OT: new cd reviews

[yulog]

I've got a pile of cds that i have to go through and see if they are worth keeping, i'm listening to the new Sunstorm-S/T-Joe lynn turner 2006 I don't really follow him much , i like his hits with rainbow but a friend sent me a solo cd from him and it did nothing for me, Anyway, this cd is very good he sounds like Jimi jamison on a few songs--its worth a listen.

[yulog]

Danny vaughn-traveller 2006 also gets thumbs up---i like his more melodic stuff and this cd has some great stuff on it.


Sammy hagar's-livin it up----i have not really liked Sammy's solo stuff since he left VH(loved him an VH)--i was impressed with this cd, it has some good stuff on it.

[FormerJrnyFan]

I've got a pile of cds that i have to go through and see if they are worth keeping, i'm listening to the new Sunstorm cd(Joe lynn turner). I don't really follow him much , i like his hits with rainbow but a friend sent me a solo cd from him and it did nothing for me, Anyway, this cd is very good he sounds like Jimi jamison on a few songs--its worth a listen.

I've heard some clips from this... can't beat the voice. I'm still listening

[ohsosoto]

Danny vaughn's traveller also gets thumbs up---i like his more melodic stuff and this cd has some great stuff on it.


Sammy hagar's-livin it up----i have not really liked Sammy's solo stuff since he left VH(loved him an VH)--i was impressed with this cd, it has some good stuff on it.

of course my fav before VH, standing hampton!!

[yulog]

April wine-roughly speaking 2006 ------I'm not sure this is out yet----a couple of things that might turn people off to this cd

1)its only 8 songs
2)they did this cd with no digitalization--i believe they just played it and recorded it as you would many years ago


If your an April wine fan this is worth getting -nothing tremendous on this cd but the music is good, worth a listen--just dont expect anything on production -its rough just like the title implies.




Europe-secret society 2006 -------I'm not a big fan of europe but this cd does have a few songs on there worth listening to. i'd have to say i could take it or leave it on this cd--my guess is that europe fans would like this one.

[yulog]

kelly keagy-i am alive 2006(night rangers drummer/singer)---very good cd recomend this one



last autumns dream-saturn skyline 2006 (this is closer to melodic pop, but very good)




Bob seger-face the promise 2006 im on the fence with this one couple of good songs but nothing that hits you right off the bat ,might need a couple spins to like this.



Zeno-runaway to the gods 2006[b]
michael bormann is similar to JSS in that he is a hired gun in the melodic rock world and has a large resume of different bands/projects not all of his stuff turns out good but this cd did[b]

[yulog]

Jorn -unlocking the past 2006 ... this is a cd of covers some known songs, some obscure--i love this singer and agree with Andrew this guy is a vocal GOD as far as hard/heavy metal music is concerned----i prefer when he leans toward heavy melodic as he did on the millenium cd. this being said i hate to say it but i didnt like this cd, i think more because of song choices than anything else--i did really like his version of bad company's "feels like making love" and a kiss song i have never heard before--otherwise this cd fell short






Jorn-the gathering 2006 ... this is supposed to be a greatest hits from Jorn---while i disagree that this is his greatest hits(i believe many of his gems are missing from this compilation) it will give you a good idea of how good this guy is ---

[yulog]

Slamer-nowhere land 2006 this cd slams! very melodic lots of harmonies
the only song i didnt like was the first one.




Winger-IV 2006 very good cd several good songs on here its a keeper

[yulog]

Okay the next 2 cds were at the bottom of my pile to listen to so i believe they came out mid last year.


John waite-downtown journeyof a heart 2006 ........i really like Waites music but this cd really doesnt have anything on it that he hasnt offered already i think theres 2 new songs on here 1 was very good the other wasnt-----if you have to have everything from waite get it otherwise i'd pass.




Cheap trick-rockford 2006 .......i wanted to listen to this because i red AR said it was a great cd. I like their greatest hits but dont have alot of their cds , didnt get into all their music. This cd is really good lots of catchy songs on here-a keeper

[Rick]

Okay the next 2 cds were at the bottom of my pile to listen to so i believe they came out mid last year.


John Waite-Downtown journey of a heart........i really like Waites music but this cd really doesnt have anything on it that he hasnt offered already i think theres 2 new songs on here 1 was very good the other wasnt-----if you have to have everything from waite get it otherwise i'd pass.



