Kane Roberts - Unsung Radio Rare Limited Edition [2CD] (320k) (2 torrent

A Kane Roberts album by any other name would still sound as sweet. You see, when the Rambo-emulating guitarist who gained a following by slinging an axe for Alice Cooper released his 3rd solo effort in ’99, he didn’t call it a Kane Roberts album, he called it Phoenix Down. Maybe he was trying to shed the ‘80s “stigma” of his name or maybe he just thought Phoenix Down sounded cool, but whatever the reason, the album was released with minimal buzz and failed to make much of a splash.

Following the release of Phoenix Down, Kane took a hiatus from which he has just recently emerged and picked up right where he left off—literally.Unsung Radio is a 2-disc set, of which disc #1 is a reissue of Phoenix Down, the only difference being that “Rebel Heart” from the original Phoenix Down has been replaced by “Walking on Shadows (Remix).” Now most Kane Roberts’ fans should already be well acquainted with Phoenix Down, but here’s a quick recap for the one or two that might have been in a coma the last 13 years, which is the only acceptable excuse for not owning this gem. Phoenix Down features some of the most modern tunes Kane has ever released while fully retaining melodic hard rock credibility. Even when the heavy guitars and aggressive vocals kick things up a notch or two, Kane never forgets to keep the catchiness high. And the non-modern tracks are pure melodic masterpieces, with choruses that soar high with slick harmonies and commercial hooks.

The collection of "NEW" tracks on the bonus CD covers a wide span of Kane's career. Some tunes pre-date Kane's work with Alice while others were recorded as recently as 2004. Kane also has added insightful commentary that explains some of the events surrounding the recordings. He also added some guitar improves that should delight guitar junkies and players alike.

Phoenix Down, "Under A Wild Sky" is an eclectic mix of melodic rockers and includes one of the heaviest solo tracks ever recorded by Kane, "Reckless". Written by Kane, Mike Slamer and the late Jimmy Tavis it features hard driving vocals and guitar and is a great way to kick off an album that slowly is becoming a true cult favorite. Reckless was also heard on the soundtrack of Rockstar starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Anniston. Disc #2, which consists of unreleased songs, demos, guitar bits, and quick snippets of trivia from the mouth of Kane himself. Some tunes pre-date Kane's work with Alice while others were recorded as recently as 2004. He also added some guitar improves that should delight guitar junkies and players alike.

Most of the songs sound like they could have been outtakes from Kane’s debut, meaning they are firmly entrenched in that ‘80s hard rock style, and while they lack a big, bombastic production, they don’t sound all mucked up and muddy either. In terms of songwriting quality, there is little here that rivals the best of Kane—think of these tunes as B-sides rather than hit single material—but they still showcase his ear for a good hook and skill with a guitar. You get gang vocal power on “City of Pain,” moody summertime angst on “Guns of Paradise,” hard-hitting heaviness on “Wrong” (which also features Kip Winger), head-banging riffs on “Louise,” and stacked harmonies and a sing-along chorus on “One Step to Heaven,” which just happens to be the album’s highlight.

This collection will take you back to a time when radio played good music and Kane Roberts was hailed as a god of the guitar. And of course, to those of us who have good taste in rock ‘n’ roll, he still is.


Info:

Artist: Kane Roberts
Title Of Album: Unsung Radio [2CD Rare Limited Edition]
Year Of Release: 2012
Label: Unsung Records
Genre: Hard Rock
Quality: Mp3
Bitrate: CBR 320 kbps
Total Time: 01:42:33
Total Size: 235 MB


Tracklist:

CD1 - Under A Wild Sky:
1. Reckless (4:08)
2. Walking On Shadows (Remix) (3:46)
3. Love Gone Wrong (4:18)
4. Blind (4:26)
5. Rain (5:37)
6. Alive And Well (4:05)
7. Walk (4:51)
8. I Want It Again (4:49)
9. In Another Life (4:31)
10. Rebel Heart (5:18)

CD2 - Unreleased Tracks:
1. Commentary I (1:24)
2. City Of Pain (3:48)
3. I Bleed For You (3:29)
4. Guitar Stroke I (0:50)
5. Guns Of Paradise (3:54)
6. Commentary II (1:38)
7. One Step To Heaven (3:55)
8. Blue Highway (5:02)
9. Commentary III (1:47)
10. Wrong (5:38)
11. Rain (Demo) (4:47)
12. Guitar Stroke II (0:43)
13. Self Control (4:54)
14. Commentary IV (0:38)
15. In Another Life (Demo) (5:07)
16. Commentary V (1:48)
17. I'm Waiting For You (3:19)
18. Louise (3:23)
19. Commentary VI (0:40)

ENJOY and Please SEED too.