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DAVID GLEN EISLEY | The Lost Tapes | (Frontiers Records, 2001)

Stand Up / Are You Ready / Shot Down in Love / Don't Turn Away from Love / Slip of the Tongue / The Ballad / Lay Down Your Love / Back of my Hand / Boot Hill Blues (Live) / One Love / Jealous Heart / Golden Town / Pleasure Palace

Some old demos with David Glen Eisley - who cares? Maybe one of my thoughts before getting this album, as I found his previous release "Stranger From The Past" utterly boring and dull. Additionally I admit that Giuffria, besides a handful of songs, never really rocked my world. Dirty White Boy was too sweaty, but I actually never thought Eisley was a lousy singer.
So it is with some shocking surprise I must admit "The Lost Tapes" is far better than expected. These songs were recorded during 1987-1988 and features material he did with both Giuffria and Dirty White Boy that never saw the light of day, besides a few songs that was re-cut for Gregg Giuffria's band House Of Lords.
The material is good in general and the Giuffria demos in particular, which are 9 out the 13 tunes on the disc. "Don't Turn Away From Love" and "One Love" sounds as some of the best stuff Giuffria ever recorded, period.
It is fun to hear "Slip of the Tongue", "Jealous Heart" and "Pleasure Palace". Those are the 3 songs that Gregg Giuffria later re-cut and used on the first House Of Lords album.
I might not play this album to death, but quite good for what it is.

Review by: Stefan

JOHN ELEFANTE | Defying Gravity | (Frontiers Records, 1999)

If You Believe / The Stream / The Truth, The Life / Defying Gravity / Pass The Flame / Exit 39 / Give It All Away / Don't Leave The Band / Home With A View

As always when it comes to (ex-Kansas) vocalist John Elefante, the quality is of highest prime. It is well produced, slick, and the songs offers tapestries of melodies and hooks. This is no exception from the rule. Opening track "If You Just Believe" sets the standard, with its mid-tempo, slightly pompous approach. "The Stream" offers a more radio-friendly side of Elefante, and "The Truth, The Life" shows a bit edge. "Give It All Away" is another track standing above the rest.
As a whole, this is good, very good at times, but it gets a bit sloppy after a while and would have gained from a bit more bite in some of the songs.

Review by: Larry

ELEMENTS OF FRICTION | Elements Of Friction | (MTM Music, 2001)

Read My Mind / Havana / One Man One Heart / Who Is This Talkin'? / If Your Tomorrow Never Comes / King Of Fools / Forever / Light At The End Of The Tunnel / I Got Loaded / One Fatal Word / Innocent Touch

Question: If you had a penalty shot in ice hockey and your competitor's goalie wouldn't show up, would you manage to score? You probably would. E.O.F., however, would completely miss the puck! Now you're all thinking that I've spent too muchtime in the sun lately, but that is not the case. I've just listened to a really diappointing album.

E.O.F. consists of fairly competent players (Robin McAuley, Ricky Phillips, Tommy Aldridge and Marcus Nand), and is backed up with some great songs, written by great songwriters (Cain, Waite, Spiro et al). Some previously released material, some demoed and hence unreleased, plus some of their own material. The delivery, however, is truly disappointing!

This record has all the elements (pun intended!) to make it a semi-classic, but it is far from it. For example, BAD ENGLISH's (unreleased) Who Is This Talking is slaughtered and delievered half-heartedly with a really lo-fi production on top of it. Heck, even the played-to-death and hence quite poor sounding demos of BAD ENGLISH material floating around among AOR-fans worldwide sounds better! As I really can't find much positive to say about this album I'll quit slagging it off and hope that this review won't stop the guys from making music in the future cause they all got so much more potential in themselves, and now let's prove it!

Review by: Larry

EMERALD RAIN | Age Of Innocence | (Frontiers Records, 1999)

No Saviour / Desperate Heart / Never Surrender / Don't Tell The Rain / Sleeping In The Fire / Endless Grey / Never Let You Go / Barely Holding On / Age Of Innocence / The Method / Come Clean / Your Disguise

Canadian band Emerald Rain is now here with their follow up to the debut "Broken Saviours" (Frontiers Records, 1997). Their admiration for Harem Scarem, and especially their 2nd album "Mood Swings" (WEA, 1993), is very evident. Too evident really. The sad part is that they are nowhere near the talents of Harry Hess and Pete Lesperance, no matter whether it comes to songwriting or performance. While Harem Scarem always have had that moment of excitement in their songs Emerald Rain's material rotates like the wheel on the old townmill used to do 40 years or so ago. It went round and round and round and round… Not much excitement in that if you know what I mean.
Seriously though, on the debut it was a bit charming seeing a band being fans of an act like Harem Scarem, but now it seems as they can't come up with nothing labeled "Emerald Rain".
Just because they haven't got any ounces of originality I say they stink.

