Rocket Science as a whole was influenced by Springfield's longstanding affection for country music, and his collaborators include J.T. Harding and Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus. "It isn't a country album, " he notes. "But I like all the elements of country. Honestly, Nashville is where pop music has gone -- that's where all the great playing is and all the great hooks are coming from. And these are players that grew up listening to me and people like me, so there's mutual love."
Vocalist MITCH MALLOY has uploaded the song he co-wrote and recorded with VAN HALEN during his stay at 5150 studios in the mid-90s. Mitch was lined up to replace SAMMY HAGAR, but was dumped for the controversial GARY CHERONE.
Mitch has previously talked to MelodicRock.com about his experience. You can see that below.
But right now - why not check out the song It's The Right Time:
Vocalist MITCH MALLOY has uploaded the song he co-wrote and recorded with VAN HALEN during his stay at 5150 studios in the mid-90s. Mitch was lined up to replace SAMMY HAGAR, but was dumped for the controversial GARY CHERONE.
Mitch has previously talked to MelodicRock.com about his experience. You can see that below.
But right now - why not check out the song It's The Right Time:
From an interview in 2000 with MR.com:
Another very interesting thing happened while you were out of the limelight so to speak. The great Van Halen experience!!
How did you and Eddie Van Halen hook up?
A guy who worked for their management at the time used to be my road manager and he kept calling me and telling me they were going to fire Sammy and that I was going to be the next singer in Van Halen and he was calling and calling and finally I got annoyed by this and told him to stop and that I didn't think I was a good fit in VH and that if he was serious he should have Ed call me.
A week later Desmond Child calls me and says he has just left Ed's house and was writing with them and that they were talking about me and that they were watching my "Anything At All" video, and that he told them that I was perfect for them, and that they would be lucky to get me, and before I knew it, I was on a plane to LA. Ed did call, a bunch of times. He was great.
Things went so well, you actually recorded a demo with the guys - live in the studio. For the record! What tracks did you jam on?
Yes, it was Panama, Ain't Talking 'bout Love, Why Can't This Be Love, Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do), Jump and It’s The Right Time.
And what were you thinking while this was going on? Total disbelief?!!
LOL, it was very surreal. It was pretty cool. Valerie was very nice to me and Wolfy and I had a great connection. He just took to me right away. Ed was very taken with that as I recall, he told me I must be the guy cause his son loved me. It was cool. It was very nice. Ed is really a great guy, and so is Al and Mike. Ed was treating me like I was his best friend, his little brother. He still does most of the time. I miss him at the moment.
I have not talked to him in a while. I hope he is okay. He was very encouraging on this new record. I sent him You Lift Me, It's About Love, and Draw The Line and he called me while he was still listening to it and was very very excited and saying things that I couldn't believe. I can't really repeat them here without sounding like a total egotistic ass, so I will just say, he was very flattering.
I hung up and yelled at the top of my voice. That felt way better than when he told me I was in the band. I felt like he accepted me as a peer when he like my music.
I suppose I should tell of the moment when he told me I was in the band..... On the 3rd day I was there, I got a call as I was staying in Ed's guest house. They told me they wanted me to be in the studio control room in 15 minutes.
I went up and sat there and waited, And a few minutes later, Ed walks in stops and says, "well, you are an amazing singer, you look great and you are one of the nicest guys I have ever met, we just talked it over and congratulations, you are in the band." he walks up to me, I stand up and he kisses me on both cheeks gives me a hug and turns and walks out of the room. I sit back down at the mixing board and say out loud, "I am in Van Halen, shit, now what"? I think I giggled a little in disbelief. It was a very strange moment.
So the unanimous verdict on Ray Danniels as a manager is shit to say the least, were you another victim of his control over the band at this stage?
Well, I am not positive as to what happened there, but Ray told me at first that no matter what happened, he wanted to manage me.
I already had a manager though. And he told me he wanted me in the band. I think it's best I reserve comment any further on that one.
I actually wrote Ray a letter, passing on the gig. It just didn't feel right to me at the time, what with all the MTV thing with Dave and all that.
They never told me they were doing that with Dave, and as far as I knew, I was pretty much in the band at that time. I knew they were going to audition Gary, but they told me they didn't really want to, cause they wanted me. And then I see them walk out on stage with Dave, I called Mike and told him that I thought it was a mistake and that they had just made it nearly impossible for ANY singer to come in and be successful cause now EVERYONE thought Dave was back.
