|
|
Living Loud
|
|
|
| ||
|
Living Loud CD reviews DVD reviews Buy It Living Loud [album w/bonus tracks] In The Name Of God Debut [live DVD] |
Let me state right off the top that I'm not much of a fan of Ozzy's music. Nevertheless, I really liked this recording despite the preponderance of Ozzy songs, partly due to strong original compositions but mostly because Living Loud sound nothing like the Blizzard Of Oz band. Even though three-fifths of those original musicians have returned, two decades of maturing and Steve Morse rather than Randy Rhoads makes for a much more interesting listening experience. There is certainly more than just a nod given to the original recordings, but those serve primarily as a template for the current musicians to interpret the material in their own style, well-polished from lifetimes spent honing their craft. Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley anchor the performance with an easy confidence born from years in the role of solid support. Jimmy Barnes, while certainly no virtuoso, has more range and depth than Ozzy ever did; with a gravel-throated delivery reminiscent of fellow Aussie Brian Johnson, the lyrics are sung rather than merely shouted. Randy Rhoads was a gifted guitarist, to be sure, but his skill was still nascent when he recorded the songs whereas Steve Morse is at the apex of his mastery of the instrument. While being faithful to the spirit of the originals, he adds colourings and nuances that take the songs into an entirely different direction from the early 1980s proto-metal genre they are covering. The original tracks are more than able to stand up to the covers, and provide a strong counterpoint. Featuring melody rather than the usual riffs-with-solos-hung-around-them, as is so often the case when 'supergroups' are thrown together in a studio and pressed to come up with something, they range from power rock anthems to relentless fist-pumpers in the finest AC/DC tradition. On the strength of the originals alone, I find myself wondering if this ad hoc group will ever have the fortune to assemble in a recording studio again long enough to lay down an album's worth of material. I certainly hope so.
|
|
![[ it ]](/hs-pics/flags/s_it.gif){kind=small}
![[ pl ]](/hs-pics/flags/s_pl.gif){kind=small}
