TOKYO - Back To The Fire (2012)

*

We have been presenting here one of the most underrated acts from Europe since the beginning of the '80s via their recent remastered catalog.
The German / Austrian quintet TOKYO played classic Melodic Rock / AOR with prominent keyboards plus strong melodious guitars, and their songs are constructed around catchy choruses.
Curiously, being a central European band their style is pretty Americanized, and they were quite successful in the old continent before these genres became popular in America.

Around 1985 and after three very good albums, all Tokyo members decided to put the band on hold to form their own projects. Klaus Luley founded the prime AOR masters Craaft, while Robby Musenbichler, Ken Taylor & Lothar Krell glued into another German AOR wonder; JoJo.
In 1995 Tokyo reunited for some shows, and together with their former label decided to celebrate the event re-recording the band's biggest hit; "Tokyo Remix '95", which in fact it's a new recorded version than a remix, including the keyboard driven intro "Hajimeni".
That year both tracks were included into a remastered compilation entitled "Back To The Fire" only released in Germany.

Out of print for many years, now guitarist Robby Musenbichler is releasing "Back To The Fire" via his own label after many requests from Tokyo's loyal fans.
"Back To The Fire" is a great slice of pure '80s AOR / Melodic Rock, essential in any collection of fans from the genre.
Highly Recommended.


01 - Hajimeni
02 - Tokyo (Remix '95)
03 - Hearts Of Steel
04 - Dreamin' Of You
05 - Don't Run Away
06 - Too High
07 - Need Another Love
08 - Father Of Time
09 - One Step Away
10 - Cryin'
11 - Spell On You
12 - Golden Times
13 - Jealousy
14 - Carry On
15 - Keiko
16 - Invisible
17 - We Are The Times

Klaus Luley - Vocals, Guitars
Robby Mussenbichler - Vocals, Guitars
Ken Taylor - Vocals, Bass
Lothar Krell - Keyboards
Fritz Matzka - Drums


BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Back-to-the-Fire/dp/B009PGQSCY

Read more...

TOKYO - Fasten Seat Belts [Yesterrock remaster] (2012)

*

Following on from the recent CD re-release of the excellent self-titled debut album from TOKYO (already presented here), now sees the light the second recording of these '80s German AOR stars: the awesomely titled "Fasten Seat Belts".
Not only the title is good, the music is even better delivering some true consistent AOR Melodic Rock tunes in the best Euro eighties fashion.

Fans (like me) of the adorable classic keyboard driven AOR will love "Fasten Seat Belts". There's tons of very well produced catchy songs, sometimes treading the Melodic Rock ground with precise guitars and a sonically solid rhythm section.
All are good, being the highlights "Dreamer" and "World of Promises" - seriously I would buy this album just for these two songs alone.
If that's not enough, we have a newly recorded version of the first single "Keiko" plus other four previously unreleased bonus tracks; "Rainy Days", "Who Will Stop The Rain", "Turn Off The Light" and "Mama".
All are pre-production demos (with very good sound) that were recorded during the late '80s, and sees the band exploring a more Lite AOR territory.

Tokyo certainly appear to experiencing something of a resurgence at the moment and with this album it's easy to see why.
Before the strong heat wave of AOR bands began to sweep the world, this five piece German band commanded by Robby Musenbichler was already swinging with two studio albums in 1982.
These recent reissues (the third and fourth will be reissued soon as well) have even been enough for AOR Magazine to run a huge feature spread on a band that deserves to be discovered by new generations, and why not, veterans who missed them.
Highly Recommended.


01 - Keiko
02 - Spell On You
03 - Dreamer
04 - Feel Right
05 - World Of Promises
06 - Dreaming Of You
07 - Hearts Of Steel
08 - Get It All Night Long
09 - Bliss
10 - Give Me Power
11 - Lady
12 - Keiko [New Version] (bonus track)
13 - Rainy Days [Prev. Unreleased] (bonus track)
14 - Who Will Stop The Rain [Prev. Unreleased] (bonus track)
15 - Turn Off The Light [Prev. Unreleased] (bonus track)
16 - Mama [Prev. Unreleased] (bonus track)

Robby Musenbichler - guitar, vocals
Klaus Luley - guitar, vocals
Ken Taylor - bass, vocals
Lothar Krell - keyboards, vocals
Fritz Matzka - drums




BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Fasten-Seat-Belts/dp/B009PHGWVA

Read more...

