Music Street Journal - Music News & Reviews

Non-Prog CD Reviews

Marc Reisman Strong Way Review by Gary Hill There is plenty of familiar sound in the mix here. Classic rock, soul, funk, blues and more all show up here. Yet, it's all delivered with a freshness and originality that make it decidedly unique. As much variety as is on display here, this still feels cohesive. All in all, this is an intriguing and entertaining set. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2018 Volume 2 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review

When I dig the cool classic rock styled riff that drives this cut. The vocals bring a bit of a DIY rocking sound to it. There is a punky edge to this with more pure hard rock as the real heart and soul of the number. This is classy stuff.

TV Eyes The bluesy soulful rock groove on this is so cool. I dig the harmonica solo, too. As strong as the opener was, this takes it to the next level.

Broken Glass Funk, jazz and soul mix on this cool cut. The vocals are spoken and lend an odd, but cool edge to it. There is a bit of a Frank Zappa vibe to this number in a lot of ways.

Strong Way I love the horns on this, but the whole musical vibe to it works like a charm. This is another strong tune on a disc full of strong music. This is a standout, making it a good choice for the title track, but honestly, everything here is so good.

Moline More of a bluesy old school rocker, this is another effective piece. Perhaps it's not as solid as some of the rest, but it lends some definite variety. I like the multiple layers of the vocal arrangement.

Hoodoo Udo There is a blues meets funk kind of vibe to this fun cut. It's one of the cooler ones on the disc and has real soul at its heart.

Tell You Something Another cool rocker, this has some great hooks and just works so well.

House of a Hundred Souls There is a bit of a reggae vibe to this. Some of the vocals are almost spoken. This is quirky little tune. It's odd, but that's part of its charm. The harmonica lends some of that charm, too.

Shruti Blues Based on the sound it would seem that a harmonica based mellow section starts this along with some Jew's harp. Apparently, though, it's something called a "shruti box." This instrumental has some cool blues guitar to accompany that instrument when it comes into the main section. It's a tasty way to end the set in style.

More CD Reviews

Metal/Prog Metal

Non-Prog

Progressive Rock

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