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JIMI JAMISON - Never Too Late


Nightrain

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Nevergiveupbelieveinyourdreamsneversurrenderkeepfightingcowabunga!

 

Annoyingly ugly lyrics, but a nice melodic rock / AOR song. Not the worst quality film clip I've seen of our genre, corny as it is. NEVER GIVE UP! Whoo! Keep fighting and never surrender. Yeah! Inspiro rockers, is there a better type of song? Love them...

 

... As much as being raped by herpes.

 

I think through the years I've started to rate songs with lyrics like this as bad as christian songs. I can't believe people with IQ's write these types of songs. :(

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I honestly dont mind lyrics like these when they are wrapped up in a great song with a great hook - which this is.

 

Instant sing - a - long chorus which you know in the first listen - which is what I love.

 

Which ever way you cut it this Jimi album is freakin great....every track is a winner - hooks galore, great melodies.

 

EM done good yet again............and yes I believe he has got an IQ - close to genius I reckon.

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Stunning disc this. Every song is a winner, the production is staggering, and the vocals are the best I've heard from him in decades. Of course, it's pretty similar sounding to the Toby Hitchcock disc (though with a bit less guitar in the mix) but is equally as good as that almost-flawless disc. I strongly suspect this will be my fave disc of 2012...

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Hopefully going to rate this tonight... interested to see if it is higher for me than I suspect. Like I said, very good and solid but not sure it's got that "x-factor" for me. We'll see.

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yeah mate, currently it's #2 on my list.

How're ya doin Tim, long time no see

 

Cheers mate, had a few pc problems back back in the game now.

 

I agree with Glen on this one, no duff tracks at all. Virtually flawless.

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OK, then I'll be the first to have a stab at rating this album.

 

I'm not gonna lie here, because I unashamedly love this album. It might be a little cheesey here or over the top there. The odd lyric might not be to everyone's liking, but the thing which cannot be denied here is that Erik Martennson set out to write and record the best possible sounding Jimi Jamison album and I think he has succeeded in that completely.

 

Here's my track by track -

 

1. Everybodys Got a Broken Heart - (9.25) - Great opener. Melodic riff & urgent bass. Immediate Survivor vibe with just a hint of Journey in the mix. This sounds pretty heavy stylewise for JJ. Very cool chorus and solo.

 

2. The Great Unknown - (9.25) - Simple first verse leads to a killer chorus hook - anthemic is the word. Jimi with a great vocal (as throughout !) - the whole song just flows nicely and what it lacks in terms of a solo it makes up for with some nice guitar flurries in the closing parts

 

3. Never Too Late - (9.50) - Some may be slightly turned off by lyrics like these, but to be honest when its wrapped up in a hook as good as this (Peterik are you listening?), who cares?! Another excellent uptempo number. JJ shines again vocally and the bridge / solo are perfect melodic rock.

 

4. I Can't Turn Back - (9.50) - Mellow almost balladic start (great vocal and perfect verse) morphs into a power house mid paced gem. I love it when the second chorus fills out with a fuller production straight into the killer solo. Great stuff.

 

5. Street Survivor - (9.50) - Very 80's intro with electronica / hammond but then wham...the EM influence....urgent riff which is his trademark straight into a massive hooky chorus. A song like this is made for JJ - killer solo too. Another absolute winner.

 

6. The Air I Breathe - (9.50) - Simple but very effective ballad. Jamison commented 'Songs like this only come along every once in a while. Brilliant songwriting by EM'.....can't argue with that. This song would be stunning live.

 

7. Not Tonight - (10) - How do you follow that....simple, with the best chorus of the year that's how. Sing-a-long magic - doesnt get any better for me. Flawless stuff.

 

8. Calling The Game - (9.0) - Huge Survivor vibe - Vital Signs era - that's what most people wanted from the album I am guessing and it delivers in droves. Uptempo rocker with another very nice chorus - this one needed a solo though to lift it that bit further. Still a cool song.

