GRAND ILLUSION – Ordinary Just Won’t Do [Escape Music 20th anniversary reissue] (2024) *HQ*

It’s a really welcomed move from Escape Music finally reissuing their long time out of print catalog, and today the label is releasing “Ordinary Just Won’t Do“, the fourth album from Swedes GRAND ILLUSION. Mastermind guitarist / bassist / keyboard player, songwriter Anders Rydholm created GRAND ILLUSION in the late ’90s (from the ashes of previous band ‘Promotion’) with the intention of bring back the sweet AOR sounds from the Scandinavian glorious era.
Originally released 2004, many fans found “Ordinary Just Won’t Do” much more melodic hard rock oriented than previous effort ‘View From The Top’. Indeed, this is more guitar driven album however the big choruses, harmonies, and catchiness are still there.

In fact, “Ordinary Just Won’t Do” was recorded at the same time of ‘View From The Top’, during 2001-2002, but Rydholm already had a clear vision about GRAND ILLUSION; in one hand, AOR, on the other, sharp Swedish-style melodic hard rock.
So Rydholm put the AOR material on the previous album and the sharper, edgier on this “Ordinary Just Won’t Do”. To get a more crunchy sound, the album was mixed in Denmark by expert Tommy Hansen (Pretty Maids, Helloween).
You’ll be surprised how different “Ordinary Just Won’t Do” sounds compared with the previous GRAND ILLUSION. If you like classic TNT, this will blow your mind!
Highly Recommended

01 – Devil’s Advocate
02 – The Best Is yet to Come
03 – Gone for Good
04 – Heaven or Hell
05 – New Beginning
06 – 1982
07 – Pull You Down
08 – Love Lies Buried
09 – Back to Yesterday
10 – And This Is Why
11 – Where You Where Mine
12 – One Time

Anders Rydholm – keyboards, bass, guitars, producer, arranger
Peter Sundell – lead and background vocals
Per Svensson – lead and background vocals
Christian Sundell – drums
Ola af Trampe – guitar and guitar solos

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www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CVF4QJ9M