JAMES CHRISTIAN – Rude Awakening [Frontiers Music remaster +6] Out Of Print

One of you requested this “Rude Awakening”, House Of Lord’s frontman JAMES CHRISTIAN first solo album in this remastered reissue by Frontiers Music including 6 bonus tracks, hard to find now, out of print, expensive.

After their third album, House Of Lords somehow disbanded. However, Christian never stopped writing songs and recording demos. An offer from an European label appeared for a solo album, and “Rude Awakening” was released in limited quantities.
Years after Frontiers Music reissued the album, with a clean fresh remastering job from the original tapes provided by Christian, plus 6 bonus tracks.

You have here in James Christian one of the best voices in melodic hard rock / AOR, and while the overall sound is not as bombastic as House Of Lords, the approach here is smooth, classic AOR.
The album is benefited by the excellent songwriting – most of the songs co-written with iconic Canadian AOR craftsman Mark Baker (Boulevard, Triumph, Signal, etc) – who also co-produced.

All is really polished – even more with this clear remaster – very melodious, plenty of big AOR hooks, excellent choruses, and stacked backing vocals.
There’s something for everyone, from anthems like the uptempo opener ‘Don’t Start Me Up’, ‘Labour Of Love’, ‘Pleasure And Pain’, ‘Brighter Day’ (produced by Mike Slammer and later recorded with Steelhouse Lane) and ‘Mother Night’.
Then you find huge power ballads like the awesome ‘Love Should Have Brought You Home’, and acoustically filled midtempos with ‘Where Does Love Go When It’s Gone’ and the delightful ‘Katie’.

The bonus tracks are pure gold too: you have the original version / demo of House Of Lord’s ‘Demons Down (Original Demo)’, the awesome two Judith Randall (Venus & Mars, Mark Free, FM) co-written songs ‘Candle In The Window’ and “Love Has No Mercy” (that Airkraft had previously used), and a cool ‘Acoustic Medley’ recorded at The Gods Festival 1995)

“Rude Awakening” has that late ’80s feel all over, from production to arrangements and songwriting.
Smooth AOR with melodic rock touches, a must in your collection.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – Don’t Start Me Up
02 – Pleasure and Pain
03 – Brighter Day
04 – Where Does Love Go When It’s Ggone
05 – The Warden
06 – Katie
07 – Best Girl
08 – Labour Of Love
09 – Mother Night
10 – Cold Day In Hell
11 – Love Should’ve Brought You Home
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – Candle in The Window
13 – Woman Enough
14 – After All
15 – Love has No Mercy
16 – Demons Down (Original Demo)
17 – Acoustic Medley (Live at The Gods 95)

James Christian: vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, drums
Lanny Cordola: guitar, mandoline
Mike Slamer: guitar, drums
Bruce Gowdy: guitar, keyboards, drums
Danny Jacob, Mitch Perry, Chris Allen Lane: guitar
Chris Goldsmith: bass
Scott Greer: piano, violin
DeWayne Barron: drums
Jean McLain: backing vocals
Aina Olsen: backing vocals
Diana Dewitt: backing vocals

Try Here:
www.amazon.de/Rude-Awakening-James-Christian/dp/B01G4BZHJM
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