Wednesday 31 October 2012

Former Uriah Heep / Lucifer's Friend Legend John Lawton To Release New Concept Album – The Power of Mind!

Former Uriah Heep / Lucifer's Friend Legend John Lawton To Release New Concept Album – The Power of Mind!

The music industry is buzzing about the new concept album by former legendary Uriah Heep / Lucifer's Friend vocalist John Lawton titled 'The Power of Mind'. An innovative new CD, conceived, written and produced by the CGI member, Dr. Milen Vrabevski, but performed by John Lawton and Bulgarian ensemble Diana Express, 'The Power of Mind' is an exploration into the science of positive thinking and its applications to the subconscious mind. Featuring 14 amazing songs that showcase the soulful vocals of John Lawton and the powerful instrumentals by Diana Express will leave you wanting to hear it again and again...

“ 'The Power of Mind' is a concept album with positive thinking being the theme,” John explains. “In the world of today, I don't think there are many better things to focus on. The way the songs flow into each other is really the way one would read a book or relate stories to friends. The melodies and lyrics say a lot about how we should view each other.” John Lawton began his musical career in North Shields, UK, in the early '60s with The Deans, a bunch of kids who decided at random that John should be singer. He then moved on to West One and later to Stonewall, which included John Miles, Vic Malcolm (later of Geordie) and Paul Thompson (later of Roxy Music). After Stonewall finished a stint at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg in 1969, John decided to stay in Germany. He is offered the job as singer with legendary German cult rock band Lucifer's Friend (1969-1976, 1979-1995) and subsequently recorded 9 studio albums during his time with the band. In the early '70s John also joined the Les Humphries Singers, with whom he recorded more than 20 albums and took part at 1976's Eurovision Song Contest. In 1976 John joined Uriah Heep as their front man, and recorded the classic albums 'Innocent Victim', 'Firefly', 'Fallen Angel' and 'Live '79', and toured Europe and the USA until September 1979.

During his longstanding career John has worked with some big names of rock, on various projects, including Roger Glover's 'Butterfly Ball' and Eddie Hardin's 'Wizard's Convention II'. In late 1980 he joined German rock band Rebel on three albums, including their hit singles “Line of Fire” and “Eagles Flight”. He would record one more album with the group, now known as ZAR in the early '90s. John ventured into the world of classical music when he recorded vocals for Volker Barber's 'Excalibur'. In January 1994 he formed GunHill, later known as JLB – John Lawton Band. The band recorded two albums (studio/live) and toured the UK and Europe. In August 2000 John recorded his first solo album, the critically acclaimed 'Still Paying My Dues To The Blues'.

In December 2008 John entered the world of television by presenting the Bulgarian travel documentary series “John Lawton Presents”. Which leads to the teaming of John and Bulgaria's Diana Express in November 2011 to record 'The Power of Mind' in Plevin, Bulgaria. John comments, “The involvement came via a musician friend of mine from Sofia, Bulgaria, who knows the writer and producer of the album, Milen Vrabevski. I met with Milen briefly in Sofia after an exchange of e-mails and he gave me a copy of the original 'The Power of Mind' CD, which had been sung in Bulgarian. I must say I liked it very much, it was very well sung, played and produced. Milen then asked me if I would consider singing the whole album again in English and after looking through the English lyrics I agreed. It was a real joy to record in the studio in Pleven, owned by the guitarist of the band, Maxim Goranov. It took me about a week and a half to complete the solo and backing vocals.” John Lawton has built a reputation on his powerful vocals and charismatic personality and is regarded as one of the best singers around today! And now with his new CD


'The Power of Mind', John has reached an artistic peak. In conclusion John has this to impart to his longtime listeners, “People who know me and my background will expect something new and with 'The Power of Mind' they have exactly that. The album is a collection of excellent songs very well played and produced and one which I am very proud of...so make sure you give it a good listen. Think positive and trust in the Power of Mind.”

Available soon on iTunes, “Fairy Tale”, the first single from 'The Power of Mind'.

