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THE LA COWBOYS | Endless Summer | (AOR-Heaven, 1993/98)

Tokyo Woman / Endless Summer / Aubree's Melody / Say You Love Me / Holding Back The Tears / Know Me By Heart / Eye Of The Storm / Walk Me On The Water / Terra / Something In My Heart

This was originally only out as a Japanese release in 1993, now German mail-order outlet AOR-Heaven have re-issued a limited edition of a 1000 copies.
What this duo, keyboardist/vocalist James Studer and former Little River Band bassist/vocalist Wayne Nelson, offers is nothing but pop influenced westcoast music with lots of harmonies.
The songs, which are mainly written by the duo, are very well performed with a list of numerous famous guest musicians like Michael Thompson, Mick Fleetwood, Buzzy Feiten and Joseph Williams (who sings "careful" lead on last track "Something In My Heart").
The overall strong song quality, with highlights such as "Say You Love Me" and "Terra", makes this CD as interesting as when it first was released. Visit AOR-Heaven and get your own copy.

Review by: Stefan

JEFF LARSON | Room For Summer | (New Surf, 2000)

Hey! / Carol Ann / Sarah's Song / Valentine Note / Lot to Learn (Blue Pacific) / Room For Summer / Lauren / Postcard / The Word Go / Goes Without Saying / Her Heart / All The Sudden Cool / Lauren (Orchestral reprise) / Carol Ann (vocal/guitar mix) / Room For Summer (alt. version)

The fourth (I think) release from Mr. Larson and arguably his best, yet! Larson delivers strong singer-songwriter material with an enormous amount of hooks. Jeff's strength lies within his capability to capture a moment and convey it to the listener in a very colorful way. His songs are based on acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies, very much like America, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, et al. Opening track "Hey!" sounds like a 60's surfing track or something ála the Beach Boys. Great tune but perhaps not what the avid AOR fan would go nuts over. The second track "Carol Ann" (with Gerry Beckley from America on background vocals!) is every songwriter's dream come true. It is quite soft, low-key, stripped down tune with a terrific chorus, which builds and builds and basically it has to be heard to be believed. Very addictive stuff! And the album pretty much goes on like that. "Sarah's Song" and "Valentine Note" are two other highlights. Make sure to pick up his album if you're into the above mentioned acts.

Review by: Larry

JIMMY LAWRENCE | The World Is Round | (MTM Music, 1998)

All We Have Is Our Dream / One Night Like This / Under The Influence / Test Of Time / Ain't No Thing But Love / Tonight I Got The World / Rose Tatoo / Cool Blue / Fight For Your Love / After The Fire / A Little More Blue Sky

Sometimes it doesn't matter how many big "names" or not are involved in a project/record. Remember the album from Ricky Philips & Fergie Fredriksen, with a few exceptions most songs were pretty average.
Jimmy Lawrence isn't a big rock star (maybe he will be someday?), but what about all these people helping him out with songwriting and playing: Stan Meissner, Peter Wolf, Robert White Johnson, Bill Cuomo, Rick Neigher, Dan Huff, Tim Pierce, David Huff and Vinnie Colaiuto to name but a few.
As you can expect the musicianship is undoubtley as good as these guys are known for.
Even if it songwise isn't too thrilling there are some competent FM-rock written tunes. "All We Have Is Our Dream" and "One Night Like This" is both filled with right amount keyboards, catchy choruses, guitars and obvious clichés.
Jimmy's voice tends to get a bit thin in places, which gets a bit annoying. Maybe you could describe his voice as some kind of between Jon Bon Jovi and Mitch Malloy.
Then his voice suits better in a softer track like "Cool Blue".
Good but nothing out of the ordinary.

