ZINATRA – Rockumentary Part 2 [”The Great Escape” +3 remastered] out of print
Here’s a request of two albums that everybody need into their classic AOR collection: ZINATRA‘s self-titled debut “Zinatra” and their next / final disc “The Great Escape”. This 2-CD Box including both albums housed into individual jewel case is the one to get – if you find it as it’s out of print – as both LP have been remastered with a resulting pristine sound, plus a bunch (10 in total) of bonus tracks.
This is the real Box / physical release titled “Rockumentary Part 1 & 2“.
This second Zinatra album, “The Great Escape”, originally released in 1990, is an AOR / melodic (hard) rock fest at its own right. The songwriting and instrumental part of the album is more focused and to the point, frontman Joss Mennen has stepped up as the singer raising his game manifold, but most importantly there is a young Robbie Valentine behind the keyboards also taking a leading role in terms of songwriting.
Robby, for that matter, seems to have remained the outsider for his brief time in Zinatra having single handedly composed four of the songs on the album including the ballad “Lover Never Dies” a vocal duet between Valentine and Mennen as well as the midtempo AOR epic “Too Blind to See”, both glimpses of Robby’s solo work that would follow in the ‘90s.
Interestingly enough Canadian AOR hero Paul Laine (Danger Danger) contributes four songs to the set list including the outstanding single “Two Sides of Love”, the melodic rocker “Only Your Heart” and the irresistible “Hold On”.
Band founder Ronald Lieberton has his own moment of creative brilliance composing the album’s first single, the uplifting and playful “There she was”, only adding to the list of ‘80s AOR highlights featured on this remarkable second Zinatra album.
The cover artwork of “The Great Escape” is conceptually very similar to that of the Final Countdown by Europe, also boasting the purple color which would become a trademark of Valentine’s solo works.
This reissue include three collectible bonus, non album tracks.
Zinatra’s “The Great Escape” is nothing less than a rare highlight in ‘80s AOR / melodic hard rock that brought together all the elements that make for a substantial album with an identity of its own.
“The Great Escape” also produced one of the greatest songwriters in technical AOR who would hold the torch for the genre from the ‘90s and onwards; Mr. Robby Valentine.
A deserved pristine remaster on this essential CD.
A MUST
01 – The great escape
02 – Take it to the top
03 – Two sides of love
04 – There she was
05 – Love never dies
06 – Unknown skies
07 – Too blind to see
08 – Candyman
09 – Hold on
10 – Only your heart
11 – Jekyll and Hyde
12 – The roaring silence
BONUS TRACKS:
13 – Let it go
14 – You only live once
15 – Don’t boogy with the devil (Demo)
Joss Mennen – vocals
Gino Rerimassie – guitars
Ron Lieberton – bass
Robby Valentine – keyboards
Eddie Rokx – drums
Try Here:
www.amazon.fr/Rockumentary-vol-2-Zinatra/dp/B00022W4TQ