Frontiers [Release date: 28.01.22]
Neptune Blue is Lana Lane’s first album release since 2012.
The close knit band that surrounds her includes her husband/ producer/ keyboard player, Erik Norlander, with Jeff Kollman on guitar and John (Asia) Payne on vocals, both of whom are bandmates of Norlander on the new Alan Parsons’ Live Project.
Neptune Blue signals a change in musical direction for Lane.
It’s hardly radical, the symphonic rock and prog stylings of her previous 20 solo albums (not to mention Ayreon and Rocket Scientists recordings) have not been totally jettisoned, but she’s moved off now into more of an AOR/Melodic Rock direction. Although at times, she wanders off the path into the undergrowth.
Opener, ‘Remember Me’s churchy organ, thumping rhythms and just about pulse quickening hook would have been called “mainstream” rock in the eighties. ‘Under The Big Sky’ is a close relation, pulling a strong, hooky chorus out of a soft rock arrangement. Both are very Heart. Lane’s vocals resemble Ann Wilson’s to the extent you initially might think these tracks got left on the cutting room floor after the Bad Animals and Brigade sessions.
Apart from a few beacons of light toward the back end of the album, the songs bland out into Carpenter’s cut outs (Come Lift Me Up, Neptune Blue) and uninspired lyrical choices (Don’t Disturb The Occupants).
The funky country rock of ‘Bring It On Home’ (Kollman is superb here), the balladic, Beatlish heavy pop of ‘Someone Like You’, and ‘Miss California’ lift the album considerably toward the end. The pace and intensity of this latter tracked is badly missed earlier in the album, as are the insightful observations on the human condition. Even the title is a neat play on words.
It’s a bit of mixed bag of delights and disappointments then. Prog and Symphonic Rock fans will miss their fix. AOR fans might enjoy only the occasional high. ***
Review by Brian McGowan
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.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
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 6 October 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 8 October 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 28 October 2024
IZZY REIGN Spooky Scary Skeletons (FiXT)
THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)
Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