John Lawton and Diana Express – 'The Power of Mind'
Label: Intelligent Music Release Date: 12th November 2012

'The Power of Mind' website:
www.thepowerofmindalbum.com

"Fairy Tale" promo video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_ff9TuSmbA

Visit the official John Lawton website at
www.johnlawtonmusic.com/JLmusic.htm

Alice Cooper,Old School Boxed Set Released

Universal announce the release of the Alice Cooper Boxed set Old School
The boxed set which is a condensed edition of the Limited edition boxed set released in 2011
across four discs the boxed set features rarities and interviews alongside a live show recorded during the Killer tour in 1971. For fans of the original Alice Cooper band this boxed set is a must have item.
It is available as a four disc CD set or also as a four volume eAlbum on download

The full tracklisting is below

TRACKLISTING:
Disc One: Treasures
1. No Price Tag Spiders (1966)
2. Nobody Likes Me Pretties For You Demo (1969)
3. On A Train Trip (Sing Low Sweet Cheerio)Pretties For You Demo (1969)
4. Reflected Pretties For You Demo (1969)
5. Easy Action Version Two Radio Ad (1970)
6. Mr And Misdemeanor Chicago Underground (1970)
7. Fields Of Regret Chicago Underground (1970)
8. I’m Eighteen Chicago Underground (1970)
9. Love It To Death Radio Ad (1971)
10. I’m Eighteen Love It To Death Pre-production (1971)
11. Be My Lover Killer Demos (1971)
12. Killer Killer Demo (1971)
13. Halo Of Flies Killer Demo (1971)
14. Tornado Warning (Desperado) Killer Demo (1971)
15. Killer Radio Ad (1971)
16. Is It My Body Seattle Live (1971)

Disc Two: Treasures 2
1. Akron Rubber Bowl Ad Radio Ad (1972)
2. School’s Out Mar Y Sol, Puerto Rico (1972)
3. Kids Session School’s Out Kids Session (1972)
4. Outtakes/Luney Tune
School’s Out Pre-production (1972)
5. Outtakes/My Stars School’s Out Pre-production (1972)
6. School’s Out School’s Out Demo (1972)
7. Under My Wheels Live at Madison Square Garden (1973)
8. Teenage Lament ’74
Muscle of Love Demos & Rehearsals (1973)
9. Never Been Sold Before
Muscle of Love Demos and Rehearsals (1973)
10.Working Up A Sweat
Muscle of Love Demos and Rehearsals (1973)
11. Muscle Of Love Muscle of Love Pre-production (1973)
12. Teenage Lament ’74
Muscle of Love Pre-production (1973)
13. Muscle Of Love Radio Ad (1974)
14. Good To See You Alice Cooper Radio Ad (1974)
15. Muscle Of Love Rio (1974)
16. Greatest Hits Radio Ad (1974)
Disc Three: In Their Own Words
Alice Cooper Interview Disc

Disc Four:Bootleg CD Killer Live St Louis 1971
1. Intro
2. Be My Lover (Intro)
3. Be My Lover
4. You Drive Me Nervous
5. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
6. I’m Eighteen
7. Halo Of Flies
8. Is It My Body
9. Dead Babies
10. Killer
11. Long Way To Go
12. Under My Wheels

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Nektar: Roye Albrighton Interview 2004


Nektar are appearing as part of the Cruise To The Edge event in March 2013. In 2004 founder member Roye Albrighton spoke to Jon Kirkman about the then current spate of reissues of the bands back catalogue.Here is that interview

Despite the Germanic spelling of their name Nektar were and indeed still are a British band. The band did however live and work in Germany for a long period during the seventies. The band like many from that era broke up at the start of the eighties although their albums continued to sell well to a hard core dedicated audience. The band were persuaded to reform for a gig at the Nearfest a couple of years ago and since then the band has decided to continue with the only change being in the replacement of original bassist Mo Moore. 2004 will see the start of a big re issue campaign of the bands back catalogue and Jon Kirkman spoke to Roye Albrighton about the forthcoming re issues and tour dates just prior to Roye flying out to America for a photo session and rehearsals with the rest of the band.

Jon Kirkman             I believe you are going to America next week to have some photos done.

Roye Albright            Friday yeah, it’s a long way to go to have a few photos. Well, we’re going to kill two birds with one stone really; there’s a photo session next Monday but I’ll be there Friday and Saturday/Sunday we’re just going to be in for a couple of days rehearsals which will be great, advanced rehearsals from London.

