Roxy Blue - s/t

[Stefan]

 

Press release from Frontiers:

BREAKING NEWS: Please welcome Roxy Blue to the Frontiers' Family! The Memphis hard rockers will release a new studio album in 2019!

Frontiers is thrilled to welcome Memphis, TN hard rockers Roxy Blue to the family! Their legendary debut album, "Want Some" is a classic of the early '90s hard rock scene that had continued on from the '80s heyday. The band is currently busy writing and recording a brand new studio album that will be released in 2019.

Original members Todd Poole (vocals), Josh Weil (bass), and Scotty Trammell (drums) are joined by new guitarist, Jeff Caughron. (Original guitarist Sid "Boogie" Fletcher has left the music business for a successful career in dentistry.)

Vocalist Todd Poole says, "Roxy Blue fans can expect an explosive new album! I think the new record is definitely a different sound than the 1992 version of Roxy Blue, but not unrecognizable. The new record is much heavier, but still has some cool ballads and hints of early Roxy in there. I feel that it's a well balanced record."

Poole continues, "I have been writing songs for years for different projects I've been in, but when Frontiers called, I knew it was an opportunity to take a fresh approach to a new Roxy Blue sound. The excitement of having a new record deal actually inspired me to write the songs for the upcoming record from scratch."

On the band's legacy, Poole says for ""Want Some" to be recognized as one of the finest moments in the latter hard rock days is an honor. Especially being that there were so many good bands out at the time. We were just so proud to be a part of a great rock era."

Formed in Memphis, TN in late 1989 by Todd Poole (vocals/ guitar), Sid Fletcher (guitar), Josh Weil (bass), and Scott Trammell (drums), Roxy Blue started out playing original music from the get go, with their sights set on putting their music in front of a national and then global audience. Knowing that their dreams were not going to come easy, the guys put their all into step one of their journey, which was to get started playing every gig they could get and opening for every band they could, to get themselves noticed in the local Memphis music scene. Crammed in together in a studio apartment above Cotton Row Studios, the guys were constantly writing and recording new songs and living a 24 hour rock 'n roll life style miles and miles away for the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles. Quickly earning a name for themselves within the local Memphis music scene and selling out club shows, they soon created a buzz in the music industry. But, it wasn't until one night while playing a local bar they were approached by Jani Lane, the vocalist of Warrant, that things really started to take off. Jani loved what he heard and wanted to help get Roxy Blue's career launched. Soon after, the labels started calling and eventually Geffen Records' legendary A&R guru Tom Zutaut (Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Tesla) flew the band to Los Angeles to sign them. The next step was to find the right producer to record the band's debut album. Mike Clink, who had produced Guns 'N Roses milestone "Appetite For Destruction" and, at the time, was finishing up on GnR's "Use Your Illusion" l and ll albums, was ultimately chose for the job. Clink and Roxy Blue were a perfect match and the result was the 1992 release of WANT SOME. Now, 25 years later Roxy Blue is still going strong.

And a fun fact for fans of the Frontiers' label, Roxy Blue vocalist Todd Poole is the son-in-law of the late, great Jimi Jamison who Frontiers had a great, long standing working relationship with.

ROXY BLUE:
Todd Poole (vocals)
Scott Trammell (drums)
Josh Weil (bass)
Jeff Caughron (guitar)

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Stefan

[Geoff]

Very unexpected, but very cool news. Definitely something I'd give a shot... even if I'd not realistically expect too much. 

[tts42572]

Agree...expecting very little after hearing how poor their lost tracks and were...but loved their debut so will definitely give this a look.

[Captain Howdy]

"Roxy Blue fans can expect an explosive new album! I think the new record is definitely a different sound than the 1992 version of Roxy Blue, but not unrecognizable. The new record is much heavier, but still has some cool ballads and hints of early Roxy in there. I feel that it's a well balanced record."

