DANNIE DAMIEN – A Cowboy No One Gets (2016)
Guitarist DANNIE DAMIEN recorded & released his album “A Cowboy No One Gets” some time ago but only was available via his website. Now 2016, City Of Lights Records in a partnership with AOR Heaven Records are officially releasing the album on CD as a limited (numbered) edition of 500 copies.
Ex- member of Hollywood Vampires, since several years ago started a solo career. “A Cowboy No One Gets” provides all facets from the classic late ’80s American Melodic Rock / AOR, I am impressed with what I’m hearing on “A Cowboy No One Gets” (recorded & produced by Dannie Damien himself) particularly when he rocks out.
Firstly, his guitar playing is great, if you like acts like and some Bon Jovi, then you may like what’s on offer here. Keyboards too chime in at the right moments, Dannie is a very good grand piano arranger as heard on a couple of tracks.
Opener ‘Highschool Baby’ is a direct shot at the style of melodic rock played by long lost AORster Rick Matthews. If anyone recalls his radio friendly ‘Only The Young’ CD from the early ’90s, Dannie has subconsciously struck a melodic chord probably without realizing it.
‘If You Were Here’ is a midtempo with some Johnny Lima on it, while the pairing of ‘Rollin’ Over The Night’ and ‘Fight’ are pretty good rockers, though the drum programming is pretty obvious, in much the same way as it was on Danny Danzi’s early releases plus the first few Phil Vincent albums.
Probably my favourite track here is ‘Ready To Rock’ (yeah, excuse the well worn track titles..), with its abundance of enthusiasm and energy. The guitar work and keyboard lines are classy in the vein of Aldo Nova.
Dannie gives us three acoustic guitar ballads, the soaring ‘What If Children Stop To Smile’, the Poison-like ‘Hey I’ve Enough’, and the title track ‘A Cowboy No One Gets’. All three are good, melodic, with an atmosphere recalling Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’.
‘Over’ is mainly a piano based song which pick up the pace at the end, a track with a strong songwriting although the vocals probably needed a bit of more work, as happens with other songs.
Dannie Damien has a knack for writing some good, melodic ’80s inspired material. The 12 tracks on “A Cowboy No One Gets” are all lovely melodic rock tunes, sweet to the ears.
Damien is a very good instrumentalist and while production is at places very home-made, it only adds even more charm to these some kind of ‘lost demos’.
Out via AOR Heaven Records – Very enjoyable.
You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox
01 – Highschool Baby
02 – If You Were Here
03 – I Don’t Wanna Sleep
04 – What If Children Stop To Smile
05 – Rollin’ Over The Night
06 – Fight
07 – Hey, I’ve Enough
08 – Over
09 – Live Or Die
10 – Ready To Rock
11 – A Cowboy No One Gets
12 – I Love You
Danny Damien – guitar, bass, keyboards, drums
Mario Simone – vocals
Ciccio Ronchi – vocals
Lady Rhuna – vocals
Matteo Girardi – vocals
thanks to gdazegod for the words
BUY IT !
www.aorheaven.com/index.php/englisch_b/neue-cd-s/damien-dannie-a-cowboy-no-one-gets.html
www.amazon.co.uk/Cowboy-One-Gets-Dannie-Damien/dp/B01B2964C0
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