The legendary Scottish melodic hard rock band,
Heavy Pettin laid down a veritable plethora of tracks throughout their career that, for one reason or another (none good), got left on the cutting room floor.
The 13 tracks here are the result of a well judged (and exacting) sift through that material. There are some absolutely killer tracks here. Why they never got released before is a question only severely misguided and/or incompetent label executives can answer.
Thankfully, the enlightened team at Majestic Rock Records have now exposed these recordings to us all.
Okay, on occasion, there's a clear demo quality aura. But unless you're an obsessive, your own aural equaliser will make the necessary adjustments.
Interestingly, the band produced all of these tracks themselves. No coincidence then that it's much harder to hear any
Def Leppard comparatives.
Opener
'Break It Down' sounds raw, powerful and utterly magnificent. One of those songs that has both immediacy and stamina, standing up to repeated plays with a combination of grace and conviction.
'I Don't Care What You Say' mixes pop and rock in equal measure.
The anthemic
'Merry Go Round' is perfectly pitched radio rock. With polish and marketing push, this track could have been a monster.
The hard driving
'Don't Walk Away' takes a more dramatic turn, an energetic road song with a grown up resonance.
'Hot Woman' is the album standout by a considerable margin. A thrusting riff, matched to a loud percussive thump and a hooky chorus is topped off by a backing vocal chant, very much expressed in the local vernacular.
The lean, Americanised hard rock of '
Knock Em Dead' and the lush, Foreigner-esque '
My Love For You' lift the back end of the album, both displaying a growing confidence and skill in the song writing process.
Taken as a whole, '
Prodigal Songs' prove what most of us already knew.
Heavy Pettin could've and should've. The fact that they didn't is one of rock music's sad but unavoidable truths.
Still, listen to this and enjoy the visceral thrill.
Written by
Brian Tuesday, June 5, 2007
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