Some bands just don't get the breaks.
Such was the fate of New Orleans' band,
Zebra, which featured the unique vocal and songwriting talents of guitarist, Randy Jackson, who went on to form
China Rain, post
Zebra.
Felix Hanneman on bass and Guy Gelso on drums rounded out the trio, all heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles,
Rush and Yes.
On its own, vocalist Randy Jackson's voice - the rock version of Frankie Valli - was enough to give
Zebra a unique identity. As a songwriter, Jackson had few peers. Add collective high quality musicianship to the mix and the band's career should have ignited, propelling them into
AOR orbit.
At first, that's exactly how it looked. The self titled debut (1983) made significant waves. Consequently they headlined tours with luminaries such as Queensryche and
Dream Theater taking supporting roles.
The second album would be the one to stake the band a permanent place in the Premier Leaugue.
But '
No Tellin Lies' (1984) stiffed, denying the band their day in the sun.
Third album '
3V' (1986) recovered lost ground, but by then the damage was done.
Those two release have been languishing in the vinyl vaults ever since, but now, discerning and enterprising new US label, American Beat Records, have reissued
Zebra's second and third releases as a "2 on 1" CD. Great value indeed.
In honesty,
'No Tellin Lies' is a patchy affair, blighted by an uncertain production style (despite having Jack Douglas at the helm) and arrangements that seem to favour muddy synth sounds in too many places. At times, it sounds hurried and makeshift.
That said, Jackson clearly hadn't lost the knack of sculpting a handsome song from a fine melody. The anti-drugs opener '
Wait Until The Summers Gone' and the anti-hunting '
Bears' stand out like beacons in the darkness, with the emphatically Lennonesque
'Lullaby' emerging as a heartfelt, skilfully crafted tribute to a pop music icon.
'
3V's switch to a sophisticated
AOR/poprock style lost the band some fans, but if there's any justice, it gained them many more. Not that album sales were that substantial.
But musically, it is an outstanding recording.
Jackson handled production duties, resulting in a beautifully textured album. Keyboards frequently get a prominent position in the mix, but guitars hold their own, keeping the album on the edgy side of poppy
AOR.
Here the brittle fragility of '
No Tellin Lies' is supplanted by flowing, brilliantly sustained melodies. '
Your Mind's Open' and '
Better Not Call' are bittersweet, cleverly understated
AOR songs.
'
Hard Living Without You' is the perfect pop song, with a simple but infectious hook.
Sadly,
Zebra never regained lost momentum. They didn't exactly grind to a halt, but it was 2003 before '
Zebra IV' hit the racks. By then of course they had been exalted by fans of the genre, rebelling against the direction rock music had taken.
Novices should refer to this '2 on 1' as a good place to start looking.
Written by
Brian Friday, September 14, 2007
Show all reviews by BrianRatingsBrian: 7/10Members: 9/10 - Average of 1 ratings.
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 | savafan4ever
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this was a great band that never got the recognition they so much deserved. i would of li... · Read more · |
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