The ”Lost UK Jewels” Vol.12 ; TORINO – Rock It +9 *0dayrox EXCLUSIVE*
As requested, here’s in exclusive at 0dayrox another installment from Steelheart Memories Records ”The Lost UK Jewels series”: Vol.12, ”TORINO – Rock It +9”, fully remastered and including 9 bonus tracks, a release strictly limited to 500 copies and already out of print.
This TORINO sophomore album was recorded in the autumn of 1988, only 6 months after their debut ‘Customized’ was released. The band continues with their brand of infectious ’80s melodic hard rock with the right AOR splashes.
The album starts off in fine style with the title track which is a punchy, sing-along anthem with a huge chorus line. This might also be the strongest cut on the album. The lyrical content is pretty obvious judging by the name of the song.
It is followed by “Nights on Fire” which is a straight ahead rock song with a nice riff, then song number three is “Seven Mountains”, a catchy melodic rocker with the typical Torino-esque hook.
Things are being turned up a bit with the infectious rocker “Baby Blue” which has got a strong melodic hook, huge backing vocals and a melody that easily sticks in your head for a while. Together with the title track, one of the stand-out tracks on the album! It also features some nice guitar work from McKeown / Peters.
Up next ia new type of song for Torino with the emotional acoustic ballad called “It Takes a Man to Cry”. The arrangements are stripped down to just an acoustic guitar and it really adds variety and depth to the overall impression of ‘Rock It’. Stuart Fox belts out some really emotional vocals on this one.
What used to be side B of the vinyl edition kicks off with track number six which is “Showdown”. It starts off with an acoustic guitar and you start thinking you are up for the second ballad in a row, but you are soon proved wrong. The acoustic is replaced by a heavy chugging riff and a cool bass groove. The song adds heaviness and groove for the album’s variation.
”Dance All Night” starts with a steady beat from Brian Dixon and soon both guitar and keyboard join the mix. It’s a sleazy/glammy midtempo rocker that in the lyrical department and song structure reminds me of Ratt. The chorus line ”when you work all day – you gotta dance all night” really says it all what the song is about.
Up next is one of my overall favorites on this album – a melodic rocker called ”One in a Million”. It has a contagious melody running throughout the song and if you add a great hook, some great guitar work and solos, you have a great kicking song.
After that treat, we get another mid-paced rocker named ”Shine” that somehow reminds me of early Bon Jovi and that is a great comparison in our book. A feel-good rock song of high quality with commercial potential.
The last song on the original album is ”Turn it Up”. It is a song the starts off with a drumbeat that soon turns into a midtempo hard rocker. A fine ending of a great, but very underrated album.
This remastered edition contains a total of 9 bonus tracks. What you get here is the early versions of the songs that ended into the LP, with some different arrangements, lyrics, etc.
‘Rock It’ has got a tougher sound then the first album with dual guitar players and a slightly better and updated production.
As with all Lost UK Jewels series you get extensive liner notes from Rob Evans, press cuttings and memorabilia with ”Rock It” as well. A lot of credits should go out to Evans and Primo Bonali for their extensive work of digging up long Lost UK Jewels from a flourishing AOR scene of the 1980’s.
The historical importance of their work cannot be ignored and it should be noted as a cultural deed of greater importance! Torino was definitely at the top of the bands that ”almost made it”. They had the looks, the hooks and the songs to go all the way.
Unfortunately they did not, whether it was due to bad management, a stroke of bad luck, not being in the right place at the right time or whatever it was is not important today. What is important is that the musical legacy carries on and that new fans can discover the music.
Highly Recommended
Only at 0dayrox
01 – Rock It
02 – Nights On Fire
03 – Seven Mountains
04 – Baby Blue
05 – It Takes A Man To Cry
06 – Showdown
07 – Dance All Night
08 – One in A Million
09 – Shine
10 – Turn It Up
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Nights On Fire (”Rock It” Demo)
12 – Baby Blue (”Rock It” Demo)
13 – Seven Mountains (”Rock It” Demo)
14 – One In A Million (”Rock It” Demo)
15 – Dance All Night (”Rock It” Demo)
16 – It Takes A Man To Cry (”Rock It” Demo)
17 – Turn It Up (”Rock It” Demo)
18 – Rock It (”Rock It” Demo)
19 – Shine (”Rock It” Demo)
Stuart Fox: Lead & Backing Vocals
Barry McKeown: Guitar, Backing Vocals
Simon Peters – Guitar
Stephan James: Bass & Backing Vocals
Brian Dixon: Drums
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