Melodic Rock, AOR, Hard Rock, Prog, Classic Rock news
This album was requested here alongside Dakota’s Looking Back retrospective album, and it’s a pleasure to feature here because this is a delicious record: JERRY-KELLY one and only album titled “Somebody Else’s Dream“, remastered plus bonus tracks. That’s it songwriters / vocalists / guitarists Jerry Hludzik & Bill Kelly, what would become Dakota for the next album. Having played together...
DAKOTA is one of the best representatives of the pure ’80s AOR sound, and their self-titled debut highly deserved this Rock Candy ‘Remastered & Reloaded‘ reissue. Formed by vocalists / guitarists Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly, Dakota had their roots in the late ’70s as ex members of The Buoys and Jerry/Kelly Band, before signing to Columbia / CBS in...
Most part of American AORsters DAKOTA discography was out of print from some time now, fortunately some of their albums are getting a deserved reissue this year 2016. “Deep 6” is one of the best albums in Dakota’s history and easily among the best AOR albums appeared in the past decade.
After the very good, more melodic rock oriented album Little Victories, Dakota chose to get back to the ’80s style, which means that “Deep 6” could easily be compared to their all-time masterpiece ’84 LP ‘Runaway’.
Hludzik and keyboardist Rick Manwiller took almost two years to prepare the material, and the result is nothing else but stunning…
Most part of American AORsters DAKOTA discography was out of print from some time now, fortunately some of their albums are getting a deserved reissue this year 2016. “Little Victories” is another strong album by Dakota, from the band’s new Millennium incarnation.
Still retaining their classic ’80s AOR sound, “Little Victories” originally released in 2000 showcased a much modern Melodic Rock sound an emphasis on stronger guitar lines, punchy arrangements and multiple vocal harmonies. We have some truly fantastic choruses here.
Fourteen tracks all up, represents good value for money, and though the songs have a similar musical theme throughout there is enough of a difference to make each one unique, and pretty soon you’ll be humming some of those choruses with regularity…
Most part of American AORsters DAKOTA discography was out of print from some time now, fortunately some of their albums are getting a deserved reissue this year 2016. “Mr. Lucky” is one of the more treasurable, as in fact it’s Dakota 3rd unreleased album recorded in the mid-80s.
The Pennsylvanian band which core consists of Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly have continually popped up at irregular intervals both as musicians, songwriters, and producers. They debuted in the Seventies with an album under the name of “Jerry Kelly”, but they become famous in AOR / Melodic Rock circles as Dakota with their classic self-titled album and “Runaway” excellent albums.
By the mid-80s Dakota recorded a third album but their record company rejected the material – more Melodic Rock oriented than the previous LP – and asked for a poppier sound. Hludzik / Kelly refused and the label dropped Dakota.
Anyway, the band released it in 1987 as ‘Lost Tracks’, and this “Mr. Lucky” is essentially an expanded version of that with additional material…
After a hiatus of 11 years, American classic AORsters DAKOTA reunited to record a brand new album titled “Long Road Home“. Original band members Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly joined up with John Lorance, Eli Hludzik and various guest artists to record the new album at SI Studios, Pennsylvania.
And how Dakota sounds 2015? Better than never!
Due to the strained relations with Columbia Records, as well as personal differences between band members, Dakota played their final performance at Scranton’s Montage Amphitheater in 1987 in front of roughly 17,000 fans. The band stopped, but the band members pursued personal projects.
During the 1990s and 2000s original member (and Dakota’s mastermind) Jerry Hludzik continued to record three more records under the Dakota name, featuring a variety of session musicians, friends and also his son Eli Hludzik, achieving a high success in Europe and Japan.
Precisely from one of these Hludzik-Dakota records are taken six tracks here, but completely re-worked. The rest are brand new compositions. And what a songs!
