I write this looking over an epic three week trek across the US to Fresno and back to Maine. The driving looks formidable, but it will give me a chance to listen to oodles of review music as the miles drift away from destination to destination.
CD reviews
Cooper Inc.: Pulling the Trigger
Formed in 2004 by John Cuijpers of Ayreon fame and Hans in’t Zandt (Wonder if that is the original spelling of Van Zant? Could this guy be Ronnie & Donnie’s distant European cousin?) of Vengeance fame teamed up together to make some quality European hard rock. This is a strong release from the band, but then again John has been making music with Steve Lukather of Toto fame (Cooper Inc has toured with them three summers in a row), Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake fame and Chuck Wright who has worked with too many many bands to mention.
This is a solid slab of hard rock with a certain quality and talent pervading all of it. Everything from the rocking title track to the gorgeous track “Voices Within” clearly make a case for the quality of this band. They know what they are doing and are not scared to show it. Though the band is full of talent there is little showboating, with the songs working in all aspects. This is a great release from a band I would like to hear more from. Unlike many of their European contemporaries there is nothing twee on here, no mangled pronunciations or groan inducing lyrics.
If you like solid hard rock of the European continental variety, this release is well worth seeking out.
Uriah Heep: Celebration
The name rather says it all with this release. It’s a celebration of a band that has made it 40 years. Personnel changes and a few deaths not withstanding the band continues to endear themselves to their current and new fans alike. The ole’ rockers still got a lot to offer. This is a look back of how they got to where they are. They have taken the opportunity to record some of their best known songs in all their modern glory.
Uriah Heep is the type of band that has songs that you know well but probably wouldn’t be able to pin the band down. Probably why this release is well timed to remind rock fans who exactly they are in the end. You will no doubt have hard tracks like “Easy Living” and “Lady in Black”. And you might have heard their oddball classic prog-esque tale called “The Wizard”.
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