Post by cozyal on Jul 12, 2009 0:28:22 GMT -5
Native Window – CD Review
REVIEW BY: Cozy Al for Rock N Roll Universe
OK, this year I can honestly say, I’ve been very fortunate to get to review some very special releases from traditional classic & hard rockin’ bands!
This one to be honest, I really didn't know what to expect at all.
Native Window is a side project featuring the guys from Kansas minus Steve Walsh. Yes, Phil Ehart, Billy Greer, Richard Williams & David Ragsdale have hooked up with an excellent producer in Steve Rawls & also Jeff Glixman who’s been behind much of Kansas’ work in the past, helped out here with the mixing.
This album really is a mini masterpiece & sure, I do like Kansas, but this really doesn’t sound like …, “we’re in Kansas anymore!” So to speak!
I do like a variety of rock music, right across the board light rock, hard rock, some metal, pop rock, etc .....
So, without making direct comparisons of songs here to specific artists, I would go so far as to say if you like some Shooting Star, The Corrs, Streets & yes Kansas, I’d even be as bold as to say some southern sounding stuff & great, no awesome harmonies ala Eagles quality & I kid you not!
So, if you like those artists mentioned then you’d probably like this.
Of course though, if you’re a rocker who just can’t deal with fiddle / violin playing, move along, as I'm sure this isn’t for you!
Opening with Money (Doesn’t Matter Anymore), they really get your attention with as I said before, huge harmony vocals & a finely structured, hook & melody laden song. This really got my attention.
Still (We Will Go On) starts fairly laid back but builds excellently into another chorus driven song, think big harmonies throughout & it’s incredible to think of this band as a side project. Great split of guitar & fiddle solos.
Next up is Surrender which starts a lot more punchy & becomes a song that if it got radio play, I’m sure would gain a great deal of attention. Again, this whole album really is jam packed with hook laden tracks.
The Way You Haunt me, sounds a very similar in places to a song by a good friend of mine, but lets not go there! It’s a little stop & start & it’s a very multilayered track, great AOR type feel. The harmony solo work between guitar & fiddle really works so well to impress. I love it!
Next is the strong ballad The Light of Day & breaks the pace well. A kind of folk song like laid back sound.
Probably the heaviest, most rocking track here is the blues driven vibe of Blood In The Water, which adds to the guys ability & versatility overall on the whole album.
An Ocean Away is probably the track here that most reminds me of Kansas & even Streets a little, which of course featured both Billy Greer & Kansas’ leading man, Steve Walsh.
In Miss Me When I’m Gone, they have perhaps the most prog rock friendly track here, although perhaps this tail end of the album tends to lean that way or maybe more AOR meets Prog Rock. Very well thought out material & again I really feel this album is so full of a great balance of musical styles.
Got To Get Out of this Town is again such a great track uptempo stuff & it’s funny, the opening jangling guitar is misleading in it’s tempo style & when the whole band kicks in, it doesn’t sound where you’d have expected to it to go, great! This album just goes from strength to strength in its pleasing surprises!
Last track on here is The Moment, very pop rock like & up & down in tempo. I’m repeating myself here now, but it’s such a strong point of this whole album that I can’t stop saying it. The vocals are very strong & each song is full of big harmony vocals.
OK, bottom line, it’s not a hard rock album, but it kind of surprised me, in the way that Asia did when they first came out, no one really knew what to expect & that album stunned as well as impressed a lot of people.
I really hope this release does the same, as it’s a very enjoyable album & no, it doesn’t sound like Asia!
It’s a well balanced AOR / Prog rock type release, with a very marketable commercial feel throughout.
A well deserved 4 / 5 from me.
Al Williams
REVIEW BY: Cozy Al for Rock N Roll Universe
OK, this year I can honestly say, I’ve been very fortunate to get to review some very special releases from traditional classic & hard rockin’ bands!
This one to be honest, I really didn't know what to expect at all.
Native Window is a side project featuring the guys from Kansas minus Steve Walsh. Yes, Phil Ehart, Billy Greer, Richard Williams & David Ragsdale have hooked up with an excellent producer in Steve Rawls & also Jeff Glixman who’s been behind much of Kansas’ work in the past, helped out here with the mixing.
This album really is a mini masterpiece & sure, I do like Kansas, but this really doesn’t sound like …, “we’re in Kansas anymore!” So to speak!
I do like a variety of rock music, right across the board light rock, hard rock, some metal, pop rock, etc .....
So, without making direct comparisons of songs here to specific artists, I would go so far as to say if you like some Shooting Star, The Corrs, Streets & yes Kansas, I’d even be as bold as to say some southern sounding stuff & great, no awesome harmonies ala Eagles quality & I kid you not!
So, if you like those artists mentioned then you’d probably like this.
Of course though, if you’re a rocker who just can’t deal with fiddle / violin playing, move along, as I'm sure this isn’t for you!
Opening with Money (Doesn’t Matter Anymore), they really get your attention with as I said before, huge harmony vocals & a finely structured, hook & melody laden song. This really got my attention.
Still (We Will Go On) starts fairly laid back but builds excellently into another chorus driven song, think big harmonies throughout & it’s incredible to think of this band as a side project. Great split of guitar & fiddle solos.
Next up is Surrender which starts a lot more punchy & becomes a song that if it got radio play, I’m sure would gain a great deal of attention. Again, this whole album really is jam packed with hook laden tracks.
The Way You Haunt me, sounds a very similar in places to a song by a good friend of mine, but lets not go there! It’s a little stop & start & it’s a very multilayered track, great AOR type feel. The harmony solo work between guitar & fiddle really works so well to impress. I love it!
Next is the strong ballad The Light of Day & breaks the pace well. A kind of folk song like laid back sound.
Probably the heaviest, most rocking track here is the blues driven vibe of Blood In The Water, which adds to the guys ability & versatility overall on the whole album.
An Ocean Away is probably the track here that most reminds me of Kansas & even Streets a little, which of course featured both Billy Greer & Kansas’ leading man, Steve Walsh.
In Miss Me When I’m Gone, they have perhaps the most prog rock friendly track here, although perhaps this tail end of the album tends to lean that way or maybe more AOR meets Prog Rock. Very well thought out material & again I really feel this album is so full of a great balance of musical styles.
Got To Get Out of this Town is again such a great track uptempo stuff & it’s funny, the opening jangling guitar is misleading in it’s tempo style & when the whole band kicks in, it doesn’t sound where you’d have expected to it to go, great! This album just goes from strength to strength in its pleasing surprises!
Last track on here is The Moment, very pop rock like & up & down in tempo. I’m repeating myself here now, but it’s such a strong point of this whole album that I can’t stop saying it. The vocals are very strong & each song is full of big harmony vocals.
OK, bottom line, it’s not a hard rock album, but it kind of surprised me, in the way that Asia did when they first came out, no one really knew what to expect & that album stunned as well as impressed a lot of people.
I really hope this release does the same, as it’s a very enjoyable album & no, it doesn’t sound like Asia!
It’s a well balanced AOR / Prog rock type release, with a very marketable commercial feel throughout.
A well deserved 4 / 5 from me.
Al Williams