Jack Russell's Great White Wrapping Up Debut Album

[AlphaMale]

January 27, 2014

 

Rather than look backwards and merely attempt to relive the multi-platinum hard rock entity's storied origins, Jack Russell set his sights on the future.

In December 2011, Jack Russell's Great White first bared its teeth. Since its inception, the frontman welcomed back longtime bassist and friend Tony Montana (this time as a guitar player and keyboardist), lead guitarist Robby Locher, and drummer Dicki Fliszar. Now, this group has a sharp, soaring, and slick new album on the horizon for 2014 boasting the bluesy hard rock stomp that made Russell and Montana icons in the first place.

The vision became clear for the singer once Montana returned to the fold. After experimenting with various configurations, he reconnected with his old bassist, but in a different role.

"It's a powerful band," Russell proclaims. "The music comes across very dynamically. It's what I always wanted it to be. Tony was a catalyst for moving forward. I was never as close to him as I am now. We never had the opportunity to write music together before. I also never knew he played guitar. When I first heard him, I nearly fell of my chair. He's my co-pilot. He's one of my best friends. I wish we would've been this close back in the day."

"It's natural for all of us," adds Montana. "There's a solid chemistry, and we're having a lot of fun." Rounding out the line-up with Locher and Fliszar, these four musicians hit the studio in late 2013 to cut what would eventually become their official full-length debut. It taps into the bluesy bombast and heavy energy of Russell's celebrated material, but it's a distinctly modern metallic monster.

"We want the new material to blow people's ears back," Russell goes on. "It has the elements of the best Great White music ever written, but there's an edge. Tony brings that validity, while Robby and Dicki add a new life. It's going to surprise people."

Montana agrees, "It's got the classic sound. The first element is Jack's voice. No other band sounds like this one ever did or does now. When I was 17 years old I remember walking around the UCLA campus listening to the band's first EP. I was a fan before I ever joined the band. We're going to maintain that same integrity going forward."

That integrity became forged over nearly thirty years. In 1984, the band broke out of the Los Angeles scene with its self-titled debut followed by seismic platinum-selling outings such as 1987's 'Once Bitten...' and 1989's '...Twice Shy'. Moving over 8 million copies worldwide, they stood out as tried-and-true rock stalwarts into the 21st century until 2011, when Russell went on to form Jack Russell's Great White.

Ultimately, the new music is for the millions of fans who stuck by Russell all these years. It's everything they've been waiting for and more.

"The band was always a standout from the era it came from," says Montana. "It was never a hair band. Listen to the music, and that's evident. Everything was based in blues. We want to add to that legacy with new material preserving those timeless elements."

Russell leaves off, "This is fun, first and foremost. I feel like I'm 27 again. I hope it sounds like Great White -- but for 2014."

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com

[Nightrain]

I'm interested to check this out coz Jack is sober in studio, and even if he's not, they can just do several takes

[Mullethead]

Look at it this way...can it be worse than what the other Great White put out?

[PeterS]

He should do a duet with Geoff Tate with Tracii Guns on guitar.

[Fat Freddy]

**Sigh** Oh, good Lord.... I guess this was inevitable...

Who's putting this one out, Cleopatra Records?

 

He should do a duet with Geoff Tate with Tracii Guns on guitar.

 

Good one.

[The Rocker]

Love his voice! Can't wait to hear it. The "other "Great White was a let down!

[Captain Howdy]

At least there is a chance that this might actually sound like Great White.

[AlphaMale]

I agree with you guys. It can't be worse than "Elation". And with Jack singing, it should at least resemble the "real" Great White.

[AlphaMale]

Jack Russell Returns With A New Improved Great White

Posted on February 2, 2014

Concert Review

Jack Russell’s Great White

Rock n’ Roll Heaven

West Seneca, NY

Friday January 31, 2014

Review/Photos: Joseph Suto

 

 

Jack Russell said it best in an interview I did with him a while back. He stated that the one element of a band you cannot really change without changing the whole sound of the band is the singer. That was his opinion and while some people may disagree with him, he set out to prove his point. Making his first Buffalo area appearance in some nine years Friday evening, Russell and his current band dubbed “Jack Russell’s Great White,” decided to let the music do the talking in front of a packed house at Rock N Roll Heaven.

Russell the estranged singer who has been separated from the original Great White for over two years now, was determined to make up for lost time with the adoring western New York crowd.

