Deacon Street Project - Deacon Street Project

Year of Release: 2004
Label: AOR Heaven
Catalog Number: AORH928A
Format: CD
Total Time: 48:36:00

In the AOR genre, Tommy Denander is a well known name. This Swedish guitarist, songwriter and producer is the force behind some great music, in bands like Radioactive and Sayit. Now he and producing partner Chris Demming (AOR, Spin Gallery) teamed up with bunch of well-known musicians to record some "left-over" songs that he and Demming had written. The line up includes Bruce Gaitsch (Richard Marx, Madonna), Marcel Jakob (Talisman, Yngwie) and Jeff Northrup (XYZ). The project was named Deacon Street Project and is now available in stores.

To be honest, AOR is not my kind of music, but these songs are brought with so much enthusiasm and obvious fun, it turns out to be a very catchy album and quite nice to listen to. No fewer than 5 vocalists, including Chris Demming, give the songs a rich sound, with many harmony vocals. Of course the songs are all very radio friendly, but despite that, they have something to them, something I can only call the X-factor. Tommy Denander plays, besides guitar, bass and keys. The collective knows 4 other guitarists as well, and all of them know how to play their instrument! There are some cool solos on the album.

If you consider these songs are "just" leftovers, they are very good and we can only be happy Denander and Demming have made the decision to record them after all, as the album definitely does not sound like a leftover! If they have more around, maybe this will help them to go and record the rest as well? Very nice album!

Similar bands: Journey, Toto

[This review originally appeared April 2004 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]
Tracklisting:
Radio / Changes / Caught Up In A Fear Of Loving / I Can't Go Back / Lost In The Moment / Before I Loved Just You / Living A Lie / Love Got A Hold On Me / Find Me A Meaning / I Don't Mind / Someday I'll Offer You Surrender / Mad About You

Musicians:
Tommy Denander - guitars, bass, keys
Chris Demming -Vocals
Bruce Gaitsch - guitars
Jan Johansen -Vocals
Geir Rönning -Vocals
Magnus Weinemo -Vocals
Jamie Meyer-Vocals
Jeff Northrup- guitars
Sayit - guitars
Lars Chriss - guitars
Marcel Jacob - bass
Marcus Liliequist - drums
Pat Thern - drums

Discography:
Deacon Street Project (2004)

Genre: Melodic Rock-AOR

Origin SE

Added: December 12th 2004
Reviewer: Marcel Haster
Score:
Artist website:
Hits: 2244
Language: english