JIMI ANDERSON GROUP – Longtime Comin’ (2017)
Scottish AOR vocalist Jimi Anderson has been plying his trade in melodic rock circles for a fair few years now, most notably with Legends Of AOR project and tribute band A Foreigners Journey, which awesome album was featured in this blog years ago. Now it’s time for his JIMI ANDERSON GROUP debut “Longtime Comin‘“, with all songs penned by Anderson himself.
As the album title suggests, Jimi has finally gotten around to issuing an album under his own name and for influences you need look no further than the aforementioned bands with some Bad Company, Whitesnake and Thunder thrown in for good measure.
But, after listening to the record, it was very readily apparent to me that this guy shouldn’t only be behind the mic in a tribute band singing covers of other bands. No, with a voice like Jimi has been blessed with, he needs to be out there doing his own material, and this record is a fine start for him as it delivers 12 tracks of pure AOR goodness!
Jimi has been supported on the album by fellow Scottish musicians Sandy Jones (guitar, bass, drums) and Greame Duffin (guitars) who is best known for being the long-time unofficial member of 80’s/90’s pop act Wet Wet Wet.
All the music packed in “Longtime Comin” is splendid, catchy songs and really just some excellent AOR that should make any fan of the genre very happy.
From the grooving melody of ‘Same Old Song‘, the swagger of ‘Let’s Get Serious‘, the hard rocking ‘Welcome To The Revolution‘ and ‘Higher Than Higher‘ (which prove the considerable chops of guitarist Greame Duffin), to the somewhat bluesy vibe of the title track, ‘Oh Why‘, an elegant song that Foreigner would be proud of, and the beautiful ballad ‘Where Do We Go From Here‘, this record is a near perfect one that I couldn’t be more thrilled about.
Anderson possesses the sort of melodic rock voice that really makes the listener stop what they are doing and take notice, and certainly he could draw favorable comparisons with Brian Howe, Danny Vaughn or Jeff Scott Soto.
Strong, clear, soulful and just an all around wonderful set of pipes that fits the styling of the classic ’80s melodic rock sound that this record has going on.
There are some terrific and memorable moments on “Longtime Comin” and perhaps after all the years of paying tribute to classic artists it is time for Jimi Anderson to step into the spotlight under his own guise; this album proves he certainly possesses the talent to do so.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
01. Same Old Song
02. Let’s Get Serious
03. Spread It All Around
04. Feel Like Letting Go
05. Better This Way
06. Welcome to the Revolution
07. Higher Than Higher
08. Longtime Comin’
09. Where Do We Go from Here
10. Necessary People
11. Best for Me
12. Oh Why
Jimi Anderson – vocals, keyboards
Sandy Jones – guitar, bass, drums
Greame Duffin – guitar
PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.de/Longtime-Comin-Anderson-Jimi-Group/dp/B01MS4BB6A
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