Light years on from the seminal '
The Dream Weaver', ex Spooky Tooth legend,
Gary Wright has recorded and released another sweet slice of smooth, funky, melodicentric rock.
No reason or desire to disguise the synths and the programming, yet somehow they don't sound dated here, largely because of Wright's arrangement and production skills. It also helps that his voice (sounding remarkably like Gregg Rolie's) has grown further over the years, and is full of low register warmth and depth here.
Lyrically, the album is personal and emotionally strong, with only a few clunky moments. In the main, Wright's writing holds up well against the work of that erudite, articulate wordsmith, John (Mr Mister) Lang, who contributes one co-write, 'Gimme Some Time'.
Other guest players include Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter and Joe (Eagles) Walsh on guitar, and Will (Yellowjackets) Kennedy and Ringo Starr on drums.
Baxter and Walsh contribute only cameo roles to the recording, lighting up first single,
'Satisfied' and up tempo closer,
'You Make Me Feel Better' with tasteful - still razor sharp - fills and solos.
It's Kennedy who sets the tone, creating effortless grooves for Wright's melodic songs to alternately meander and soar. Even those that meander seem to do so with purpose.they know they'll get there sometime.
That first single,
'Satisfied' is clearly the most immediate song on
'Connected'. It simmers satisfyingly rather than ignites, with a swaying, hand clapping gospel choir pulling Wright's smoky vocal along in traditional call and response manner.
'Get Your Hands Up' and '
No One Does It Better' quickly settle into a funky groove. Surprisingly, these are lean, spare compositions. Energetic, yet restrained, subliminally creating a strong sense of power held in reserve.
The album's ballads, the ethereal
'Under Your Spell' and the soulful, blue eyed
'Life's Not A Battlefield' seem to have learned their craft from erstwhile Spooky Tooth colleague, Mick (Foreigner) Jones. But Wright tones down the drama and has a much lighter touch, playing down the past without sounding clichéd or derivative.
Elsewhere, the proggy, space rock funk of '
Cant Find No Mercy' and the title track
'Connected' are amazingly persuasive examples of matching disparate styles and lyrical substance. Arguably, these are the album's outstanding tracks.
A fine return from an artist who's never been away.
Written by
Brian Monday, December 27, 2010
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