Five albums in ten years is a respectable release rate.
In Steve
Newman's case at least, it has ensured that every two years or so the result is a quality product.
Now, every artist you speak to will always admit that they'd love to go back and change some aspect of their recorded material. Whether that's means altering an arrangement, tweaking the production, adding an instrument, or whatever.
But few get the opportunity to do so.
Being a self sufficient type of guy, and largely self contained, Steve
Newman has taken the bull by the horns and rerecorded some 17 tracks selected from his not inconsiderable back catalogue.
That's Disc One. Back to that in a moment.
Disc 2 contains another 17 tracks.
These are songs that didn't make the final cut on any of those 5 previous releases, or were unfinished until now.
'Not good enough' is your first thought. Or else why weren't they released at the time?
Sometimes it's just not that simple.
Listening to disc 2 will set the record straight.
Before we go back to Disc 1, it's interesting to note
Newman's choice of guest players over the years. Tommy Denander, Anders Rydholm, Pete Jupp, Steve Morris, Chris Ousey, Nick Workman, Mikey J. All respected recording artists in their own right and all people who've pursued their own melodic rock vision.
So, what of the music?
It's all unashamed melodic rock of course, highly derivative, but gradually shaping and forming its own identity as it moves gracefully onwards from album to subsequent album.
The only real problem is that Steve
Newman paints his music from a rather limited palette, with not a lot of variety in the colours or the textures.
That's made it hard to break out of what is clearly a niche market.
Fans have no issue with this. They're happy in this environment. And that's understandable when faced with outstanding
AOR like
'One Step Closer' (
Newman's magnum opus),
'If It's Love' (great Georgio Moroder-esque intro),
'Ain't Gonna Cry Forever' (nothing wrong with unadorned sentimentality) and '
The Way That You Love Me', a track that sounds like it's been recorded by the Southern Sons' English cousins.
Disc 2 is the more entertaining.
It's always interesting listening to songs that didn't make this or that album for whatever reason, then making your own judgement about the decision.
Even better to hear songs that have stalled at the "work in progress" stage over the years now in finished form.
'Change' is a cracking track. This one has a harder edge, lyrically and musically and is all the better for it - marking it out as different among the soft centred, keyboard filled tracks on either side. (Is it also meant to be ironic?).
Other standouts include
'Hands Around My Heart', a track with a comparatively minimalist approach, saving the punches for an aurally adhesive hook, and despite the unsavoury subject matter
, 'Don't Ever Say Forever'. This song catches a melodic rock wave and sails smoothly along on a sea of keyboards and rippling guitar arpeggios.
Again, when
Newman steps outside of that limiting
AOR circle, the music almost transcends genre definition. Most notably with
'Can't Stop Falling', a song that features beautiful, melancholy guitar work. And
'Emotions Into Motion', where comparatively primitive, but well judged rhythms and an elemental guitar riff mark this song out as something pretty special.
Fans will just adore this release. The unfamiliar may well find it a useful introduction.
Written by
Brian Monday, October 27, 2008
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