 

This is the kind of statement that always worries me as to me it reads "This album sounds nothing like classic Roxy Blue"

To me it just brings back memories of Bangalore Choir. Nothing inherently wrong with the comeback albums, but might as well have been released under a different band name due to the lack of actually similarities in sound.

[lettard]

 

Nice news but if its anything like Want Some More then its a no no for me.

[AlphaMale]

Going to be a totally different sound. A no for me also.

[gener8tr]

"Want Some?" was easily one of my favorite CD's in the 1992 time-frame.  I remember specifically purchasing my copy at Tower Records at Eastport Plaza in Portland, Oregon late summer 1992.  No idea how I remember such specific (and often useless) information, but I also purchased Angel City "Face To Face" on CD the same day.

Roxy Blue "Want Some" / Hardline "Double Eclipse" / Def Leppard "Adrenalize" / Bon Jovi "Keep The Faith" / Bangalore Choir "On Target" / Electric Angels "ST"  These are the discs that were in CONSTANT rotation in my system 1992 / 1993.  Yes, certainly there were others, but I pretty much wore the aforementioned titles out!

Getting back on-track to the topic at-hand... I don't hold-out enormous hope based on the "Different sound" comment, but Frontiers is a great label, so we'll see.  I think more of a problem (for me, anyway), is it is no longer 1992, and I'm no longer a youthful 24 year-old looking to hang-on to the genre I knew and loved dating back to the early 1980's at a time when a "new" sound was taking over the airwaves.

[gener8tr]

Old photo of the entrance to Tower Records at Eastport Plaza.  This is like walking directly back in time 25+ years.  I even remember what part of the store I found the Roxy Blue CD

 

[Geoff]

I'll put it out there... I think 'Want Some?' is actually a pretty average album, lol. I hunted it down for an age and was beside myself when I finally tracked it down. Tried like absolute hell to love it, but it just never happened. 'Times are changin' and 'Luv on me' are two great ballads and there's a small handful of other ok songs, but overall it just fell well short for me. Great look, sound and production... just lacking songs to make this a killer CD. But I still always liked it anyway, for everything superficial about it.

[gener8tr]

2 hours ago, Geoff said:

I'll put it out there... I think 'Want Some?' is actually a pretty average album, lol. I hunted it down for an age and was beside myself when I finally tracked it down. Tried like absolute hell to love it, but it just never happened. 'Times are changin' and 'Luv on me' are two great ballads and there's a small handful of other ok songs, but overall it just fell well short for me. Great look, sound and production... just lacking songs to make this a killer CD. But I still always liked it anyway, for everything superficial about it.

When did you track it down, Geoff? 

What I mean is, if you didn't discover this title until years after its initial release, there's no way it would knock your socks off.  This is one you kind of "had to be there."  When this CD was released it was pretty much all-Grunge / all-the -time, so finding a new release that was still holding on to a genre that was pretty much dead and buried was certainly something I gravitated toward.

Places like this and labels like Frontiers (for instance) weren't around in 1992.  That was a very dark time in my musical life

[Geoff]

8 minutes ago, gener8tr said:

When did you track it down, Geoff? 

What I mean is, if you didn't discover this title until years after its initial release, there's no way it would knock your socks off.  This is one you kind of "had to be there."  When this CD was released it was pretty much all-Grunge / all-the -time, so finding a new release that was still holding on to a genre that was pretty much dead and buried was certainly something I gravitated toward.

Places like this and labels like Frontiers (for instance) weren't around in 1992.  That was a very dark time in my musical life

Yeah mate, well after 1992 for me. Hmmm, good question as to when I eventually got it. After a false start, I reckon I must have finally got it around 1998 or 1999? Possibly even early 2000's? But yeah, well after 1992.  

[Stefan]

 

New self-titled album out August 9 through Frontiers.

Tracks:

1. Silver Lining
2. Rockstar Junkie
3. Scream
4. Collide
5. Outta the Blue
6. Blinders
7. Til the Well Runs Dry
8. Human Race
9. How Does It Feel
10. What It's Like
11. Overdrive

 

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Edited June 27, 2019 by Stefan

[tts42572]

Loved their debut and wish this would be a huge melodic rock album with the same style.

