Who really keeps up with most keyboard players anyway? Despite the fact that this instrument is often extremely important to a band's overall sound, most fans finds ourselves tracking the careers of the singers and guitarists, even the drummers over the guys behind the keys. But there are exceptions of course, such as the one and only Jens Johansson, two ex-
Rainbow guys, Don Airey and David Rosenthal, and the overpowering presence of Andre Anderson. Some of these guys have gone on to solo to success, but still when faced with a group - or person named
Hodson, I had to wonder, who is this? And more importantly, why the band name of
Hodson?
Hodson is Paul
Hodson, the mastermind behind Bob Catley's last CD, which found itself Gary Hughes-less, "When Empires Burn". The point here is, even without Gary, who had guided
Magnum's vocal crooner to mass acclaim three times prior, his songwriting skills were not even missed, because the "new" guy carried on the previous tradition well while adding a sense of a renewed awakening to the proceedings. This guy was none other than Paul
Hodson, who has also worked with John Parr, Hard
Rain (another Catley band) and
Ten. The good news is that he has managed to gather quite a large pool of influences, ready to be unveiled in his own project.
Leading us to the release of "This Strange World". Which is so surprising because with no expectations in order really prior to hearing it, I was simply blown away. The sound is a delightful combination of
Ten and
Magnum in its soaring, pompous structures and instantly catchy melodies, but with the jagged harder edge of
Dio-era
Rainbow blended in for good measure. It is a satisfying mixture that begs for replay value, the kind of rock solid harder music that comes along only a couple of times a year in a package that sports such high standards as this.
The only drawbacks are mainly found in the production. It is not as crisp and perfect sounding as "When Empires Burn" was, and thus gives off the impression that all is not pristinely polished. Which can also be seen as a good thing, since the quality is high enough to allow all the little intricacies in the music to shine but minus that over produced feel that can seem plastic at times. Some would argue that it lends the disc a more natural sound, which I whole heartedly agree, but still yearn for a little more of a boost in the quality of the sound outputted.
The musicians are three, Vince O'Regan from Bob Catley's band on guitar, who is slightly reminiscent of Vinnie Burns in his red hot string style, a female sessions bassist hailing from Holland and living in London, by the name of Josie Vespa and last but not least, lead man, Paul
Hodson, who does all keys, contributes guitar, and is the voice fronting the music. That's right, he's a singer too and can he ever belt it. Imagine
Graham Bonnet without some of the raspier, grittiness crossed with Ronnie James
Dio, with a few points knocked off the medieval majesty commander feel of his.
"This Foolish World" and
"Jelunda" are the two album openers that set the mood for the disc.
"Jelunda" takes a smokier approach, keeping the melody close at hand for a smooth experience, while the disc starter,
"This Foolish World" is a bit rougher with the electric guitars just going soloing insane for a few moments before regaining clarity, like a whirlwind that turns tornadic suddenly and then changing back into its former form. Both are expertly woven epics that make up the best the disc has to offer.
But that doesn't mean the rest is ready for the trash pile, because all songs are worth your time, such as the following duo, the more subdued
"The Calling" which has a lengthy running time allowing it to change and twist as the time ticks on, and its follow up,
"My Saviour" which sports a killer chorus that claims a little piece of
Ten at their most pompous but the overall aroma is something more from the arcane book of 70s
Rainbow with its harder pounding edge. With their complexities and epic eight plus minute running times, both of these take a few listens to sort through everything that's going on, since the musical background is anything but simple or boring. Keyboards and guitars are thrown everywhere, slicing and soothing in the backdrop, and the hooks come fancy and furiously.
"English Rose" is another favorite, that walks the line between
Ten and Bob Catley's last solo release, and does so with a fervor and style. Piercing guitar and vocals cranked to attack mode, it leaps upon the listener with no regards to holding back. Forward and fleshed out with plenty of instrumentation weaving in the background while the singing attempts to take hold of that center stage spot. It's a shorter piece, but so much is packed in its skimpier running time to make up for it. O'Regan's guitar is simply off the hook and unleashed, blazing into fiery licks for solos and turning to a slower edgy burn for riffs.
"Shamen Eyes" reaches for a more midtempo feel that resurrects a little splash of that
Rainbow sound or perhaps Yngwie from his Michael Vescera fronted years, but don't let it fool you because it still flaunts a stylized sadistic edge underneath the frilly initial approach. Its slight deviances from the norm make it a delight to hear and it fits perfectly here, even if it is very similar to its harder counterparts. The tempo change is ever so slight, but enough to set it apart from the rest, despite still flying high with forceful energy. Paul sounds very much like Bonnet here, which roughs up the song even more.
"Soulman" has that
Ten excessiveness stamped all over it and a touch of goth in the keyboard soundscape. Those keys are similar in the sound of something so obscure it probably should better off be not mentioned, but let's go ahead with it anyway. Castlevania: Dracula Battle, a rare and years out of print Japanese release of rock session players laying down heavy metal versions of the often primitive, MIDI like music from the Castlevania video game series.
Hodson's voice here is a cleaned up version of the two vocalists he shadows, with only a slightly shaky extended yell near the beginning hinting at his weaknesses.
It would be a tragedy not to mention
Hodson's superb rendition of
Rainbow's classic, the in-spirit sequel to "Stargazer" which is
"Light in the Black". Paul morphs into a
Dio clone and just belts this puppy with all the mystique and presence he can muster, a slamming vocal force that replicates the original nicely, minus a little of the authentic
Dio majesty, but I have heard few that commands the audience like Ronnie does himself. The music is dead on and few if any liberties are taken, making it a spot on duplicate of the metal classic from "Rising". Hearing how naturally the song fits in with the newly written material, helps show just how well this thing was written in the first place. Almost thirty years later, it still sounds relevant and fresh, a testament to the legacy left from the
Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James
Dio collaboration.
All songs on this nine track disc are of the hard tempo variety, ranging from quicker rockers to drawn out epics, with one exception,
"The Swan". It aims for the title of ballad, with another healthy heaping of Vince's extravagant guitarwork and a slower tempo that allows Paul to stretch his voice for a rather lovely experience.
This is an album that should be out on display right along with
Magnum,
Rainbow, and
Ten, since "This Strange World" is like their little younger brother begging for attention by emulating the elders and mixing a little of their own style along with it. While I do enjoy the hard rocking vibrant landscape of the disc, a couple more songs that slowed things down a bit would make for a nice breather, not to mention the absence of anything that's a simple sing-a-long bit. If you are looking for something that's more of the "Long Live Rock N Roll" or "Do You Close Your Eyes" variety than track after track of intertwining complexity like "Stargazer", then 'This Strange World" won't fit that bill.
But in all fairness there are plenty of bands out there giving us the more simplistic stuff, and not nearly enough that have the daring to crank one epic out after another. Not radio friendly in the slightest, but a pleasure to soak in,
Hodson has delivered a smash and I hope this one garners enough attention, appreciation and sales for a future sequel.
Written by
Alanna Tuesday, August 3, 2004
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