TOP NOTCH – Mean & Smooth [80s recordings remastered] (2022) *0dayrox Exclusive*
TOP NOTCH was one of those 80s and 90s melodic rock / AOR bands who reached the interest of a major label, to watch it all go away with the arrival of Seattle bands. Top Notch’s quality songwriting led them to being managed by Alan Oken & David Liebert, who handled Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper and Bryan Adams, and the band eventually signed a development deal with Polygram Records. But the music business is a bitter pill, and nothing happened.
Formed in the mid-Eighties, Top Notch developed a hard rock sound focused on melody with blazing guitar solos. At the time, guitarist Eric Kellogg was connected with many prolific songwriters such as Peter Frampton, Martin Briley, Mark Tanner (Nelson, Eddie Money) and Steve Plunkett of Autograph. Steve Plunkett and Eric Kellogg developed a close relationship and went on to write many songs together that are featured on this release as well as Steve Plunkett’s solo album.
On “Mean & Smooth” we have all TOP NOTCH recordings, material with a very good sound quality and a US 80s melodic hard rock sound akin Hurricane, Autograph, Black ‘N Blue, etc…
