Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Avalanche - The Road Less Traveled
Gotta admit that when I first saw this title being put forward, I had a sense of doom, gloom, despondency and despair. I know that's actually four senses (as it were) but hey, I'm a drama queen, what can I tell you? Not because I thought The Road Less Traveled was going to be a bad track, with Avalanche that wouldn't be possible. A so so track maybe, but never anything less than highly professional. That professionalism comes from the band being together for thirty years this year. Nope, my conniption was about the title, a name I had ascribed to one of my own upcoming releases, and it led me to a few choice words wiv me ol' mate Serendipity. Not to mention a couple of hissy fits in the direction of Avalanche :D Still, ferk it, s'all good innit? Regardless of what my own particular panty twist is at the moment, just playing an Avalanche track well soon dispel a bout of grumpy gruff. The reason is twofold: Avalanche are the ultimate rock animal, red in tooth and claw. The second reason is the one I mentioned before, the total dedication to getting it right - every time.
First time, I bet, that an avalanche can be considered consistent eh?
It helps that the sort of rock you like is the kind that has spawned all the memorable American rock bands, because Classic Rock is what Avalanche delliver; the sort you can picture in action as the track plays. Having said all that, The Road Less Traveled takes a while getting to the real meat and potatoes (Ed: he means keeeerrraaannggg) but once you get there all is forgiven. It's the part of this Avalanche I like the best. For example, the track starts with a whole acoustic section; redolent of the American style of rock. But when the band put the pedal to the metal, in the chorus, they show the massive pair of rock stones that endear them to an old rock freak like me. I defy you, o gentle reader, not to give this a spin though, and find yourself going down the road singing it to yourself and if you get in a car and drive you are f****** for life.
The combination of drums, bass and twin guitarists is irresistible enough, I'd be glued from note one. Take that thought one step further and combine it with the skill and experience of this four man band and blend it all with some awesome songwriters such as Mike Foster and Mark Easton, there is no way this track could fail. At least within its genre, and certainly IMHO, as commercially viable as anything else you are likely to hear on the face of the Earth. If you are not aware, I expect more from artists I have respect for, and I am highly critical of anything out of place - and believe me I do look hard. I couldn't find anything whatsoever I didn't like about The Road Less Traveled in a professional manner; and it hits a couple of personal emotional buttons too. The song is about the band's thirty year history and is a track full of the truth known to more musicians than the minuscule amount of artists that manage the task of being 'stars. Well, in my world, stars are people who affect me directly and personally and no real world music comes close.
MUST HAVE Classic rock.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Avalanche - The Golden Sun
Talk about being single-minded, know what I've been doing while slogging through this months reviews? When I finally put down the review pen I have been frequently resting my ears by feasting my eyes on the final edit of the Avalanche video of The Road Less Traveled - which btw is absolutely glorious and really puts the power and emotion of the track across, and that's just the music. I know a fair bit about the band's activities this year and knew that something like this was in the offing but - to be honest - this has kinda taken my breath away. I know I am a confirmed Avalanche fan of long standing and therefore show enormous bias but hey, I've always been a shameless type. The video is just one part of what is on the way in the near future and I've been glued to the HD version played awfully loud. This also accounts for my slightly dazed expression but of course you can't see that.
Can you?
A long and involved story behind this track of which the upshot is, this is an original track from 1979 featuring Avalanche back then, with the notable exception of bass player Charles Calmese (of which more in a minute). Mike Foster held onto the two inch stereo master of a rough mix though all these years before laying it gently into the hands of David Pendragon to bring to some sort of life - and if anyone can, David can. Charles Calmese unfortunately died tragically in 1988 but not before notching up Platinum awards for his playing on Steve Miller's Fly Like An Eagle album, one of my all time favourites. This is, I think, the first time I have heard any of Charles's Avalanche work, although if it's not I'm certain Mike Foster will put me right in short order. It's what he does ;) So you with me so far???
Well maybe you won't be when I tell you that The Golden Sun is a whisker under fourteen minutes long. If that doesn't deter you, cast you eyes over what I've just said. This is a track set in the time-concrete of tape and obviously reeking of the era itself. Late 1970's, remember it? On this side of the Atlantic people were starting to spit at each other but on the American side it was still all big hair, big shows, big ideas and ******* massive egos. Putting myself back in time, I personally would have welcomed this into my home with an immense pleasure because it (just) predates the whole West Coast thing (think Eagles etc) and yet here are Avalanche doing it some time before it got massive and with considerable style. The real shame is that it has taken until now for it to finally be publicly heard. So is it worth the fourteen minutes of your time? Well, that depends on your views on what constitutes classic rock, and whether the history of Avalanche interests you. Short of this, awesome to hear a young Mike, Mark and Barry in action.
A piece of history but still a rock MUST HAVE for all that.