JIM CREAN
 Jim Crean - Velvet Crush (Melodic Revolution Records) 20111. Taste Of Reality (3:38)
2. Crystal Clear (4:06)
3. Make It (A Fine Line Between Love And Hate) (3:53)
4. My Heart Breaks Down (4:02)
5. It Couldn't Get Any Better (3:58)
6. Daytime Friends (Nightime Lovers) (4:09)
7. She Goes Down (2:54)
8. Never Made It Through (3:21)
9. Melissa (4:32)
10. Redlight (3:41)
BONUS TRACKS 11. Colleen (4:00)
12. Past Tense (4:06)
Jim Crean he is a Buffalo, NY based hard rock/metal vocalist. Besides being a solo artist, Jim is known in the upstate New York area for his 80's heavy metal tribute band Hair Nation. "Velvet Crush" is Jim's third solo CD on top of recording covers for various tribute releases. As such, it's no surprise that Jim's solo record is full of good-time rock and roll as if the musically depressed 1990's never even happened. "Velvet Crush" is a loud and proud, hooky, hard rock. From the collage of photos inside the CD it's clear to see that Jim is heavily influenced by Steven Tyler. Though Jim is certainly no Tyler clone, the influence is felt throughout. For this album Jim collaborated with Phil Naro, know for his work with Talas and Peter Criss, among others.
The heavier rockers such as "Tastes of Reality" and "It Couldn't Get Any Better" are pure 80's style glam metal gold. These songs could easily have been on a record by Kix or Warrant. "Crystal Clear" has a killer 70's vibe, almost like Cheap Trick meets Sweet. The song fits in with the rest of the album so perfectly I didn't even suspect that it was a cover until I read the liner notes. The song is actually a Mitch Perry penned song that was originally recorded by Talas. "She Goes Down" is a sleazy glam rocker that would have fit nicely onto early albums from bands like Faster Pussycat and LA Guns, while "Never Made It Though" has a glammy 70's T.Rex-meets-Aerosmith vibe. Of course any album of this nature must have the obligatory ballads and "Velvet Crush" has a few. "Make It" is a sticky-sweet, acoustic based song that could have been a radio hit for any number of band had it been recorded in 1988 rather than 2011. Likewise, "Daytime Friends (Nighttime Lovers)" is about as schlocky as a ballad gets. The album ends with two bonus tracks; a power ballad titled "Colleen" and an acoustic track titled "Past Tense".
|