Frontiers/BAM
One of Americas top vocalists of all time, or maybe in the past tense after the barren album made with Bobby Kimbal of TOTO fame about a year ago, returns to form in 2012. A very active player on the scene Jimi has been with everyone from his old bands TARGET, COBRA and SURVIVOR to the likes of ZZ TOP and JOE WALSH. This time around he has opted for a band consisting of Frontiers stalwart Erik Mårtensson (W.E.T., ECLIPSE etc.), everything but drums, Jonas Öijvall, Hammond B3, piano and analog synthesizers, Magnus Ulfstedt, drums and Magnus Henriksson, lead guitars on “Street Survivor” and “Heaven Call Your Name”. An all Swedish backing ensemble and an all-American vocalist, is that the way to go?
Opener “Everybodys´s Got a Broken Heart” almost hit the spot. Jimi is back where he is supposed to be, and in the vein he masters. The first six is spearheaded by the presumed hit “Street Survivor”, and a number of high-octane 80´s radio friendly rock numbers. The gentle ballad “The Air that I Breathe” also deserves a mention. The flip-side of the gentle 80´s approach is pinpointed by the light-hearted “Not Tonight”, with a boring keyboard pattern, the somewhat paler “Calling the Game”. Then it´s time for the perfect rocker with an almost ballad-esque opening called “Bullet in the Gun”. The ending of sensitive ballad “Heaven Call Your Name” and the almost water-combed “Walk On (Wildest Dreams)” is totally ok, but not as impressive as the first part of the album. Back to the roots and with something else in his voice I wish Jimi many happy years of record making, preferably backed by Swedes.
Track List
Everybody´s Got a Broken Heart
The Great Unknown
Never Too Late
I Can´t Turn Back
Street Survivor
The Air I Breathe
Not Tonight
Caling the Game
Bullet in the Gun
Heaven Call Your Name
Walk On (Wildest Dreams)
www.frontiers.it www.myspace.com/jimijamison
