JEFF BROWN (Cats In Space) – 23 Years (2015)
British bass player & vocalist, JEFF BROWN is presenting “23 Years“, his debut album which title says all. Maybe not a household name for some, but vJeff Brown has been active in the music business for better than 35 years. With roots as deep as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Brown has played with many rock luminaries including Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake) and John Coghlan (Status Quo).
Not long ago he’s been serving time with legends The Sweet, but maybe you heard him recently on the excellent Cats In Space debut.
Now Jeff Brown found some time to pull together his first solo album, 23 Years in the making, essentially an homage to the classic melodic hard rock he loves.
While doing vocals and playing bass, Brown also wrote and composed all the songs. He gets some help from some notable European players including on guitar, Niko Arvanitis (Warlock, Stormwind) and Peter Szigeti (Warlock, U.D.O., Coracko).
You’ll notice several things right from the start with “23 Years”. One is that Brown excels at song composition by easily combining melody, harmony and groove across all instruments and vocal arrangements.
The songs rock, but are also quite catchy and accessible, allowing them to enjoy an AOR feeling. You’ll catch this with nearly all the tracks, but significant are ‘Contagious’, ’23 Years,’ or the long-playing arena anthem ‘Life Goes On’.
Yet, whether by the thick bottom end or the riffs and solos, many songs also have a bold hard rock edge as well. It’s easily found within ‘Once In Every Lifetime’, though this song tricks you up with it’s vocal harmony start.
And speaking to the vocal arrangements once more, Brown has an exceptional voice, melodic with the strength of range. He’s equally comfortable with the delivery power of rock and the emotion of ballads, as with the delicious ‘When The Love Is Gone’ and the suave ‘Slipping Away’, very much in the vein of the recent Cats In Space album.
I only hope Jeff Brown does not take another “23 Years” to record another solo album, as this, his solo debut is absolutely delicious from start to finish.
All in all, for Brown as a vocalist, composer and musician, “23 Years” is a great accomplishment, a testament and testimony to his talent for and career in Melodic Hard Rock.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
01 – Crazy World
02 – 23 Years
03 – Casino Royale
04 – Contagious
05 – Fallen Angels
06 – Once In Every Lifetime
07 – When The Love Is Gone
08 – Calling Me, Calling You
09 – Stay With Me
10 – Slipping Away
11 – Life Goes On
Jeff Brown – Bass, all lead vocals, backing vocals
Peter Szigeti (Warlock) – Guitar
Niko Arvanitis (Warlock, Stormwind) – Guitar
Gary Moberley (John Miles, Sweet) – Keyboards
Jürgen Reinert – Drums
guests:
Steve Mann (McAuley Schenker Group, Sweet) – Lead guitar
Ralf Bronckhorst – Acoustic guitar
Peter Brander (Royal Hunt, Cornerstone) – Acoustic / lead guitars
Joe Gillingham, Muriel Carrez – Backing vocals
BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/23-Years-Jeff-Brown/dp/B0142YXX2Q
.