Cheap trick-rockford.......i wanted to listen to this because i red AR said it was a great cd. I like their greatest hits but dont have alot of their cds , didnt get into all their music. This cd is really good lots of catchy songs on here-a keeper

Can't go wrong with Cheap Trick. Great band. It was by far the loudest concert I ever heard though. Painfully loud. It was at a place called the Agora Ballroom in Dallas. I don't think it exists anymore. Was a great show though.

[JrnyScarab]

Okay the next 2 cds were at the bottom of my pile to listen to so i believe they came out mid last year.


John Waite-Downtown journey of a heart........i really like Waites music but this cd really doesnt have anything on it that he hasnt offered already i think theres 2 new songs on here 1 was very good the other wasnt-----if you have to have everything from waite get it otherwise i'd pass.



Cheap trick-rockford.......i wanted to listen to this because i red AR said it was a great cd. I like their greatest hits but dont have alot of their cds , didnt get into all their music. This cd is really good lots of catchy songs on here-a keeper

Can't go wrong with Cheap Trick. Great band. It was by far the loudest concert I ever heard though. Painfully loud. It was at a place called the Agora Ballroom in Dallas. I don't think it exists anymore. Was a great show though.

I had the pleasure of seeing Cheap Trick when I was 19, right before Live at Budokan came out (1978 or 79 I think) at a small college auditorium in Massachusetts. They were fantastic. Great show and great full sound. Even caught a Rick Neilsen guitar pick which I still had until recently. Right after I saw them, Budokan came out and they exploded into huge fame from that Album. Always great to see a band that was playing clubs and colleges make it big.

Ed

[yulog]

Shaw and blades-influence 2006 ... im not a big fan of cover tune cds from bands that are still able to put out music because:

1)they usually dont come out very good i.e. def leppard(man that was bad)
2 you have to wait another 2-3 yrs for their next cd

This cd however is just stellar , these 2 guys really couldnt have picked better songs just a great cd---there version of the yes song is just amazing.

[yulog]

Cryptic vision-in a world 2006 ...okay if your a fan of kansas or yes i would check out this band this is their 2nd cd and its pretty good, theres a couple of long songs on this cd but most are around 4 minutes. The singer Todd plant is from millenium and he has a great set of pipes.I would say if you like progresive rock and like either of these bands its worth getting






Shooting star-circles 2006 ....I know some people will disagree here but i thought this was a very weak cd----i like kevin chalfant but this cd left me hanging --it was dull and lackluster for me ,i honestly had a hard time getting through it and couldnt wait til it was over---i think hard core fans will be okay with it but i couldnt recomend this one.

[yulog]

Bombay black-anger management 2006 ......i had big expectations for this cd, this band has been known for bringing back everything that was huge in the 80's, crunchy guitars ,soaring vocals etc. i first heard this band through a trade ,some guy wanted to send me a christmas cd by the screaming santas, of which i wanted nothing to do with ,he sent it anyway and i was shocked at how good they were.--They were kind of poking fun at the 80's but at the same time the music was real good, the harmonies also were great.

I wanted to get Bombays first cd but never did(i heard it was top notch).Anyway this cd has some great songs on it some very melodic others are very heavy,again great melodies and guitars, some of the songs are just plain goofy (lyrics wise) and i believe they do this on purpose to poke fun. Overall this is worth a listen.








vertigo-2 2006 ...follow up cd with joseph williams (toto's vocalist). the first cd was very good, the second may not be quiet as good as the first but still is a very good cd out of the 10 tracks i really loved 5 of them,i believe joseph williams fans will like this, toto fans as well. The songs remind me of when he was back in toto-this cd is worth getting.









