Houston - Relaunch

[Kim_Hp]

Not a fan of these guys at all, but I have to admit the track listing on their upcoming cover CD is damn impressive!

 

Check this out:

 

Tracklisting on “Relaunch”

 

1) Runaway (originally recorded by US rockers Dakota)

2) Carrie (originally recorded by Michael Bolton)

3) Brief Encounter (originally recorded by UK melodic maestros Airrace and featuring Airrace’s Laurie Mansworth on guest guitar)

4) Don’t You Know What Love Is (originally recorded by US outfit Touch, the first band ever to play the Monsters Of Rock festival, and featuring Touch keyboard player Mark Mangold on guest vox)

5) Don’t Ever Wanna Lose You (originally recorded by US four-piece New England, whose self-titled debut album was produced by Kiss’ Paul Stanley)

6) Didn’t We Almost Win It All (originally recorded by the late Laura Branigan)

7) Without Your Love (original song written by Ricky Delin; a duet with Amaranthe front-woman Elize Ryd)

8) Truth Slips (acoustic recording)

9) 1000 Songs (acoustic recording)

 

More info on http://www.planetaor.com/?p=4446

[Geoff]

Nice to see a band actually covering songs that don't suck, but still, second album in and they're already stuck with a covers CD? Wowser.

[Captain Howdy]

I saw them earlier this year, and they really didnt impress me.

I normally like covers albums, but I actually dont know a single one of those songs.

Kinda tells me this isnt gonna convert me to them.

[Geoff]

I saw them earlier this year, and they really didnt impress me.

I normally like covers albums, but I actually dont know a single one of those songs.

Kinda tells me this isnt gonna convert me to them.

I don't actually know any of the songs either, but I should have noted that they're actually covering unknown songs but AOR bands, so even though I don't know them I assume they'll actually be suitable for the band.

 

And not to confuse even myself here... I do like it when a band covers an oddball song and makes it their own so it sounds awesome. But the trend with covers albums (I can't really think of an exception) is to record well known awful songs and just basically re-record them. So rather than sounding like the awesome band the band once was, the band just then sounds like a band who are almost as awful as the bands who originally recorded the shitty originals. Like in Tesla's case, for example. They just cover a bunch of DREADFUL songs which are so far removed from how the band has sounded in the past that it's painful.

 

What I mean to say is that these songs sound like they will suit the band well if you have to do a covers album.

[Captain Howdy]

I totally agree with you about the fact that they are going for a covers album as their second release, thats pretty weak on their part.

I've never been a hater of the covers concept, but I dont expect a band to do this on their second release.

The odd song here and there I can understand, or a bonus disc or something, but not a whole album release on its own.

[Jez]

There are some pretty big boots they have got to fill here in covering some of these. Drive She Said and Bronz already covered New England and Touch tunes with varying degrees of success. Some songs maybe, just maybe should be left alone.

 

I heard this was the record companies idea as a stop gap whilst recording the new 2nd album proper. Makes little sense to me apart from keeping the name out there.

[Geoff]

There are some pretty big boots they have got to fill here in covering some of these. Drive She Said and Bronz already covered New England and Touch tunes with varying degrees of success. Some songs maybe, just maybe should be left alone.

 

I heard this was the record companies idea as a stop gap whilst recording the new 2nd album proper. Makes little sense to me apart from keeping the name out there.

Yeah, that's an odd one. I'm pretty sure 99.9% of successful bands have managed to do okay by releasing albums a couple of years apart without a covers CD inbetween. Haha, that's some strange logic there.

[Nightrain]

I like Houston's debut, and I have listened to the acoustic version of '1000 songs', it's very good.

 

Though I don't know what craziness and insanity that has been goin' on their mind to put up a sophomore cover album, but I think I'm gonna buy this one later, as usual, if it's cheap

[Kim_Hp]

I don't understand why these guys are being promoted so heavily. I know the debut was picked as the nr. 1 AOR album of 2010 in Classic Rock, which is just crazy to me. I saw them live earlier this year too and wasn't overly impressed.

