Shouldn't that be 'Baptism
Of Fire'?
Whatever, the band name's a bit of a giveaway here. Yes, it's Fergie Frederiksen, who will forever be known by the suffix, "ex Toto", and the ubiquitous Tommy Denander, clearly going for some kind of world record in album appearances.
As you might expect, there are a few high profile guests. Michael Thompson and Steve Porcaro on guitar and keyboards respectively, while the mighty Thomas Vikstrom bolsters the backing vocals.
Sadly,
'BBF' is all surface gloss, with little substance below the dazzling veneer of eighties' styled melodic rock.
Denander's
Radioactive comes to mind, but only in the sense that
Radioactive had everything that
'BBF' doesn't, like an emotional connection and a convincing depth. With '
BBF' it's track 5,
'Written In Stone' (sounds like
Jim Peterik had a hand in this one) before we reach any kind of genuine melodic rock eloquence, and any kind of pulse quickening thrill.
That said, third track, '
Silver Lining' carries some inviting
Queen / Beach Boy harmonies and Journey-esque song structuring. Not quite enough to lift it all the way out of the ordinary though.
Elsewhere, '
Saving Grace' and '
Never Try To Love Again' take a leaf out of Final Frontier's book of melodic rock reinvention - keep it simple, keep it lightweight and focus on the hooks and the harmonies.
A strong sense of sameness starts to creep in halfway through '
BBF'. The duo may well think of all these songs as their babies, each one unique, but it is very difficult to discern any differentiating characteristics as you move from track to track on the second half of the album.
Call me old fashioned, but if you're not going to attempt a move into the twenty first century, then you have to have a genuine feeling for eighties' music, and not just turn out parodies.
On a positive note, the sound is crystal clear, but even then, the production lacks imagination, seemingly recycling eighties ideas and norms. If that's what people want, then fine. But frankly, I think people want more.
'Baptism By Fire' - a clear example of where the voice, the sound and the songs don't always add up to a winning score.
Disappointing.
Written by
Brian Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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