Author:
Don (unbelievable !)
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 12:14:27 10/19/07 Fri
"Man, wouldn't it suck to release a CD containing ten hit singles and due to the fickle and sometimes pathetic state of today's music business have none of them make it to radio !"
That is the predicament Canadian rockers Loverboy may find themselves in with the release of their first CD in a decade, aptly entitled "Just Getting Started".
First off, this review is biased as I have been a fan of this band since the minute I heard "Turn me Loose" back in the early 80s. Second, I had the opportunity to download this CD from the net a couple nights ago - but I do not feel guilty about that as I have had my pre-order in for a copy for about 3 weeks now ! I heard so much about it and couldn't wait to hear it...now I got it - well, almost. The last minute of track 2 is missing..but my CD will be here in a week or so so I'll survive.
Mike Reno's claim is right on the money...this CD has ten songs and ten hit singles, hands down. Every song is a winner. Ever notice how a band from back in the day sometimes releases a CD and completely abandons its signature sound - the sound that made people fall in love with them in the first place ! Or they release a CD that is a total rehash of everything they have already done, which may not be as big of a problem, but it's a "nothing new here" kind of scenario. I wish to interject that the above is a legitimate reason for downloading music these days...it sucks to spend $20 of your hard earned money on an artist's CD only to discover they sound nothing like you remember them from before. That is how downloading can be a good thing...it enables you to hear what you are getting first before you waste your money (anybody remember "slang" from Def Leppard ? Aaaargh!) and if you like it then by all means, buy the CD and support the music that deserves to be supported. If you don't dig it, simply delete it - no money wasted !
Well, Loverboy have managed to avoid ALL of the above problems. They have modernized their sound just enough to sound fresh and current but they have kept all of their signature classic elements of their sound ...in fact, the modern elements they have added work extremely well with their core melodic structures from the classic era and the result is a match made in hit single heaven. It's great for bands to try new things and ADD new things to their music, but it is when they SUBTRACT that they wind up losing their fans. Nothing has been subtracted here...old fans will eat it up and the younger generation is going to find something they like as well. Mike Reno sounds like a million bucks on here and the musicianship is excellent as is the production.
The only qualm I have, and it is a minor one, is that they could have used a few more in-your-face up tempo rockers (in the vein of the title track, on which they rock like bands half their age) to balance out the record with the many mid tempo tracks on offer - but that's OK ...every track is a sure fire winner.
I urge everyone to pick this up and see a great example of how to make a record that is both modern and classic at the same time. It's difficult to do, but Loverboy have done it !
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
|
Feedback: 