ALL ACCESS: Billy Sheehan

CD Review: Lita Ford – Time Capsule
Steamhammer/SPV
All Access Rating: A-

Lita Ford - Time Capsule 2016

Gathering dust for some time in Lita Ford's house in the Caribbean, the previously unreleased material comprising Time Capsule practically begged to be released. She's finally given in to its demands.

Here are Ford's "lost" treasures, made on the fly with some of the biggest names in '80s rock and metal. With her new book "Living Like a Runaway: Lita Ford, A Memoir" already out, Time Capsule, due out via Steamhammer/SPV, arrives carrying a lot of baggage. Open this suitcase of a record and songs reminiscent of Ford's stiletto-heeled, spandex-clad heyday come spilling out, as sleazy grooves and tough riffs snarl at aching ballads that are pretty on the outside but hurt down deep, all of it in keeping with the glorious pop-metal sound that propelled her to solo stardom decades ago.

Along with making the Jimi Hendrix instrumental "Little Wing" smolder with searing, bluesy intensity, Ford and company bump-and-grind through a nasty "Black Leather Heart" and roll around in the gutter with a defiant, rough-and-tumble "Rotten to the Core" – co-written by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, who also plays on the track. Tenacious and biting, her solos scratch any itch until it bleeds, especially on the growling, savage "Mr. Corruption," and her vocals go from wounded to sweet and coy and then angry in no time at all.

These and other tracks are laced with bittersweet, melodramatic melodies that taste of alkaline and sugar, as the crestfallen, yearning "Where Will I Find My Heart Tonight" – with guest vocals by Jeff Scott Soto, his slight rasp pairing well with Ford's pure passion – puts on a brave face and marches forth dressed in thorny hooks that also poke through the rising epic "War of the Angels" and a beautifully rendered "Killing Kind," with its sublime chorus and surprisingly tasteful mandolin provided by Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro.

All sides of Ford's complicated and compelling personality fight for attention on Time Capsule, which is no mere odds-and-sods collection thrown together haphazardly just to fulfill contractual obligations with a record label. These are good, solid rock songs – some of the best she's ever written in fact – that have no expiration date. And yet, while the songwriting is tight and assured, and the production is vivid and lively, the vibe emanating from Time Capsule is one of a series of enjoyable, intimate jam sessions between old friends. Bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan appears here and there, and Cheap Trick's Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen providing complementary backing vocals on "Killing Kind." The stuff in this Time Capsule hasn't aged badly at all.
– Peter Lindblad

CD Review: Mr. Big – ... The Stories We Could Tell
Frontiers Music s.r.l.
All Access Rating: A-

Mr. Big - ... The Stories We Could Tell 2014

"To Be With You" had hit written all over it. Spun from pure acoustic guitar gold, with pleading hooks, a sunny disposition and a gushing romantic sensibility, it brought Mr. Big worldwide fame and fortune. Even the overwhelmingly dour grunge movement couldn't darken its glow.

Somehow, even as other like-minded acts were being publicly flogged for their crass commercialism and lack of substance, Mr. Big's sterling reputation for world-class musicianship survived all that completely intact. ... The Stories We Could Tell, the band's second album since a 2009 reunion of the original lineup, won't tarnish it any.

Always able to walk that fine line between crafting accessible pop metal and punching out nasty, bluesy rockers like the sizzling "The Light of Day," the bumping and grinding "It's Always About That Girl" or the swaggering "What If We Were New" – all off the new record – Mr. Big's appeal was never limited to love-sick girls, high-brow musos or scowling, testosterone-fueled metal heads. They found a middle ground, as they do here, with the big, gusty strumming and flooding harmonies of "Eastwest" and the aching beauty, thorny hooks and tough, tenderized heart of "Fragile" hitting all the sonic erogenous zones. "Fragile" is the kind of song Def Leppard should be making.

Of course, it helps to have one of the most dynamic bass players in rock history in Billy Sheehan and a high-flying guitarist such as Paul Gilbert, not to mention a versatile, soulful singer in Eric Martin and the well-manicured bashing of drummer Pat Torpey. Sparks fly as they put their blazing chops on display throughout ... The Stories We Could Tell, the hard funk of "I Forget to Breathe" updating Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" for the 21st century, while "Gotta Love the Ride," and the title track mix slinky, laid-back grooves with Zeppelin-like power and mystique.

Lance the boil that is the plodding "Cinderella Smile" and take the leash off Gilbert, as they do on a smoldering, hot-wired "The Monster In Me," and Mr. Big ends up tearing the roof off the place on ... The Stories We Could Tell. The production is striking and bold, heightening the band's kinetic energy, as well as its obvious vim and vigor. Mr. Big has never sounded ... well, this big. http://www.frontiers.it/
– Peter Lindblad