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HUGO - "HUGO" (1997) & "TIME ON EARTH" (2000)
We first heard Hugo on the self titled album with a band called Valentine. The band changed their name and released the self titled, "Open Skyz". Neither of these albums hit it big and after a few years off, Hugo reemerged as a solo artist with yet another self titled album, "Hugo" in 1997.
The album was recorded in England with members of the band Ten. This album shows Hugo in prime form. The entire record is a powerful, melodic drama that should've made this man a household name.
The "Intro" reminds me of the intro to "Message of Love" from Journey. As you may have heard, the similarities to Steve Perry and Journey are evident throughout the album. Fortunately, Hugo has such a good set of songs here to call his own. "We'll Find a Way", "Walk Away", "Crazy" and "If You're Ever Lonely" are perfect AOR music. They give you a real good feeling. The musicianship is amazing. The production is killer (although the guitars are a bit too loud). This is simply all around good music. The song "All the People You Love" has a cool groove that sets it apart from the rest of the album. The message "It's not too late to love all the people you love" is timeless. And of course the ballad "So Many Tears Ago" pulls at the heart strings.
When Hugo's second record, "Time on Earth" came out in 2000, I had high expectations, especially considering that the album was recorded near his home (and mine) here on Long Island. In fact, a couple years ago I met singer Paul Carley, formerly of the band Surrender. Paul is a childhood friend of Hugo's and appears on the songs "I Will Be Waiting" and "Magic Power" from this record.
Despite a great album cover, "Time on Earth" doesn't quite match the quality level of the first record. The production is a little flat and by playing all the drums and keyboard himself, Hugo has sacrificed that energetic "band feeling". However, what we have here is still a very good record.
"Can't Stop Loving You" and "Tell it to My Heart" kick the album off in similar fashion to the first record. What the ballad "Last One More Time" lacks, the next song "Anyone in Love" more than makes up for. This is my favorite Hugo song. With it's similarities to Steve Perry's "Foolish Heart", the soft, mellow vibe is perfect for a dimly lit atmosphere. Two other highlights are songs with very obvious titles. "Blues for You" is a bluesy, rock ballad and "This Love Song" is a love song, but it is not a ballad. It starts off softly with pretty harmonies but it soon kicks in to become a wonderful, mid tempo relationship song.
Now as we approach the summer of 2002, Hugo has taken part in a Long Island based Journey tribute band named after their album, "Evolution". His band mates include members of the Long Island based Bon Jovi tribute band "Bad Medicine". This may seem like an odd choice and a strange career move, but in conversation with friend, Paul Carley, I've been told that Hugo is committed to his wife and kids. By playing in the Journey tribute, he will be able to stay close to home and since the tribute scene is very popular these days, he will also be making money and playing good music to the people who care.
