Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 
Non-Prog CD Reviews

KKB

Got to Get Back

Review by Gary Hill

The name of this group is a combination of the last initial of each member of the group. The first “K” is for Bruce Kulick of Kiss fame. The other “K” represents Mike Katz, the bass player. The “B” is for drummer Guy Bois. The origins of this release date back to 1974 when these guys actually recording the core music. Over time, this music sat untouched. When the master tapes recently emerged, Kulick felt that the songs deserved to be more fully realized and in the process they wound up adding a new track, too. This CD is the result of that project. It’s great music, too. If you like Kulick’s work (or just strong hard rock in general) you really should get this. You won’t be disappointed.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Got to Get Back

The sound here is kind of a glam rock thing. Yet, there are elements that make think of things like King’s X. The guitar soloing is awesome, but I love the bass work on this, too. The song is catchy and just plain cool.

I'll Never Take You Back
I love the fuzzed up bass sound on this. It calls to mind early Grand Funk. In fact, I think this whole tune has a bit of that vibe, but with a lot more intensity. The guitar is exceptional, too.
My Baby

The opening section here almost seems to combine that GFR sound with King Crimson. After that hard edged movement, it drops to a balladic section. It has a lot of psychedelia in the mix. Yet, somehow it reminds me a bit of some of the Greg Lake stuff from KC or even ELP, but with a more straight hard rock texture. Sure, Grand Funk is also a reference here, too. This song is unusual and especially effective. The hard rocking jam later takes it more in the direction of GFR and has some great wah guitar soloing.

Someday

String sounds are a big part of the texture of this mellow cut. It has a bit of a Beatles vibe for sure. In some ways, that brings the King’s X reference back into play. Although this isn’t my favorite piece here, the variety it provides is good.

Trying to Find a Way

The opening section and some later ones really makes me think of modern King Crimson quite a bit. The vocal movements are more mainstream, but still tastefully left of center. I love the guitar work on this, but the whole song is just great. If the whole set were like this, it would land under progressive rock. The jam later in the track reinforces that for sure. This is my favorite song here.

You Won't Be There
This really runs along the common ground that a lot of this music does, between Grand Funk styled hard rock and modern King Crimson. The instrumental sections are amazing.
You've Got a Hold on Me

In a lot of ways this really does sound like a more modern take on early GFR. Still, there is a bit of that hard rocking prog edge to it all. Then, after the two and a half minute mark, this gets taken into some seriously proggy territory in a killer jam. Around the four minute mark it seems to end. Then a weird, sort of freeform jam emerges. Then we get a short section that makes me think of Cream a little right at the end.

 
More CD Reviews
Metal/Prog Metal
Non-Prog
Progressive Rock
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com