JEF SCOTT – Ten Stories [YesterRock remaster] *HQ*

JEF SCOTT‘s “Ten Stories” is one of those wonderful one-off obscurities that certainly deserved far greater recognition than it gained at the time it was originally released. Digitally Remastered by YersterRock and released on CD for the first time, “Ten Stories” is a truly delicious collection of ten songs in a rich singer/songwriter AOR vein.

Jef Scott’s musical education began in the bars and clubs of San Diego during the late ’70s before he moved to Los Angeles in 1979 where he joined Hard Rock band Geisha which also featured former Detective and Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye in the line-up.
With Kaye by this time having rejoined Yes, Scott’s big break came in 1984, when he was signed as a solo artist by Epic Records. The fruits of that relationship finally emerged two years later as the aptly titled “Ten Stories” in 1986.

Jeff Scott handled the majority of the instrumentation on the record, with only synth player Jeff Forehan and drummers Jay Schellen (Unruly Child, Hurricane) and Bryan Hitt (the latter then with Life By Night, now in REO Speedwagon) noted as the other contributing musicians in the album’s credits.

Opening tracks ‘One By One’ and ‘I Watch My City Sleep’ bounce along nicely, full of keyboard harmonies layered over melodic guitar riffs, with Jef’s vocals being just a little rough around the edges.
Standout track ‘Graceland’ is one of those annoyingly familiar sounding tunes, with an instantly catchy chorus and enough guitar to fully justify the Rock in the AOR tag.
More summery melodic rock is delivered in the form of ‘You Are The Only One’, the Bryan Adams-like ‘Relative To You’ or the pumping midtempo ‘Only You’.

After this, Jef Scott was the leader of The Men (ironically including 2 female in the line-up), which released an album on a major label and spot a minor hit single. Later, he was one of the members in the Australian AOR band Company Of Strangers, and their awesome self-titled album.

Produced by Bill Pfordresher (Ambrosia) this album now, finally, afforded a CD release and to be re-discovered nearly thirty years on from its appearance on vinyl back in 1986.
I wouldn’t go as far as calling Jef Scott’s “Ten Stories” a lost classic, but it’s surely a really good record with strong songs, major production and a true ’80s sound.
One for the fans of contemporaries like Tom DeLuca, Jimmy Davis & Junction, Michael Morales or Stan Meissner.
Highly Recommended

01 – One By One
02 – I Watch My City Sleep
03 – Mega-Millionaire
04 – You Are The Only One
05 – Relative To You
06 – Graceland
07 – Only You
08 – I’m Only Sleeping
09 – New Found Power
10 – It’s Not Funny Anymore

Jef Scott – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards
Jay Schellen, Bryan Hitt – drums
Jeff Forehan – synths

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www.cdandlp.com/en/jef-scott/ten-stories/cd/r816695713/