Not really expecting that though as they've sorta hinted at a different sound.  And those FNA Records releases with the lost tracks were pretty terrible.

Not sure what to really expect here.  Guess I'm expecting more of a heavier, southern rock type thing for some reason.  I'll plan to check this out though and remain cautiously optimistic.

[lettard]

Think they've been touring so maybe anyone that's seen em has an idea to the sound of at least some of the newer songs in style? I'll give it a listen before when it arrives though.

[AlphaMale]

On 7/21/2018 at 8:05 AM, tts42572 said:

Agree...expecting very little after hearing how poor their lost tracks and were...but loved their debut so will definitely give this a look.

Took the words right out of my mouth! I expect to be be rubbish to be honest.

[tts42572]

On 5/8/2019 at 7:58 PM, AlphaMale said:

Took the words right out of my mouth! I expect to be be rubbish to be honest.

I think you're expectations are correct!

I checked out samples of songs on Amazon Japan here::

https://www.amazon.co.jp/Roxy-Blue-ロキシー・ブルー/dp/B07QWCJD36/ref=sr_1_14?__mk_ja_JP=カタカナ&keywords=roxy+blue&qid=1559061276&s=gateway&sr=8-14

Basically, it sounds exactly like I was afraid it might sound.  Heck, might even be worse than I was afraid of.....Very modern....Almost power metal combined with grunge in quite a few songs IMO.  It's a long ways from the fun, Tesla combined with Warrant type style of that debut album.

I didn't think it could be worse than those FNA Records lost songs/demos that were released but it might be.

Bummer as I was hoping for something better.  I just don't get why they'd think it would be a good idea to come out with and album like this.  I mean, whatever popularity they had was based off that first album and that's what most people who check this out will be hoping for.  They should be trying to come out with an album in the style of something like Crazy Lixx just did with Forever Wild....big, fun album with backing vocals, harmonies, etc.  

Instead it sounds like discarded Nirvana demos or something.

This will be an easy pass for me.

[nyoilers]

.Hope it does come out August 9th !

[tts42572]

Here's the first single.  Not really working for me initially and no resemblance at all to the debut album.  Have also listened to 90 second samples of all songs on I Tunes Japan and most of it is in this same style.  

Not sure why they even chose to release this album with the Roxy Blue name.  Probably should've called it Poole's Project or something else.

I don't know....maybe it'll grow on me if I can get passed the fact that it sounds nothing like their debut album.  It's not a horrible modern rock style tune and it does rock pretty good.  But it's just way off what I was really hoping for.

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by tts42572

[lettard]

Yeah this looks like a pass for me also  

[gener8tr]

That's, well, NOT the Roxy Blue I remember from back in the day.

I suppose some things are better left in the past.  "Too Hot To Handle" this new track is not.

[Dead Planet]

Capturing the past is not an easy task so it seems they did not try to do that...as for the song I like it so I'm definitely interested in hearing more...

[AlphaMale]

Wow... that's horrid.

No thanks.

[Crazysam]

it's a pass for me as well

[AlphaMale]

I just do not understand at all why a cool band like this would reunite to release music that doesn't sound a bit like their debut album.

I mean I know those demo releases they put out were mostly rubbish, but at least it still resembled Roxy Blue.

This is just a waste of time for all involved. Nobody who was a fan in the 90's want to hear them sound like this.

The modern day rock fan will say "Who the fuck are these guys"? And not even give this a listen.

Why call it Roxy Blue? Without Sid "Boogie" Fletcher's unique guitar work, how is this even Roxy Blue?

 

[martinsane]

From a strictly song perspective its fine. Very reminiscent of early STP to me and its listenable, but not memorable.

As with the majority I too am flummoxed as to why you'd get the gang back together and then do something to tarnish the brand. As Yoda once said, do or do not there is no try.