Shy-sunset and vine ...okay this is a 2005 release but after Nig recommended it i had to give it a listen and i agree its a good cd. I would say its journeyesque but actually i think it sounds more like the band Frontline who has been putting out cds like this for years. The only thing about this cd that could be bad or good depending on how you look at it is that the songs all kind of blend together. If you like the sound its a good thing ,which i did, i would have to give this cd a thumbs up, good call to both Andrew and Nig

[NealIsGod]

Shy-sunset and vine...okay this is a 2005 release but after Nig recommended it i had to give it a listen and i agree its a good cd. I would say its journeyesque but actually i think it sounds more like the band Frontline who has been putting out cds like this for years. The only thing about this cd that could be bad or good depending on how you look at it is that the songs all kind of blend together. If you like the sound its a good thing ,which i did, i would have to give this cd a thumbs up, good call to both Andrew and Nig

Cool, yulog. Glad you liked it. Here is a page with some samples in case others want to check it out.

http://www.nehrecords.com/SHOP/ShySunset.htm

[Behshad]

Yulog,
Ive never liked Joe Lynn Turners solo projects, but like yourself I did like him with Rainbow. I think the best songs Ive heard him sing on is with Deep Purple(back in 90 I think) and on Yngwie's "Odyssey" and "Trial By Fire : Live In Leningrad".

I really like Last Autumns dream( mainly because I like any project Marcel Jacob is involved in ! )

[larryfromnextdoor]

i just picked up the new Nightwish cd...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP1VZQsg-BE

its different and i like it alot,, makes me want to drive really fast! an opera lady singer fronting a progressive metal band.. i mean .. how can you go wrong??!

[yulog]

Yulog,
Ive never liked Joe Lynn Turners solo projects, but like yourself I did like him with Rainbow. I think the best songs Ive heard him sing on is with Deep Purple(back in 90 I think) and on Yngwie's "Odyssey" and "Trial By Fire : Live In Leningrad".

I really like Last Autumns dream( mainly because I like any project Marcel Jacob is involved in ! )

Id give the joe lynn turner cd a try he sounds like a mix of jimi jamison and believe it or not, i swear i hear a touch of eric carmen on several songs--i think you will be suprised especially since you seem to feel similar about him.

[yulog]

Yesterday i read someone talking about the new NORWAY cd another cd in my pile -thought id give it a listen. okay right of the bat the production is just horrible on this and you can tell within the first minute of the first song--ugh!! That being said singer Dave baldwin of Departure fame is a very good singer--its a shame there are some very good songs on this cd, only 9 in total i really like 5 of them. This is a tuff call--bad production might piss someone off if they pay for this but good songs might be worth it, on the songs alone i would recommend it but production wise it will be disappointing.
Norway-rising up from the ashes 2006






Harem scarem-human nature 2006 ......If melodic rock ever becomes big again this band should be the first band to get a big cd deal, they consistently put out great cds. I really tried to dislike just one song on this cd and couldn't ,just a great cd from them, highly recommend this cd especially to harem scarem fans.

[yulog]

Rain-stronger 2006 .....this band has changed their direction and their lead singer--michael bormann is on this cd. I'm not sure it matched that well ,there are some fairly good songs on here and Bormann fans will probably like it, im on the fence with it, like i said before some of his cds are good and others well sometimes for me can be forgettable , my guess is i may have to take another listen before making my decision final--------again this one is up in the air





Lindsay buckingham-under the skin 2006 ........this cd is very unique/different from most melodic records more toward a fast acoustic side it may turn some off because of it initially sounding different than your average cd but for some reason i found myself liking this cd---i dont think he is a great singer but i like the guitar work and his voice seemed to fit some of these songs allowing them to work----i think you would have to have an open mind on this one but for me this was a pretty good cd




Ted poley-collateral damage 2006 .......okay i had been trying to get this cd for awhile, if you like danger danger--this is a must , a great melodic cd its one of his best solo cds ,i think when he stays to this style his cds are great to listen to,plenty of guitars, harmonies--just a solid cd

[yulog]

place vendome-s/t 2006 ........this is an impressive cd ,some really good melodic hard rock songs -i was initially worried because i was not a helloween fan, an this i believe is the singer from that band. good cd




Goo goo doll-let love in 2006 .......let me say right off , i'm not big into the newer bands i think there is way to many bands that sound the same. That being said this cd does have some good songs on it--nothing tremendous but some easily listening stuff my guess is that if you like the GGD's this will be okay but if not this cd may not grab alot of people from this board-------i would be on the fence on this one.

