Rick Riso has been object of a couple of reissues by the Japanese label Cool Sound who is also responsible for the great Whiteheart reissue.The first one was "Shouting at the Walls" which was originally released in 1986 and now we get the second, "Gotta Have the Real Thing" that actually was edited one year before, in 1985.
Rick Riso sound is 80's Westcoast/CCM but with many Soul touches so lovers of Bobby Caldwell, Marilyn Scott... have here plenty to enjoy. The beginning with "Don't Let it Fool You" really reminds me to Chicago, especially for the horns arrangements and the use of synths. "Remember Me" is a nice ballad with a tasty guitar solo. "He's Willing" is also a slow-tempo with religious lyrics. "I Only Wanna Follow" is a nonsense poppy tune and lets the side down, though the following tune "Take a Stand and Fight" lifts it up again as it's one of the best performances of this record. I also like very much the soft and spiritual ballad "Worship you" which is delightfuly driven by Mark LeVang piano and Ricks soulful voice. This Japanese re-release has a bonus track in the form of "Great is Thy Faithfulness" which sounds very much like "Worship You".
"Gotta have the Real thing" has Westcoast and Soul all mixed in one. It does contain many slow-tempos and good arrangements. If you liked Rick Riso "Shouting at the Walls" or Bobby Caldwell style you should also pick up this one.

I suppose you won't need any extra comments on this much praised sophomore effort of Mark Free's former band. "Waiting For The Sun" is softer, more AOR but also has some elements that I would dare to qualify as 90's AOR. it's also a more organic, mature and well-produced album than it's predecessor. Ex-Hurricane ace Kellly Hansen does a good work all over the disc, though it's inevitable to think how this would have sounded with Mark Free carrying the vocal duties. Well, at least the vocals are not undertaken as they were on the debut album.
For me the highlights are the opener "Heart Run Free" and "Do You Ever Think of Me". They are both the most AOR tracks and the latter could also be found in a more classic AOR vein in the second Message album. The acoustically driven ballad "Stilll Believe" or th fantastic chorus in "Rise Up" are aso bright moments. We can find an interesting track written by Mark Free (althought it's far from the best I have heard from him) in the form of "Forever". The whole album sounds very sober and it's very complete without any really bad track though the rocker "Live in the Night" plays the role of the inevitable filler. This is not as impressive as I would have imagined but it's for sure a good album that would for sure please the AOR fan.

Dan Peek is a name that should be familiar to all the America fans (who have just released a new album titled "Human Nature"). In fact, Dan was there when the band recorded their most memorable song "A Horse with No Name" which gave them fame and fortune. Dan was an active member of the band from 1971 to 1977 and then decided to pursue his own solo career with and emphasis on a deep religious content which make this "Doer of the Word" album (originally released in 1984 and now reissued by Cool Sound) a fine piece of Christian westcoast.
As you can deduct this is a very mellow album and Dan vocals are soft and quiet. The sound is eighties Westcoast pop but Dan doesn't forget his past works and adds a little America/Eagles kind of sound which gives some tunes a more organic feel, something that becomes especially present in "I Believe in Miracles" or "Redeemer" which even contains steel guitar arrangements and a harmonica solo a al Dylan or even Springsteen. The titletrack has a shiny melody which makes it a good begining sometimes remiding me to Whiteheart. The synth layered "Holy Spirit" is also one of the best tunes of the album. Dan Peek's reissue is a work recommended to soft Westcoast fans who like fluffy tunes and where the religious lyrics are very present.

If you are one of those who love impressive credits look no further because Explorers Club is the absolute best reunion of prog rock luminaires around. Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), Terry Bozzio (Steve Vai), John Petrucci, James LaBrie, Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater), DC Cooper (Royal Hunt), Steve Howe (Asia, Yes)... are among the neverending list of people who has played in this cd.
The whole idea behind this opus has been concieved by Magellan keyboardist Trent Gardner. About the recording he says "... I became intensely aware of the notion that it was OK not to put every musical idea I ever had into every song..." and this is basically a sentence that describes the Explorers Club music. It has jazz fussion elements and structures and every soloist has it's space to create his musical part but there is not a sense of urgency or barroquian arrangements all over. In fact the instrumental parts have a jam feel which has worked in favour of the songs.This record is divided in five tracks clocking in between the 8 and the 16 minute mark. And from the opener "Fate
Speaks" we can hear that Dream Theater axeman John Pretucci is the one who steals the spotlight with great and inspired soloing all over. James LaBrie also does a great job in a cople of the tracks "No Returning" and "Last Call". "Time Enough" is sung by DC Cooper who does a great job sorrounded by solos by Howe and Sheehan.
Exoplorers Club have shaped an album blending songs in a classic British prog vein (Genesis or Yes) but with the licks and musicianship of a bunch of the best American progmakers of the nineties.

