Album review: FORTUNE- The Gun’s Still Smoking Live (CD/DVD)

FORTUNE- The Gun's Still Smokin' Live

Frontiers Records (Release Date 07.08.20)

One of the most heart-warming and unexpected comebacks of the last few years has been that of cult eighties AOR sters Fortune. It’s fair to say their comeback in 2016 at Rockingham Festival stole the show and they were warmly welcomed back just a year later, while last year’s Fortune II was a very strong comeback album with all the band’s trademarks.

This live set, also from 2019- recorded, as so many Frontiers live releases, at the label’s own festival on Italian home soil- has the twin advantages of a setlist that covers both old and new, and coming in both CD and DVD format. As with many of these projects, the latter is probably the more rewarding form of enjoying it (though bassist’s Ricky Rat’s face pulling may divide opinion) and the mix, in which drums are unduly prominent at the expense of other instruments, except during the solos, somehow seems less noticeable.

The set opens in fine style with old favourite ‘Thrill Of it All’, building into the first but not the last of Richard Fortune’s impressively fluent guitar solos, then Mark Nilan’s keys introduce newie ‘Don’t Say You Love Me’ which stands comparison.

 The atmospheric vocals of Larry Greene (going by the rather public school sounding L.A.Greene on the credits) are then given full reign on his contribution to the Top Gun soundtrack ‘Through the Fire’, a classic eighties movie soundtrack in Survivor-type manner.

‘Deep in the Heart of the Night’ is classic AOR and the intro to ‘Heart is a Lonely Hunter’ in which Richard’s powerchords give way to keyboards cutting through gets the crowd clapping along in unison.

Though the similar tempo of many of the songs may struggle to hold the attention of more casual fans, as with most good live sets the best is saved to last. Their best known song ‘Dearborn Station’ is delivered in a stately, melodramatic fashion with smooth guitars and keyboards complementing each other, and though they end with a ‘Fortune II’ number  in ‘Freedom Road’ its anthemic qualities do not suffer in comparison, even with that classic.

An excellent introduction to this most cult of bands- though the studio albums are even better!  ****

Review by Andy Nathan


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 25 February
Next session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 25 February 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 27 February 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 4 March 2024

COLLATERAL Glass Sky (Big Shot Records)
THE ZUTONS Pauline (ICEPOP)
THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS Rise Above It All (Mascot)
MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY From Here To The Moon (indie)
THE BLACK VULTURES Never Say (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 4 March 2024

09:00-12:00 LEE AARON Tattoo Me (Metalville)
12:00-13:00 THE END MACHINE The Quantum Phase (Frontiers)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply