This is album number two for Bonham. It was released in ’92, three years after the band’s debut (The Disregard Of Timekeeping) and would also be their swan song. It has a different feel to the debut album, with the band going for a more groovy hybrid Zeppelin sound after the melodic rock of the first. I like this style more to be honest, but I guess the record buying public didn’t agree as it didn’t sell too well.
Opener Bing is Zeppelin 101, with Macmaster giving it the full Robert Plant. The title track follows and there is more of a heavy Aerosmith vibe with a great swing to the song. The slow brooding Change Of Season follows and its power ballad time complete with strings n’ things. Cool groove at the intro to Hold On with the drums and guitar seemingly playing in different time. Great vocal! The Storm closes out Side 1 and this feels like a Zeppelin re-write. I’m not dissing the song as it’s really cool, but the sound is so close.
Side 2 opens with my favourite track Ride On A Dream. A killer riff and groove, and Ian Hatton is superb on guitar. Good With The Bad has a really chill jazzy intro and veers into Prog territory as it builds and builds. Awesome solo! Great bluesy intro to Backdoor and the main song has just that hint of funk to give it that swing. Back to that heavy Zeppelin slow pounding groove with Secrets. Los Locos is an instrumental ballad with Ian Hatton giving it the beans on guitar. Squeezing the tracks in on Side 2 as we reach the sixth and final tune Chimera. It feels as though this should have been in the first album as the vibe is almost Toto.
I think it just beats album #1.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