This release is very, very funny. Certainly the list of musicians invloved is impressive but the final results are simply average. But to me the weird thing is that the record begins quite well with Melodic rock anthems like "Only Love", "Hard Times", "This Could be the Night" which are closer to what bands like Stun Leer did with big success some time ago. You know big keys courtesy of ex-Foreigner/Spys Al Greenwwod and catchy hooks with uplifting backing vocals all over. I was ready to comfortably sit in order to fully enjoy the rest of the cd and write a good review but then... everything began to sink deeper and deeper. The majority of the remaining tracks almost every cliché that we all want to forget from the 80's hard rock. That is a bunch of nonsense rock n'rolls that have been done 1568 times before and better. Maybe I would just save "Give You my Lovin'" though the Message version a lot better. I think this record is like a collection of tunes that these guys have been writting along the years under the name of NYC, but MTM should be more careful and selective because stuff like this is simply of out place right now. Furthermore, with the overwhelming amount of AOR releases with quality and the prize of cds I guess nobody should risk his/her money on affair like this.
I know these musicians are capable of great things as the have proved in other projects they have been involved in but this is simply a wrong step. Buy at your own risk.

Remember "Not for Sale"? Yes, it was Promotion's first record which was a sort of collection of tunes this Swedish band has been writing along its long history. While Promtion was a fine Westcoast/AOR album this is even better. Quite possibly the stress is more on the grooves and the horn section but what really lifts this cd up is the quality in the songwritting. Just listen to the wonderful chorus on "Trampoline" which has some nice drumming. This band has taste and knows very much how to do a good arrangement and the whole record sounds fantastically well... I just remember saying this from "Not For Sale" but here it's even better. "The Hunter and The Fox" goes directly to my song-of-the-year chart. It's just superb and what a chorus. "Conscience Calling" is a great ballad but I think this record has more quality in the rocker field than its precedent. I am not very friend of stealing the work from my colleagues, but I think it was Par Wimberg from Midwestern Skies who said this sounded like a combination of Chicago and Bad Habit. I absolutely agree with him. It has the classic Scando AOR sound but with a touch of Chicago, possibly because of the horn section. So if you have enjoyed Chicago 16 to 19 and "Adult Orientation" is high on your list, you should not miss Promotion's "Yeah, Yeah". "Premonition" is the most pure AOR track with great guitars and, once again, fantastic chorus. Also another highlight is "Glad to See You Go" it's a wonderful ballad which begins very quietly but ends with orchestral arrangements which make it breathtaking.
To conclude, a very good album. Elegant, smart and mature. If Promotion's combination of AOR and Westcoast was up to your alley with the band's debut, "Yeah, Yeah" is a step further.

Under Fire is Cary Sharaf project. It was to hit the streets back in 1985 but failed to it and the release was postponed until Gary Boress (who is behind the New England reissues) picked it out from the shelf and releases it this year. In fact, this cd has some New England elements. Jim Waldo the keyboardist from NE is also here and Hirsh Gardner, the drummer, is the producer in this disc. Under Fire is more classic AOR, less pomp and more 80's rock oriented than New England though.
"No More Heartaches" is a blast to begin with. A kind of Survivor-esque sound with uplifting keys. But this album fails where a lot of eighties albums failed: it's half great half filler. The fillers are the kind of nonsense rock n'rolls we have heard a thousand times before. Anyway, this is a good record overall but not a masterpiece. The other good tracks are "Heart in Pain", the uptempo "Love You One More Time", "Burning Desire" which build around Waldo's keys a good refrain and, finally, the last track "When You Feel Lonely".
It's absolutely great that labels bring back this kind of classic stuff and though it's not a spectacular record the good tracks make it wothwhile. By the way, in Europe in will be out through Georg Siegl's store AOR Heaven.

American hardrockers November67 come from Florida. Formerly they have been only know as November but I don't know which exact reasons have led them to change their original name.
This four-piece delivers a combination that a great number of bands have tried to do along the last 6 or 7 years : combine classic hard rock compositions with a more "modern" sound. Paul Mirko's, the songwriting head of the band, comes with the lessons learned on how to riff in the purest Seattle style, you know what I mean. It's in the instrumentations where the band has taken a rawer and more modern approach because the compositions are close to classic acts like Black Sabbath or even Scorpions (in their hardrock days). Just listen to "Won't turn Away", "Wicked Man" or "Welcome to the Revolution", they have sabbath written all over it and though they have added distorsed vocals and other elements of this kind the influence is there. The eight track "I'll be waiting" even reminds me to Iron Maiden in their DiAnno's years. The best track is possibly "September" which lets the rythym section shine and is quite catchy. Maybe I am being very critic but I think these guys should try to drop the alternative sounds (they are not trendy anymore) and play what they like without thinking about sounding "modern". Possibly this will do them a good favour as I don't think this combination appeals any of both genre fanatics. Try it if you like classic Hard Rock but experience with your mind open.

