Metal Reviews
Metal Reviews
Latest & GreatestGreat White |
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The rock and roll predator of the deep rises to the surface yet again… Great White, a band with more lives than you can shake a leg at, is back in full party mode here with yet another album, designed to showcase their… well latest and greatest. "Greatest" however is a matter of opinion, and even "Latest" seems to be devoid of anything really post "Hooked" unless we're counting the opening live "In the Light" which they covered from Zeppelin and appeared on "Sail Away…" or was it "On Stage?" They also did this killer "Great Zeppelin" tribute thing a couple years back that's so true to life to the originals it… they'd probably make a better living at doing that at this point! This group has been around now for a good twenty years and I'll give 'em credit, rock and roll's in their blood! They really haven't hit it big-like many of the rest of their mid-80's ilk-since something like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and while that's not to suggest an overall weakness in performance since, they did seem to get a little self-absorbed and formulaic for a while there. So like with any "Greatest Hits" type thing, there are several songs that deserved to make the "cut" that are nowhere to be found… but truthfully they should've concentrated on the less publicized recent material like "Wasted Rock Ranger" or that kind of stuff. As it is, "Greatest & Latest" is a showcase of sorts that explores the band's achievements from the earlier days up to the present, though it would've made sense to include specifics as far as years and album titles within the tracking… simply for the benefit of newer fans that might not be quite up to speed. This goes as far back as "Shot in the Dark" which really signaled the start of Great White's success even though their self-titled release that preceded it remains to this day as one of the great hard rock albums of the era and one that they've continually ignored throughout the ages… so why bother now? What's left to lose-just go for it! "Face the Day" was the big hit from the "Shot in the Dark" record and like the preceding version of "Rock Me," sounds either remixed to the bone, or possibly re-recorded in a much cleaner context. Is Kendall still with them by the way? Old "Great White" himself is still pictured with 'em but I had heard something a while back… Anyway, there's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" which doesn't play here for some reason… but afterwards there's a new cut from there "Can't Get There from Here" Portrait comeback and "Rollin' Stoned," a typically active summer fun GW party track that goes well on a long, clear stretch of highway. I wouldn't have minded hearing "Move It" which is actually one of the best tunes they've ever done which… well, there's a couple from that "…Twice Shy" album like "Mista Bone" and God forbid they leave that one off… but I like how they roughed it up a bit this time. "Save Your Love" was one of their big radio hit ballads from the "Once Bitten" '87 release-easily their biggest mover. "Can't Shake It" from the not so classic "Hooked" release about a decade ago makes an appearance, surprisingly, but is along with "Desert Moon" two of the better tunes that had to offer. Where's "Psycho City?" "House of Broken Love" a heartily crafted and bluesy ballad from the "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" '89 release along with "The Angel Song" which was done live are two great moments during the second half. I don't quite understand what made them conclude with "Lady Red Light" which I remember to be the first single from "Once Bitten" but they could've come up with something stronger to leave off with a little more impact… something off "Let it Rock" maybe? Nonetheless, this is about what fans should expect to hear from the band… a nice blend of yesterday's hit classics given a smoothing over and a handful of recently recorded live tunes… "Greatest & Latest" will reassure fans that this once formidable rock and roll monster of the deep is still circling, waiting for just the right moment to strike again and not lying dormant on the ocean floor. Portrait Records: http://www.portraitrecords.com/ Review by Vinnie Apicella |
GREAT WHITE |
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For anyone who saw Great White play the unplugged set on MTV a while back and do Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You," knew this couldn't be too far away. Jack Russell's voice is so similar to the legendary Robert Plant you'd have to swear it wasn't the former Zeppelin screamer doin' his thing back in their better days. "Great Zeppelin" is a welcome addition for any true rock fan right down to the killer album cover that features the Great White shark morphed from the fated Hindenburg blimp (as seen on "Zeppelin I") as it crashed to the ground. Recorded during a live set a couple years back, the band's interpretation of many of the Zeppelin classics like "Ramble On," "No Quarter," "Thank You" and "D'Yer Maker" (or "Jamaica" as regarded in jokingly English slang) are as true to the originals as any band will come close to. Of course the expected hits find their way here amidst the fourteen song barrage that concludes with the rousing "Stairway." and a few of the unexpected in the form of "In the Light," "Tangerine," and how about "Going to California?" The tribute's variety is well picked, making full use of the Russell's strongest vocal attributes that even on his worst day would have you picking your brain wondering who it actually is crooning "All My Love." Great White. the band that refuses to quit might have well gotten their second and third wind from this performance alone, plugging in and letting it wail. Released by Deadline Great White Website: http://www.mistabone.com/index.asp Review by Vinnie Apicella. |
Greatest HitsGreat White |
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Okay so here we are finally putting a capper on the band's career… after a nice run during the glam-infested Rock of the '80s, poor sales, internal dissent and non-existent promotion have finally done in the once great predator of the deep. What other possible reason could there be to release a greatest hits record immediately following a "Greatest and Latest" release? Well I won't speculate nor will I deny Great White their due. But surprise, they're not "facing the day" just yet, the inevitability of the '80s popularity wane having bent them but not broken, they surge onward and could well catch a favorable tide for another nice little run before father time sneaks up and bites them in the ass. As things stand today, Great White stands only a shell of their former self-Jack Russell and Michael Lardie, the only two originals left-the apparent band namesake having left some time ago to pursue a solo career I believe… So here we're fed fourteen of the band's bigger moments spanning their twenty something existence and ten plus albums. Unfortunately as before, their early titles are nearly completely ignored… and when I say "early" I'm not counting their "Once Bitten" breakthrough but rather the grittier predecessors that saw them shove a jagged edge into the growing mainstream of platinum blonde success stories. I'm pleased to announce that one of their best songs, "Stick It" opens the round here-initially produced on their self-titled full length debut from '84, for the man who don't know, a metallic cruncher with anthemic aspirations that really should've been bigger than it presumably was… this and too many others from their earlier catalog are often ignored by the band and I can see no good reason why. We'll travel an eight year distance between first and last here, jumping from "Rock Me," the "Once Bitten" staple, to the title track to their platinum selling "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" follow up, and non-coincidentally where much of the reach is for this record. A noteworthy surprise turns up in the goofy "Wasted Rock Ranger" track, an obscurity from an equally cloaked "Let It Rock" album from a few years back that was considered their return to Rock after a string of folk-like acoustic ramblings that soon had them don the Zeppelin-esque guise… and do a pretty damn good job at it anyway. The collection concludes with a few live cuts led by "House Of Broken Love" and one of Russell's prouder moments "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You," which alone is revealing evidence of why they would tackle the Zep catalog. They get as far as '92s "Big Goodbye" record and in fact close things off with "Old Rose Motel," a mature blues-based ballad that's far beyond any of the syrupy stuff of yore, and "Big Goodbye" to fare thee well… though we'll recall the book has not yet closed on this Rock and Roll old school survivor that continues to lurk beneath the surface in search of more welcoming surroundings. Aside from still underexposing their more "Metal" roots, the fact that nothing proceeds the "Big Goodbye" material which while not getting a fraction of past exposure, might've made for an interesting bone to throw fans that probably had a hard enough time finding 'em anyway… so there's enough here to keep fans at bay but it does fall a little short. And the question then, well what about "Greatest Hits" and how would the newer downstream material fit into the equation? We'll answer that by leaving off with the live version of "Desert Moon…" Released by Capitol Records Review by Vinnie
Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] |