Tower City - 'The ones that matter'

[Geoff]

Here's a bit of a write-up on this disc:

 

TOWER CITY, the American trio who formed in 1988, are best known for their album ‘A Little Bit Of Fire’ which has a cult following amongst AOR loving fans worldwide, largely in Europe.

 

The album, recorded back in 1992 with the help of Mike Slamer (Streets, Steelhouse Lane, Seventh Key) features some of the best AOR / Melodic Rock songwriting you are ever likely to hear, sadly looked destined to never be heard, until the now defunct German label MTM Records released the album in 1996 gaining high praise to the band.

With the songs on that album having been written and recorded in the early nineties, by 1996, the band had since become known by the name Colorvine, which delivered a more progressive and alternative form of melodic rock that gained them a solid fan base within the USA.

 

Now here we are in 2011 and the music of Tower City will be heard in a way it never has before.

The band has remastered a selection of their best songs (including titles from the second '98 album 'All Or Nothing'), along with 4 new tracks that have been recorded in the last 7 years, entitled "The Ones That Matter".

 

Saltis brothers said;

"We have never been inactive as musicians. Our music may not have been represented as we felt it should have the first time around.

We went back and looked at a lot of the tracks, picked some of our favorites, and revamped a collection that we could be proud of presenting to those listeners that still cared.

The 4 new tracks are representative of our growth together after the Tower City days."

 

 

For me personally, Tower City's music is littered with virtually everything that I love about the Melodic Rock / AOR genres.

Together with Steelhouse Lane, Tower City carried the flame during the second half of the nineties. In fact, both bands were somehow connected. Steelhouse Lane's mastermind, Mike Slammer, helped this band in the artistic production department, songwriting and playing some guitars.

Tower City is a very, very good band, with a late '80s MR/AOR arena style full of trademark hooks, lush melodies and monster choruses.

As brothers Saltis like to say: "Time passes, people change, but the good music remains!"

Highly Recommended.

 

01 - Moonlight

02 - Little Bit Of fire

03 - Smoke (New track 2011)

04 - In These Arms

05 - Talking To Sarah

06 - Ain't Nobody To Love

07 - Say You Love Me (New track 2011)

08 - Six Strings (New track 2011)

09 - I'll Sleep Tonight

10 - Love And Money

11 - Surrender

12 - Hot Water

13 - When It All Falls Down

14 - Wishbone (New track 2011)

15 - Closer To The Heart

16 - Hungry

 

I think most melodic rock enthusiasts here would own and accordingly adore the 2 Tower City albums, so I'm a little surprised this hasn't been mentioned on the forum yet. Sure, it's essentially just a best of, but I was curious as hell about the 4 new tracks.

 

Well, having only spun it once, I have to say I'm interested. Straight up, the 4 new songs are not really up to the amazing quality of the 2 previously released discs, but they do sound promising. Definitely more 'grower' type of tracks rather than the instant classics they have delivered in the past. 'Say you love me' is a killer track, though.

 

Anyone else heard this yet - any thoughts?

[TIM (2)]

Very underrated band, the debut was slightly better IMO but both are great. Not sure I'd buy this for a few new tunes though...

[Mullethead]

I don't think I ever listen to mine so I must not have been that impressed. And since when do you release a best of after only 2 releases? Strange...

[Geoff]

Very underrated band, the debut was slightly better IMO but both are great. Not sure I'd buy this for a few new tunes though...

I should also add that the old tracks are all remastered too, and in some cases it does make a little difference, especially on the stuff from the 2nd disc.

 

I agree about these guys being underrated. In all honestly, they are not far off Steelhouse Lane in terms of quality, but not mentioned anywhere near as regularly. Killer albums and a genuine link to some of my favourite childhood holiday memories.

[Geoff]

I don't think I ever listen to mine so I must not have been that impressed. And since when do you release a best of after only 2 releases? Strange...

Yeah, I don't know exactly what the deal is - maybe just getting the remastered versions of their old songs out there, along with some new ones to say they're back... see if anyone's interested?

 

Also, has anyone ever heard Colorvine? I'm interested to check them out.

[Evil Rick]

I don't think I ever listen to mine so I must not have been that impressed. And since when do you release a best of after only 2 releases? Strange...

Yeah, I don't know exactly what the deal is - maybe just getting the remastered versions of their old songs out there, along with some new ones to say they're back... see if anyone's interested?

 

Also, has anyone ever heard Colorvine? I'm interested to check them out.

Dumb question, but why not just remaster the two releases and add 2 new songs as bonus tracks to each album?

[Dead Planet]

Very underrated band, the debut was slightly better IMO but both are great. Not sure I'd buy this for a few new tunes though...

I should also add that the old tracks are all remastered too, and in some cases it does make a little difference, especially on the stuff from the 2nd disc.

 

I agree about these guys being underrated. In all honestly, they are not far off Steelhouse Lane in terms of quality, but not mentioned anywhere near as regularly. Killer albums and a genuine link to some of my favourite childhood holiday memories.

 

One of my favorite bands and I would rate them up there with Steelhouse Lane...especially their first release...but I have no plans to pick up a 'best of', although I would love to see a new release from them...

[Nightrain]

I'm not sure whether it's on par with STEELHOUSE LANE as I think LANE is way better, but TOWER CITY is a good band too, hm I'll try to hear the 4 new songs in this album later

[5150]

Love Tower City. Have their first cd. Used to have their second but sold it soon after purchasing it. Couldn't get into it. Probably cause for me the first was so good compared to what was coming out at the time.

[Doksdad]

I don't think I ever listen to mine so I must not have been that impressed. And since when do you release a best of after only 2 releases? Strange...

Yeah, I don't know exactly what the deal is - maybe just getting the remastered versions of their old songs out there, along with some new ones to say they're back... see if anyone's interested?

 

Also, has anyone ever heard Colorvine? I'm interested to check them out.

Dumb question, but why not just remaster the two releases and add 2 new songs as bonus tracks to each album?

Backed. I would buy those. Not so much this release.

[phaffas]

Ok i just came on here to see if anyone had actually mentioned this as i just accidently bumped on to it online. 4 new tracks?!?!? NEXT!

[crazynights]

It's an interesting new.

I love both their albums.

Talking to Sara was such a great song, in the first cd they released.

The second was even better, ( many people complain about the production that was not good), but there were good songs like all or nothing,fire with fire,hungry,Stokolm.

 

I would like to hear this new one, glad they are back, hope for a new complete album.

[RichieZ]

'Talking To Sarah' was the big hit that never was - IMO, what a great song.