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Artist: Chris Ousey |
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'Rhyme
& Reason' is the first solo release from Heartland frontman Chris “The
Man with the Golden Tonsils” Ousey and what a great way start off a
solo career. This album is Ousey at his very best delivering those
trademark vocals that fans of the ten Heartland albums know and love. Joining
Ousey on this venture is a backing band that reads as a who’s who of
Melodic and Hard Rock, with Tommy Denander and Mike Slamer laying down
the guitars, Neil Murray on bass duties and pounding out the backbeat,
none other than Gregg Bisonette on drums, with Slamer and Denander also
lending their production skills the album. The
album get's off to a fantastic start with the excellent ‘Mother Of
Invention’, which kicks things off rather spectacularly and lays down
the bench mark for the rest of the album. Big licks and power driven
rhythms drive this one forward and with a big chorus to boot, this is
Ousey at his melodic finest. The
album just has all the right elements to keep the die-hard Melodic Rock
fans in 7th heaven as the album goes on with another
excellent track in ‘Motivation’. Again Ousey delivers on so many
levels and the guitar and keyboards have that REO Speedwagon 'Owner Of A
Lonely Heart' feel to them, but it's Ousey’s vocals that take this beyond West
Coast AOR and give it that punchy Hard Rock edge, which is the constant
that binds the entire album together. The
thing about Ousey’s vocals is the vast vocal range he has, not only can
he deliver a punchy vocal, but he can also deliver a gentle melody.
Two prime examples of that punchy hard rock are 'To Break A Heart' and 'Bleeding
Heart', both great tracks. Then there is 'Chemical High', a funk filled rock
that eases you nicely into the riff laden ‘Give Me Shelter’, before
easing down a touch with keyboard driven ‘The Reason Why’. That
is what
I love about this album, it's not just the quality vocals and musicianship, it's
also about the variety within it. As a whole that just makes you want to come back
to it time and time again. But
the album doesn’t end there though as there's more to come as the melodic rock
comes pouring back with ‘Any Other Day’ and the modern edged
‘Don’t Wanna Dance’. Then it's time to bring a little more keyboards
into the mix once more, with the West Coast AOR influenced ‘Watch This
Space’. Things
get groove filled and beefy once more with thumping ‘By Any Other
Name’. A real belting slice of classic Melodic Rock, before the album
closes, as impressively as it started, with gentle ballad ‘A Natural
Law’, which wraps up a cracking album that highlights perfectly the depth
and wealth of talent on offer in this genre ... and long may it continue! |
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Tracklisting: 1.
Mother Of Invention |
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