JK                               What I have noticed about Nektar of late is that there is an awful lot of interest; has this surprised you considering the roots of the band go back over thirty years?

RA                              Oh, don’t remind me! Yeah, this year is our thirty-fifth anniversary. I think a lot of it has been kicked off by the Nearfest thing really. It was bandied around for many years that people were hoping that we would get back together for a show and nothing really came of it: this is going back about ten years. We have got a web site that was started up by a close friend of ours in America and that was the unofficial site and he has just been pushing Nektar all the time for the last eight years and he got quite a good following really. I just happened to go on that site and I contacted Mo the bass player and suggested doing a couple of shows and he suggested talking about it and at the same time funnily enough the guy from Nearfest emailed me and asked if we would be interested in getting together just for one show – coincidence that was. So it started off from there really.

JK                               So a series of coincidences brought the band back to prominence? Let’s go back to the early days. I grew up listening to rock music in the seventies and when I first heard Nektar I made the huge mistake of thinking that you were a German band.              

RA                              A lot of people do actually for several reasons. Firstly because we lived there but also because the name Nektar was spelled with a K instead of a C; that is exactly the way the Germans spell it.

JK                               But at the time, the kind of music that you were playing was very popular in Germany and there were a lot of German bands playing very similar music wasn’t there?

RA                              Yeah, we were influenced a lot by the German bands but also a lot of the Brit bands that were passing through at the time as well. Also we  were influenced a lot by Stockhausen, he was coming through the Frankfurt area many, many times a year and we used to go to his concerts, sit on the front row and get our heads blown off! But a lot of the bands in Germany were influenced by us and vice versa.

JK                               The thing about these albums that are coming out now, they have actually been out on CD before but the quality wasn’t all it could have be. You had done a really good job on renovating them and upgrading the sound and also there’s going to be a lot of extra bonus tracks.

RA                              All I can do is apologise for those CDs that our old record company did. There was no excuse for what they did but I can’t take the credit for the re-masters really although I just had the final ear on it. Credit goes to our manager Mark Powell who has the expertise in re-mastering and he did a fantastic job; he really did.

JK                               The bonus tracks look pretty interesting for instance on Recycled there is the entire album, the original mix by Geoff Emerick who’s famous for producing Paul McCartney and being the recording engineer for the Beatles.

RA                              Yeah, we did the first mix actually at Air Studios and we also did one at the Chateau d’Hierouville where we recorded them. We were in two minds which one to use really and ended up using the latter but half of the first one was Larry Fast only doing some synths. The one that was released we just let him go to town on it and it was just full of carpets of synths and things. The two versions on that new CD, we thought it was good to put them both on because you see the different stages of the album being made really as opposed to completely separate albums. It will be interesting to see the variation. Also, as far as the bonus tracks go, I was listening to the latest re-master this morning, it is really funny to see how one extreme to the other can happen. I mean some of them sound almost demo-ish but if you listen to them now you think, “Well that is the production that is.” We have dug up some really obvious stuff I tell you! It is going to be interesting for those Nektar fans who like to listen to all that stuff.

JK                               Having listened to a lot of your stuff over the years, my favourite album is A Tab in the Ocean. What do you think it is that attracts the fans to that particular album because I know it is a big favourite with a lot of the fans?

RA                              Yeah it may be that we start the show off with that; we always have ever since the mid seventies. We started off with it because it is a natural opener for the show. As opposed to Remember the Future where it is really cut and dried, I think A Tab in the Ocean lends itself to flow a little bit more. Side one you can take it as it is, great piece of music and side two being broken up into several parts I would say it is more, not product for your money but like with Remember the Future in the old vinyl days it was a complete side, turn it over, complete side. At least with Tab in the Ocean you have got the options of either having twenty minutes of Wow there he is or turn it over and have several tracks. That may be why the album itself was popular. 

JK                               There were a lot of bands doing a similar thing, I mean Pink Floyd did something like that, if you listen to something like Meddle; you had the one side with Echoes and then the other side with various tracks on it. I know for a fact that a lot of people who like Nektar really like that album so there must be something about it that stands out.

RA                              It is also what the album is all about; it is this sea type of thing. It gives the calypso, the sea and a Mediterranean touch to it and maybe that is what it is. Of all the albums I like to listen to apart from Recycled, Tab in the Ocean is the one I like to put on now and again.

