Having reissued '
Save Your Prayers' on CD for the first time in 2004, Majestic Rock Records have now, unapologetically, re-released the reissue with a bonus disc, ostensibly to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album's debut.
No apology required of course, '
Save Your Prayers' is one of those albums that should be re-released very year. Unarguably up there with other "all time great" British
AOR albums, like Strangeways' '
Native Sons' and Heavy Pettin's '
Rock Aint Dead'.
The bonus disc consists of an unearthed recording of the band's Winnipeg concert in the year of '
Save Your Prayers' release, plus a recent interview with Pete Way.
Interviews are seldom illuminating, and this one is no different.
The gig, however is a raw, rolling, raucous affair. Just the way a live performance should be.
Danny Vaughn (later of Tyketto) proved to be genuine find, and the perfect fit for the album's high calibre stadium rock. And even though Paul Chapman out muscles everyone around him in a powerful display of axework - loud, melodic, energetic - he carefully avoids the bombast of his hair metal contemporaries.
Naturally, the bulk of the material comes from the then new release, but opens with standouts from previous albums, '
Toy With Passion' and '
Won't Get Out Alive'. Familiar material, clearly designed to put the audience at ease, before introducing the new stuff. The sound quality may not be state of the art, but that doesn't dilute the live performance here.
For anyone who has yet to be introduced to the studio album, '
Walls Fall Down', '
Black&Blue' and '
Heaven Tonight' (a rerecording of an older track) are 22 carat gems. Blinding lights in an era lit up with great
AOR songs that still shine today. Direct, uncompromising and filled with soaring hooks and melodic riffs, they buoyed up an album that deserved much more recognition than it gathered at the time.
Like 2004's reissue, the Special Edition includes bonus tracks
'Fire Under The Wheels' and John (CCR) Fogerty's '
Fortunate Son'.
True value. Don't wait.
Written by
Brian Monday, April 23, 2007
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