After the success of Aldo’s first album and especially the single “Fantasy,” I was really looking forward to this follow up. It didn’t do quite as well as its predecessor, but still reached gold status and the single “Monkey On Your Back” managed a #12.
They are all self penned tunes, apart from a cover of “Hey Operator” by fellow Canadians, Coney Hatch. This album feels like a concept album, musically anyway. The intro to the record is basically two instrumental pieces together before you get to Monkey On Your Back, and the close out track is Prelude To Paradise followed by Paradise, sort of bookending the whole album. Also, the intro to Hold Back The Night has a killer funky instrumental groove piece before the main song kicks in, and it returns towards the end of the song. It’s a great track and my favourite on the album.
It’s a strange album but for that very thing, I love it and it’s Aldo’s best effort. Great songs and killer playing by Aldo, I still get a buzz when I play this today. You can pick this up very cheap and if you see it, buy it.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
