VAN WILKS ‎- Bombay Tears [Rock Candy remastered +4]

Rock Candy Records released for the first time on CD “Bombay Tears“, the debut album by VAN WILKS, ‘remastered & reloaded‘ with 4 bonus tracks, which are the full 1982 independently pressed ‘Boystown’ EP.

You may never have heard about band leader Van Wilks before, perhaps due his sporadic career but the man continue active as musician today.
Since this “Bombay Tears”, his first release, Van Wilks has built an illustrious career that includes six solo studio albums, one live, and multiple globe-spanning tours with acts such as ZZ Top, Heart, Van Halen, Journey, Aerosmith, and countless other.
Born in Galveston but raised in Austin, Texas, Wilks was a disciple of the British Invasion but eventually honed his songwriting / guitar skills around blues rock Texan styles and influences, particularly with his popular band of the time named Fools.

At the end of the Seventies Van Wilks got a new manager in Bill Ham (ZZ Top) who secured him a recording contract with Mercury Records for a solo debut album.
The result was this “Bombay Tears” appeared at the beginning of the ’80s, fusing many styles ranging from radio-oriented melodic rock with blues to some AOR sounds from the era.
Opener ‘Danger In The Dark’ is very melodic tune with a rocking guitars and a tasteful solo, followed by the commercial bluesy ‘1959’ with a Johnny Van Zant Band-like lovely sound.

‘Travelin’ is plenty of rhythm with a catchy and slightly funky vibe, then ‘Juvenile Licks’ meets blues with AOR adorned with the typical synth / keyboard work from the first half of the Eighties. Same with ‘Sirens In The Night’ but in a more midtempo pace.
We have a ballad in ‘Can’t Cry Anymore’ with a great atmosphere all over it, and a straight-ahead melodic rocker on ‘Living On Borrowed Time’ adding some nice acoustics into the mix.

The bonus tracks on this Rock Candy reissue are in fact a bonus disc as the 4 cuts are the full Van Wilks’ 1982 EP ‘Boystown’, also a rarity for the fist time on CD.
Musically quite similar to “Bombay Tears” but more ‘easy rocking’, radio friendly I’d say in a style akin Pat Benatar but fronted by a male vocalist. All 4 are really nice tunes.

Over the years Van Wilks’ debut “Bombay Tears” has become something of a cult artifact among aficionados of the obscure, hard to find albums never appeared on CD.
It is so rare that in fact the original tapes were lost. So I think this Rock Candy remastered reissue it is transferred from vinyl LP, but don’t worry, the sound obtained is excellent.
And fundamentally, the music packed in this CD is very, very good and melodic.
Highly Recommended

01 – Danger In The Dark
02 – 1959
03 – Travelin’
04 – Juvenile Licks
05 – De La Coupole La Mer Pleure
06 – Bombay Tears
07 – Can’t Cry Anymore
08 – Sirens in the Night
09 – Eyes Like Lightning
10 – Older Than You Know
11 – Living on Borrowed Time
BONUS TRACKS (Boystown 12” EP):
12 – Boystown
13 – Street Legal
14 – Never Say No
15 – Small Town Girl

Van Wilks: vocals, guitars, synthesizers
Doug Hall: keyboards
Phil Ballinger: drums
Reggie Witty: bass, vocals
Craig Netfield: bass (12-15)
Max Crace: drums (12-15)

BUY IT !
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bombay-tears-van-wilks/29807485
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