 

9. Bullet In The Gun - (9.75) - Wow, I love this song! Superb intro, almost Allen/Lande in style, then a verse ala Survivor & a monster chorus. One of my fav tracks of the year, just missing a perfect score because it screams out for a solo at exactly 2 min 36.....EM what were you thinking...a huge solo right there and you would have been looking at the track of the year. Instead it is only excellent lol.

 

10. Heaven Call Your Name - (10) - This is the sort of song I expected from the new Gotthard album (but sadly didnt)...Steve Lee would have killed on this track. Thankfully JJ kills on this track too! Great vocal, touching lyrics and a fantastic solo. Pretty flawless stuff - would be another 'moment' live.

 

11. Walk On - (9.50) - Great way to end the album - man what an intro - EM all over it! But he then nails the JJ sound perfectly in the verse / hook / chorus.

 

So there you have it.

 

With the great production I'd be inclined to round up the songs average score to a mighty.......

 

96%

 

Worth every % point in my opinion and without a doubt one of the finest albums in recent years.

 

Cheers

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OK, then I'll be the first to have a stab at rating this album.

 

I'm not gonna lie here, because I unashamedly love this album. It might be a little cheesey here or over the top there. The odd lyric might not be to everyone's liking, but the thing which cannot be denied here is that Erik Martennson set out to write and record the best possible sounding Jimi Jamison album and I think he has succeeded in that completely.

 

Here's my track by track -

 

1. Everybodys Got a Broken Heart - (9.25) - Great opener. Melodic riff & urgent bass. Immediate Survivor vibe with just a hint of Journey in the mix. This sounds pretty heavy stylewise for JJ. Very cool chorus and solo.

 

2. The Great Unknown - (9.25) - Simple first verse leads to a killer chorus hook - anthemic is the word. Jimi with a great vocal (as throughout !) - the whole song just flows nicely and what it lacks in terms of a solo it makes up for with some nice guitar flurries in the closing parts

 

3. Never Too Late - (9.50) - Some may be slightly turned off by lyrics like these, but to be honest when its wrapped up in a hook as good as this (Peterik are you listening?), who cares?! Another excellent uptempo number. JJ shines again vocally and the bridge / solo are perfect melodic rock.

 

4. I Can't Turn Back - (9.50) - Mellow almost balladic start (great vocal and perfect verse) morphs into a power house mid paced gem. I love it when the second chorus fills out with a fuller production straight into the killer solo. Great stuff.

 

5. Street Survivor - (9.50) - Very 80's intro with electronica / hammond but then wham...the EM influence....urgent riff which is his trademark straight into a massive hooky chorus. A song like this is made for JJ - killer solo too. Another absolute winner.

 

6. The Air I Breathe - (9.50) - Simple but very effective ballad. Jamison commented 'Songs like this only come along every once in a while. Brilliant songwriting by EM'.....can't argue with that. This song would be stunning live.

 

7. Not Tonight - (10) - How do you follow that....simple, with the best chorus of the year that's how. Sing-a-long magic - doesnt get any better for me. Flawless stuff.

 

8. Calling The Game - (9.0) - Huge Survivor vibe - Vital Signs era - that's what most people wanted from the album I am guessing and it delivers in droves. Uptempo rocker with another very nice chorus - this one needed a solo though to lift it that bit further. Still a cool song.

 

9. Bullet In The Gun - (9.75) - Wow, I love this song! Superb intro, almost Allen/Lande in style, then a verse ala Survivor & a monster chorus. One of my fav tracks of the year, just missing a perfect score because it screams out for a solo at exactly 2 min 36.....EM what were you thinking...a huge solo right there and you would have been looking at the track of the year. Instead it is only excellent lol.

 

10. Heaven Call Your Name - (10) - This is the sort of song I expected from the new Gotthard album (but sadly didnt)...Steve Lee would have killed on this track. Thankfully JJ kills on this track too! Great vocal, touching lyrics and a fantastic solo. Pretty flawless stuff - would be another 'moment' live.