Review by: Stefan

LIFE | Cocoon | (Now & Then Records, 1997)

Dangerous Music / Let It Burn / The Language Of Love / The American Way / Oxygen / I Believe In You / Judy / Losing You / In The Night / Face To Face / Love, Power & Peace / The End Of The Line

Robin George's solo-debut "Dangerous Music" (Bronze, 1984) was, and still is a very good AOR-record.
His comeback in 1990 alongside Sean Harris, from Diamond Head, in the project Notorious didn't exactly set the world on fire. With Life Robin gives it another go.
I really hope he can prove me wrong, but it seems as if his best album will forever be "Dangerous Music".
Yes, I know that this isn't a solo-album, and that Nick Tart handles the leadvocals on almost every single track. But Robin are alone responsible for 11 of the 12 songs, the 12th is penned with Nick Tart. And he has also produced it, so it is very much a "Robin George record".
If this would have been a debut-album, so to speak, it could possibly have gained another point, but since Robin is very much involved this is way too traditional and faceless AOR to satisfy me. The same goes for the production.
The song "Face To Face", where Robin is singing lead, has got a really strange mix. You can barely hear his voice, or maybe he has just lost vocal capacity?
This album will not make the hitlist.

Review by: Stefan

LILLIAN AXE | Fields Of Yesterday | (Z Records, 1999)

Death Valley Daze / Do It / Twilight in Hell / For Crying Out Loud / The Last Time / Calm Before the Storm / Pulling the Rats Out / When It Rains / Daddy Long Legs / Blood on the Moon / Kill Me Again / Become a Monster

It has been 6 years since Lillian Axe has released a CD. It's my understanding that the new disc consists of older unreleased material from two different time frames of the bands career. Some of the material is from either the "Love and War" or "Poetic Justice" era and a few of the songs were recorded during or after the release of their 1993 CD "Psychoschizophrenia." The band members that have been in Lillian Axe from the beginning are Steve Blaze (guitars), Ron Taylor (vocals) and Jon Ster (Rhythm Guitars). Darrin DeLatte is their bassist who was also on the last release and their drummer on this album is Craig Nunenmacher whose name doesn't sound familiar to me. The production on this release sounds decent. The reason I brought the production up is because you may be thinking that seeing as the songs have been recorded at different time frames the material may sound like demos or patchy throughout the disc. In all honesty, the production throughout the CD is very consistent which makes me wonder if they re-recorded the songs for this release (?)

Opener "Death Valley Daze" starts off with some pounding drums and then the rhythm guitar kicks in slowly. The song has a darker feel to it which is what has always made this band so unique in their overall sound and style. Comparing Lillian Axe's sound to another group is virtually impossible if you ask me. I've always felt that they were a band with tremendous talent. When I think of underrated guitarists, Steve Blaze is one of the first names that comes to mind. "Do It" is much in the same style as the first song, but with a stronger chorus. "Twilight in Hell" is one of my favourite tracks on the CD. It's a rocker in the style of classic Lillian Axe! The next mentionable track would be "The Last Time" which surely wouldn't be out of place on the "Love and War" CD. It has more of a glam feel to it with some lively guitar work as well. The next two tracks to follow are also on the brighter/cheerful side of things. "When It Rains" is the only ballad on the CD. It starts off with some piano and it gets little heavier after about the first minute. It's a very strong and moody ballad and a good one at that. The last four songs on the CD are all heavier and have more of a 90's feel to them. They are not alternative sounding, they are just heavy 90's influenced rockers. The last track being the heaviest song I think they have ever recorded. It has more in common with Korn than it does with melodic rock, but it does have some cool guitar riffs in the song!

I've heard a lot of people say that this release was not too impressive and I have to disagree. I enjoy this release a lot more than their last one, probably because most of the tracks being in the older style. There are some fillers on the album and at times the album suffers with too many songs sounding the same, but overall it's a solid release. I don't think this release will win over many new fans, but for the fans that have been following the band for years, this release should suit them just fine.

Review by: Rob

JOHNNY LIMA | Shine On | (Frontiers Records, 1999)

Leavin' In The Morning / My Country 'Tis Of Thee / Touch Of Love / Star / Memory Lane / Wild, Young, Crazy In Love / Shout It Out / Too Late /Sweet Sixteen / Only The Strong Will Survive

Trust me, I have tried and I have tried. I have been trying to find what would be so special about this record that some claims. Sure, there are catchy tunes BUT, I can't find anything that I personally would think be so spectacular and original.
Some songs reminds of something Bon Jovi already did, listen especially to the verses in "My Country 'Tis Of Thee", and with Johnny Lima sounding like a Jon Bon Jovi clone comparisons with Bon Jovi are for me impossible to avoid.
The intentions however seems to have been creating a solid melodic rock record and for that I lift my hat off, but when listening to so much music I want more than just intentions. I do believe that if he with his next effort would go with less Bon Jovi-isms, even if it would be his style, he could come up with something pretty interesting. Time will tell…

