Styx - Regeneration: Volume I & II

Styx – Regeneration:Volume I & II
2011, Eagle

Like many classic rock bandssubject to the avarice of labels who own the rights to their songs, Styx hasseen a number of re-releases and repackages of their material over the years.  Since 2007 there have been no less than ninegreatest hits/best of packages released in various countries around theworld.  Not too shabby for a band thatapparently can’t even get a grudging nod of respect from the folks at RollingSt…  I mean the Rock and Roll Hall ofFame.   Styx is back with anotherre-package of old hits, but this time it’s a bit more intriguing.  Regeneration:Volume I & II offers 15 new recordings of classic Styx songs, plus onenew track.

Styx released Volume I and VolumeII separately over the past year and a half, with the intent that the albumswould be sold only at shows and on-line through the band’s fan club.  The secondary demand for the discs provedsignificant, however, and Eagle Records has packaged both albums in one set.  You can see our prior review of Regeneration: Volume I here.  Volume II runs in the same vein, with oldStyx favorites getting new life from the current lineup.  Like VolumeI, Volume II has a raw-but-polished quality, similar to a professionallyproduced live album.  Styx strives tocapture the sound you hear in concert today on record rather than re-create theoriginals note-for-note.  The result isan exciting update to material that still seems vibrant even (in some cases)thirty-five years later. 

The band revives such hits as “BlueCollar Man”, “Renegade”, “Miss America”, “Snowblind” and “Too Much Time On MyHands”, with Tommy Shaw and James Young belting out classic vocal lines.  In the process, Styx digs out a wonderful gemin “Queen Of Spades”.  Lawrence Gowandoes a great job with this classic album cut, even if it doesn’t have quitehave the dramatic sense of the original. Styx also gives life to two cuts Tommy Shaw performed with side projectDamn Yankees (Shaw, Jack Blades, Ted Nugent & Michael Cartellone).  “High Enough” and “Coming Of Age” alwayssounded like Styx songs and work very well in the context of the current lineupof the band.

Yes, there was much complainingon-line and in fan enclaves when Styx started releasing the Regeneration projects.  Fans who will never forgive the band for thedeparture of Dennis DeYoung scalded the remaining members for carrying onwithout him, but this is what bands do, like it or not.  Regeneration:Volume I & II isn’t about excising a former band member, it’s aboutputting Styx in a position to make a living off their own work, rather thanhaving all of the licensing opportunities fall into the lap of a dying majorlabel architecture more interested in profiting off its catalogue than actuallybuilding up artists for the future.  Regeneration: Volume I & II givesmore than fair value; classic songs with an updated sound that’s as fresh andvibrant today as ever.

Rating:  4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Styx at www.styxworld.com. 

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Jonathan Tiersten & Ten Tiers - We'll See

Jonathan Tiersten And Ten Tiers - We'll See
2011, Edward Records

Jonathan Tiersten seemed destined for an acting career as a child.  While he studied French Horn and guitar in his teens, Tiersten found his name in lights first in the role of Ricky Thomas in Robert Hilzik's film Sleepaway Camp.  Going on to study at New York City's Circle In The Square Theater, Tiersten went on to appear in the ABC After School Special Seasonal Differences, as well as the NBC soap Another World.  All the while, however, Tiersten was prowling the Greenwich Village music scene, gaining some notoriety as one half of the acoustic duo Magic Box.  In 1991, however, Tiersten left New York City for Colorado.  After a few side steps career-wise, Tiersten re-dedicated himself to music.  By the end of the first decade of the third millennium, Tiersten was busy.  He'd reprised his role as Thomas in Return To Sleepaway Camp, and also appeared in the Indie Flicks Redemption and The Perfect House.  Tiersten continues to make music as well.  His latest effort is a five-track EP entitled We'll See.

