SEVENTH KEY “Seventh Key” (Frontiers Rec. - FR CD 065)
Release date: May 14th
Tracklist:
The Kid Could Play; Only The Brave; Missy; Surrender; When Love Is Dying;
No
Man’s Land; Every Time It Rains; Home; Forsaken; Prisoner Of Love; Broken
Home
Playing time: 54:20 min.
Musicians:
Billy Greer (vocals, bass, guitars); Mike Slamer (guitars); Terry Brock
(backing
vocals); Igor Len (keyboards); Chet Wynd (drums); David Manion (keyboards);
Steve
Walsh (keyboards); Phil Ehart (drums); Steve Morse (guitars); Richard Williams
(guitars)
Producer: Mike Slamer
SEVENTH
KEY is a studio project built around the talent of none other than KANSAS
bass
player and second vocalist Billy Greer. Billy started his career in 1977
when he
became
the lead singer of a band called QB1. Later he joined Steve Walsh, who
at the
time
did just leave KANSAS to pursue a career with a band called STREETS which
featured
also Mike Slamer (STEELHOUSE LANE) on guitar. STREETS recorded two
studio
albums for Atlantic Records and toured in the USA in support of those records.
STREETS
broke up in late 1984 and shortly after Billy was asked to join KANSAS
as
their
bass player in full time. Billy has been of course involved in the recording
process
of
the last KANSAS studio album “Somewhere To Elsewhere”. Billy debuts on
lead
vocals
on “Look At The Time”. He is also a member of the all star line-up band
THE
SIGN.
SEVENTH KEY is Billy Greer’s own project and features performances from
world
renowned players like Steve Morse, Mike Slamer and Steve Walsh. The style
of
SEVENTH
KEY can be described as a great mixture of late eighties KANSAS,
STREETS
and STEELHOUSE LANE, as especially the songwriting and guitar playing
of
Mike Slamer is unmistakable. This album contains only killers: The straight
rocking
“The
Kid Could Play”, “Only The Brave” and “Prisoner Of Love” which could have
been
taken
from STEELHOUSE LANE´s “Slaves Of The New World”, brilliant arranged
and
thrilling
mid-tempo hymns like “Missy” or “No Man´s Land” which remember me
of the
glory
days of STREETS second album “Crimes In Mind”, the very KANSAS like “Every
Time
It Rains”, and beautiful ballads like “When Love Is Dying”, “Forsaken”
and “Broken
Home”
(written by Mark Spiro). This album has simply everything it takes for
a new
classic!
I know there are still a few months left in 2001, but in my opinion SEVENTH
KEY
have already released the melodic rock album of the year! Every song is
a
highlight,
the performances of the musicians are absolutely top-notch, the arrangements
(especially
the fantastic lead and background vocals) are unbeatable and the production
by
Mike Slamer is perfect. In opposite to THE SIGN or Kelly Keagy, this album
really
keeps
what the names of the men behind it promise. Highly recommended!
Rating:
96 %
