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***** Out of this world
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Latest Album Reviews
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – Dirty Rockers, Dudley, Saturday 24 October 2020
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Gig review: MARK MORRISS- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 3 October 2020
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Gig review: GARY FLETCHER AND NICK RITCHIE – Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 2 October 2020
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Gig review: COLLATERAL – Leo’s, The Red Lion, Gravesend, Friday 4 September 2020
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Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – The Victoria, Swindon, Thursday 27 August 2020
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Featured Album Reviews
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Features
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Feature: Collectible Collections – MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND – 40th Anniversary Box Set
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Feature: Albums that time forgot … NATIVE CAIN – The Primitive Soul
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…EUROPE – Secret Society
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…JAMES LABRIE – Elements Of Persuasion
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…DON DOKKEN – Up From The Ashes
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Feature: Albums that time forgot … CODE OF SILENCE – Dark Skies Over Babylon
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Tag Archives: Toto
Album review: JOSEPH WILLIAMS – Denizen Tenant

The Players Club/Mascot Records [Release date 26.02.21] Toto’s Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams both release solo albums on the same date and label, with both artists including a few cover versions on their respective albums. Joining Joseph Williams on his … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, AOR, David Paich, Denizen Tenant, Joseph Williams, melodic, review, Steve Lukather, Toto, West Coast
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Album review: STEVE LUKATHER – I Found The Sun Again

Mascot [Release date 26.02.21] We are being spoilt. Neal Schon’s album slipped out before Christmas and is one of his best. The earliest indication of Luke’s forthcoming album was a Lockdown video ‘Run To Me’. It was entertaining if not … Continue reading
Album review: TOMI MALM – Coming Home

Website [Release date 16.10.20] “Coming Home” is the second album from Finland’s classically trained writer/ producer/ musician, Tomi Malm. Three years after his highly successful “Walking On Air” album, he again recruits some of the best in the Westcoast Rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, Coming Home, melodic, Randy Goodrum, review, Robbie Buchanan, rock, Steve Lukather, Tim Pierce, Tomi Malm, Toto, West Coast
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Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – King Of Hearts

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
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Album review: CHAMPLIN WILLIAMS FRIESTEDT – 2

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

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
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Book review: ON TRACK…Toto/The Solo Beatles/Steely Dan (“Every album, every song”)

Sonicbond Pubishing [Publication date January/February 2020] Liked and loathed in equal measures by the music press in the 1970s and 1980s, ultimately the band may have had the last laugh. As author Jacob Holm-Lupp reiterates, their latest offering – XIV … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, book, classic rock, Donald Fagen, fusion, George Harrison, Jazz rock, John Lennon, melodic rock, On Track, Paul McCartney, pop, review, Ringo Starr, Steely Dan, The Solo Beatles, Toto, Walter Becker
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Album review: KING OF HEARTS

MelodicRock Records [Release date 22.11.19] King Of Hearts are another band making a comeback many years after their first shot at musical stardom back in the late 80s. However, their label at the time didn’t release their debut album which … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, AOR, Bruce Gaitsch, Chicago, CJ Vanston, Eagles, King Of Hearts, melodic rock, review, Timothy B. Schmit, Tommy Funderburk, Toto, West Coast
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Album review: RINGO STARR – What’s My Name

Universal Music Group [Release date 25.10.19] The world’s most famous drummer doesn’t need to keep bringing out new albums and could rest on his laurels and enjoy the fruits of his past labour but no, here is a man who … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, classic rock, Colin Hay, drummer, Edgar Winter, Joe Walsh, John Lennon, Paul McArtney, review, Ringo Starr, rock, Steve Lukather, The Beatles, The Eagles, Toto, What's My Name
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Gig review: TOTO – Royal Chelsea Hospital, London, 13 June 2019

In the ever more crowded gigging season, a fresh trend over the last few years has been for London’s finest historic settings to be used for concerts. Following in the footsteps of Hampton Court and Greenwich is now a short … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain, gig, Joseph Williams, Justin Hawkins, live at Chelsea, melodic rock, review, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, The Darkness, Toto, Warren Ham
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Album review: CANNONBALLZ – 8Ballz2Many