Review by: Stefan

EMERALD RAIN | Live 2K | (Pain Publishing, 2000)

Never Surrender / Desperate Heart / Heart on the Line / Your Disguise / Age of Innocence / Come Clean / High Road to Nowhere / Broken Saviours / Endless Grey / Don't Tell the Rain / Dungeon Drums (Solo) / Misery Love Company / Take A Stand / No Saviour / Man in the Box / Take A Stand - Studio Version

Emerald Rain has released two studio albums. The first being called "Broken Saviours" and then last year they released "Age of Innocence". If you haven't heard them, their sound can be compared to Harem Scarem (Mood Swings era). Here they have decided to release a live cd that represents the best songs from both their albums. The album was recorded in Oshawa (Canada) at a place called 'The Dungeon.'
Normally I'm not a huge fan of live discs, but I am very impressed with this one. One of the first things I noticed when I heard the show is how great they sound live and how the songs flow so smoothly. There isn't one track on this disc that I do not like! There's also a few surprises like their cool cover of the Alice In Chains hit "Man In The Box" and the Japan bonus track "Take A Stand" which was on their last cd for the Japanese market. I was really hoping for a guitar solo on this disc because Mike Dmitrovic is one of the most talented new guitarists I've heard - this guy just smokes live! I guess you can't have it all, but this is the damn close to the perfect live show.

You can purchase this cd exclusively from their website: http://www.members.home.com/emeraldrain/.
I say if you haven't heard of Emerald Rain before this is a perfect introduction to this great Canadian band and if you have any of their cd's you will want to add this one to your collection as well. I highly recommend it!

Review by: Rob

EMPIRE | The Power | (Escape Music Ltd., 1998)

Head / Squeeze / Feel / There's A Time / Stand / All I Want / Cry / Falling / On My Mind / Slipping Away / Detroit Rock City

Here's an Australian duo that impresses me nada. They are surely melodic, but their mostly raw sound becomes too much after a couple of songs.
How they then managed to come up with such a superb mid-tempo/AOR rocker as "Feel" is beyond me. There are a few softer songs, but they all quite average.
They're closing the album with a cover version of Kiss' classic "Detroit Rock City". Do we really need another one of those, when the original just can't be topped?

Review by: Stefan

EUPHORIA | At The Speed Of Light | (MTM Music, 1999)

Intro / Roller Coaster / Now That It's Over / Make Tonight For Me / Will You Believe In Me / What Our Love Can Be / Take A Chance / Someday / I Won't Be Alone / If You Don't Love Me / One Kiss Goodbye / Glowing Candle / When I Pray

Bass and keyboard man Don Cromwell, from superb act Ransom, and vocalist Sean Westman lead this project. Westman is a new acquaintance to me. He has a high pitched voice with a tendency sounding more hard rock oriented than anything, I come to think of Geoff Tate from Queensryche.
Gene Black (Device) handles the majority of the electric guitars, but also guest appearances from Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon) and Tommy Girvin (Ransom). Drum banging by Jamie Westman.
If familiar with Ransom you'll find similarities of course, but there are differences. Which I think is good but the differences are for the worse. As I listen I can find good intentions in almost every single song, which are of a AOR oriented character, it's just like they never comes through properly. To point out specific songs I find hard as they to me sounds too alike overall. The sound/production is for my taste too dry, not as juicy as he did with Tommy Girvin on the Ransom record.
A good record nothing more. Of course if you're loaded with bucks and want all records with AORish sound you would want it, but otherwise you better save you're hard earned money for something more extra ordinary.

Review by: Stefan

EVAN AND JARON | Evan And Jaron | (Columbia Records/Sony Music, 2000)

Outerspace / Ready Or Not / Crazy For This Girl / Done On Hangin' On Maybe / The Distance / Wouldn't It Be Nice To be Proud / Pick Up The Phone / From My Head To My Heart / On The Bus / You Don't Know Me / Make It Better / I Could Fall

I am impressed. Actaullay I am far more than impressed. I'm not sure of where I heard of them, but something I read made me curious so I downloaded some tracks from the net via Napster (I'm starting to realise I have bought a lot of albums after downloading songs with that software). What I heard took me by storm so I just had to get the album.
Evan and Jaron Lowenstein, they are the twins behind the name of this pop duo. They have done a lot of the writing, playing and producing on this record. Some of the musicians helping them out are Jeff Baxter, Vinnie Colaiuta & Mick Fleetwood.
Regarding the songwriting they have collaborated with a few other people too. Perhaps the two most impressive tracks on the entire record, "Crazy For This Girl" & "Done Hangin' On Maybe", have been written by Jaron and Jeff Cohen of Pancho's Lament fame. Don't know who they are? They also have an album out, maybe not as good, but take a listen to "Truth About Romeo"!!!
Anyway, "Crazy For This Girl" and "Done Hangin' On Maybe" are just like the rest of the album great pop/soft rock with infectious hooklines and harmonies.
The variety of soft ballads with great uptempo tunes makes this album a favourite for me as a fan of music where the melody actually matters. Of course, if you're looking for hardhitting and chewing disted guitars this is not for you…

Review by: Stefan