Tiersten opens with "In The Air", displaying a big rock sound built on minor key harmonies.  The chorus is fetching and dark, and virally catchy.  Tiersten blends pop and modern rock tendencies to create an off-beat but potentially commercial sound.  Tiersten is very solid vocally, sounding more than a little bit like Lawrence Gowan (Gowan, Styx).  "Vertigo" is a big rock anthem featuring a harmony-filled chorus you won't be able to get out of your head.  The song is about feeling lost and unable to find balance, and the inability to help others when you can't even help yourself.  "Theodore" is a piano-driven ballad about a latch key kid who is waiting for his mom to get home so he can sing to her.  The song is a bit obtuse in meaning and bland in sound, but grows on you with successive listens.  "Black Rain" is a simple folk/rocker with an appealing melody; a solid album track.  Tiersten closes with "Sancta Caecelia", starting with a classical-style guitar intro that morphs into a dark progressive rock number full of intrigue.  Tiersten's dark composition and exploration of spiritual themes is a dynamic juxtaposition, creating and diverting tension in an artistic and musical flurry you have to hear to believe.

So let the renaissance begin.  Jonathan Tiersten And Tiers play like rock n roll bards, uninhibited by a specific style or genre.  They write and play and tell stories that make you think, entertain you, and yes, occasionally leave you wondering what was that all about?  Either way the entertainment factor is high, and Tiersten is a surprising competent writer and vocalist.  We'll See is definitely worth spending some time on.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Jonathan Tiersten and Ten Tiers at www.jonathantiersten.com or www.myspace.com/tentiers.  We'll See is available digitally from Amazon.com or iTunes.

Aurical - Something To Say

Aurical - Something To Say
2011, Gallant Music

Aurical is a folk/pop duo born of two coasts.  Singer/songwriter/producer Rachel Rossos has spent time in both New York City and San Francisco, working with musicians such as Edgar Meyer, William Bolcolm and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.  Michael Gallant is the senior editor of Keyboard Magazine, and serves as singer/songwriter/pianist and co-vocalist for Aurical.  Together, the two have crafted a vibrant and original sound, on full display on Aurical’s debut album, Something To Say.

Something To Say opens with the title track, an edgy, piano-driven rocker.  Vocalist Michael Gallant sounds a bit like James Young of Styx, delivering a high-octane performance that's a smash as an opener.  "Brahms Of Philosophy" has a bit of a Ben Folds feel, and Rachel Rosses does a nice job with the vocal line.  The song is catchy although perhaps a bit rushed at times; ultimately very entertaining.  "Mom's Favorite" is a bit reserved and straightforward in style.  "Julianna" is wonderfully dark, with distinctive harmonies that grab you.  It's a solid piece of songwriting that's worth revisiting. 

"Leave It All behind" is lyrically awkward at times, but impresses on the musical side.  Jethro Tull, Genesis and Supertramp stirred up in a room together might have created something that sounded like this.  The bass steals the show with a funk-driven style of play that enlivens the song with an ambitious progressive rock sensibility.  "Work Song" is a slow and meandering number that works on the music side but again shows a lyrical clumsiness that stands out.  Things get really interesting on "Redhead Girl", with a piano style that sounds like a cross between Ben Folds and Tori Amos.  The most original and intriguing work on the album, "Redhead Girl" shows Aurical's ability to push the envelope and do it well.  "I've Never Known" is the best overall contribution on the album.  Rachel Rossos is fantastic here, crafting an early female-vocal group sound.  Things get a bit more mundane as Something To Say rumbles to a close with three solid if unremarkable tracks.