Hitting the stage with “On Your Knees” the lone representative from the debut Great White album, Russell also sprinkled in a little of Led Zeppelin’s “Achilles Last Stand” for added flavor. A welcomed addition to the set was the inclusion of “All Over Now” a standout track from Once Bitten that had been long retired from the band’s live show until recently.

One special moment as I reflect on the show was during the introduction to “Save Your Love,” Jack mentioned that when he was laid up with a medical issue a few years ago how he was saved by the support of the fans and his wife. The emotive Russell went on to say how his wife had recently taken ill as he fought to hold back some tears. The heartfelt moment seemed to give the lyrics to the song even more meaning. As the crowd loudly sang along, it seemed to help take Russell’s mind away from his current dilemma.

Jack’s current band includes guitarist Robby Lochner, guitarist Tony Montana, bassist Chris Tristram and drummer Dicki Fliszar. Montana also played bass in Great White during its peak period from 1987-92. Having seen Great White more times than I can remember I can honestly say the current players can hold their own and it really shows on such Great White staples as “Rock Me” and “House Of Broken Love.”

Russell treated the crowd with an encore of “Immigrant Song” before coming back out for another encore which began with a song he called the story of his life “Wasted Rock Ranger,” a song that has a cult following among the diehard Great White fans. As expected they closed out the affair with the band’s highest charting hit “Once Bitten Twice Shy.”

Judging by the audience response and the great turnout this time around the hope is Capt. Russell and his crew will steer their vessel into town again real soon. Until then we wait in anticipation until next time the band navigates into town.

Opening the show was Hair Nation the local group who specialize in eighties metal and hard rock. The band featuring singer Jim Crean, guitarist Jeff Duke, bassist Chris Daley and drummer Colleen Covo, sounded spot on and started the evening off in fine fashion.

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Set List

On Your Knees (inc. Achilles Last Stand)

All Over Now

Desert Moon

Mista Bone

Save Your Love

Face The Day

Can Of WUPAS

Lady Red Light

House Of Broken Love

Call It Rock And Roll

Can’t Shake It

Rock Me

Encore

Immigrant Song

2nd Encore

Wasted Rock Ranger

Once Bitten Twice Shy

[Nightrain]

I always love 'Save Your Love', that ballad has something that really stood the test of time, they can't make anything like it anymore,

always chills me to the bone, the melody is just beautiful

[The Rocker]

Awesome Ballad!!!

[AlphaMale]

I wonder why in the recent concert review above, they didn't do any new material?

[nyoilers]

Can't Get There From Here was the last thing I heard from Great White.If there is a new release this year I'll be getting it !

[Fat Freddy]

I wonder why in the recent concert review above, they didn't do any new material?

 

Because he's a nostalgia act now. 99 percent of the people in the audience wouldn't give a sh*t about new material. They're there to hear the "hits."

[Stefan]

 

 

[AlphaMale]

 

 

 

Not bad. Way better than the other Great White.

[PeterS]

Interesting song title for somebody well know for their issues with substances.

[The Rocker]

 

 

Big fan of Great White and JR's voice, so can't wait for an album. To me this song is better than anything on the Terry fronted GW

[AlphaMale]

 

 

 

Big fan of Great White and JR's voice, so can't wait for an album. To me this song is better than anything on the Terry fronted GW

 

 

I agree 100%.

[gener8tr]

***Side note***

 

Saw JR's Great White with Black N' Blue and Warrant here in Portland just before Christmas 2014 ...

 

Honestly forgot how much I loved the band from 1987 - 1989. Twice Shy, along with the Skid's and Warrant's debuts (and New Jersey, of course) were mainstay's in my car's cassette deck during the summer of 1989. Toss in some Poison and a steady dose of Dr. Feelgood and I hardly needed anything else.

 

I don't know, maybe it's just the fact that I'd "grown-up" (or was forced to grow-up, that is) when I turned 21 that summer??? New music as a whole post 1989 just didn't seem to move me like it had at any point in my life leading up until then and I found myself buying MUCH less new music while continually reaching for the "older" stuff in my collection.

 

Anyway, those were some damn good times filled with awesome memories!

[AlphaMale]

I will say it after several listens. It's the bluesy side of Great White but I like it. It has grown on me and has me playing it multiple times.

 

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Elation.

[Geoff]

Definitely sounds like Great White. Not amazing, but not too bad. As noted, much better than the other phonies using the Great White name.