CHRIS OUSEY - review added 14th November 2011
Album Review: Rhyme & Reason (2011)
For fans of: Hard Rock
Chris Ousey has been performing in the rock scene for years, be it with Heartland whose album list stretches to double figures, or with Jason Bonham in Virginia Wolf. Remarkably though this is his first solo album. For a man with a voice as fine as his is, that's a surprise.
Alongside Chris is a stellar line-up. Names like Mike Slamer (who also produces), Tommy Denander, Neil Murray, and Gregg Bisonette are not to be sniffed at. In fact this band is probably not far away from many people's dream line-up. No wonder then that the result is utterly excellent.
Chris' voice is so smooth yet characterful he seems to defy logic. How he manages to be gravelly and beautifully musical I have no idea, but he does and that's a superb thing. The musicianship is, in some ways, quite understated, but that's mainly to give the front man chance to shine. When you really focus on the playing there is a lot of stunning work behind the scenes. Not really a surprise, but it certainly isn't as in-your-face as it could have been.
Of the songs, and I have to say nothing here is anything less than great, opener 'Mother Of Invention', the spunky 'Motivation', the west coast tinged 'A Chemical High', and the achingly cool 'Any Other Day' are a few notches ahead.
In Summation:
This is a special album. In fact it's so good don't be surprised to see this team putting together another one in double quick time. They are clearly onto something very good indeed. Buy this now.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Track List:
01. Mother Of Invention
02. Motivation
03. To Break A Heart
04. Bleeding Heart
05. A Chemical High
06. Give Me Shelter
07. The Reason Why
08. Any Other Day
09. Don’t Wanna Dance
10. Watch This Space
11. By Any Other Name
12. A Natural Law
Band/Performers:
Chris Ousey – Vocals (Heartland / Virginia Wolf / The Distance)
Mike Slamer – Guitars and Keyboards (City Boy, Streets, Seventh Key)
Tommy Denander – Guitar and keyboards (Radio Active / Alice Cooper )
Neil Murray – Bass (Whitesnake, Gary Moore)
Gregg Bisonette – Drums (Dave Lee Roth, Ringo Starr)
Other Info:
Produced and Mixed by: Mike Slamer
Co-Produced by: Tommy Denander
Mastered by: Christoph Stickel at MSM-Studios Germany
Label: Escape Music
