VAN STEPHENSON – Same Pen, Different Voices [MelodicRock Classics 2-CD] (2024) *HQ*

The arrival of any new VAN STEPHESON music is met with huge anticipation. This release, “Same Pen, Different Voices [MelodicRock Classics 2-CD]“, is just a little different from the norm, but no less exciting or musically brilliant.
This is Van Stephenson, but with a little help from his friends. Over 2 discs we hear Van Stephenson written songs, but featuring vocalists other than Van. Hence the title – ‘Same Pen, Different Voices’.
And while Van’s voice may be absent from this release – his spirit and his style are all over it, with some absolute melodic classics about to be launched. This is a double disc of lost Van Stephenson tunes written with many of his regular writing partners such as Dave Innis, Sam Lorber, Robert White Johnson, Bob Farrell and Dave Robbins.
Among the tracks there’s songs co-written with Dann Huff for the classic Giant ‘Time To Burn’ album. We find the demos here, all featuring the voice of Dann Huff himself. Three of these tracks have never been released before. They may have been lost for 30 years, but they are magnificent.
There is a trilogy of songs co-written with Jaime Kyle (previously released), two featuring vocalist Robert White Johnson and another featuring TJ Seals, son of Dan Seals.

Sadly, we couldn’t ask Van himself about the details behind these songs, so many are still missing credits and even the vocalists themselves are unknown in many cases.
Disc 1 is all male lead vocals; Disc 2 is mostly female lead vocals.

CD 1:
01. Holding On For Dear Life
(Van Stephenson, Dann Huff)
Performed by: Dann Huff, David Huff, Alan Pasqua, Mike Brignardello

02. ‘Till The Sun
(Van Stephenson, Dann Huff)
Performed by: Dann Huff, David Huff, Alan Pasqua, Mike Brignardello

03. Paradise Found
(Van Stephenson, Dave Robbins)
Performed by: Dann Huff, David Huff, Alan Pasqua, Mike Brignardello

04. It’s Not The End Of The World (Demo)
(Van Stephenson, Dann Huff, Bob Farrell)
Performed by: Dann Huff, David Huff, Alan Pasqua, Mike Brignardello

05. Thunder And Lightning (Demo)
(Van Stephenson, Dann Huff)
Performed by: Dann Huff, David Huff, Alan Pasqua, Mike Brignardello

06. Stay (Demo)
(Van Stephenson, Dann Huff, Alan Pasqua)
Performed by: Dann Huff, David Huff, Alan Pasqua, Mike Brignardello

07. Modern Man
(Van Stephenson)

08. Melt To Stone
(Van Stephenson, John Dewitt Rowe)

09. Caged Angel
(Van Stephenson, John Dewitt Rowe)

10. Common Wall
(Van Stephenson, Dave Innis, Sam Lorber)
Vocal by: TJ Seals

11. You Be The Damn, I’ll Be The Water
(Van Stephenson, Robert White Johnson, Max Gronenthal, Donald Van Zant)
Vocals by: Robert White Johnson

12. That’s Enough
(Van Stephenson)

13. Strongman
(Van Stephenson)

14. Level of Love
(Van Stephenson, Bob Farrell, Dave Robbins)

15. Smart Monkey
(Van Stephenson, Michael Emig)

16. Mutual Satisfaction
(Van Stephenson, Bob Farrell, Dave Robbins)

17. House of Fire
(Van Stephenson, Bob Farrell)

18. One More Shot At Love
(Van Stephenson, Dave Robbins, David Jeffrey Stevens)

CD 2:
01. What You Do To Me
(Van Stephenson)

02. Shock Of Love
(Van Stephenson, Bob Farrell, Dave Robbins)

03. Paradise Found (Duet)
(Van Stephenson, Dave Robbins)
Vocal by: Dann Huff & Female Lead

04. Cry Love
(Van Stephenson, Ken Mims)

05. I Can Identify
(Van Stephenson, Andy Landis)

06. What The Big Girls Do
(Van Stephenson, Jan Buckingham, Steve Buckingham)
Vocal by: Pam Tillis

07. Hot Wire
(Van Stephenson, Tim Dubois, Dave Robbins)

08. Perfectly Natural
(Van Stephenson, Bob Farrell, Dave Robbins)

09. Sacrificial Love
(Van Stephenson, Bob Farrell, Dave Robbins)

10. Bad News
(Van Stephenson, Jaime Kyle)
Performed by: Jaime Kyle

11. More Than Meets The Eye
(Van Stephenson, Jaime Kyle)
Performed by: Jaime Kyle

12. Crossing Over
(Van Stephenson, Jaime Kyle, Will Rambeaux)
Performed by: Jaime Kyle

13. You Don’t Want To Know About It
(Van Stephenson)

14. The Shock Of Love
(Van Stephenson)

15. Filthy Rich
(Van Stephenson, Doana M Kuper)

16. I Fall For It Every Time
(Van Stephenson, Sam Lorber, Dave Robbins)

17. Sinners
(Van Stephenson, Doana M Kuper)

18. Better Than This
(Van Stephenson)

19. Paradise Found
(Van Stephenson, Dave Robbins)
Vocal by: Female Lead

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