a l b u m r e v i e w s


ALLIANCE / MISSING PIECE
LABEL: ESCAPE MUSIC
OVERALL: 91%
Produced by: Robert Berry
  1. I'd Give Anything
  2. Missing Piece
  3. Building Wisdom From The Wounds
  4. Call Of The Wild
  5. I Gotta Know
  6. Young Blood
  7. Long Way To Go
  8. Without You
  9. It's My Life
  10. Don't Turn Away
  11. Gotta Find That Woman
  12. Do It For Free
If you have never heard an Alliance album (there are two now), then now might be a good time. They deliver quite intelligent pop rock records.
In fact they are in real terms a supergroup, but probably the most unrecognized of that category of infamy.
Alliance features Robert Berry (3, solo) Alan Fitzgerald (Night Ranger), David Lauser (Sammy Hagar band) and Gary Phil (Boston).
All the guys bring elements of their regular jobs into Alliance, but more importantly they gel into something rather unique. They really do have their own sound.
Even better, this album is better produced and better executed than their debut - released a couple of years ago.
It's one of those albums that is very moody and quite intense - heavy without having guitars pounding your head.
In other words, a very good mix of the rhythm section with Fritz's awesome keyboards and Berry's moody vocals.
I'd Give Anything is a killer opener. Rather than a big over the top number, the guys have picked a great mid tempo pop rock ballad.
Missing Piece, I Gotta Know and Without You are all tracks that you skip over first few times, but then get to know them as you go.
Building Wisdom From The Wounds is a top pop rock song. A great vocal melody as a bridge leads into the chorus.
Call Of The Wild takes a few listens before it becomes familiar. A good, yet subtle chorus.
Young Blood is a good keyboard heavy track with a good vocal, reminding me a little of early Night Ranger.
Long Way To Go and It's My Life are another pair of great songs. More straight forward pop rock songs, both with a more identifiable chrous. It's My Life has a great upbeat tempo.
Don't Turn Away is the closest thing to a typical ballad on the album. Nice smooth laid back song.
Gotta Find That Woman is maybe the most uptempo and straight forward rocker of the record.
Do It For Free is the guy's take on the Sammy Hagar tune, recently featured on his Marching To Mars album. A good version with Robert Berry putting in a classsy vocal. I like how the guys have adopted this song to fit the theme of the rest of the album.
BOTTOM LINE: Not necessarily better than the other tracks, but more identifiable and the more commercial numbers on the album.
It actually makes for a good balance.
PRODUCTION: 88%SONGS: 93%VIBE: 90%ATTITUDE: 92%
ESSENTIAL FOR: Previous Alliance fans, Robert Berry & Boston fans. Some Sammy Hagar, Night Ranger fans.
DISCOGRAPHY:Alliance . Missing Piece

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