I was first introduced to Robin McAuley when I heard one of his solo tracks on the soundtrack to "If Looks Could Kill", which we actually reviewed on this blog. The track was pretty good AOR and it encouraged me to check out more of his solo work. This proved to be more difficult than I thought, as his 1999 effort "Business As Usual" is very hard to come by.
Most folks know Robin McAuley by way of the McAuley-Schenker Group of late 80s and early 90s fame. Some of you may know that he recently replaced Jimi Jamison to be the current lead vocalist for what is left of Survivor. Unbeknown to me, the origins of this collaboration may have began with "Business As Usual". Frankie Sullivan (guitarist, Survivor) had a huge hand in this record that included songwriting and producing in addition to supplying his trademark guitar licks.
In other words, "Business As Usual" has all the ingredients to make a new classic in AOR music. Unfortunately, the record fell short of my expectations. Robin McAuley spends too much time doing his Tom Keifer (Cinderella) impersonation. Frankie pulls out some fantastic guitar work from his bag of tricks, but it all sounds so self-indulgent - there is little thought into how the guitar wizardry should be tailored to best complement the song. It is all too "Look at me - can I play the guitar or what?" Finally, most of the songs use a tired hook or lack one altogether.
The highlights include "One Way Ticket", which presses enough of the right AOR buttons to warrant a mention. "Time Will Dry Your Tears" is a respectable power ballad that builds from an acoustic foundation and employs some well-placed backing vocals. "Let Me Go" is another one, but not unplugged, with lyrics that reflect on the homeless and their struggle of living a free life with dignity rather than making sacrifices to have a roof over your head. "I Was Going To Be The One" is a bluesy treat with an anthem chorus that recalls some of the best of the late 80s hairband genre. "Every Little Thing" is my favorite track - the chemistry between Frankie and McAuley really ignites, producing a powerhouse melodic rocker.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 4, 7, 9, 10
Robin McAuley on MySpace. Official site.
2 comments:
I haven't heard this one...but I do think that Frankie Sullivan nailed it when he produced Eddie Money's album Ready Eddie about 10 years ago....Long after Eddie's heyday, Sullivan pulled off a classic Eddie Money album against the odds....
Hey Matt - Agreed. In fact, I have an autographed copy of "Ready Eddie". I count it as one of his strongest efforts, and believe he had Frankie to thank for that. Cheers --Bill
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