James Christian is currently experiencing a bit of a comeback, his voice featured on two major discs this year. The
House of Lords return was not one of glory but rather bitter disappointment, with poor choruses and weak vocals from Christian. Apprehension and fear for the worst cast a shadow over the solo album though due months afterward. If he sounded that bad and allowed his presence on such a stinker as "Power and the Myth", then how would "Meet the Man" fare? Well with Fabrizio Grossi heading up this production instead of the HOL gang, things would likely turn out well, and they did.
The multi talented Italian, Fabrizio and his little core band have brought out the best of several vocalists just this year, Mickey Thomas and Danny Vaughn, with also the Kelly Hansen release from 2003 worth mentioning. He has a knack for slick production and bringing everything together, plus his band is smashing. JM Scattolin and Roberto Vanni duel with guitars, giving the album a very European bite, and the rhythm section of Biggs Brice on drums and Grossi himself on bass is as tight as a drum. No fault can lie here, even if it comes off sounding like the previous discs they have pumped out. I hope these guys keep rotating vocalists and popping out high class albums such as this before we all get sick of the formula. Strike while the iron is hot.
And this one is quite hot. I can't stress enough how much this tramples all over the pathetic
House of Lords disc, and
James Christian fans that were let down by that questionable pile should be in seventh heaven with "Meet the Man". The only drawback for the most diehard Christian followers would be the songs themselves. They have been bouncing around out there for years, some even recorded in the past and available on little demo tapes that found their way into circulation. Personally, I have never heard any of these songs before so it is not a retread in the slightest, and those that may have accidentally stumbled upon a scattering of these tracks should still be pleased that they have found a proper home this time, with fat, crisp production and an all fresh recording session to be presented in at their best, as was intended.
The disc starts off hot and heavy with two numbers guaranteed to get things kicked off on the right track.
"After the Love Has Gone" suffers from repetitiveness but so many songs do, and it doesn't take it to annoying levels as it easily could have. Noticeable right away is the hard rock structure and vocals that are anything but weak as last seen on "The Power and the Myth". This is glossy Euro hard rock with an American vocalist thrown into the mix, and that's a nice combo indeed. That blistery bottom end and classy edge with a clean belter on top of it all round things out nicely. James does sound a bit iffy at times, running a few words together in a Joe Elliot (
Def Leppard of course) vocal mannerism.
Ah and the second of the two tracks is
"Know You in the Dark" which is energized with a catchy hook in the chorus and sizzling guitars folding in and out of the song, plus some nice thick backing vocals that give it that 80s gang singing feel. A festering tune that will likely burst a few brain cells as it replays itself in your head time and again.
"Surrender Your Love" sees them implementing violin samples, slow plucked acoustic and that casual rhythmic tapping of a drumstick to get across the pledge of sticky sweetness and a pleading for love. Sugar coated trappings and rolling at a snail's pace it crawls around like a
Bon Jovi "New Jersey" ballad and then sneaks in some electric to pierce the comatose mood, that shakes the foundations for the pure power ballad chorus. Not a classic, likely no one will fall head over heels for this one, but structurally it is interesting and the lyrics are rather saccharine and sentimental, making it rather inoffensive and a pleasant listen.
"Meet the Man" means business right away, the opening guitar sound a throwback delight that slams between the eyes a mimic of that defining feel for Whitesnake's "Still of the Night", raw, thrust right in the face, and pulsing with an animalistic feel. The song quickly unravels down into mild current
Def Leppard style, that modern subdued take on rock from "X". The song shifts feels a few more times, the rather weakened and rushed chorus outlined with crunchy guitars that never find their way back to that first impression of unexpected bliss. It's hard rocking of course, but doesn't really find itself even after much testing through a rolodex organizational listing of generic drop-in sounds, leaving much to be desired.
Lapping acoustic, guitar feedback and some heartfelt "ooohs" open
"End of Time". This one is definitely along the lines of classic mid tempo
AOR in that late 80s/early 90s
House of Lords feel that's all about love, baby. It always comes down to love in the game of
AOR. The guitars play a prominent role in giving the track charm, but seem a bit off kilter as they are allowed to run absolutely wild at song's close, that defies convention, but a bit of a shake up to the typical is always welcome, as long as it doesn't feel completely out of place, and while surprising yes, this quick deviation from the norm is just that. A blazing string bending wild trip that lasts seconds and for all practical purposes, should not be there but is.
More acoustic ushers in the beginning of another song that doesn't just flirt with becoming a ballad, but pulls out all the stops to become the most over-the-top 80s style overpowering piece possible. Huge plush waves contrast against the slower paced areas, the expansive sections with more instruments and backing accompaniments than you can shake a stick at, are intense and sweeping with James' vocals resonating with power.
