TOM KEIFER – The Way Life Goes (2013)

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Cinderella’s founder TOM KEIFER has been planning a solo album for almost 20 years, even before he dissolved the band in the mid-nineties.
“The Way Life Goes” is the first new studio material from Keifer or Cinderella since Still Climbing in 1994, and well worth the wait, as it’s an absolute belter.

“The Way Life Goes” is a tapestry of some of the finest rockin’ bluesy songs to emerge this year. Tom Keifer shines as he weaves his magic of heart provoking lyrics and gives the vocal performance of his career, accompanied by an organic, solid backing band.
The songs are so strong it truly rivals anything on Night Songs or Long Cold Winter. Each individual track shines with its own resolute style, bringing with it a warmth of familiarity like an old friend.
Tom’s experience and maturity create stories that fall into place like magic. His rhythms are refreshing while still conjuring the blues and rock and roll he was raised on.
“Solid Ground” start the engines with a stomping hard rock beat that sends the gypsy road dust spiraling up into an air. A track plenty of those harmonies and slide guitar that openly invites fans – old and new – to the party, embracing a sound that while not a million miles away from Cinderella’s heyday has both feet stamping firmly in the present. I really enjoy the female harmonies on the chorus – a Keifer staple.
Tom slows done the pace for a moment with the mid-tempo, feel good vibe of “A Different Light”. Keifer is really feeling good about life on this one, you can sense it throughout, musically showing his love for American music. Next, the funky rhythms of “Its Not Enough” showcases Tom’s bluesy style brilliantly.

He keeps the blues groove flowing with the hard driving “Cold Day In Hell”, a swaggerin’ track in the Cinderella vein. Works all the way around – awesome hook, catchy harmonies and some slick harmonica. This may be my favorite song on the record.
Keifer has a unique way of making you feel and drawing you into his world with his ballads. “Thick And Thin” is a song that Tom wrote for his wife Savannah (who also did some backing vocals). It is a beautiful piano ballad in the vein of ‘Don’t Know What You Got…’ with Tom reaching higher notes on the chorus. I love this.
“Ask Me Yesterday” keeps the acoustic vein but this time via beautifully arranged guitars. Totally different from the previous track and even more haunting lyrically. This gets a crowd with their hands raised swaying back and forth because the song flows so well.
The bluesy rock returns with the mid-tempo “Fools Paradise” constructed over punchy riffs to boot. “The Flower Song” also follows this style showing Keifer’s classic rock influence (some Zeppelin) with cool bluesy licks and slide guitars.

“Mood Elevator” will blow you away with its intense groove. This song just jumps out at you with some serious flair and attitude. The hardest drumming on the whole record can be found here. “Welcome To My Mind” is quite heavy as well and somehow reminds me Alice Cooper.
Another highlight arrives with the lovable harmonies of the emotional ballad “You Showed Me”, a commercial yet personal track with a strong Cinderella wink.
“Ain’t That A Bitch” rocks strongly again, very ’70s sounding with Hammond organ surrounding and an Aerosmith swagger on the guitars.
Title track “The Way Life Goes” is really groovy via a soaked riff accented by killer harmonica licks, and “Babylon” bows out with a final hard rocking bad attitude shuffle. A sure fire signature tune that’s as gritty as any Cinderella were/are best known for capping off fourteen tracks of solid gold.

There isn’t a dull moment on Tom Keifer’s solo debut. Never mimicking the successful sound of Cinderella, Keifer establishes his own style without abandoning what he does best.
Clearly rock and roll, clearly using that signature inimitable vocal rasp nature gave him, clearly this is Tom Keifer – not a blast from the past. Still, longstanding Cinderella fans will find a lot from the band here (even Jeff LaBar plays some guitar).
“The Way Life Goes” is a truly organic sounding album, you can almost hear its heartbeat. The sterling production is free of pretence and fully loaded with soul and integrity.
This is a winner from end to end, a journey through time. The good times and the bad times, the new and the old, all in one combined. “The Way Life Goes” is what radio used to be. If you were a kid in the ’80s, you should remember FM stations playing everything that was worth listening to. This disc would be in high rotation without a doubt.
Be sure to call your local radio stations and request any cut from “The Way Life Goes”, or better than that, buy this CD without hesitation.
Highly Recommended.

01. Solid Ground
02. A Different Light
03. It’s Not Enough
04. Cold Day In Hell
05. Thick And Thin
06. Ask Me Yesterday
07. Fools Paradise
08. The Flower Song
09. Mood Elevator
10. Welcome To My Mind
11. You Showed Me
12. Ain’t That A Bitch
13. The Way Life Goes
14. Babylon

Tom Keifer: Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Pat Buchanan: Guitars, Harmonica
Gary Burnette: Guitars
Jeff LaBar: Guitar
Ron Wallace: Acoustic Guitar
Tony Harrell: Piano, Clavinet, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3
Michael Rhodes: Bass
Greg Morrow: Drums, Percussion
Bobby Keys, Jim Horne: Sax
Mitch Goldfarb: Strings
Etta Britt, Kent Agee, Chuck Tuner, Crystal Taliaferro, Vicki Carraco, Savannah Keifer: Background Vocals

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