TAZ TAYLOR BAND feat. Graham Bonnet – Welcome To America [2022 reissue +1] HQ

Guitarist Taz Taylor, already familiar to many in the hard rock world via his previous albums featuring renowned vocalists, has signed a deal with Global Rock Records for the release of the upcoming TAZ TAYLOR BAND new CD next month. The label is also re-issuing Taz Taylor Band’s back catalog starting with “Welcome To America”, previously appeared in 2006 via Escape Music.
For “Welcome To America“, Taz asked former Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, Impelliteri, singer Graham Bonnet – at the time not so much active in the business – if he will sing the songs on this album. Bonnet not only agreed, but co-write many songs, and the result was rocking collection of classic hard rock tunes reminiscent of MSG ‘Assault Attack’ era with a pinch of Rainbow’s ‘Down To Earth’ and UFO.
This 2022 reissue includes a bonus track.

Songs like ‘Fighter’s Fist’, ‘Welcome to America’ and ‘Happy Hour’ all are top notch Eighties influenced hard rock tunes that suit the Bonnet voice down to the ground. The latter, especially, sees him putting in a superb performance, possibly aided by it’s personal basis in his long fight with alcohol. Whatever, it’s probably the standout here.
‘Radio Luxembourg’ opens with an almost UFO-like harmony that is very appealing and is capped off by a nice lead by Taz. An easily memorable moment is the instrumental lead-in of the slightly somber “Silent Fall” where Taz “breaks loose”.

There are two covers, sort of, on this album. The first is Gary Moore’s “Parisienne Walkways” (another early childhood memory from Taz’s past). The second is a medley of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Goodbye To Romance” and “Mr. Crowley” that end the release, aptly entitled “Goodbye To Mr C.” As strange as it sounds, it works very well, even with Graham’s vocal range.

Bottom line, this one is a great album with plenty of enjoyable traditional hard rock music for everyone. Sure there’s a MSG and UFO references and similarities. Some of this was bound to happen since Bonnet is involved in the songwriting. And that’s a good thing in my book.
A welcomed reissue.
Highly Recommended

01 – Fighter’s Fist
02 – Radio Luxembourg
03 – Parisienne
04 – Happy Hour
05 – Haunted
06 – Welcome To America
07 – Wall Of Sound
08 – Silent Fall
09 – The Reprise
10 – Goodbye Mr C.
Bonus Track:
11 – Desert Song (Live)

Taz Taylor – Guitars
Graham Bonnet – Vocals
Dirk Krause – Bass
Bob Miller – Keyboards
Richard Livoni – Drums

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