HardReviews 3
by Martin Popoff
Cinderella - In Concert
(Deadline)Turns out this is just another reissue of the band's '98 gig from The Keyclub in Hollywood. Sure it's made to look nice, with clean artwork, poster booklet, and even one of those cardboard over-sleeves. But that doesn't excuse the fact that it's deceptive rehash (from a band that has been too quiet, causing this sort of thing). The sound is adequate though not great, but man, is it tough to listen to Tommy Keifer sing. That guy... it sounds like he's continuously ratched out and just croaking until he's completely gone. Yet he's hitting the notes. Like I say, painful, sort of like Brian Johnson live, like an ol' tomcat being hit with a shoe. But the mix of songs is better than one expects, I suppose, with lots of Bon Jovi-freeze-packed acoustic blooz cruises next to pretty heavy stuff like Night Songs and Somebody Save Me.
Rating 6Josh Todd - You Made Me
(XS/DRT/Navarre)I actually dig this more than I ever did the hyped and strangely suspicious Buckcherry. There's an emotional rawness to this thing, Josh putting his considerably poetic yet violently imagistic thoughts to a soundtrack that successfully marries arena rock to modern punk rock, hints of modern alternative, but encapsulating that, big, blasting songs that are just good songs. Fave by far is the two-fer of Burn and Circles, Josh screaming with connecting power over a band that sounds thrilled to be blasting garage rock at peak performance. I listen to this guy, and I get visions of that other big mouth and big thinker, Steven Tyler. And then to the band, all I can say is that this always sound explosive and stomping (check out Straight Jacket), the guitars of Mike Hewitt and Jesse Logan set to stun, the two churning out huge power chords in healthy competition with big mouth, big bass and crashed cymbals. Grade-wise, my heart says 8, but I gotta notch back for three or four tracks here that are just too trendy or studied or commercial or second-guessed or something.
Rating 7