JK                               There are some very famous fans of that album because Iron Maiden covered King of Twilight.

RA                              I met Steve Harris at Frankfurt airport years ago. He did say to me that they were thinking of doing one of our songs and I said, “Yeah, ok Steve!” I couldn’t imagine Iron Maiden doing a Nektar song you know and he said, “No, no, we fancy doing King of Twilight”, and after we said our goodbyes and he walked away I was thinking that yeah, I could imagine him doing that but in a very heavy sort of way.

JK                               Well I think they did a good job of it.

RA                              It was excellent, all power to Steve and the boys, I think what they did with it was fantastic.

JK                               Also I think that by their treatment of the song they are obviously fans.

RA                              I know Steve is, I don’t know about he rest of the boys but Steve is a fan of Nektar.

JK                               Let’s look at the current line up because there has been a change hasn’t there?

RA                              Yeah, just a small change, only one member has left which is Mo Moore the bass player and his place has been taken by Randy Denboes an American bassist. He is a big Rickenbacker player as well.

JK                               There has been no falling out; it is just that Mo’s other work has precluded him from his inclusion on the tour dates.

RA                              It has been a combination of things really, first of all his commitments and also his health is not what it used to be and touring for several years would be a bit much for him I think. He would be the first one to put his hand up and say that. Anyway we sat down and decided what we should do and came up with the idea of looking for another bass player.

JK                               So what have you got planned for the future then? I know we have got these re-issues coming out which will attract an enormous amount of interest with the fan base.

RA                              Well most of the re-issues including the ones at the end of last year will be out by the end of March which will coincide with our European tour which starts in April and goes through almost to the end of April. Then the last bunch of re-issues will be done in that intermediate time and we’ll be in the studio in the last two weeks of June to make a new album here in the UK actually at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire. It is then all steam ahead for the US tour, which will be starting in September. That will be two bands touring together Nektar and Caravan.

JK                               That is a nice mix really isn’t it?

RA                              It is yeah, I love Caravan they really are a great band and I think they will like us a lot as well. We are just all old farts really and get on with each other.

JK                               There is an awful lot to be said for experience.

RA                              There is actually. We’ve been there and done it, both bands have and we’re not out to prove anything. We just want to go out and play and do what we enjoy most of all. That’s all we want really.

JK                               Long may it continue, it’s been great to talk to you today Roye and I appreciate the time you have taken. I hope the trip for the photos and the rehearsal goes ok. No doubt I will catch you on one of your dates in the UK.


RA                              Thank you very much for your time.

© Jon Kirkman Rockahead Limited 2004.

Saxon Announce "Sacrifice" Tour In Spring

ANNOUNCE ‘SACRIFICE TOUR’ IN SPRING
9 UK dates in April 2013

Never tired of the road, Saxon announce the UK leg of their Sacrifice World Tour in support of the upcoming album of the same name. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends will play 9 dates in April 2013 and they can’t wait to share their new material on stage.  Tickets go onsale at 9.00am on Friday 2nd November - full details below.

Throughout the years, Saxon have been touring relentlessly and earning an excellent reputation for the quality and energy of their performances.  This is documented in their ‘Heavy Metal Thunder – The Movie’, which is released on 7th December.   As UK fans await ‘Sacrifice’ with the same anticipation reserved for Saxon’s previous work, they know the spring shows will be - as always - a treat not to be missed.

Biff Byford says “People have been asking me if this is going to be our last album and tour - we don’t know yet we’ll see how it goes.” 

Full details are: -

Date          City                          Venue                              Box Office           Websites

APRIL 2013

Thu 18      Leamington          Spa Assembly                 0844 854 1358    www.leamingtonassembly.com/
Fri 19       Nottingham            Rock City                         0845 413 4444    www.rock-city.co.uk
Sat 20      Newcastle             O2 Academy                   0844 477 2000    o2academynewcastle.co.uk
Sun 21     Glasgow                O2 ABC                           0844 844 4747    www.o2abcglasgow.co.uk
Tue 23      Manchester           HMV Ritz                         0844 478 0898    www.hmvritz.com
Wed 24    Leeds                     O2 Academy                  0844 477 2000    www.o2academyleeds.co.uk
Fri 26        Wolverhampton    Wulfrun Hall                     0844 478 0898    www.wolvescivic.co.uk
Sat 27       London*                 O2 Shepherds Bush Empire    0844 871 8803    www.kililive.com
Sun 28      Bristol                     O2 Academy                  0844 477 2000    www.o2academybristol.co.uk