I never heard back from them, and while I was waiting, I sat down and wrote a letter and had my manager send it up to Ray saying, thanks for the shot, but I am going to have to pass.
It wasn't an easy thing to do. I heard from Ed a few weeks later. I met Gary over the phone that day as well. Gary is a super nice guy. A real class act. I am very impressed with him as a person and would think he would be a very good friend to have.
We are not friends, I am just saying, there are not that many people you meet in life that are as gracious as Gary Cherone.
You did keep in contact with Eddie for a long while after this, but he wasn't happy at all with you when you recommended something to him was he....can you tell us what you said about what he needed to do for a vocalist?
Ed actually asked me what I thought, and I told him.......DAVE!
You need to get Dave back, and he raised his voice saying, "You know what happened and how he was such an ass and what he said to me and did to me, and you know how hard it was to get him to sing in the studio", and I said, but Ed, you had Dave singing Desmond Child songs.
Dave isn't that type of singer, you had him singing melodies he can't sing, and what you need to do is just let Dave be Dave. And then he got even louder and said that he wrote all those songs/melodies, and that Dave just wrote the lyrics and sang them. That's when I shut up. I love Ed, he has been like a big brother to me in a lot of ways. Who am I to upset him. But he did ask. And whatever happened with the Ed / Dave chemistry worked, and I just think that it will always work.
Even if Ed did write all the melodies, obviously they have the same vocal range and they are connected with that. It WORKS! At least it worked. I have never met Dave, but he doesn't seem THAT bad to me. I don't know, I just love Ed and I want what is best for him. If he doesn't want to work with Dave, then he shouldn't work with Dave. I mean, you wouldn't wish for your friend to be unhappy just because it will please the fans. Life is too short for that.
But he did ask, and I did say Dave. I guess at the end of the day, music isn't everything. And those guys have already given us a LOT of great music to listen to. Maybe that is enough?
How do you think Van Halen with Mitch Malloy as lead vocalist would have sounded?
Well, that's easy, all I have to do is go put in the tape and listen to it. :)
It sounds just like Van Halen with me singing. I had Asked Al on the first play back in the studio. I said, "what do you think?" "Does it sound strange hearing my voice over your music?", and he looked me right in the eye and said, "no, not at all, it sounds great"!
Everyone has opinions on the job Gary Cherone did as singer #3, what do you think alienated the fans so much?
The MTV thing. I just don't think the fans could get past that. I do think though that if they had had a hit like they did with Sammy that they would have had an easier time of it.
Like an overblown Jim Steinman Masterpiece, the new rougher, tougher Khymera explodes with the glorious symphony of 80s keyboards and Euro-AOR guitars that is the feisty rocker Never Give Up On You.
This is a slightly different Khymera than we last heard. Dennis Ward is the only constant through all the 4 releases, joined on this occasion by Eric Ragno on keyboards (an inspired choice); Michael Klein on guitars; Felix Bohnke on drums.
Dennis Ward has the prominent writer’s role here – involved in all twelve, with half co-written with Paul Logue (Eden’s Curse).
It’s a slightly heavier Khymera here, and slightly rawer, with Dennis’ vocals definitely turning up the rasp. But other than that, it’s classic Khymera all the way – that is, European, commercial melodic Rock and 80s AOR.
One big chorus after another – all bathed in layers of keyboards, guitars and harmonies.
At this point in time I’m leaning towards this being the best of the Khymera albums to date.
The quality of the songs simply demand it.
Never Give Up On You is one of the catchiest anthems of the year; Say What You Want is a classic old-meets-new rock ballad; I Believe is fast and free flowing AOR; A Night To Remember is straight out of the White Sister playbook, with 80s synth dominating.
Land Of Golden Dreams has a strong, dramatic Gary Hughes/Ten mood to it; The Grand Design goes into overdrive and Streetlight is one of the more lush, emotional ballads of the year.
Who’s Fooling Who is another highlight – perfect moody, uptempo AOR here.
Closing the album is the big piano ballad Where Is The Love, featuring a very soulful vocal.
What can one say? Three very strong AOR releases in one month by the same label – Frontiers. And all pretty much essential.
But if there’s going to be a pecking order, this just comes out on top.
Terrific old school AOR without sounding dated or repetitive.
British AOR newcomers Blood Red Saints was formed at the end of 2014 by singer Pete Godfrey and bassist Rob Naylor (Angels Or Kings). Fresh from his debut in the band In Faith, Pete walked away from that band, taking drummer Pete Newdeck with him as well as the Harem Scarem similarities.
