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Artist: Fergie Frederiksen |
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Although
the name of Fergie Frederiksen is synonymous with TOTO and the 'Isolation'
era of the band, he has also been involved with numerous projects and
bands from the LeRoux, Mecca, as well as doubling up on the
Frederiksen/Denander and Frederiksen/
Phillips releases, he even managed to squeeze in a solo album 'Equilibrium'
back in 1999. But
now he returns with a very personal album in 'Happiness Is The Road’,
because in 2010 he announced to the world that he had been diagnosed
with inoperable liver cancer and in the following months, he used his
music and this album as therapy, and regained his strength and self
confidence while working alongside Jim Peterik, who co-wrote the title
track for the album. In
2011 not only saw the finished album, but also the news that the
positive results of the cures he was under had defeated the
cancer. The album I find is a very personal and poignant slice of
Melodic Rock that will send shivers down the spine of everyone who
listens to it. Things
get underway with ‘Angel (Mirror To Your Soul)', a great opener, an
upbeat mid tempo rocker that really lights the touch paper and unleashes
a melodic rocket to the skies, which explodes into a magnificent display
of keyboards, guitars and of course superb vocals. The
fireworks continue with excellent ‘Elaine’, great mid-tempo rock at
its very best and Fredriksen at his vocal height, and when you think
what he was going through in his life, when he was putting this album
together, you have to give him kudos for producing upbeat songs when he
himself was in such a dark place. The
album continues to impress with the superb guitar fuelled ‘First To
Cry’, before the first of ballads, the stunning ‘Follow Your
Heart’. Just listen to the lyrics of this one and I swear
you’ll have a tear in your eye. Touching and warming stuff. The
title track ‘Happiness Is The Road’ is another upbeat rocker and you
can definitely tell the Peterik input on this one. Then it's time
to bring it down just a notch, with the melody rich ‘I Still Believe
In Love’, before picking things back up with the rocking ‘Lyin’
Eyes’. The
gracious melodies of ‘Love Waits For No One’ is followed by another
great rockin’ moment in ‘Writing On The Wall’, before another
great power ballad ‘The Future Ain't What It Used To Be’. Then
it's one of my favourites off the album, the splendid ‘The
One’. This song has an almost epic feel to it with its
orchestrations and towering keyboards. The
album closes as it started with an up tempo rocker in ‘The Saviour’,
which wraps up a great album that shows that what ever life throws at
you, if you are prepared to battle through and believe you can defeat
it, then you will! Well,
the future is once again bright and shiny for Fergie, so keep going on
in your life, “Happiness is the Road”. |
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Tracklisting: 1.
Angel |
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All content copyright of The Mayfair Mall Zine unless otherwise stated. |
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