry if you are getting bored) but I think that some artists like Tandym or Phil Vincent deserve a decent budget for their next record....is any label reading this? Visit Phil's at: www.philvincent.com

Monarch is the ultimate project of Ralph Santolla who has formerly been involved in Eye Witness and Millenium. To those of you who own any of Ralph's previous work this has the same guitar oriented Power melodic rock trademark in it with good melodies though a little bit more AOR than Eye Witness. "City of Lost Angels" is a brave start followed by the mellower and AORish "Sunday Morning". "Just Yesterday" is a riff-filled tune with a heavy rythim section in the verse and a very melodic chorus. "Pagannini" (...well, the name says it all right?) it's a Malmsteen's-like of classical instrumental track that connects with "Scorpio" which is one of the best tracks of the album.
While having heard the record several times I have the same feeling: this is good enouh to please you on each listen but not memorable enough to make you come back from time to time after the novelty is lost. Still one some of the best stuff I have heard from Santolla who might be just a step away to make an excellent Melodic Rock album...we'll wait and see.

Probably this one is the easiest and yet most difficult cd that I have ever reviewed. What can I say of an album containing a copilation of live tracks such as Queen "We Will Rock You", The Who "Won't get fooled again", America "Horse with no name" and Foreigner "Cold as Ice" to name just a few of the sixteen all-time rock classics included in this XXV anniversary recording of the radio program King Biscuit Flower Hour. The interest this album holds must be considered individually as some of you will have all of these tunes, but what I can't do is to give this a bad mark... that would mean I am a dumb (to say it sweet) reviewer. For the AOR freaks it should be of special interest the inclusion of tracks by Foreigner, Kansas and triumph. Just judge for yourself. For me this is a 16-classic-tracks live recording that needs no extra comments. the complete listing is: Genesis-That's All, QUEEN-We Will Rock You, THE WHO-Won't Get Fooled Again, FOREIGNER-Cold as Ice, KANSAS-Carry On My Wayward Son, LYNYRD SKYNYRD-Call Me the Breeze, EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER-Lucky Man, RUSH-Limelight, PAT BENETAR-Hit Me with Your Best Shot, THE KINKS-Lola, AMERICA-Horse with No Name, BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE-Takin' Care of Business, BILLY SQUIER-The Stroke, RICK DERRINGER-Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo, TRIUMPH-Allied Forces, BLONDIE-One Way or Another.

This is the European edition of an album that has been out in the Japanese markets for quite long now. I don't think this album offers anything interesting for the AOR freaks. Yes, surely these guys can play, specialy Toben Lydsholm guitars do sound like and axe hero who has been listening a lot to people like Van Halen or Nuno Bettencourt. The thrid track "Time Out" is the best track but at the end there are too many boring rockers that make this album nothing extremey appealing. I will wait until listening to the band's upcoming cd "Manchild" which is said to be better than this debut.Until then I am dissapointed.

Frozen Tears are a melodic rock trio from Australia. This is their first record and I think a copilation of several tracks they have been recording during the last years. Though th production and the mixing are quite low budget the tunes are promising enough to make me await the band's next step. "Let Down" is a festive rocker and "Wil I Ever" has som keyboard arrangements that make its chorus shine, it's also the most straighforward AOR tune of he recording. "Who's going to Love You"" is also very good. Some bits and pieces show this guy are capable enough of making a good album. There are a total amount of 15 track which is almost everytime means fillers, and here the absence of a Greek(?) version of the song "One more time", a shortcut of "It's over" and a raw mix of the Kiss classic "Strutter" would have balance the whole album. Still this is interesting enough to check out if you like an uplifting ing piece of 80's laden melodic rock. The link: homepages.tig.com.au/~jonpower

Formerly in the Keane brothers and since then being a well-reputed studio drummer who has worked with the likes of Michael Bolton or Chicago, John Keane releases now his second solo album and his first including vocals. As you might have read in the interview featured in the site, Straight Away is a wonderful hi-tech AOR/Westcoast record sounding very much like Third Matinee and with some Gabriel and Sting touches. The guest list in the album is impressive and features luminaires like Buzz Feiten,Jason Sheff et al. The record is groovy and even dark in some parts though the shiny opener titletarck is far from this definition. My personal favs are the ballad "After Dark" and the raw "Red Raven". Westcoasters will love "Venice is Sinking" which could have been included in Raichrd Page's "Shelter Me". All in all, the whole album is a fine piece of music but must approach with open ears. Intimate, and well-done. A fantastic record that grows on every listen. For me, the "best of the year" list has its first contendant.

A new band coming from the States. Tandym are a Georgia-based three-pice which play a sort of classic and totally 80's sounding AOR, just like in the good ol'times. the initial "City out of Time" is a very good song and sometimes remingding me to Styx. There also many references to classic American acts like Survivor or Balance so if you like the classics you are going for the big thrill with this. On the "lows" side I find it very badly mixed and some of the tracks have a demo feel and a rough production work. the chorus of "Jericho" ot the wonderful "Don't walk Away" are also hot spots in Tandym's debut. 15 years ago this would have been a classic in the making, now in 1999 it offers nothing new but it's still a very nice listening if you are in love with the reffered bands...and I am. If you want to know more about Tandym or purchase "City out of Time" you can check out the band's own website: http://atlantacup.com/tandym

Whenever I listened to any of both Amaze Me prior recordings I had the same feeling. They were filled with great tunes but the production and the overall sound lacked of live feeling, I even would say personality. Well, this Swedish two-piece formed by vocalist Conny Lind (Talk of the Town, State of Mind...) and multi-instrumentist and songwriter Peter Broman has solved this problem with the addition of drummer Thomas Broman (forget the damn drum machine) and giving a definitive kick to Amaze Me sound. "Wonderland" is more guitar-driven and harder than the previous duo while the melodies and the distinctive chorus are still there and better than ever before. Conny Lind is also doing a great job adding his voice a more powerful range.
You just have to listen to the titletrack to realize this band has grown. It has some funkish elements just before the whole thing explodes and an uptempo anthem invades your ears. That is the definitive push I needed in their past works. "Without your Love" is even more AORish. "My Mamma told Me" is a sleazy song, the only one below the average which is set high by wonderful tune like "Thousand Miles Away From You", "Stuck With the Blues" or the festive "Red Lips" (once again, what a chorus!).
"Wonderland" is Amaze Me best work to date without any kind of doubt. I know this might sound so topical but this time it's absolutely true. The songwritting is hi-quality but the instrumentation improvements and the production is what makes this record a greater disc. Swedish Melodic rock from the 90's, modern, fresh and very good.