Rudy's Journey - Rudy's Journey


Year of Release: 2002
Label: SB Records / Tempus Fugit
Catalog Number: 4019 1 0910010 4
Format: CD
Total Time: 63:25:00

Based around the nucleus of Germany based guitarist Rudi Buttas, who has been with the succesful German band PUR for more than twenty years, it became obvious that this his solo album is a commercially intended album, resulting in larger than life AOR. One of the production secrets is to open an album with what they call an "in your face" song followed with one or two more rhythmic songs in a slightly similar style. Only with the fourth track can you slow down a little. This is exactly what happens here and the more I listen to the concept the more I have to think of yet another German project namely Mandoki. Another sign of a commercial approach is the fact that an extra sticker informs us that no fewer than five songs are sung by Saga vocalist Michael Sadler, information which is already printed on the front of the sleeve as well. Knowing how popular Saga still is in Germany this looks indeed like a marketing ploy rather than the fact that Buttas really likes Sadler's voice. Also American Michelle Young lends her Bush-like vocals to the material and one of the nicest examples can be found in the splendid, long, "Peter Pan" which not only holds some great harmonies between Young and Sadler but also a wonderful guitarsolo courtesy of Rudi Buttas.

A song like "Fly" is the kind of music you'd expect during a Eurovision song contest, sounding very thin and predictable. The song is being sung by David Hanselmann who used to be the singer with Triumvirat (later stage) and was being discussed as a possible new singer for no less than Genesis way back in 1975. Listening to what he does here one can only thank his lucky stars that the Genesis move never materialized! Michelle Young tries as hard as she can to really impress, yet the song "Harder Day" sounds a bit too much like another weak Bonnie Tyler output. Newcomer Jochen Schild tries his hand at the soft reggae of "In Concert" slightly reminding me of the singer of Belgian band Ken's Novel. I really like the instrumental "Just Pink Friends" which, needless to say, borrows a lot from Gilmour and "friends." As a whole Rudy's Journey is a neat album with a lot of radio friendly songs, however I'm convinced that true prog lovers will wait in vain for some memorable moments, moments which sadly never show up! Knowing the band PUR sells millions of albums though, Rudy's Journey certainly will sell a fair amount of copies which is a nice piece of promotion for the talent of Michelle Young who has just released a brand new solo album produced by Clive Nolan.


Tracklisting:
Long Day (3:29) / Radio (4:20) / Pretty Lies (4:) / Breath Of Life (4:58) / Blindman (5:14) / Mona (3:04) / One More Chance (5:08) / Friends (3:05) / Peter Pan (7:20) / Fly (3:45) / Harder Day (4:56) / In Concert (4:52) / Just Pink Friends (2:54) / Radio (Long Version) (5:34)

Musicians:
Rudi Buttas - guitars, keyboards, bass, backing vocals
Michelle Young - vocals, flute
Michael Sadler - vocals, backing vocals
Jochen Schild - vocals, backing vocals, keyboards
David Hanselmann - vocals, backing vocals
Torsten Kühn - keyboards, bass, backing vocals
Klaus Dieterle - keyboards
Günter Bartl - keyboards
Markus Mai - keyboards
Bodo Schopf - drums
Van Romaine - drums
Joe Crawford - bass
Rolf Kersting - bass
A. Hess - bass
Katrin Haug - backing vocals
Roland Hild - backing vocals
Lain Barbier - backing vocals

Discography:
Rudy's Journey (2002)

Genre: Rock

Origin US

Added: June 2nd 2002
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.rudys-journey.de
Hits: 2103
Language: english

  

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