"Love Looked Into My Life" earns a top spot for putting all the pieces right where they belong to combine into a powerhouse piece. Plenty of punch and the emotion feels genuine.
Slick and instantly unforgettable, that describes
"Leave Well Enough Alone" to perfection. This is ripped right out of 1988, and will likely well tears in the nostalgic's eyes. It is as 80s as you can get, that bridge pounds the stuffing out of the drums as a lead in to the chorus that is packed with catchiness, and the guitars are so crystal you can see right through every note as it sparkles and shines right along with the rest of the song. Absolutely a killer track, and faultless, there seems to be nary a flaw to be found, and certainly not in the emotive vocals.
"I'm holding your body but your heart's not home."
"Strong Enough" continues pushing the tempo on a rocker road. This one sweeps away the processed high class
AOR vibe of
"Leave Well Enough Alone" in favor of the heart of Americana rock style of "New Jersey"-era (again)
Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and maybe a touch of Bruce Springsteen. Adams' "Summer of 69" comes to mind, then again, that could just be me. Decent but after the lasting impression left by the previous track that seemed absolutely possessed with the need to grasp greatness, it seems hollow following it. Kind of like tasting juicy prime rib from a fancy high priced restaurant and then sampling a McDonald's cheeseburger. While the cheeseburger is a slice of what one would recall as very American, and is nice to munch in its own right, you would only be fooling yourself in thinking it even holds a candle to that succulent steak bleeding all over your other plate.
"You Should Be Blue (All I Could Feel Was Blue)" makes up for it, in fact, this would have been a better follow up act to
"Leave". On the lower side of mid tempo, this one finds itself with a nice laid back feeling chorus and what sounds like the almost chanting of "Sherbet Blue". They are really backing up with "Should be blue" but the way the words are formed it comes across more like "Sherr bert blue". This song doesn't rock or roll, it just seems to glide, with a carefree Westcoast feel that allows the track to breeze right along smoothly. Not a ballad or a rocker, it slips right in that comfortable crack inbetween.
"Circle of Tears" is yet another piece that can be called "killer", with that big bountiful sound from
"Leave" but with other tricks up the sleeve. The verses are drenched in moodiness, the electric guitars are crunchy without being crushing, and lighten up in a flash for the chorus that builds into a soul soaring climax. Scattolin is unleashed for a quick yet nicely done solo that is only just too short, but his string bending is given plenty of airtime as it seems to never wander too far, always there, an electric spirit that cannot be ignored.
"Hold Back the Night" introduces us to some unusual percussion, giving it what I can only describe as an island feel in the rhythm section. A little strange when it's backing that voice, but it disappears fast enough when the chorus blows in, to be relegated to nothing more than a curiosity for the verses and definitely gives the slower sections a very unusual flavor. The song slowly climbs, marching on and on up what seems to be a stairway that starts off with slow simplistic steps and as the time ticks on becomes more intricate and twisting as the music becomes more pompous and intense with every guitar blast that separates one change from another. Until the top step is finally reached, overlooking the clouds in a sea of blue to nowhere, and a thoughtful few guitar notes ring out across the skies as a wistful finale.
"What I want is everlasting love."
If
House of Lords had recorded this instead of the dreadful and completely out of the band's context, "Power and the Myth", it would have been hailed as a modern classic. Especially considering HOL's rabid fanbase that went so far as to embrace "Myth" anyway despite it's numerous flaws. But that's neither here nor there really, it just keeps coming back as subject fodder since it's release is so close and yet so different to
James Christian's solo outing. Where in
House of Lords he sounded on the verge of losing his voice, but here he's coming across loud and clear, and more importantly, backed by some truly fantastic material. Christian himself isn't quite up to his past standards vocal-wise but when compared to the HOL release, he sounds great and has all the fire back that was lacking in the lifeless performance on HOL's "Myth".
But song quality does vary, making the disc feel not as gelled as it should. The first half of the album seems to barely hobble along when pitted head-to-head against the latter slice of the disc, which is stacked with killer tunes. While serviceable and even good,
"Surrender Your Love",
"Meet the Man", and
"End of Time" have absolutely nothing on
"Leave Well Enough Alone",
"Circle of Tears" and
"You Should Be Blue". But the variety of tastes does allow one to graze different takes on Christian's music and appreciate the killer stuff even more. If you like hard rock, there's surely something here to whet your appetite, since there are power ballads, mellow Westcoasty tracks, anthem rockers, modern touches, 80s
AOR classic, and American stadium rock all represented. Another great guidance by Grossi that should be right at home for anyone that enjoyed the previous projects he helmed.
Written by
Alanna Saturday, December 4, 2004
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