| CD REVIEW Balance |
 |
|
Band : Balance The history of thís Balance (because there’s been recording acts by the same name) goes back to the 1978 solo album of Paul Stanley (of Kiss), where guitarist Bob Kulick (brother of Bruce, known from playing with Hookfoot, Blackjack, Good Rats, and eventually also Kiss…but he himself had lost the position of lead guitarist to Ace Frehley in 1972 – later, he would replace Frehley for the studio songs on the Alive II album of 1977) guested on the album alongside singer Peppy Castro (an old-time friend of Stanley’s whom had learnt him to play his first guitar licks, recorded with Barnaby Bye in 1972, and later fronted Wiggy Bits, who were signed to Polydor) and keyboardist Doug Katsaros. This trio, with the help of bassists John Siegler and Willie Weeks, plus drummer Andy Newmark, released their self-titled debut album (co-produced by the band and Jon Bon Jovi’s nephew Tony Bongiovi) on the CBS subsidiairy Portrait label in 1981. Once described by Kerrang! as being “…up to its naked tighs in gloriously smooth harmonies and melodies…”, the album was a wet dream-come-true for fans of harder AOR, and it is with no little bit of pride that I can call an original copy of it my own! After that album’s relative success, the sound of the band toughened up a bit for a more solid and punching approach on 1982’s In For The Count, an album on which Kulick, being the guitarist, had clearly put his stamp! On this album, the rhythm section was replaced by “permanent” members Dennis Feldman (bass, formerly of Speedway Boulevard) and Chuck Burgi (drums). Kulick’s dream was to take this band out on the road for live promotion of the material…a dream crushed to pieces when Castro showed himself reluctant to exchange his job as singer for TV and radio commercials (which made him a steady and sizable income) for the unconfortable uncertainties of life on the road…especially since their label didn’t support the tours with additional funding! Eventually, Balance’s tougher sophomore album did even better than the debut, and it became the album for which the band is still high in regard to date. It can indeed said to be somewhat of an irony that the band’s swansong, the Japan-only single Ride The Wave (b-side “She’s Alone Tonight” also previously unreleased), was eventually used to advertise Daihatsu cars! Both the albums were re-issued on CD in Germany during 1992, and again on a “Two On One” CD in 1997. The rest, is individual history…Castro continued a successful career as jingles singer, and during 1988 also fronted a band unit called U.M.O., featuring also guitarist Steve Bondy (formerly of Agentz), keyboardist Doug Kistner, and drummer Joey Kramer (of Aerosmith); he also colllaborated and sang on records by Diana Ross, Kiss, Laura Branigan, and Michael Bolton…Kulick went on to work with Michael Bolton, Meat Loaf, and Donna Summer, and also formed the bands Skull, Blackthorne, and Murderer’s Row; he also began a career as successful producer (even won a Grammy Award)…Feldman joined the Michael Scenker Group and toured with Kulick in Paul Stanley’s 1989 solo club tour, then teamed up with Kulick to record the Skull album (under the adopted name of Dennis St. James)…Burki went on to work with Rainbow, Blue Öyster Cult, and also Skull…Katsaros’s post-Balance activities include playing, singing and arranging for Kiss, Rod Stewart, Cher, Bon Jovi, Sinéad O’Connor, Gloria Estefan, Frank Sinatra, Donnie Osmond, Diane Schuur, Todd Rundgren and Aerosmith, plus working in several Rockin’ Broadway Shows (among which The Rocky Horror Show and Footloose). (Please keep in mind that I may easily have overlooked some detail in either of the 5 musicians’ rather filled curriculum, okay?) …until, shortly after the re-issue of the In For The Count album through Rock Candy/ Universal, news came in 2008 that he, Castro and Kulick were in the throws of recording a new Balance album. Drums on the album were played by Brett Chassen (co—produced the album with Kulick), except on the tracks “Liar” (where they were handled by Jesse Castro) and “Who You Gonna Love” (with JoeyKramer taking over the drum stool). The bio mentions that this album brings “…back the trademark sound…updating it to the production techniques and taste of the new millenium…”! Well, I have only that first album (and on vinyl at that) to go on as comparison, so as far as the “trademark” sound goes, I would have to say that in my opinion time has left its mark on Castro’s voice, cutting off some of the high-end pitch. Otherwise, the modern production possibilities make for a fuller sound in which each instrument is clearly heard…much clearer than in the old days, when you were almost necessarily concentrating on either the keyboards ór the guitars! Just to make for a bigger remeniscence to the old sound, the backing voices might’ve been mixed a bit more on the forefront…but that’s really the only remaks I have! In essence, and seen apart from past achievements, Equilibrium is simply one of the Melodic Rock masterpieces of our time, one which no true fan of the genre should go without! I only hope we’ll finally see the band getting out on the road to promote their stuff on the stages worldwide! I’ve tried to find a site on the Internet with Balance music (off this album or older), but the only ways to get some was by surfing either to the tribute page myspace.com/bobkulickkiss, where the song “Breathe” is posted, or to myspace.com/peppycastro, where you’ll find an mp3-file for “Who You Gonna Love”…and then there’s samples of 4 other songs to be found in the “audio” sub-section of the “multimedia” part of the label’s website (www.)frontiers.it…which is already enough material to get acquainted with the album as a whole. 90/100 Tony. |