Tag Archives: AOR

Album review: KANSAS- The Absence of Presence

Posted on June 30, 2020 by andynathan

Inside Out Records (Release Date 17.07.20) Kansas are an object lesson in regeneration and renewal for veteran bands. Having been around since 1974, many feared for their future when lead singer Steve Walsh retired in 2014, but continuing with a … Continue reading →

Feature: Albums that time forgot – RANSOM – Trouble In Paradise

Posted on June 12, 2020 by andynathan

MTM (1997) As alternative sounds ruled the roost in the nineties, musical styles that had ruled the previous decade were out of fashion and none more so than the melodic rock/AOR scene which was driven completely underground. In pre-Facebook, YouTube … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums that time forgot, All Posts, FEATURES | Tagged AOR, Don Cromwell, Eddie Money, melodic rock, Ransom, Tommy Girvin, Trouble In Paradise | Leave a comment

Album review: INTELLIGENT MUSIC PROJECT – Sorcery Inside/Life Motion

Posted on June 12, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

INTELLIGENT MUSIC PROJECT V - Life Motion

Intelligent Music [Release date 12.02.20, 24.12.18*] There must be something in the Bulgarian water. One time Uriah Heep vocalist John Lawton has also used that country’s musicians in recent years and actually appears on the first two ‘Intelligent’ releases. This … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Carl Sentance, Intelligent Music Project, John Payne, Joseph Williams, Life Motion, melodic rock, Milan Vrabevski, review, Richard Grisman, Ronnie Romero, Simon Phillips, Sorcery Inside | Leave a comment

Album review: CPR (Crosby Pevar Raymond)

Posted on June 7, 2020 by jason

BMG [Release date 21.07.20] Guitarist, songwriter and vocalist David Crosby is quite a legend, all historic drug and alcohol issues aside, being a founder member of folk rock/country rock pioneers The Byrds, he has recorded with Crosby & Nash (former … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged albums, AOR, country, CPR, CSN, David Crosby, folk, James Raymond, Jeff Pevar, melodic, pop, re-issue, review, The Byrds | Leave a comment

Album review: LAURA BRANIGAN – Self Control

Posted on May 30, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red Records [Release date 05.06.20] In other circumstances, it would have been reported that Branigan’s untimely death in 2004, aged 52, brought a sparkling, hit filled career to a tragic end. But in fact, while that was true, she’d … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged album, AOR, Cherry Red Records, dance music, Laura Branigan, Leonard Cohen, melodic, MTV, pop, re-issue, review, Self Control | Leave a comment

Album review: ONE DESIRE – Midnight Empire

Posted on May 20, 2020 by andynathan

Frontiers Records (Release date 22.05.20) Three years ago young Finns One Desire suddenly emerged with a very impressive first album which made many people’s end of year melodic rock lists. It has taken a long time but they hope to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Andre Linman, AOR, Jimmy Westerlund, melodic rock, One Desire | Leave a comment

Album review: DENNIS DE YOUNG – 26 East, Volume 1

Posted on May 19, 2020 by andynathan

Frontiers Records (Release Date 22.05.20) This album marks a welcome rock comeback for former Styx singer Dennis De Young. For much of the time either side of his departure from the band he seemed more interested in Broadway inspired or … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Dennis De Young, Jim Peterik, Julian Lennon, melodic rock, Styx | Leave a comment

Album review: FM – Synchronized

Posted on May 18, 2020 by andynathan

Frontiers Records [Release Date 22.05.20] It’s now a whole decade since FM returned to stay with their comeback album ‘Metropolis’. Though from time to time they look back, rerecording ‘Indiscreet’ and most recently celebrating ‘Tough It Out’s anniversary on the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, FM, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Steve Overland | Leave a comment

Album review: PAUL SABU – Sabu/Kidd Glove

Posted on May 14, 2020 by jason

PAUL SABU – Sabu Rock Candy Records [Release date 24.04.20] 1980: After building a name for himself as a producer of slicked back, funk-lite disco music, Paul Sabu took an out-of-the-blue offer from MCA Records to record a melodic rock … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged album, AOR, Kidd Glove, melodic rock, Motown, Paul Sabu, re-issue, review, Rock Candy, Sabu | Leave a comment

Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – King Of Hearts

Posted on May 10, 2020 by jason

AOR Heaven [Release date 26.06.20] Christian Rosander is a 22-year-old musician and songwriter from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Since he was 14 years old, he’d been writing songs in the AOR/Melodic and Westcoast genre. To be fair you’d been pretty certain the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, AOR Heaven, Chris Rosander, King Of Hearts, melodic rock, review, synth pop, Toto | Leave a comment

Feature: Bands that time forgot – BAD COMPANY (1986-1996)

