ROADHOUSE (Pete Willis) – Roadhouse [reissue +5] HQ *0dayrox Exclusive*

As requested, here’s the only full length album from ROADHOUSE, the short-lived by talented British hard rock band founded by ex- Def Leppard members guitarist Pete Willis and drummer Frank Noon.
What we have here is an unauthorized reissue of the self-titled album including as bonus tracks several single B-sides and non album tracks appeared in the band’s EP. “Roadhouse [reissue +5]” isn’t a bootleg at all: this is a high-quality factory made silver-pressed CD, including full booklet – replica from original – and a stupendous sound quality.
“Roadhouse [reissue +5]” doesn’t feels like a 1991 release – the music inside is awesome ’80s melodic hard rock with that incredible ‘magic’, top class musicianship and terrific songs.

We all know Pete Willis as the original guitarist of Def Leppard. He was there when the Leppards released their triumphant debut “On Through The Night” (1980) and their even bigger sophomore hit, “High ‘N’ Dry” (1981).
In fact, that hungry, raw, much heavier early sound of the band is often contributed to his guitar skills. In the summer of 1982, right in the middle of the “Pyromania” recording sessions, however, Willis was let go due to his drinking problem.
We know what happened with Def Leppard – they hired Phil Collen and went on to become on the most successful names in the industry.

What happened with Pete, though? Not many people know exactly how his career moved on, actually. I can only imagine how tough the years to come and that whole transition must’ve been for him.
However, he did manage to pull himself together and participate in another, less known but quite interesting rock project, titled Roadhouse. Guess who else was in the band? Drummer Frank Noon, who also was once part of the Def Leppard family, playing drums on The Def Leppard E.P. joined Pete Willis but for a short period of time; he recorded the Roadhouse demos, but left the group before the recording of the album.
Finally, it was Wayne Grant on bass, Trevor Brewis on drums, Pete Willis and Richard Day with the guitar and Paul Jackson was recruited as the lead vocalist, the kind of singers I love and he is perfect for the genre.

The release year for the full album was 1991 – definitely not the most suitable time to release melodic rock music. Still, people were pretty excited to see what the first post-Def Leppard record of Pete Willis will sound like.
Well, it sounds highly satisfying if you ask me!
The band filmed a few music videos with the hopes of getting some decent exposure on MTV. One of the singles, “Hell Can Wait” even got a Top 10 position on the UK charts. Well, that’s pretty much what happened in the popularity department back in the day.

All in all, the outcomes were quite humble, excluding the brief chart presence. That doesn’t mean the album is unworthy of discovering. On the contrary, is one of the most appealing pieces of melodic rock that came out in the early ‘90s.
A little bit of that Def Leppard sound might be spotted here and there but try to keep an open mind and don’t constantly compare “Roadhouse” with the Leppard albums.

Some of the delights on the album include the opening track, “All Join Hands” – a stunning radio rocker and the excellent ballad, “Time” which might be the most well-known song from “Roadhouse”.
What happens after those two tracks is quite exciting – we have the catchy Firehouse-sounding “Tower of Love”, followed by a long playlist of shockingly well-done AOR gems. Make sure you play “Loving You” (a personal favorite) and “New Horizon”!

“Roadhouse” is a great one. If you adore melodic rock with a classic ’80s feeling, this is the album for you!
Highly Recommended

Only at 0dayrox

01 – All Join Hands
02 – Time
03 – Tower Of Love
04 – A Little Love
05 – Loving You
06 – Hell Can Wait
07 – One Heart
08 – New Horizon
09 – Stranger In Your Eyes
10 – Desperation Calling
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Straight For Your Heart [Roadhouse EP]
12 – More Than I Want [B-side]
13 – Can’t Take The Credit For It [Roadhouse EP]
14 – Freight Train (Acoustic Version) [B-side]
15 – Jackson High (Original Demo) [B-side]

Paul Jackson – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Pete Willis (ex Def Leppard) – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Richard Day – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Wayne Grant – Bass, Backing Vocals
Trevor Brewis – Drums
Frank Noon (ex Def Leppard) – Drums

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