 

11. Walk On - (9.50) - Great way to end the album - man what an intro - EM all over it! But he then nails the JJ sound perfectly in the verse / hook / chorus.

 

So there you have it.

 

With the great production I'd be inclined to round up the songs average score to a mighty.......

 

96%

 

Worth every % point in my opinion and without a doubt one of the finest albums in recent years.

 

Cheers

 

Hard to disagree, such a great album. I have a feeling this one will atop or near on many AOR/Melodic Rock fans best of list come year's end.

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I didn't rate it quite as high, but this is a very high rating for me and I do think it's a great album:

 

01 – Everybody’s Got A Broken Heart - very nice and typical Surivivor-ish inspiro rocker - great chorus - 8.50

02 – The Great Unknown - pretty great Survivor-ish melodic rocker with another great chorus - 8.75

03 – Never Too Late - solid inspiro rocker - nice song, but annoying lyrics - 8.00

04 – I Can’t Turn Back - pretty typical AOR ballad, but also a pretty fantastic ballad - 9.00

05 – Street Survivor - good up-tempo melodic rocker with a nice catchy chorus - 8.00

06 – The Air That I Breathe - great ballad - verses and pre-chorus are better than chorus, but great all round - 9.00

07 – Not Tonight - killer rhythm guitar, great 80's style mid tempo melodic rocker - 9.25

08 – Calling The Game - second layer of the chorus is the highlight of an otherwise kind of lacklustre typical Survivor-styled rocker - 7.75

09 – Bullet In The Gun - good, solid melodic hard rocker - 8.50

10 – Heaven Call Your Name - touching sentiment, sad song… sounds a bit like something off Desmond Child's 'Discipline' - 8.00

11 – Walk On (Wildest Dreams) - super Survivor sounding track - really quite a great melodic rocker - 8.75

 

TOTAL SCORE (%) - 85.00

 

A similar rating to what I gave the Eclipse disc this year. I prefer the Eclipse CDas it has a few more truly outstanding tracks, but both are great albums. I think if I had to pinpoint one reason why this didn't crack the 90's it'd be because although it's all of a very high quality, there's nothing that truly takes my head off. 'Not tonight' is my favourite track, but even that's a little... "restrained," for lack of a better word. It's a very good melodic rock disc, but I personally much prefer the Toby Hitchcock CD if I were to compare the two. Just wish that one has this one's production job. ;)

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Guest Axldobby

I'm not completely sure to order this release, even if I've appreciated "Never Too Late". I was disappointed by "Crossroads Moment" which was composed, in my opinion, of a lot of fillers! Too much songs!

 

Does anybody notice the nod in the direction of TARGET, his first band ? TARGET was fonded in Memphis! :)

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I'm usually VERY tuff on old artists trying to recapture past glory... not as though that comment really applies to Jamison, but I think you get the idea.

 

That said, the first half of this new CD is as good as anything I've heard the past 20 years. I was a bit disctracted while trying to multi-task and listen to the second half of the album, so I'll give it another shot tonight.

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I'm usually VERY tuff on old artists trying to recapture past glory... not as though that comment really applies to Jamison, but I think you get the idea.

 

That said, the first half of this new CD is as good as anything I've heard the past 20 years. I was a bit disctracted while trying to multi-task and listen to the second half of the album, so I'll give it another shot tonight.

 

The second half is better IMO

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I'm not completely sure to order this release, even if I've appreciated "Never Too Late". I was disappointed by "Crossroads Moment" which was composed, in my opinion, of a lot of fillers! Too much songs!

 

Does anybody notice the nod in the direction of TARGET, his first band ? TARGET was fonded in Memphis! :)

 

This is miles better than Crossroad Moments, and I actually liked that album

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It's surely a good to great album and I am enjoying it more than Toby's album and 'Crossroads Moment' for that matter. It's hovering around the mid 80's mark for me, although saying that, I am getting very strict (and quite rightly so) on my scores recently.

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