Tickets go onsale at 9.00am on Friday 2nd November.  Tickets for all venues are priced at £18.50 except for London* where they are £20.00 (all subject to booking fee).   Tickets available at Kililive.com Tel: 0844 871 8803 and usual outlets.  Doors for all venues open at 7pm.  

After more than 35 years and 13 million albums sold worldwide, Saxon are still relentless and passionate as they were back in the days of ‘Wheels of Steel’ and ‘Denim and Leather’. The influential heavy metal outfit has been an inspiration for the likes of Metallica and Megadeth and a front-runner for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal sweeping the nation in the late 70s-early 80s.  New Studio album ‘Sacrifice’ out on February 25th, will be album number 20 in their stellar career, and fans are as excited as they were when Saxon first made their initial impact on the metal scene.


Go to WWW.SAXON747.COM for more info

Dutch Rock Legends Focus To Undertake Worldwide Tour In Support Of Forthcoming CD Release 'Focus X'

Dutch Rock Legends Focus To Undertake Worldwide Tour In Support Of Forthcoming CD Release 'Focus X'

Oct. 23, 2012 - London, UK - Much to the excitement of music fans across the planet, Dutch rock legends Focus will be undertaking a worldwide tour beginning November 2012 in support of their forthcoming CD 'Focus X'. With their unique brand of progressive rock, Focus manifested themselves at the start of the '70s as the most successful and appreciated of all the Dutch pop-rock exports. Fronted by founding member Thijs Van Leer, and best known for their hits “Hocus Pocus”, “House of The King” and “Sylvia”, as well as critically acclaimed albums 'Moving Waves', 'Focus 3' and 'Hamburger Concerto', the iconic Dutch music masters are back with their tenth album, which is guaranteed to please their legions of fans!

After a comeback in the early 2000's, which resulted in the well-received albums 'Focus 8' and 'Focus 9', the band regrouped with a fantastic new line-up. Along with Thijs van Leer on vocals, flute and keyboards, back on the drums is famed Focus drummer Pierre van der Linden, who joined the group on their second album 'Moving Waves' in 1972. Internationally renowned for his rhythmic skills, Pierre remains a defining factor in the Focus sound. Bassist Bobby Jacobs, who comes from a well-acclaimed Dutch musical family and guitarist Menno Gootjes, who participated in Focus at an earlier stage, completes the band's current line-up. Recently, Focus's biggest hit "Hocus Pocus" was used in a 4-minute Nike commercial before the World Cup broadcast. Focus music can be regularly heard on Top Gear and Saxondale TV. 

A new Focus era has arrived! There is a rejuvenated passion in the new compositions that adorn the new album 'Focus X', which features a full scale Roger Dean painting on the cover. Says Thijs van Leer, who holds the distinction of being the first ever knighted musician in Holland, “It's a thrill to have finally completed 'Focus X'; we are all ecstatic and looking forward to playing the new material on the forthcoming Focus X Tour.”

Focus X UK tour dates:

November 08 – Opera House – Buxton
November 09 – Town Hall – Hessle
November 10 – The Ferry – Glasgow
November 11 – Bridge Trades Club – Hebden
November 13 – Robin 2 – Wolverhampton
November 14 – The Brindley – Runcorn
November 15 – Birdwell – Barnsley
November 16 – Trading Boundaries – Fletching
November 17 – The Wharf – Tavistock
November 18 – Boom Boom Club – Sutton
November 19 – The Stables – Milton Keynes
November 20 – Beaverwood Club - Chislehurst

Title: 'Focus X' 
Release Date: November 5, 2012
Label East World Recordings. 
Focus X website: http://www.focus10.net/

Monday 29 October 2012

Joe Satriani UK Tour June 2013

Joe Satriani, one of rock music’s most respected and celebrated electric guitar players, will undertake a 10-date 2013 UK tour starting Saturday 8th June at the Manchester Apollo. This will be Satriani’s first UK tour since 2010’s Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards tour . Very special guest is blues guitarist Matt Schofield.