 

 

I'm interested to hear this because I love almost all songs in the list. I know there is no way they could top the originals but still, interesting.

[Nick C]

I only got the debut album this week! It hasn't blown my socks off like I was expecting, but it doesn't suck either....but a covers album?? Dunno what the record company is thinking, might as well have spent the studio time properly (if it is a studio these days !) and made more progress on a proper new album.

[Rockposer]

Hmm, I'll keep my mind open on this one.

 

I was disappointed with their live performance (Glen/Swazi)

[JamesEagle]

There are some pretty big boots they have got to fill here in covering some of these. Drive She Said and Bronz already covered New England and Touch tunes with varying degrees of success. Some songs maybe, just maybe should be left alone.

 

I heard this was the record companies idea as a stop gap whilst recording the new 2nd album proper. Makes little sense to me apart from keeping the name out there.

 

Very odd. Bands often issue an EP between albums, sometimes with live tracks or covers on it, but a full covers album after only one studio release seems ridiculous. Unless maybe they plan to sell it at EP price...?

[Jez]

There are some pretty big boots they have got to fill here in covering some of these. Drive She Said and Bronz already covered New England and Touch tunes with varying degrees of success. Some songs maybe, just maybe should be left alone.

 

I heard this was the record companies idea as a stop gap whilst recording the new 2nd album proper. Makes little sense to me apart from keeping the name out there.

 

Very odd. Bands often issue an EP between albums, sometimes with live tracks or covers on it, but a full covers album after only one studio release seems ridiculous. Unless maybe they plan to sell it at EP price...?

 

 

At only 9 tracks with 6 covers, 2 acoustic tracks and a new song, it's not exactly a full album. So an extended EP. it is then!!

[Kim_Hp]

Whether this album was necessary or not it's still nice to hear a young, fresh band covering these classics. I actually think they've done a great job in covering these songs, they stay very close to the originals and the production is excellent. The new song was surprisingly good too, unfortunately the chorus isn't as strong as the verses. IMO it's more in the early 80's AOR vein than the songs heard on the debut, mixing in nicely with the cover songs.

 

Anyway, still a so-so band for me, but will still be interested to follow these guys and hear their next CD.

[Nightrain]

I kinda like it, not a huge fan of them, but Houston's debut is delicate and easy to the ears, a refreshing music after an exhausting day at office, and this is the same.

 

Not necessary maybe if you have own the original, but for me, it's a good buy because some songs I'm just not really familiar and don't have in my collection so I can safely consider it new songs instead

 

so what's the new song you're talking Kim ? i thought it's all 7 covers and 2 acoustic songs ?

[Kim_Hp]

I kinda like it, not a huge fan of them, but Houston's debut is delicate and easy to the ears, a refreshing music after an exhausting day at office, and this is the same.

 

Not necessary maybe if you have own the original, but for me, it's a good buy because some songs I'm just not really familiar and don't have in my collection so I can safely consider it new songs instead

 

so what's the new song you're talking Kim ? i thought it's all 7 covers and 2 acoustic songs ?

 

No the 7th track is an original

[Jez]

I surprisingly really enjoyed this disc. Non of the songs are better than the originals, although they have done a good job at freshening some of them up a little. Laura Branigan's 'Didn't We Almost Win It All' is really good, as is Michael Bolton's 'Carrie' and Dakota's 'Runaway. Less so. Airrace 'Brief Encounter' which just doesn't match up to Keith Murrels original vocal or New Englands 'Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya', which is a little weak, especially the drum sound and guitar solo, which is nowhere near as good a John Fannon's original. It is my favourite ever song, so maybe I am being a little over critical about it. The new song 'Without Your Love' is good and would have fitted neatly on the debut and the 2 acoustic tracks are pleasant too. All in all as a stop gap EP. thingy it's worth getting.