GREAT WHITE - Elation [George Tutko Remixes] (2013)

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Not too often a band have an album out and then nine months later they release a new version of it. This is the case with GREAT WHITE presenting a newly remixed version of the band's latest studio album Elation, re-entitled "Elation : George Tutko Remixes".

"Elation" was originally released on May 18, 2012 with production and mixing being handled by guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie.
The CD, featuring new vocalist Terry Illous, received positive reviews by the press and was warmly embraced by fans. The only complaint was the fact that some liveliness of previous studio recordings of the band seemed lost at the mixing desk.
When “Hard to Say Goodbye” - the first single from the album - were prepared to its video release, Terry Illous suggested a remix for the track to make an exclusive 'video-mix'. He knew engineer George Tutko who did one album with XYZ, Illous' first band.

After Tutko did the new remix of the song from the master tracks, all Great White members were perplexed how much better it sounded than the original. Then they asked him to do the whole record.
George Tutko is some kind of magician. Having perfected his skills for years with awesome producer Roy Thomas Baker, Tutko has done miracles in the past revitalizing material to Journey for their Greatest Hits albums, Kiss' Box set, Rod Stewart's Sessions 1971-1998 and many more.
He also has been the engineer on great recordings such as Eric Martin's 'I'm Only Fooling Myself', Ozzy's 'Prince of Darkness', Kiss 'Revenge', XYZ's 'Hungry', Quireboys 'A Bit of What You Fancy', The Storm, Two Fires, and the list continues.

In short; the result on Great White's "Elation" is truly surprising. The band's traditional vibrant sound now really sparks with this new mix.
You'll hear a world of difference; guitars now up front sharp, vocals are more clear and the rhythm section definitely sounds way better.
I don't know why Great White didn't called this great engineer in first place (surely rushed by their label) but never it's too late: "Elation - George Tutko Remixes" sounds like it should be now.
Give it a try and then tell me.
Note: this version it is available only in digital format and for limited time. Get it before it become a collectors item.


01 - (I've Got) Something For You
02 - Feelin' So Much Better
03 - Love Train
04 - Heart Of A Man
05 - Hard To Say Goodbye
06 - Resolution
07 - Shotgun Willie's
08 - Promise Land
09 - Lowdown (Bonus Track)
10 - Just For Tonight
11 - Love Is Enough
12 - Complicated

Terry Ilous: vocals
Mark Kendall: guitar
Michael Lardie: guitar, keyboards
Scott Snyder: bass
Audie Desbrow: drums


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www.amazon.co.uk/Elation-George-Tutko-Remixes/dp/B00BC1VRSA

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HERMAN ZE GERMAN And Friends (2012)

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German drummer Herman 'Ze German' Rarebell is best known for his tenure with the Scorpions during their most popular era - from 1977 to 1995 - playing on the
band's more influential albums.
He was an important composer in the history of the group, co-writing such classic songs as 'Rock You Like a Hurricane,' 'Make It Real,' 'Dynamite,' 'Blackout,' 'Arizona,' 'Bad Boys Running Wild,' or 'Another Piece of Meat' among countless others.

But Herman was a prolific songwriter, and many of his own songs didn't found place in the Scorpions schedule. Then, in 1982, the drummer recorded his first solo album, ‘Nip in the Bud’ only in released in Germany in limited quantities.
In the lapse of the following two years Scorpions fame exploded worldwide, specially in the US, where the band met many colleagues touring coast to coast.
Between the gigs Herman decided to re-record the songs of his debut, this time with the collaboration of rising stars of the new metal scene.

For the beautiful semitempo ballad "I'll Say Goodbye" Don Dokken was called to track down the vocal parts. It's a crime that the rest of the Scorpions members rejected this tune back in a day, as it would have surely been a worldwide hit for the band.
In the fun hard rocker "Junk Funk" the vocals are handled by Great White's Jack Russell, as well as on the tongue-in-cheek "Messing Around".
Don Dokken appears again on one of the best tracks here; the melodic "Destiny", which sounds more Dokken than 'Dokken the band' itself.
On the cheap hard rocker and joke-like "Rock Your Balls" we have Perdo Schemm (first Victory singer), and in "Having A Good Time" the legendary Steve Marriott of Humble Pie fame.
The classic rock "Do It" features German singer Charlie Huhn of Victory, while Don Dokken returns on the US hard Rock of "Hard Sensation".
Of course Herman includes two instrumentals for his drumming show, in the form of a cover of the classic old rock "Wipe-Out" and the interesting original "Pancake", both featuring collaborations of Juan Croucier and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt), both also providing backing vocals on some other tracks.


"Herman Ze German and Friends" is a cool, unpretentious and fun hard rock album with a style and sound impossible to reproduce nowadays, as it has all that 'analog vibe' typically '80s.
Long time out of print, the album was re-issued on CD some time ago but with a tiny & flat sound. Now it has been Digitally Remastered with noticeable gain and dynamics, available as digital download only.
We have here some kind of 'lost tracks' by Don Dokken and Jack Russell at their peak of their vocal potency, surely a collector's item for many rockers out there.
Cool Stuff.


01 - I'll Say Goodbye (feat. Don Dokken)
02 - Junk Funk (feat. Jack Russell)
03 - Destiny (feat. Don Dokken)
04 - Rock Your Balls (feat. Perdo Schemm)
05 - Wipe-Out
06 - Hard Sensation (feat. Don Dokken)
07 - Messing Around (feat. Jack Russell)
08 - Having A Good Time (feat. Steve Marriott & Darlene L.)
09 - Do It (feat. Charlie Huhn)
10 - Pancake


Herman Rarebell - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Don Dokken - Vocals
Jack Russell (Great White) - Vocals
Charlie Huhn (Victory, Ted Nugent) - Vocals
Steve Marriott (Small Faces, Humble Pie) - Vocals, Guitar
Perdo Schemm (1st Victory singer) - Vocals
Darlene Love (Phil Spector) - Vocals
Juan Croucier (Ratt) - Backing Vocals, Bass
Bobby Blotzer (Ratt) - Backing Vocals, Drums




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itunes.apple.com/us/album/herman-ze-german-friends-feat./id509543384

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GREAT WHITE - Absolute Hits (2011)

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At the end of the eighties, success in the American melodic hard rock scene was largely determined by hair style, clothes and looks.
However, unattractive guys in bands like Tesla, Guns ’N Roses and Great White managed to sell millions of albums. They distinguished themselves by making good quality music.

Great White were masters in composing bluesy hard rock songs and especially ballads and enjoyed great success with albums like ‘Once Bitten’, ‘Twice Shy’ and to a lesser extent ‘Hooked’.
With plenty of slide guitar and Jack Russell’s Blues-soaked vocals, Great White always stood apart from their assumed contemporaries and while they never sold nearly as many albums as the giants in that genre, their songs still manage to hold up quite well over the decades.


Another Great White 'Greatest Hits' CD? Really?
Yes, but, for you information, this is the best compiled ever.
Their label released previously, some years ago, 2 compilations of the band (the only 'official') but on both replaced some original tracks with live versions or re-recorded ones.
"Absolute Hits" includes for the first time all the original 13 singles from 1984-1992. The 2 remaining songs are "All Over Now" from Once Bitten and "She Only" from 1989's Twice Shy album (good choices).
Mastering and sound quality is really good.
Finally, all the best original versions, on one CD for a cheap price.







Jack Russell - vocals
Mark Kendall - lead guitar
Michael Lardie - guitar and keyboards
Tony Montana - bass
Audie Desbrow - drums




BUY IT !
www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8457668

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