Tag Archives: AOR

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 →

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Album review: LAURA BRANIGAN – Self Control

Posted on May 30, 2020 by jason
LAURA BRANIGAN - Self Control

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 →

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Album review: ONE DESIRE – Midnight Empire

Posted on May 20, 2020 by andynathan
One Desire-Midnight Empire

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 →

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

Posted on May 19, 2020 by andynathan
Dennis De Young- 26 East, Volume 1

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 →

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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 →

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Album review: PAUL SABU – Sabu/Kidd Glove

Posted on May 14, 2020 by jason
PAUL SABU - Sabu

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 →

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Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – King Of Hearts

Posted on May 10, 2020 by jason
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 →

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

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ
Bad Company in 1995

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 →

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

Posted on May 6, 2020 by GRTR! HQ
Neal Schon - Late Nite

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 →

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Album review: CHAMPLIN WILLIAMS FRIESTEDT – 2

Posted on May 5, 2020 by andynathan
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 →

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

Posted on May 3, 2020 by jason
TDMH - Carpe Diem

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 →

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Feature: Albums that time forgot – ELEKTRADRIVE – Living 4

Posted on April 17, 2020 by GRTR! HQ
ELEKTRADRIVE - Living 4

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 →

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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 →

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Album review: ZON – Astral Projector/ORPHAN – Salute

Posted on April 5, 2020 by jason
ZON - Astral Projector

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 →

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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 →

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Album review: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Aeromantic

Posted on March 26, 2020 by andynathan
NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA- Aeromantic

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 →

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Album review: RETURN – V

Posted on March 24, 2020 by jason
RETURN - V

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 →

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Gig review: ROMEO’S DAUGHTER – Nells Jazz and Blues, West Kensington, London, 29 February 2020

Posted on March 5, 2020 by andynathan
ROMEO

February 29th in a leap year is, by tradition, the one day where a woman can propose to a man. So there was a neat symmetry that a rare gigging opportunity on this day was for a band both named … Continue reading →

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Album review: NEWMAN – Ignition

Posted on March 4, 2020 by jason
NEWMAN - Ignition

AOR Heaven [Release date 27.03.20] Steve Newman formed the band Newman way back in 1997, with the last Newman album ‘Aerial’ released in 2017. Since then he’s been busy writing songs with the likes of Toby Hitchcock, joined the band … Continue reading →

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News: KANSAS, FISH, HEATHEN, OZZY, BRIAN WILSON (March 2020)

Posted on March 2, 2020 by jason
HEART - O2 Apollo, Manchester, 30 June 2016

Ozzy Osbourne’s latest album ‘Ordinary Man’ debuted at number 3 in both the US Billboard and UK album charts. Fish is now hoping to release his long-awaited final studio album ‘Weltschmerz’ in July. Carcass have named their new album ‘Torn … Continue reading →

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Album review: WAITING FOR MONDAY – S/T

Posted on March 1, 2020 by jason
WAITING FOR MONDAY

Frontiers [Release date 14.02.20] Few bands are less famous than their producer. Walter Ino, 6 years with Survivor, touring keyboard player with The Babys, and currently holding down lead guitarist spot with The Eagles of Death Metal, produced this self … Continue reading →

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

Posted on February 19, 2020 by GRTR! HQ
ON TRACK...Toto

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 →

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Album review: RICHARD MARX – Limitless

Posted on February 12, 2020 by jason
RICHARD MARX - Limitless

BMG [Release date 07.02.20] Richard Marx returns with his first new album in over five years, produced in part by himself and featuring co-writes with Sara Bareilles, Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizon), Darrell Brown (Dolly Parton, Keith Urban), his son Lucas and … Continue reading →

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Album review: ROBERT HART – Pure

Posted on February 6, 2020 by jason
ROBERT HART - Pure

Escape Music [Release date 20.02.20] Vocalist Robert Hart sang on one of my all-time favourite albums, ‘Under The One Sky’ by The Distance, added to his solo album ‘Cries & Whispers’ is still revered in AOR circles. He has also … Continue reading →

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Album review: MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND – High Times, Live In Italy

Posted on January 30, 2020 by jason
MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND - High Times, Live In Italy

Frontiers [Release date 24.01.20] Michael Thompson’s reputation as the rock world’s original “go to guitarist” is unassailable. Though none is needed, he provides ample proof of his skill and virtuosity here. And understandably cashing in his cultural stock in the … Continue reading →

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