The In Faith album was a very fine album and this also impresses with its classic British AOR sound, mixed with the melodic tone of Harem’s debut album.
Harry in fact takes care of the mastering of the album, with Pete Newdeck producing.
Lee Revill supplies the guitars in the best tradition of Vinny Burns and Dare.
I’m not particularly into the opening two tracks, which is odd, but for me they don’t hold the class that shows further into the album – starting with the Foreigner-esque commercial ballad Best Of Me, which is instantly catchy and an obvious first pick to showcase the album.
Dangerous, which follows, is even better though – the sound really is old-school AOR and the way Pete channels Harry Hess’ vocals is another selling point.
A triple play of AOR class is completed with Love Set Me Up Again.
The melodies and the sentimental choruses keep coming with Wrapped Up In These Arms, The Best Thing, Feels A Like Like Love and the big sparse vocal and piano driven ballad Faith.
In the best tradition of fellow British AOR names such as Dare, Ten, FM, Newman and of course the one-off In Faith album sits Blood Red Saints. Definitely hoping the band goes beyond this debut to develop further as I think there’s a lot to look forward to.
The mighty Canadian legends Harem Scarem mark time between studio releases with this career spanning double live CD/DVD. Supporting their brilliant second comeback album Thirteen, the band rip through 20 tracks that take in nearly every album of their 25 year career.
This is an absolute must have for all fans of the band.
Do yourself a favor and start the playback at 1.10 so as to avoid the awful stage introduction.
The recording starts a bit rough with the new track Garden of Eden, but the mix improves as the band launches into some of their most memorable tracks.
The debut is represented by spirited versions of Hard To Love, Distant Memory and Slowly Slipping Away.
The classic Mood Swings has Saviors Never Cry, Change Comes Around, No Justice, Sentimental Blvd and Mandy.
The brilliant new album shines via Garden Of Eden, Troubled Times, Midnight Hours, All I Need and Saints And Sinners.
Turn Around and So Blind appear from Big Bang Theory as well as the anthem Killing Me from Weight Of The World.
The title track from Voice Of Reason gets a run as does the hard riffing Dagger from the underrated Overload album.
I actually find myself skipping some of the earlier tracks to enjoy the more recent and modern tracks as I feel Harem is on band that just nailed the crossover from old-to-new with their constantly evolving sound.
I’d love to comment on the DVD, but I’ve been sent 2 Disc 1’s instead of the actual DVD disc, so I guess I’ll have to sort that out.
No matter your preference for albums by these guys, there is no understating what gifted songwriters the guys are. The Hess/Leperance team has delivered to me more all-time favorite songs than just about any other artist I enjoy listening to.
This disc features 20 of them, but there’s so many more. This is a great testament to the band’s longevity and creative brilliance.
Finally proof that not all new artists playing classic 80s hard rock come from Sweden! The USA used to be the hotbed of the genre, delivering platinum selling band after band. Then it all dried up and the great Scandi take-over began.
But New York rockers Station won’t be denied their place in history!
This high energy outfit deliver their debut album in 2015, boasting a sound born out of 80s American rock – think Sunset Strip.
In fact, this album could be one of those gems, previously lost in a vault somewhere for 20 years, but no, it’s all new and sounds great.
Better even that the guys nail some really catchy tunes.
I Don’t Want To Know Your Name is a perfect anthemic Winger/Slaughter screamer to open the album; Everything is deep in harmonies and a catchy chorus and big riffs; Dressed To Kill actually has a Kiss vibe to it despite no direct connection to the title; its high energy, face paced, hard rocking fun.
The tempo stops briefly for one of the great anthemic ballads of recent years. Are You Sleeping Alone is a masterpiece for fans of the high-sentiment 80s rock genre.
The brilliant, very melodic and somewhat moody True Believer kicks the pace into the highest gear yet; With Me Tonight is another mid-tempo moody number; More Than Enough reminds me of the Bulletboys; Waiting For You is another solid ballad; Never Say Never takes the high notes over the top and I Can’t Live Without You is the most circumspect numbers included here.
There are 15 tracks included – great value for money – but this is also the one downside to the album. It’s pretty long already with most tracks in the 4 and 5 minute range, so to have 15 included for 71 minutes of music is probably 3 tracks too many. I’d have preferred this to be a 55 minute album and be left wanting more.
But, you can always skip or edit a playlist to your liking and the basic fact is there are at least 10 cracking hard rock tunes on here that warrant high praise and have been on high rotation with me for some time now.