Review by: Stefan

LOST WEEKEND | Lost Weekend | (Now & Then Records, 1997)

Don't Walk Away From Love / Baby Don't Leave Me This Way / One Step Closer / Is It Love / Find My Way Back To You / Desperate Love / Hopeless Romance / I Don't Want To Be Lonely / Cry Through The Rain / I'm Gonna Make Her Mine

Some bands are just too predictable. Some bands just don't have an identity of their own. Some bands just sounds like a bad mix of all existing clichés. Some bands don't realise that you can't just throw in some clichés and think that everything's going to be all right.
Among those bands we find Lost Weekend. Maybe each song by itself isn't that bad. But putting 10 almost identical songs on the same album isn't that hysterical if you'd ask me.
This band has got to make some radical changes for any chances of survival within the genre of AOR/melodic rock. Barely approved.

Review by: Stefan

LOST WEEKEND | Presence Of Mind | (Frontiers Records, 2000)

Holding On / I Need You / Slippin' Through My Hands / The Best Is Yet To Come / Kiss From The Heart / All Hands To The Fire / One Day At A Time / This Moment So Long / I Don't Want To Be Your Friend / Can You Believe / In Time

You gotta wonder. And I do. I do really wonder how come UK band Lost Weekend would get to release another album. If Whitesnake is a biting BMW Lost Weekend feels more like some '77 Volvo stationwagon. It works but you definitely feel the bumps in the road.
Lost Weekend delivers their crunchy guitars heavy rather than with class and the material isn't as spontaneous and fresh as what would have been needed for success.
I gotta give them credit though for sticking to what they obviously believe in.
Don't judge the book by its cover.

Review by: Stefan

LOUD AND CLEAR | Disc-Connected | (MTM Music, 2002)

Tell Me Why / Ain't Takin' Bout Nothin' / Fly Away / Disc-Connected / When I Feel Like That / Time To Let Go / Dangerous Imagination / Lovers In The Night / If It Takes All Night / Take Another Look / I Can't Wait / You Take Me Higher / You Gotta Dance

The second effort from Loud And Clear is a bunch of demos that have been polished up a bit in the studio. Their debut wasn't much to make a fuss about. This new one is neither.
It is funny, or better put, tragic, that some bands tend to become "legendary" in some fan's eyes as time goes by. Nobody cared (except for a handful) when their debut was released. I have myself never considered this band "legendary" nor will I (unless they would record and release something out of the ordinary).
I don't want to point fingers and say they're a crappy band. On the contrary, they're OK with me, but I consider them "just another competent melodic rock/AOR-band" with a fine singer (Jess Harnell, who makes his living working for Disney).
There are a couple of songs that are OK, but the use of vocoder (which they use as varnish) gets annoying after awhile. Buy it if you like generic "hair-band" AOR like Firehouse, Warrant, Trixter, Heaven's Edge, et al, but if you want some fresh and time-less AOR, look another way.

Review by: Larry

LOVERBOY | VI | (MTM Music, 1997)

Big Picture / Love Of Money / Secrets / Waiting For The Night / Nobody Cares / Goodbye Angel / Create A Monster / Hair Of The Dog / Maybe Someday / Spinnin' My Wheels / So Much For Love / Tortured

If Danger Danger has new vitality, Canadian AOR-veterans Loverboy seems to be going like Italian ski-ace Alberto Tomba, which is down very fast.
Okay that was hard, but Loverboy's comeback-album "VI" lacks.... well, a lot of everything.
"Big Picture" opens the album in a catchy AOR-mood, but then the other bluesier song than the other passes and hits rock bottom with "So Much For Love". A song that has got to be the worst rubbish Loverboy has ever put on a record.
Compared with their previous releases this is nothing but a piece of crap.
One could always speculate if the company by releasing this album perhaps will get the rights to release the solo-recordings Mike Reno did in 92/93 together with Mark Spiro....

Review by: Stefan