Artist and musician, Greg Hart was the architect of eighties'
AOR band, Moritz's finest forty minutes, now cast in CD for the first time (see review elsewhere).
Recognition for Hart as a songwriter came when Geoff Downes invited him to write for Asia's 'Aqua' album. As a result he's since written collaboratively with such luminaries as Pete Sinfield and Mike Moran.
Perhaps obsession is too strong a word, but after years of tramping the boards with tribute band, Limehouse Lizzy, Hart's fascination with
Thin Lizzy culminated in the forming of
Hartless and the recording of 'Full Circle'.
As an unashamed salute to the late Phil Lynott's legendary and influential rock band, it's perhaps less of a triumph than you would have hoped for. Few of us have anything less than fond memories of those seventies' rock innovators. And while an "original" tribute album may sound good at the ideas stage, it seldom translates into anything else but pale imitation in the execution.
Part of the problem is this : neither Greg Hart or fellow vocalist Ray Edmunds have particularly strong or distinctive voices, and no matter how well written these songs are (and they are), there's just no getting past that fatal flaw.
Agreed, Edmunds' voice has a passing resemblance to that of Phil Lynott, but it lacks the bite and the passion that it needs to truly have the desired impact.
It's such a pity, as the songs here that simply pastiche seventies rock are warm and well crafted. Often, like the radio friendly '
Who Do You Run To' and the slick, glam inflected
'Real World', veering more toward pop than rock.
Still, for
Thin Lizzy aficionados, this will be a welcome addition to their collection, for others, file under 'approach with care'.
Written by
Brian Sunday, February 15, 2009
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