STRANDED – Long Way To Heaven [Escape Music 2024 reissue] *HQ*

It’s a really welcomed move from Escape Music finally reissuing their long time out of print catalog, and today the label is re-releasing “Long Way To Heaven“, the terrific debut album from Canadians STRANDED.
Simply put, this CD not only is one of the best AOR albums from the ’90s / ‘2000s, but of ALL TIME.
From the first seconds after pressing play you know “Long Way To Heaven” will be a pleasure from start to finish. There’s not a single weak song on the entire album, all are melodic rock / AOR gems such as “Fight On”, “Still Want You”, “Only Human”, “Comin’ Of Age”, “Heart So Cold”, “Always”, or closer “Tonight Can Last Forever”.

Troy Reid (ex Agent) vocals are soo smooth, so classy, at places bringing to mind Steve Perry, others Jimi Jamison, but that’s in style: Reid has his own vocal color. All musicians involved deliver top notch performances, especially Kenny Kaos (Paul Laine, The Distance) providing some killer guitar riffs & solos.
To round up an almost perfect AOR / Melodic Rock album, production is superb, clean, and the whole thing brightly mixed.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – Somebody Laughs
02 – Make Your Move
03 – Only Human
04 – Fight On
05 – Comin’ of Age
06 – Spaceman
07 – Still Want You
08 – It’s a Long Way to Heaven
09 – Always
10 – Heart so Cold
11 – Tonight Can Last Forever
12 – Another Man’s Eyes

Troy Reid: vocals, drums, percussion, guitars
Lewis Nitikman: keyboards, synths

Larry Hirshman: keyboards
Paul Airey: keyboards
Andy Lorimer: keyboards
Lewis Nitikman: keyboards
Dave Pickell: keyboards
Michael Rheult: keyboards

Kenny Kaos: lead, rhythm, & acoustic guitar
Dane Deviller: guitar
James Wright: guitar

Dean Warren: bass
Dave Hopia: bass

Jeff Ryan: drums
Peter Barone: drums
Gary Grace: drums

Darcey Deutsch: backing vocals
Andre Kunkel: backing vocals
Tracy Masson: backing vocals

BUY
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CVHBMJRM