Album review: JOHNNY LIMA – Johnny Lima/Made In California

MelodicRock Records [Release date 01.03.17]

These two albums by Johnny Lima – his self-titled debut from 1996 and 2003′s ‘Made In California’ – have been made available again by MelodicRock Records and not before time I say!

Johnny Lima’s debut album was financed with the help of his parents and it was very much against the musical flow back in 1996 being full of hook filled 80′s style melodic rock. The album has been something of a collector’s item and easy to see why with the Motley Crue flavoured ‘Little Runaway’ and ‘If I Had A Heart’. The reissue adds two bonus songs, the Bon Jovi sounding ‘Fire Of Love’ (Johnny Lima does sound uncannily like Jon Bon Jovi at times) and the upbeat melodic rock of ’Drift Away’. Had this album been originally released back in the late 80′s it would have been a monster. ****

Made In California should be in any self-respecting lover of melodic rock’s album collection, a real ‘must have’. There are so many classic songs on here from the title track opener, through to the insanely catchy chorus on ‘Go On, Go Away’ and the lighters-aloft ballad ‘We’ve Got Tonight’. There is even a decent rocked up cover of the Beatles’ classic ‘Help!’.

There are again two bonus songs on this reissue, ‘Rock N Roll Generation’ and ‘She Gets Around’ (you could imagine Sum 41 covering this one), both feature tasty guitar riffs and big choruses, melodic rock at its best. ****1/2

What are you waiting for? If you don’t have these albums in your collection go grab a copy now and those who are lucky enough to have both on their original release, these reissues are worth having for the four bonus songs.

Review by Jason Ritchie

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)