Aurical dances between magic and the mundane throughout Something To Say, creating moments that build anticipation in the listener, but often falling back before finding that perfect musical strike.  There's some very good stylistic songwriting on the album, but the lyrical composition of the album has its awkward moments.  Something To Say has enough to offer to make it worth spending some time with, but there are some definite kinks and wrinkles in the band's creative process to be smoothed out next time around.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Aurical at www.auricalmusic.com or on Facebook.  Something To Say is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Tommy Shaw - The Great Divide

Tommy Shaw – The Great Divide
2011, Pazzo Music/Fontana

Tommy Shaw is something of a rock n roll icon.   As one of the principal songwriters and vocalists for rock group Styx since 1976, Shaw (and the band) has cut a career path worthy of inclusion in the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame.  Shaw has spent his share of time on other projects over the years, cutting four solo albums, two albums with Damn Yankees (Ted Nugent, Jack Blades) and three as part of Shaw/Blades.  Shaw has also appeared on a number of tributes and collections over time.  With a tenor voice that’s instantly recognizable, it’s no surprise that some Shaw’s songs (“Fooling Yourself”, “Renegade”, “Too Much Time On My Hands”, and “High Enough”) continue to be staples on classic rock radio.  Shaw’s latest album takes him down a new road.  Working with some of the finest bluegrass session players around, and with guest appearances by Dwight Yoakam, Alison Krauss and Brad Davis, Shaw’s The Great Divide is an absolute delight.

The Great Divide opens with “The Next Right Thing”, a wonderful blend of pop/rock songwriting and bluegrass style.  You could easily hear this tune appearing on a Shaw/Blades album or even as a rock number by Styx, but the bluegrass sound seems to fit perfectly.  The picking here is incredible; the backing band the real deal.  Yoakam sits in on backing vocals, adding his sound to a complex arrangement full of movement and zest.  Shaw is in fine voice here.  “Back In Your Kitchen” explores love as expressed through the culinary art.  Shaw’s songwriting is sharp and full of good humor, with a light feel that’s sweet and enjoyable.  The instrumentation here is deliriously good, and the vocal line is flawless.  “Sawmill” almost sounds like it could be Shaw playing with Union Station, matching the latter stylistically in a catchy, old-school country sound.

“The Great Divide” is sweet and melancholy; full of great hope and love.  Shaw manages to capture a bit of the high lonesome sound here at times in a ballad with a modern feel.  Alison Krauss adds her sweet voice on backing vocals.  “Shadows In The Moonlight” is a hauntingly tragic love story told in song.  Shaw manages an exquisite arrangement full of dark beauty.  “Get On The One” is a high energy turn about grabbing onto your dream and following it to fruition.  This is a theme that Shaw has revisited throughout the years in his songwriting, but remains fresh in an allegory of trains and contemporary bluegrass styling.  “Umpteen Miles” finds Shaw trying to sound like an Appalachian back-porch singer on the first verse.  It works to a degree, but the sound is much better when he graduates to his higher range for the chorus.  The story-song is brilliantly written and told; however, exploring the life of someone irrevocably tied to the land he grew up on. 

“Cavalry” is a sweet little love song built around traditional instrumentation and a wonderfully fresh pop sensibility.  “Afraid To Love” is pure Tommy Shaw; a pure pop ballad with bluegrass instrumentation.  “Give ‘Em Hell Harry” is a talk/sing number about Harry Truman’s musical career and how he stumbled into the presidency, suddenly communing with the likes of Stalin and Churchill.  It’s an entertaining turn; a nice change of pace.  Shaw closes out with “I’ll Be Comin’ Home”, an Americana/rock number done up in bluegrass instrumentation.  This is great songwriting, pure and simple, and Shaw’s iconic voice has never been better.  It’s the perfect close to a near-perfect album.

Tommy Shaw takes a surprising and pleasing turn with The Great Divide.  While it’s not at all surprising for a rock artist to suddenly turn to more traditional musical styles as their career progresses, it’s unusual to make the transition so well.  The Great Divide deftly blends traditional bluegrass sound and modern songwriting to create what should turn out to be one of the best bluegrass albums of 2011.  Don’t be entirely surprised if Shaw gets serious consideration for at least a GRAMMY nomination this time around.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Tommy Shaw and The Great Divide at www.thegreatdividemusic.com.  The Great Divide is available from Amazon.com on CD, Vinyl and as a Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.