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

For most, Bad Company conjures up the classic seventies line-up fronted by Paul Rodgers and with Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke and Boz Burrell. The eponymous and classic first album yielded a handful of airplay and chart hits and set the … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Bands that time forgot, FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged 1986-1996, AOR, Bad Company, Brian Howe, classic rock, Dave 'Bucket' Colwell, feature, hard rock, interview, melodic rock, Mick Ralphs, review, Robert Hart, Simon Kirke | Leave a comment

Feature: Albums that time forgot – NEAL SCHON – Late Nite

Posted on May 6, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Columbia [1989] Years ago there was a very good record store in the Liverpool area and with a branch in my nearby shopping bolthole Chester. Penny Lane Records yielded a fine selection of import albums at a reasonable price. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums that time forgot, All Posts, FEATURES | Tagged album, AOR, Bob Marlette, interview, Journey, Late Nite, melodic rock, Neal Schon, review, Santana, Sheryl Crow | Leave a comment

Album review: CHAMPLIN WILLIAMS FRIESTEDT – 2

Posted on May 5, 2020 by andynathan

Black Lodge [Release Date 15.05.20] In that genre of the softest and smoothest AOR given the shorthand ‘West coast’, CWF are something of a superstar collaboration. Former Chicago singer and keyboard player Bill Champlin and Joseph Williams, singer with Toto … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Champlin Williams Friestedt, Chicago, CWF, Michael McDonald, soft rock, Toto, West Coast | Leave a comment

Single reviews: THE DARKER MY HORIZON, MILTON HIDE, ALLAN CLARKE, CWF, THE LICKERISH QUARTET

Posted on May 3, 2020 by jason

THE DARKER MY HORIZON Carpe Diem Another band utilising their lockdown time wisely are the Darker My Horizon, who made the video with help from their fans with all proceeds going to the NHS charities. Nice riff-tastic tune with lyrics … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Allan Clarke, AOR, classic rock, CWF, folk, Jellyfish, melodic rock, Milton Hide, modern rock, New releases, pop, power pop, review, rock, singles, the Darker My Horizon, The Hollies, the Lickerish Quartet, Toto | Leave a comment

Feature: Albums that time forgot – ELEKTRADRIVE – Living 4

Posted on April 17, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Valery Records (2009) Elektradrive is one of the more significant Hard Rock/AOR bands to emerge from Italy. At the very start, in 1983, the name of the band was Overdrive and they had a four-piece line up without keyboards; after … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums that time forgot, All Posts, FEATURES | Tagged album, AOR, Elektradrive, hard rock, Italian, Italy, Living 4, melodic rock, review | Leave a comment

Feature: Call Collect – An introduction to NIGHT RANGER

Posted on April 15, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Night Ranger - HRH AOR – Pwllheli, Wales, Friday 9 March 2018

Andy Nathan favourites Night Ranger remained a largely USA-based phenomenon until their reformation in the late 1990s. Their UK gigs from 2011 onwards would make grown men cry… When Night Ranger played their first-ever headline show in England at the … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Call Collect, FEATURES | Tagged AOR, Brad Gillis, feature, introduction, Jack Blades, Jeff Watson, Joel Hoekstra, Kelly Keagy, melodic rock, Night Ranger, review | Leave a comment

Album review: ZON – Astral Projector/ORPHAN – Salute

Posted on April 5, 2020 by jason

Rock Candy [Release date 20.03.20] ZON – Astral Projector + 4 The band members’ post Zon experiences are arguably more colourful than their brief, 2 album grab at fame and fortune. And yet, the 1978 debut, “Astral Projector” promised so … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged album, AOR, Astral Projector, melodic rock, Orphan, pomp rock, re-issue, review, Rock Candy, Salute, Zon | Leave a comment

News: QUEEN, MARILLION, HELLOWEEN, DEVIN TOWNSEND (April 2020)

Posted on April 1, 2020 by jason

Quireboys - Giants of Rock, Butlins, Minehead, 26 January 2020

Hawklords release a new live album ‘Hawklords Alive’ on May 29. Marillion have started work on a new album during the current lockdown and are posting regular updates on their social media. Pattern-Seeking Animals (who feature current and former members … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, All Posts, Band Entrees & Exits, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, Re-issues/special editions | Tagged AOR, classic rock, Devin Townsend, folk, Marillion, metal, new albums, news, prog, Queen, rock, tours | Leave a comment

Album review: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Aeromantic

Posted on March 26, 2020 by andynathan

Nuclear Blast [Release Date 28.02.20] One of the unlikeliest phenomena in the rock world in recent times have been the Night Flight Orchestra, their reputation and exposure growing over what is now a five album career. Many artists have drawn … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged Aeromantic, album, AOR, Arch Enemy, Bjorn Strid, Night Flight Orchestra, soft rock, Soilwork | Leave a comment

Album review: RETURN – V

Posted on March 24, 2020 by jason

AOR Heaven [Release date 27.03.20] Classy Norwegian four man melodic rock band, Return, released their fifth album in 1992. That year, the rock’n’roll world shifted on its axis, and a lot of great melodic rock albums suffered commercially as a … Continue reading →