MIKE TRAMP – Songs of White Lion (2023) *HQ*

Talented vocalist and guitarist MIKE TRAMP has announced the upcoming release of “The Songs Of White Lion” via Frontiers Music. As the title implies, the album sees Tramp re-imagining select cuts from his former band White Lion’s catalog. Additionally, Tramp will be embarking on a ‘Songs of White Lion’ U.S. tour in May 2023.
“For me, the period of 1983-1991 was a once in a lifetime experience. Everything I did back then was for the first time, and even though it was beyond exciting and adventurous, when it came to an end, it was more than just the end of a band, it was also the end of a very specific time in my life that I had lived and been part of. Over the next 20 years, I would revisit that time in my life in small parts, but never felt 100% comfortable with it. I simply could not force myself to recreate what I once was,” says Tramp.
“Now, here I am again, the year is 2023 and I have recorded an album of the ‘big’ White Lion songs as close to the originals as possible, but exploring small new parts that today I feel should be that way. I am not 26 anymore, I don’t sing like I am 26, and I wouldn’t be doing justice to the songs or myself if I tried to sing like I am 26.
Today, I sing the songs that I wrote with Vito Bratta over 40 years ago exactly the way I am today. This is the only way I can embrace them and feel at home and be honest to myself and the songs,” he concludes.

The intro to ‘Little Fighter’ still sounds rather pleasingly ‘Van Halen’ but the slight change of tempo and the different stresses and intonations and the way Mike sings is actually rather different. It’s interesting the hear the vocal more ‘up’ in the mix and the change is more marked than on ‘Lady of the Valley’. I played the song to a number of people and while most actually preferred the soother sound of the new version in this case listening to the original over a few times I stuck with that. The interesting thing here though is that both actually sound great.

One of the biggest departures might be on songs like ‘Broken Heart’ which of course appeared reworked on the ‘Main Attraction’ record after originally appearing on the debut ‘Fight to Survive’ – here it’s smoother still and whilst I’m a big fan of the rougher-edged original (especially the vocal) this isn’t a bad stab at all, and like the original reworking comes out smoother.

Interestingly it’s the lesser known songs that seem to take to the new treatment particularly well with ‘Love Don’t Come Easy’ sounding great wearing a new sort of Bryan Adams vibe; ‘Going Home Tonight’ too sounds nice and sharp maybe even better. It could even be the best sounding of the reworkings here.

Of course you can’t often get away with playing around with the classics even if you are the artist and ‘Hungry’ doesn’t quite work but not necessarily due to the treatment but this time the clearer delivery lays bare what might be one of Mike’s most cliched lyrics, that were lost a little in the bang and crash of the original. Conversely as we all know few ‘Hair bands’ sang about real issues so ‘Cry For Freedom’ which again sounds wonderful comes as a nice counterpoint.

For me the biggest disappointment is ‘Wait’ where the tension in the vocal and guitar refrain is lost in the soft edges. Tramps vocal delivery might be mischievously varied, but I’d say just that in some cases you can’t top perfection. ‘Wait’ is, and always has been my favourite White Lion song and this reworking just lacks that ‘edge’ that made the original indispensable and one of the greatest songs of the era.

‘All The Fallen Men’ is another of those that sound really great and my favourite of Tramp’s vocals here. Still love the original but for some reason this one just clicks. ‘Living On The Edge’ too sounds nice a fresh.
My second fav White Lion song is ‘Tell Me’ and here again it sounds fine but the holding back of the lyrics and altered phrasing just takes off the real hook for me. Sometimes you just can’t recapture the magic even with 30 years of technological advances. I know in my heart that part of that is the instant connection to those songs but it doesn’t make it any less true.

Final track ‘When The Children Cry’ conversely is changed up considerably and I love the new intro especially, but also Tramp nails the vocal without stripping an ounce of the original emotion. I still prefer the original but to me this is the best re-take on the record.

We have followed Tramp’s career since White Lion and love the way that his vocals have softened and mellowed over time. On this revisitation of the past he sound great, a little more vim that the solo acoustic mode he’s been in more recently but with a wonderful new clarity he sounds like he has plenty more miles in the tank.

At the end of the day though it’s all about balance and the balance is just about right here, production wonderful and despite a few emotional connections to the songs that might not you (or I) embrace everything her with open arms, it is a definite winner and of all the reworkings of classic late 80s artists work probably the best I’ve heard to date.

With White Lion ultimately put on hold in 2013 Tramp continued with his solo career and announced in several interviews that there would no longer be a White Lion of any kind, including the new White Lion or any possible reunions.
Ten years on and the lure of White Lion surfaces again. And it’s a good one. Mike Tramp will be embarking on a ‘Songs of White Lion’ U.S. tour in May 2023.
Highly Recommended

1. Lady Of The Valley
2. Little Fighter
3. Broken Heart
4. Love Don’t Come Easy
5. Hungry
6. Cry For Freedom
7. Going Home Tonight
8. Wait
9. All The Fallen Men
10. Living On The Edge
11. Tell Me
12. When The Children Cry

Mike Tramp – Vocals
Marcus Nand – Guitars
Claus Langeskov – Bass
Alan Tschicaja – Drums
Sebastian Groset – Keyboard
Christoffer Stjerne – Harmonies

Produced by Soren Andersen & Mike Tramp

Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-White-Lion-Mike-Tramp/dp/B0BSJ5P7Y4