| Beautiful Something review by Andrew Paul |
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| Canny chap, John Kalodner. He gets his Portrait imprint off to a solid start with a roster of veterans such as Ratt, Great White, and Cinderella, then having established a firm grounding, launches the first new Portrait band, Mars Electric- great name-onto the market.Looking like Orgy after fashion tips from mid-1970's Freddie Mercury, and with vocalist Jacob Bunton looking like a glam Eric Martin, you might be forgiven for expecting a fad-obsessed right-on indie whine fest. No way, amigos. This is prime-time stadium rock, stripped of all the oft-visited cliches, blessed with technical awareness but with fire and awareness in it's make-up tray. |
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| Opener, "Someday"
is a lippy Nelson, with Harry Hess meets a metal Julian Cope
vocals from Bunton, and a hook that makes itself very much at home in the old memory banks. Brilliant! And then "Another day(on top of the world)", with it's wry lyrics, sweeping string arrangements, and it's skycraping chorus is probably the ballad of this year, last year, and next year! "Far Away" is a convertible on a black-lane highway sort of song, with a classic solo from guitarist Chris Simmons, and Eagles gone snotty harmonies. It makes the listener feel so good! |
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| We've all been waiting
for the one band to help turn things around, and with the backing of Kalodner's
acumen. Mars Electric is that band. Granted they do not look like Firehouse
circa 1990, but they look good in their own terms, and once past the look,
you will discover a great stadium band with it's eye firmly fixed on tomorrow.If
you do not like this album, you should be locked away with only your copy
of "Slippery when Wet" and your yellowing
"New Jersey" posters for company. Essential. |
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| Rating: 9.5/10 |