Tickets go on sale Friday 2nd November and can be booked online from www.ticketline.co.uk or call 0844 888 9991 or the venue direct.  The tour coincides with Satriani’s new solo album released by Sony worldwide in May 2013, followed by a career retrospective box set in the spring.
Earlier this year, Satriani performed a sold out concert with Chickenfoot at the London Brixton Academy in support of the band’s second album III.  He also embarked on multiple G3 tours in Australia, Europe and South America, had his music sampled in Nicki Minajhit single Right Thru Me, and appeared as himself in Brad Pitt’s Oscar-nominated baseball film Moneyball.

Thursday 25 October 2012

iWitness Reports Music App for iPad Now Available

This day In Music who have themselves been responsible for a great many apps on the iPad platform  are behind the latest iPad app iWitness Reports  which is a series of essays written about key moments in Rock music.
Author Johnny Black is an established and highly known journalist with experience of covering some of Rock music's biggest artists Such as Deep Purple and the making of Smoke On The Water
 
or Led Zeppelin's tie recording at Headley Grange
 
Thereare a great many major Classic Rock Artists featured throughout the app which will provide hours of reading material

The new iPad/iPhone App is available now iWitness. Plenty of Classic Rock content including  features from Nirvana, the Eagles, CSNY, The Rise and Fall Of Cream, , CBGB's The Clash and more besides Check it out here on a Youtube clip which takes you through the app and some of the content .The app is available to
download from the iTunes app website 
Check the Youtube video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIT2EQ0NnlM

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Audience Return! Live Show In November

AUDIENCE ARE BACK!
Seventies cult British art rock band Audience have been re-awoken from their cryogenically sealed chambers and dusted off for another assault on the ears and eyes of an eager public. Original members Howard Werth, Trevor Williams and Keith Gemmell have been joined by Simon Jeffrey on drums.
Their sound has always had a unique edge with Howard’s electric nylon-strung guitar and big voice, and Keith’s effect-enhanced sax and flute.  Admired by critics and very much a band’s band they gather fresh followers every time they emerge into the daylight and under the spotlight.
Audience played as support for Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart and the Faces, Jeff Beck Group, and others.   They were supported on many occasions by Genesis and once at the Marquee Club, by a band called Queen. 
There’s been a large build up of interest in the band performing again, not least from the stalwart fans both here and around the world.  The setting for the 2012 comeback is the iconic 100 Club in London’s Oxford Street on Weds 28th November.  This will be the opening gig for a tour in 2013 when Audience will be playing around the UK and various international venues and festivals.
The set, which will appeal to a wide human spectrum, includes a large selection of songs from ‘House on the Hill’, their classic album, together with some brand new material, plus some gems from Howard’s solo albums.

Tickets are now available at

See also:
www.audienceareback.co.uk              


Thursday 18 October 2012

Heart Fanatic Review

Classic Rock Radio Dot EU

Classic Rock Radio Dot EU - New Music from Classic Rockers
Topic: Heart - Fanatic (2012)

You don't know how happy I was to realize that I have nothing but good things to say about Heart's newest studio release; F
anatic. A notch up from their last couple studio releases. I've been paying close attention. Caught the Heart bug when Dreamboat Annie came out. I love the song Magic Man today, as much as I did when it first hit the airwaves. A fan ever since.

My first time seeing Heart in concert, was on my birthday in '77. The day / night Elvis Presley passed away. Heart was touring, 'Little Queen'. Was a fabulous show !! After that, I caught a couple of the '80's performances.

Last seen them live, here in Houston, back in '04. Lennon Murphy warmed up. A more mature Heart then the version I first saw from the forth row - center back in '77. Something was different. Ann and Nancy seemed to have lightened up their overall demeanor. The sisters appeared to be not only getting into their performances, and the audiences reactions, but seemed to honestly be having fun also. A fresh attitude so to say. Had a new studio out at the time; Jupiter's Darling. It was a solid effort. As was their last studio release; Red Velvet Car (2010). This time around...welcome back Heart; Ann & Nancy Wilson. The magic's back with; Fanatic.