MelodicRock Records [Release date 10.05.19] Andrew McNeice and his MelodicRock Records label have released some top quality AOR releases in recent years including Don Barnes and the excellent comeback album from Boulevard, now you can add to this Cannonballz. Who … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged 8Ballz2Many, album, AOR, Cannonballz, Jazz rock, melodic, melodic rock, MelodicRock Records, review, Robbie LaBlanc, Toto
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Gig review: GIANTS OF ROCK – Butlins, Minehead, 26-29 January 2018 (Day 2)

Day 2 – Saturday John Verity opened up shop on a damp Saturday with a thoughtful blues rock set, not overplaying his own solo material (new album: Blue To My Soul) and treating us to some familiar standards including ‘Cocaine’ … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events
Tagged 27 January 2018, blues, Bobby Kimball, Boston, Butlins, classic rock, festival, Fran Cosmo, Giants Of Rock, Hawkwind, John Verity, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, melodic rock, Minehead, progressive, Somerset, space rock, Toto, Uriah Heep
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Album review: SIMON PHILLIPS – Protocol 4

Phantom Recordings [Release date 27.10.17] We couldn’t resist ‘Protocol III’ with its fusion flavours and great musicality but arguably it is edged by the latest iteration. This time Simon Phillips (best known for his work with Toto) brings in guitarist … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, Dennis Hamm, drummer, drums, Ernest Tibbs, funk, Greg Howe, jazz funk, jazz fusion, Protocol 4, review, Simon Phillips, Toto
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Album review: BOULEVARD – IV Luminescence

MelodicRock Records [Release date 22.09.17] Here’s a band I thought I’d never hear new music from and I am very glad to be proved wrong. Boulevard are a Canadian band who released two albums – 1988′s self-titled debut and 1990′s ‘Into … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, The Best of 2017
Tagged album, AOR, Boulevard, Chicago, IV Luminescence, melodic, review, rock, Toto
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Gig review: SUMMERFEST – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 28 June-9 July 2017

In a world of constant change in popular music, for a festival to celebrate its 50th year, as Milwaukee’s Summerfest did this year, represents a lifetime. I’d been to the festival certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s biggest … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS, The Best of 2017
Tagged AOR, Bad Boy, Blackberry Smoke, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Dennis De Young, festival, Foghat, gig, Greta Van Fleet, Huey Lewis and the News, Jason Isbell, John Waite, July 2017, June 2017, melodic rock, Milwaukee, Paul Simon, Peter Frampton, progressive, REO Speedwagon, review, rock, Sheryl Crow, Shinedown, Soul Asylum, Summerfest, Tesla, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Toto, Wisconsin
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Album review: BOBBY KIMBALL – We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records [Release date 21.04.17] For many, Bobby Kimball is the definitive voice of Toto and performed with that band during the halcyon years of 1978-1984 (rejoining and touring 1998-2000). Since that time he has forged a semi-cabaret existence … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, AOR, Bobby Kimball, Derek Sherinian, melodic rock, review, soft rock, Toto, We're Not In Kansas Anymore
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Album review: LIONVILLE – A World Of Fools

Frontiers [Release date 24.02.17] Lionville are back after an extended break (their second album came out in 2012) and they are on a new label as well. Lionville’s main man Stefano Lionetti is still on board, plus Work Of Art’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged A World Of Fools, album, AOR, Frontiers, Lionville, melodic, review, rock, Toto
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Album review: MECCA – III

MelodicRock Records [Release date 14.10.16] It seems ages since the last Mecca album came out, ‘Undeniable’, although in fact it came out in 2011 and not that long in some bands eyes. However, this third album has been recorded over … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, AOR, David Hungate, III, Joe Vana, Mecca, melodic, MelodicRock Records, review, rock, Shannon Forrest, Toto, West Coast
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Album review: CULVER KINGZ – This Time

Escape Music [Release date 24.06.16] Culver Kingz maybe a new name, however the ideas for the musical pairing started back in 1983 when Michael Thompson and Billy Trudel planned a band called Slang. Sadly this never came to fruition and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, AOR, Billy Trudel, Culver Kingz, melodic, Michael Thompson, R&B, review, rock, soul, This Time, Toto, West Coast
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