Similitude Of A Dream: Live In Tilburg 2017 by The Neal Morse Band

The Similitude of a Dream is the second studio album by progressive rock supergroup The Neal Morse Band, released on November 11, 2016.  An updated version of this album called Similitude Of A Dream: Live in Tilburg 2017 is to be released as a 2 CD or two DVD set on June 15, 2018, on the Metal Blade Records label.  This concept album, loosely based on The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan was captured live on the heels of their 2017 Road Called Home tour.  This 26 track album features some great songs as The Dream, Make No Sense, Breath Of Angels, The Road Called Home, I’m Running and so much more.  This great release was well written (All lyrics were written by Neal Morse; all music composed by Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Bill Hubauer and Eric Gillette), performed, recorded and produced.  This is a great addition to your music library.  Mark it on your calendar, this album will be available from Amazon, Radiant Records and everywhere that CD’s, DVD’s and digital downloads are sold on June 15^th.

Remedium by Laura Meade

Laura Meade is a vocalist and songwriter whose background in musical theatre helps defines her unique approach as a lyricist and musician. Meade’s new studio album, Remedium, combines her love of art rock with the emotion of musical theatre. This album is scheduled for release May 18, 2018, on the Doone Records label and Meade is joined by her IZZ bandmates on several songs.  Laura has a soothing voice and is exciting to listen to.  Among the great tracks on this 10 song album are Sunflowers At Chernobyl, What I See From Here, Never Remember, Your Way and so much more.  This album was well written, recorded, performed and produced.  This album will available for purchase on May 18 from Amazon, Itunes and everywhere that CD’s and digital downloads are sold.

Quiet Riot: Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back

For my 765^th review I am proud to review a great DVD I recently received from my good friends Jon Pomplin and Neil Citron at Declassified Records titled Quiet Riot: Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back, an inspiring documentary chronicling the rise, fall, and resurrection of ’80s metal band Quiet Riot some thirty-plus years later, this documentary goes into the formation of Quiet Riot,  their rise to success, the death of lead singer Kevin DuBrow and the struggle drummer Frankie Banali has in dealing with all of the above in his quest to put the band back together again.  There is a great commentary by Frankie Banali, Dee Snyder (of Twisted Sister), Kevin’s brother Dr. Terry DuBrow, and many more.  Watching this documentary brought me back to the early 80’s when I was a nightclub disc jockey in Okinawa, Japan where I played vinyl as well as music videos on a large screen at the NCO Club at Kadena Air Force Base.  Among the videos, I remember playing nightly was Cum On Feel The Noise and Bang Your Head.  Director Regina Russell takes us on a rock and roll ride with a front row seat. We feel Frankie’s pain. We watch him play tiny clubs and well as huge festivals. We go along with him on the mundane things in life; grocery shopping, carpools to school with his kid — the everyday “stuff”.  Watching this documentary, I learned many things about the band that I did not know.  This is a documentary you must see.  You can purchase this DVD from Amazon, Itunes and everywhere else that DVD’s are sold.

Lead Me Home by Camille Nelson

For my 764^th review, I am proud to present the second album Lead Me Home by Camille Nelson a guitarist & violinist specializing in acoustic-driven folk music released August 18, 2017, on the Stone Angel Records label.  This superb album blends elements of folk, classical, bluegrass, and new-age music and features relaxed, intricate acoustic guitar melodies of both traditional and original hymns accompanied by a string ensemble.  This relaxing album features such great tracks as Amazing Grace, Be Thou My Vision (featuring Alex Sharpe), the title track Lead Me Home, Patterns Of Light, Be Still My Soul and so much more. This is a perfect album to listen to when you need to lower stress, pain and more because this is so relaxing.  I was so impressed with how well this album was performed, recorded and produced.  I highly recommend this album to your music library and I am looking forward to hearing more from this amazing artist.  You can purchase this album from Amazon, Itunes, CD Baby, and everywhere that CD’s and digital downloads are sold.

Widetrack by Widetrack

For my 763^rd review, I will start to take you through a journey that will be done over the next week or two.  Thanks to guitarist and vocalist Ron Tippin, I will be reviewing three albums by Michigan based band called Widetrack.  Today I will be reviewing their first album self-titled Widetrack album which was released in 2007.  This twelve track album reminds me so much of bands such as Pink Floyd and Soundgarden in such tracks as Now And Then, Aloneness, Down To The Wire, So Wrong, The Promise and so much more.  There was not a single bad song on the whole album.  I was also impressed on how this album was recorded and performed as well it was well written and produced by Ron Tippin.  I am looking forward to hearing the other two albums over the next week.  You can purchase this debut album from Amazon, their website http://www.widetrackband.com, CD Baby and everywhere CD’s and digital downloads are sold.

For Stories by Mark Stone And The Dirty Country Band

For Stories is my third review and latest release for Mark Stone And The Dirty Country Band.  This four track EP focuses on good ol’ country rock with hard guitar riffs and powerful beats which such songs as Until Someone Remembers My Name, When Love Goes To War, Faster Than They Fall and Before You’re Gone.  This EP was well written, recorded and performed plus is available for purchase from Itunes, the bands website http://www.markstonemn.com and everywhere else that CD’s and digital downloads are sold.

Thunderbird by Thunderbird

Canadian hard rockers Thunderbird are releasing their anticipated self-titled third album on Delinquent Records on April 25, 2018.  This great album with heavy guitar riffs and powerful vocals is seen in such tracks as Liar (Fool’s Gold), Star, Revolution, King Rat and much more as well as going to their softer side with the ballad Man Of Clay.  This is one of those albums you will enjoy from start to finish.  This album was well recorded, produced, performed and written.  You can purchase this album from Amazon and everywhere else where CD’s and digital downloads are sold.

Soul Redemption by Flav Martin And Jerry Marotta

Soul Redemption is the debut release from guitarist/vocalist Flav Martin and drummer Jerry Marotta. This nine song album is filled with fresh, modern adult rock and a sprinkling of traditional world pop flavor released  March 1, 2018, on the Olin-McGraw Records label.  Listening to this album I hear a mixture of  Jazz, Pop, Latin and other flavors.  I was impressed such tracks as the title track Soul Redemption, Please, Rio De Janiero, Wild Moon and so much more.  This album has great vocals and instrumentation as well as it being well written, recorded, produced and performed.  This album is available for purchase from Amazon, Itunes, Bandcamp and everywhere else where CD’s and digital downloads are sold.

Inter-fusion by Shuggie Otis

Inter-fusion is a 2018 fusion rock project from guitar legend, Shuggie Otis which features commanding drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge/Beck Bogert & Appice) and stellar bassist Tony Franklin (The Firm/Roy Harper) and was released on April 20, 2018, on the Cleopatra Records label.  Shuggie Otis is a singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist. This album is a mixture of Rock, Blues, and Jazz as heard in such tracks as Aphelion, Ice Cold Daydream, Woman, and much more.  This album was well written, recorded, produced and performed.  You can purchase this great album from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Cleopatra Records and everywhere else that CD’s, Vinyl and digital downloads are sold.

 

Fullverdig Liv by Kent Wilgraff

Fullverdig Liv is a CD single by Norwegian recording artist Kent Wilgraff.  In English, I was told it means Perfect Life released February 23, 2018.   The song is about his thoughts about living a full life, which really is very individual.  He told me that we all have been awarded a biological clock that ticks and goes and then making the best of the time we have been awarded.  This song was well written, performed and recorded.  Kent has a great voice and should do well with this song.