Monthly Archives: March 2021

Single Review: Badfinger & Rick Springfield – “Love is Gonna Come At Last”

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Badfinger & Rick Springfield – "Love is Gonna Come At Last"

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Single Review of Badfinger & Rick Springfield: “Love is Gonna Come At Last” (Cleopatra Records)

For some of you, all I’ll have to write is “Badfinger and Rick Springfield recorded a single together,” and you’ll go seek it out and snap it up. But I’ll go into a little more detail than that.

This “cover” of “Love is Gonna Come At Last” from Badfinger’s 1979 Airwaves album is given the Springfield treatment. The smoothness of Rick’s vocals are pushed to the edge, fraying just a little bit at times. Combined with a sort of cabana-rock musical backdrop and accompanied with the occasional groovy guitar solo, it’s a nicely refreshed version of this old-school rock song. Whether it’s the crisper production or Rick Springfield’s timeless rock vocal style, this is a really fun “cover” of Badfinger’s own song.

Looking Ahead

This is just the tip of the iceberg, a peek into what’s coming soon, as Badfinger is set to soon release a full album entitled No Matter What: Revisiting the Hits, a collection of ten of Badfinger’s hit songs re-recorded with other guest stars. In addition to “Love is Gonna Come At Last” with Rick Springfield, the list of co-conspirators includes Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman, Matthew Sweet, and Sonny Landreth. Definitely worth watching for!

Single Review: Asphalt Valentine – “Saving”

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Asphalt Valentine

photo courtesy of HighVolMusic

Single Review of Asphalt Valentine: “Saving”

“Saving” is the latest single from Asphalt Valentine‘s 2020 album Twisted Road, the most recent album from this Athens, GA-based quintet of hard rockers. This song is a power ballad from what is very clearly a high-octane, heavy-leaning melodic hard rock outfit.

Asphalt Valentine – "Twisted Road"

image courtesy of HighVolMusic

If I had to use a single well-known band comparison to describe “Saving,” it sounds the most like a Warrant song. But there’s a lot more there. A hint of Firehouse, some Slaughter, and though I wouldn’t compare the sound, there’s a familiar Skid Row-like cadence in places. Plus a unique Asphalt Valentine approach that makes the song uniquely theirs. Based in howling guitars with nifty fretwork from guitarists Evan McKee (lead) and Brett Ciaramella, a driving but finesse-filled rhythm section of Scott Clark (bass) and Brian Jung (drums), and a heart-on-his-sleeve, high-end rock vocal delivery from Joe Flynt, Asphalt Valentine’s sound harkens back to melodic hard rock’s heyday, while the band puts its own original spin on the sound.

Simply put, this is a fun rock ballad from a talented five-piece, arena-worthy, big-stage rock band. And if you like any of the bands I mentioned – or even anyone they might share a stage with – you owe it to yourself to check out Asphalt Valentine… and, of course, give this song a listen.

Looking Ahead

You can find upcoming live shows on Asphalt Valentine’s website (scroll down a little) or the “Events” tab of its Facebook page. There is a single live date listed on both: this weekend, Saturday, March 6th at 37 Main in Avondale Estates, GA, performing with Shotgun Superstars and Say Never.

Album Review: Jon Anderson – Song of Seven

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Jon Anderson – Song of Seven

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Album Review of Jon Anderson: Song of Seven, Remastered & Expanded Edition (Esoteric Recordings)

I could make this review simple: Jon Anderson‘s second solo album, 1980’s Song of Seven – the first album released after his first formal split with Yes – has been remastered and re-released, “expanded” with additional songs.

We all know about Jon’s amazing vocals, and whether or not you’re familiar with this disc already, you already know what the songs sound like. I will, though list my favorites: Catchy disc-opener “For You, For Me,” which is the sort of progressive rocker that was typical of prog’s crossover hits of the ’70s and ’80s; the energetic “Some Are Born,” with its sunny disposition and cool horn parts; “Don’t Forget (Nostalgia)” and “Heart of the Matter,” which have a very ’50s sock-hop influenced style and stands out as unique on this record; and “Take Your Time,” a sweetly swaying slow song that has a twangy-Americana-meets-the-carnival musical undercurrent.

One thing I might add, as well, is that if it’s been a long times since you last played some of these old progressive rock albums from the late ’70s and early ’80s – if, for example, like me, you’re a lifelong rocker but not a progressive rock superfan/historian – you may have forgotten just how varied the influences can be from song to song. Though I knew to expect greatness from Jon Anderson, Song of Seven was a much more diverse, interesting listen, beginning to end, than I had remembered or expected. Indeed, I listed my favorite individual songs above, but the entire disc was a great, nostalgic listening experience.

By the way, the “expanded” part of this addition is the inclusion of additional, “U.S. promotional” versions of “Some Are Born” and “Heart of the Matter,” expanding the album’s song count from its original nine to eleven.

Hardcore Jon Anderson fans might also enjoy this 13-minute YouTube video in which Esoteric Recordings’ Mark Powell interviews Jon Anderson about Song of Seven, coinciding with the timing of the album’s re-release. (Actually, even if you’re just a rock ‘n roll fan in general, it’s a pretty good interview you may enjoy.)

Looking Ahead

The remastered edition of Song of Seven was released on November 27, 2020. Next, on March 26, 2021, Esoteric Recordings will release a remastered and expanded edition of Jon’s very first solo album, Olias of Sunhillow. The remastered Olias of Sunhillow is already available for pre-order.