[yulog]

okay heres 3 more a friend sent me

Union mac-lost in attraction 2006 ..........i didnt like this cd i couldnt find anything that grabbed me on this cd, not that they cant play just that for me it did not keep my interest at all---you may want to listen to sound clips on this one





The poodles-metal will stand tall 2006 ....another cd i just didnt like, sometimes its just the voice, others its just that the songs do nothing for you---whatever the reason this cd did nothing for me




Hotwire-devil in disguise 2006 ........there has been some comparison between hotwire's and firehouse's singer stating they are very similar--listening to this cd i can hear it in certain songs.This cd is pretty much straight AOR i didnt find it to be heavy at all but there are quite a few good songs on this cd. i found the more acoustic songs to be the best on the cd, its worth a listen

[yulog]

Chris daughtry-daughtry 2006 .....well im not going to tell you anything most of you dont already know . Despite my lack in interest in most new music this cd turned out to be a great cd --this guy is going places,stong vocals and harmonies this is a must have, probably the best new artist cd i have heard




Pride of lions-roaring of dreams 2006 ....this is a tough cd , there is some great "music" on this cd the problem is-- the guitarist( Jim Peterik) should not sing, when he does its split between him and the lead vocalist and it sounds theatrical at best, and can be a real turnoff. There are 3 great songs with toby hitchcock singing alone ,very good stuff--they need to stick to him as the lead. My guess is if you liked the past 2 cds from this group you will like this cd but if you are a first time listener you may want to listen to clips first, theres a reason why they didnt have peterik sing in survivor.

This cd i'm on the fence, 3-4 good songs i could go either way

[yulog]

Hartmann-home 2006 ........listening to this cd the singer has just a touch of a jimmy barnes sound at times but overall this cd is forgetable, i believe the best tracks are at the end of the cd but in all honesty if i were to pick a cd to listen to from the group that i have talked about above this would be one of the last to be grabbed. Strange, they had this listed as a metal cd its far from that maybe more toward an acoustic driven rock cd, either way this cd fails to keep my interest.






Brother firetribe-false metal 2006 ........this being heavier than the cd above does have some good music on it, bringing back an 80's feel with heavy guitars and keyboards ,at times i got a rainbow feel from some of these songs. I found 4 songs that i really liked on first listen. Theres better cds out there but if your looking for a new band to listen to this may be a good cd to listen to , this band does show potential.

[yulog]

Axel rudi pell-mystica 2006 ........if you like this band my guess is you will like this cd because its almost the same thing they have been putting out for years. JOHNNY GIOELI from hardline fame, is the singer again----i personally think gioeli's best work is behind him(hardline s/t),I guess my issue would be that the band has a good guitar player and singer but the songs just dont seem to evoke a desire to hear them again and again, this could be because this cd sounds like their last, which sounded like the last and so on.If you are a fan of the band or gioeli then get this -otherwise you can just pick any of the last 4-5 cds and you will basically have their entire collection.Personally if someone gave me this cd i would listen once and more than likely never again, not because its horrible but because there is so much better out there.








Ra-duality 2006 ......wow another good cd from a fairly new band.the first half of this cd is very powerful melodic rock and the 2nd is more of a moody melodic/alternative record--i loved 6 of the 11 full songs on this cd(on first listen) This bands first cd had a modest hit on the radio a couple years back , and this cd has several other strong songs in the same vein as that hit. this is a cd worth a listen

[yulog]

Streetalk-V 2006 .......these guys are the epitome of smooth aor, nothing heavy on this cd but its just clean polished straight ahead AOR, they always seem to put out good music,On my first listen of this cd i immediatly liked half the songs.If you havent heard of these guys this would be a good cd to listen to if you already have cds from this group, heres another cd to add to that collection.

[belar]

Damn, yulog, you must have an unlimited CD budget!

[yulog]

Final frontier-freelight 2006 .........okay people if you want to hear someone sing in high register this guy is it ,Rob M. from Von groove. This cd is full of catchy Aor songs, lots of melody and harmony. He sings so high that the background vocals could almost be -alvin and the chipmunks.Very good cd worth a bunch of listens.

[yulog]

Damn, yulog, you must have an unlimited CD budget!

budget? whats a budget?

[yulog]

Code -the enemy within 2006 ........okay i started to listen to this cd and just hated the singers voice, for me it didnt quite fit alot of the songs.I continued to listen and could see the music is pretty good and there are a couple songs that worked but i think people will have to get past this guys voice to enjoy this cd.I would suggest listening to sound clips before trying this ,overall i would pass on this cd