I just checked out the set list for the string of current shows the bands been doing. I so want to go. Actually says a lot. Honestly, I've seen the ladies in concert, back when they were in their prime. How are they to beat the show I saw them do when they re-invented themselves with their self titled; Heart (1985). As an example. FYI: I saw them tour with Cheap Trick. Back in New Jersey. Under the stars. Speaking for the concert going group and myself, A GREAT time was had by all.

Touring this CD could very well be the BEST thing they done in decades. I hear songs that remind me very much so of their early period. There's something to make me think of their '80's (big hair) period. And very modern kick ass tunes to represent the year we're in; 2012.

The CD starts off hard rocking as all get out. Ann Wilson's voice sounding as strong as it ever did back in the '70's, is belting out the words. Sounding sexy also; "I'm just a fanatic", a line from the CDs title song.

The second song. All I can say is; "WOW." A very raw and funky groove indeed. Paced like a dirty blues song. Songs called; Dear Old America. "Hurricane's blowing..." Ann speaks. She's in complete control of this ride. Dare I say, a new greatest hit. Should be fun to experience in concert.

Track three includes performer; Sarah Ann McLachlan. Pleasant sounding acoustic song. Well done harmonies with Sarah. Ann Wilson gets credit for flute. I so dig that !!! Tunes called; 'Walkin' Good'.

'Skin And Bones' got this very cool funky 80's groove going on. I swear at first it sounds like a Prince song. I gave it a repeat play first time I played it thru. Has a good strut to it. The next song after as well; 'A Million Miles'. Ben E. Smith really stands out on this track. As does Ben Mink. If you're a lover of the the lute family, then you'll additionally love this. Yet another in a long list of cool things about Heart...they can rock with mandolins.

'Pennsylvania' again stands out as a song with superb harmonies.

'Mashallah!' is a hard rocking tune that could have came out of the '80's from this band. Ann's vocals are beyond strong. She's in perfect control, as is the band behind her. Ric Markmann yet again shows how good a bass player on this song he is. Consistent on the whole CD.

Track 8 is entitled; Rock Deep (Vancouver). In the same vain of Dog & Butterfly. Reminds me of that song anyway.

The second to last track on Fanatic is called; '59 Crunch'. Smith pounds at the drums. A good rockin' instrumental intro. A solid song.

This MIGHT be my favorite new Heart song. The last song on the CD (not including bonus songs). Has the vibe of an earlier Heart time. Yet again, another song that includes the mandolin. It also reminds me of Page & Plant's version of 'Kashmir' from their MTV Unplugged CD. Which is a cool thing.

Rating: Using the one to five star rating system, I give Heart's Fanatic: 5 stars !!! I have  played it more times than I could count since I picked it up. Incidentally a good reason for purchasing the actual CD from Best Buy is because the Best Buy version contained three bonus songs. All three rock and can't be any cooler, especially for bonus material. Nothing's weak.

The bonus songs made the total of songs contained on the CD; 13. Some might consider that number, bad luck. No need for Heart to worry about that. Simply, this is a solid record, start to finish.

When most classic rock bands are trying to find ways to still make it work, Heart thrust themselves into the year 2012, as much a hard working rock band today, as they were damn near 40 years ago (Dreamboat Annie coming out in 1976). This just past Summer, a box set was released; 'Strange Euphoria'. The Wilson sisters just came out with a book; Kicking and Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock and Roll. Heart is touring now with five new songs in the current set list. Heart also recently appeared for their first time on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show (along with Lita Ford). Now this excellent CD. Everything's coming up hearts. Very good for Ann & Nancy.

A long list of excellent supporting players over the years. I'll admit, I loved the original band. Frankly, Ann and Nancy's supporting line-up on the new CD / their 2012 touring band is as solid a line-up as the original Heart roster was. Plus they been together as a unit for sometime now. It shows. Frankly, I love this new CD. If a long time and dedicated Heart fan like myself, you certainly will NOT be disappointed with their newest hot release; Fanatic.

Note: All material on Fanatic written by; Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Ben Mink. Produced by Ben Mink.

Catch the band -- support Fanatic. Check out their official websites for concert dates.

http://www.heart-music.com/

* GB *

Gary Brown (American Corespondent for CRR Dot EU)