GRAHAM BONNET – Line Up [Remastered & Expanded Edition +4] (2016)

Cherry Red Records / Hear No Evil just have released a Remastered & Expanded Edition of GRAHAM BONNET‘s “Line Up” including 4 juicy bonus tracks.
After a pretty successful solo career throughout the Seventies, Graham Bonnet made his name with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow on the album ‘Down To Earth’ back in 1979. Come 1981 after leaving Rainbow the year before, Bonnet formed a new band & released his classic album “Line Up” which spawned the hit single ‘Night Games’.

The musicians behind Graham on this album is truly staggering. Members of Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Michael Schenker, Status Quo, Rainbow & King Crimson. These are not session musicians. They were on the frontline of hard rock & metal.
The album was spurred on by the success of the single ‘Night Games’. This big AOR tune written by Ed Hamilton was perfect for the era with its blend of hard rock and radio-friendly melody. Co-producer Francis Rossi of Status Quo gave the track an added flavor by playing guest electric sitar.

In “Line Up”, Bonnet’s muscular lead vocal was accompanied by the stellar musicianship of Deep Purple’s Jon Lord on keyboards, Rainbow / Whitesnake’s Cozy Powell on drums, Gary Twigg on bass, and Micky Moody, also of Whitesnake, on guitar.
Micky Moody and collaborator Bob Young had written “Out on the Water.” They supplied two more songs for the LP: “Dirty Hand” and “Don’t Stand in the Open.”

Rainbow had transformed Russ Ballard’s Since You Been Gone into a hit with Bonnet on lead vocals; the English singer-songwriter-producer with credits ranging from Argent to America was tapped for two tracks on this album; the awesome melodic rocker “S.O.S.” (on which Ballard also played guitar) and the Argent/Three Dog Night hit “Liar.”
Ballard is also responsible for urging Bonnet to record the inspired cover of Ronettes’ classic “Be My Baby,” done in a rocking style that nonetheless respects the original’s Wall of Sound production.

Though Bonnet’s emotive vocals and the searing guitars were in the hard rock camp, appearances of piano and lush vocal harmonies all kept the album quite varied.
There is so much going for this record, and believe it or not it still sounds fresh today, even more with this great remastering, handled by Rock Candy’s main man Andy Pearce.
Additionally, this Cherry Red Records / Hear No Evil release add as bonus tracks 4 songs previously unavailable on CD; the B-Sides “Don’t Tell Me to Go” and “Bad Days are Gone,” both really good numbers, as well as the single versions of “Night Games” and “Out on the Water.”

It’s time to replace your old vinyl LP and upgrade to this great remaster. For those who never heard Graham Bonnet’s “Line Up” and want to listen a slice of classic hard rock / melodic rock with amazing musicianship & sublime vocals then this is a must.
HIGHLY Recommended.

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

01 – Night Games
02 – S.O.S
03 – I’m a Lover
04 – Be My Baby
05 – That’s the Way That It Is
06 – Liar
07 – Anthony Boy
08 – Dirty Hand
09 – Out on the Water
10 – Don’t Stand in the Open
11 – Set Me Free
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – Don’t Tell Me to Go (B-Side)*
13 – Bad Days Are Gone (B-Side)*
14 – Night Games (Single Edit)*
15 – Out on the Water (Single Edit)*

* Previously unavailable on CD

Graham Bonnet – lead vocals
Micky Moody – guitars, backing vocals
Francis Rossi – rhythm guitar, electric sitar
Gary Twigg – bass
Jon Lord – keyboards, synthesizer
Cozy Powell – drums, percussion
Russ Ballard – guest guitar

BUY IT !
www.grooves-inc.com/graham-bonnet-line-remastered-expanded-edition-cherry-red-cd-album-pZZa1-2097374358.html
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