TOKYO - ST [Yesterrock remaster + bonus] (2011)

*

TOKYO were founded in the early '80s in Frankfurt, Germany, by the studio musician and songwriter Robby Musenbichler (vocals, guitar), together with Ken Taylor (vocals, bass), Fritz Matzka (drums) and Lothar Krell (keyboards) who previously had been part of the Michael Wynn Band and Supermax.
The combo completed the line-up with vocalst Klaus Luley (who later founded Craaft).

TOKYO went on rehearsing for a half year before they started to play their first live gigs. The band took the crowd by storm with a strong stage presence – with three singers, twin guitars, tasty keyboards and a pumping drum sound.
Their first and self-titled release "Tokyo" was released in 1981 and immediately stormed the central Europe charts.
The title track "Tokyo" became a rock classic and received tremendous airplay in every rock club and radio station. Until today, this track still appears on many '80s compilations.

Tokio plays classic Melodic Rock / AOR with prominent keyboards plus strong melodious guitars, and their songs are constructed around catchy choruses. Curiously, being a German band, their style is pretty Americanized in the vein of Balance and alikes.
This debut has a surprinsingly modern, fresh and high quality production, even today, after so many years, doesn't sounds dated at all.
Apart from the hit "Tokyo", the rest of the album mantains a high standard with no fillers in sight.
"Cryin`" has that magical early eighties atmosphere including wonderful AOR stacatto keyboards, "Girl" rocks with melody, the catchy "We Are The Times" is made for the radio, and "Father Of Time" has an L.A. scent.
One of my definitive favorites is the awesome midtempo "Carry On" layered with great harmonic vocals and a consistent guitar line through it.


After three successful albums, all Tokio members decided to put the band on hold to form their own projects.
Klaus Luley founded the prime AOR masters Craaft, while Robby Musenbichler, Ken Taylor & Lothar Krell glued into another German AOR wonder; JoJo.
But in the middle, Tokyo continued to record some material sporadically.
Now, thanks to the Yesterrock label, we can listen those previously unreleased tunes, plus some fresh new material from Tokyo. Yesterrock has remastered all the three albums, releasing them at the end of last year for the first time on CD.
This one, the self titled "Tokyo" includes 7 great bonuses.
"Young Kids In Love", "The Time Is Right", "Behind The Faces" and "On My Mind" have been recorded during the '80s. Robby Musenbichler, who today owns a studio near Graz in Austria, has re-produced these takes between 1995 and 2004.
The tracks "Carry On", "Cryin`" and "Girl" are newly recorded versions of the originals – both technically and musically up to date.
I'd say that this CD is a more than recommendable fine slice of pure '80s AOR / Melodic Rock, essential in any collection of fans of the genre.


01 - Tokyo
02 - Cryin'
03 - Tuesday Morning
04 - Girl
05 - We Are The Times
06 - Teenage Shooter
07 - Father Of Time
08 - Carry On
09 - Welcome To My Home
PREV. UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS;
10 - Young Kids In Love ['80s recording]
11 - Carry On [2011 version]
12 - Girl [2011 version]
13 - Cryin' [2011 version]
14 - The Time Is Right ['80s recording]
15 - On My Mind ['80s recording]
16 - Behind The Faces ['80s recording]


Klaus Luley - Vocals, Guitars
Robby Mussenbichler - Vocals, Guitars
Ken Taylor - Vocals, Bass
Lothar Krell - Keyboards
Fritz Matzka - Drums





BUY IT !
www.wowhd.us/CD/tokyo-tokyo/dp/23621021

Read more...