Quite possibly the name Gerge Karak won't be familiar to the great majority of you at first glance. But go to your old discography and look who co-wrote "Runaway" with the, then AOR newcomer, Jon Bon Jovi. That's it! Our man returns to the music that made him (or his song) shine. But he isn't coming alone. Tracy White, Ed Avila and Ron Sivulich from Shotgun Symphony and Stephen DeAcutis from Arcara. Actually that makes me think that hundreds of good AOR bands come from New Jersey. Is Melodic Rock reborning there or this is just a mirage? Hope some reader could answers this.
"Dangerous Nights" has a lot of "Runaway" into it and that means bombastic, instant tunes with great melodies, catchy chorus and flashy keyboards... Yeah! the same ones you can hear in "Runaway". But BJ is not the only reference , there are also elements of Survivor ("Heart on the Loose"), Message from the "Fine Line" ("Will I See you in my Dreams?") or all the Amrerican eighties AOR that you could think of.
To me this is a very good record. It has the elements that make me love this music so I have no complaints about it. The songs are well-written and it's hook-infested. There is the inevitable filler in the form of the rocker "Behind Closed Doors" but the rest I so good you won't even notice. Totally 80's AOR with a fine production... I just ask myself if this will have a continuation or will be just another one-off project.

Do you like music to be funny? if your answer is yes you probably won't agree with this review at all anyway, I will try to be fair with this record. The Last Band on Earth, is a band from Colorado and I think they don't even take themselves very seriously. As the own bio sheet from the band says, the band began to play only covers "and keep their vision true to the most noble of motivations: free beer!". Yeah, that make me laugh but also scared me.
This record comes out just to satisfy their fans who wanted the recorded version of the band's originals. This three-piece must be a great entertainment live but this recording is not really something you are going to enjoy. The production and the mixing sound like a demo tape, and the tunes are a nonsense dose of party-hardrock. "Party in my Pants" and "Rot-Gut Whiskey" are just some examples that should make an idea of the direction this guys go. They are just having fun!
There is a blues ("Bithday Blues"), some more melodic moments like (the rather good) "Listen" or the ballad "Shannon's Song", that the drummer wrote for his daughter, and a couple of cover tunes in the form of "Play that Funky Music White Boy" and the main theme for every massive drunkenness "Wooly Bully". Certainly what becomes more curious is that none of them are bad players, specially Rich Horn has some interesting solos.
I hate to do bad reviews because evreyone works hard to do his/her best, and to critizise is easier than trying to do it myself but certainly I can't recommend this record to my readers. All I can say is go see them live. They should be much better onstage than in this selftitled debut cd.

It's more than 20 years since New York songwritter Marc Jordan releases his own records. After so long this live recording keeps Marc's personal style all over it. His songs are mellow and spiritual. With simple instrumentations he's able to create tunes full with feeling recommended to everyone into the softer Westcoast territory.
In "Live - Now and Then" we find two diferenced parts. The first one is a collection of nineties tunes like "Runaway Heart" or "Cool Jam Blak Earth" both included in Marc's latest studio album. From this first half I must underline the superb ballad "Catch the Moon" and the opener and a classic cut in Marc's career: "Marina del Rey" which is the first time we can listen in a live recording. The second part (tracks 7 to 11) has been taken from the, now rare, "Secrets Live" album which was his first live disc originally recorded on April 11, 1980 at El Mocambo. In this second part we find tracks like "New York, New York", "I'm a Camera" or "Lost in the Hurrah". The seventh song "Satin Dolls" is an unreleased piece that was only released in the "Secrets Live".
For most AORsters out there, and honestly I must include myself too, we would have prefered something from his less jazzy times and more hi-tech AOR like the fabulous "C.O.W." or the "Talking Through Pictures" cds. Anyway this Live will appeal those who have enjoyed Marc's last recordings "Reckless Valentine" and "Cool Jam Black Earth" or to those who like to explore the most jazzy ends of Westcoast music.
"Live - Now and Then" has been released by PEG Music in Canada. If you would like to purchase the album or further info on it, you can use this email to contact the company: sales@oakstreetmusic.ca

Time has played in favor of Sure Conviction's "54 and Change". Let me explain it. When I received this record (Thanks Matt) I found good intentions but a sense of studio urgency and a rather bad production, though, surprisingly enough, we can read that Mr. Robert Berry (3, Alliance, Hush and solo artist) is the man behind the mixing. Several listens after this perception remains in the background but the great tunes have now the starring character.
Most songs, appart from its dose of great guitar-filled AOR, add a very personal progressive seasoning that create Sure Conviction's winning formula in this record. "Are you There" features fantastic keys and some drum arrangements by Jimmy Rojas that lift the whole tune really high. Also "Thru the Night/More than a Feeling" (nothing to do with the Boston mega-super-hit) is a song divided in two different parts... and the second is just awesome."Sacrifice" and "Quiet Place" huge chorus show the band in fine form.
Sure Conviction have already released a couple of albums and "54 and Change" should stablish them as a force to be discovered if you haven't had the pleasure yet. Good, well constructed and mature tracks. Perhaps just a better production would have made this record bigger than it is. Still this is strongly recommended.