Rawk roundup – King Kobra vs. James Christian vs. Pat Travers

Rawk roundup – King Kobra vs. James Christian vs. Pat Travers

KING KOBRA
II
Frontiers

Or how to give me a headache in one easy move.  See, this is the fourth King Kobra album, although it’s the second one released by the regurgitated outfit.  This sees the always good value Paul Shortino on vocals, dual guitarists Mick Sweda and David Michael-Philips, and the bass and drums of Johnny Rod and Carmine Appice, respectively.  So that’s pretty much a who’s who of eighties rawk, when you tot up all the other bands they’ve played in.

And they don’t disappoint.  Even back in the day, they were always more of a seventies band, with Marcie Free (or Mark as she was then), hitting notes that defied logic.  Paul Shortino brings a bluesier edge to the material which works well, and songs like the piledriving ‘Hell On Wheels’, ‘Have A Good Time’ and the epic ‘Deep River’ burn with a passion belying the elder statesman status of the band.  A cracker.

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JAMES CHRISTIAN
Lay It All On Me
Frontiers

Nine years on from “Meet The Man” and we’re finally treated to another solo album from House of Lords singer, James Christian.  He has one of the great melodic rock voices and if he’d been born a few years earlier would have been known far and wide.  Something else to thank grunge for.

Recorded at his home studio in Florida and self produced, this sees Christian collaborating with the likes of Tommy Denander, Chris Pelcer, Jimi Bell and Jeff Kent, who’ve all contributed songs to the album, and it’s an absolute peach.  With fellow House Of Lord members Jeff Kent (keys), BJ Zampa (drums) and Jimi Bell (guitars) making up the band (with Christian himself subbing for Lords bassist Chris McCarvill), it’s hard to spot the join, although the songs here move away from the pompier aspects of his main band.

Whatever, songs like the title track, ‘Sincerely Yours’ and ‘You’re So Bad’ can hold their heads high alongside his best work.

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PAT TRAVERS BAND 
Can Do
Frontiers

I’ve still got my 12″ single from back in the day when the Pat Travers Band releases ‘Snortin’ Whiskey’ as a single.  A staple of my youth, even if it was at odds with a lot of his material, it still gets a regular outing.

He’s spent a lot of time since then concentrating on the blues side of his music, alongside his covers albums.  So, although this has some blues rocking, it’s more akin to his late seventies albums. He had always had a strong voice to match up to his ferocious guitar playing, and both are still in fine fettle.  So when he concentrates on his strengths, as he does on ‘Stand Up/Give It Up’, ‘Long Time Gone’ and the title track, it works really well.

However, he seems to have become partial to some pop songs that barely register on the rawkometer, so you might want to skip tunes such as ‘Diamond Girl’ and ‘Wanted (That Was Then / This Is Now)’.  And let’s not talk about the Eurythmics cover ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’.  Luckily for every one of those, there are gems like ‘Armed and Dangerous’ and ‘Red Neck Boogie’ to make you forget all about them.

Apart from the ballads, this is a welcome return to matters rocking for Mr Travers.

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