Dare – ‘Calm Before The Storm 2 - Re-recorded’ album review
Released
on: Legend Records. Release date: Available now
For those
that didn’t know …
After Thin
Lizzy parted ways back in the mid ‘80’s, keyboard player Darren Wharton, who
had featured on the last three Lizzy albums, decided to put his own band
together and call it Dare.
In 1988
the band released the absolutely excellent ‘Out of the Silence’ (1988) chock
full of fantastic AOR magic, indeed a far cry from Thin Lizzy, but clearly
Lizzy had rubbed off on Wharton, as the Celtic influence often shone through in
Dare’s music.
The band
had also featured the extremely talented guitarist, Vinny Burns (Asia, Burns/Blue),
who also recorded the significantly heavier release by Dare, ‘Blood From
Stone,’ (1990) which the band recorded after being criticized in some quarters
for being too wimpy.
Fans
then perhaps seemed a little confused, as they also figured the band must be too, by
releasing two very different albums back to back, which direction to follow?
I have to
say I love both, although I recall the vinyl copy of ‘Blood from Stone’ that I
got at the time, didn’t seem to have been pressed right – Or mixed right? – as
my copy seemed to sound completely distorted when I tried to play it back, even
the replacement I got at the time sounded the same … Ah well …
Burns left
soon after that to join Asia, Wharton continued with other musicians briefly,
before rejoining ex-Thin Lizzy members in 1994 to tour with John Sykes now
fronting the band. Darren Wharton didn’t stay too long with that lineup though and
after sometime – 1998 – he released the third Dare album, ‘Calm Before The
Storm.’
It seemed
to be more or less looking to capture what the band had achieved on ‘Out of the
Silence,’ although perhaps a little too much on the softer side.
He did
play a while longer with Lizzy guys, until around 2000, when he was no longer
willing to be a part of it ... At that time ...
Subsequent
Dare albums were released, ‘Belief’ (2001), ‘Beneath The Shining Water’ (2004),
the live ‘Power of Nature’ (2005) and then ‘Arc of the Dawn’ in 2009.
That
brings us full circle to the latest reissue if you will, which is a re-recorded
version of ‘Calm Before The Storm 2.’
Many fans
had been hoping there would be a re-recorded version of ‘Out of the Silence’
Which had long been talked about, since it had been originally recorded so long ago now and ‘Calm Before The
Storm’ unless it was going to be beefed up, many thought was there any point?
The
original was good, slick, smooth AOR, great songs and was fine in the Dare
catalogue, kind of the downside to Dare’s output though was that after ‘Calm
Before The Storm’ came ‘Belief’ and then ‘Beneath The Shining Water,’ both nice
albums but seemingly perhaps like re-writes of ‘C.B.T.S.’ IMHO.
Although
there are two bonus tracks here, that were not on the original UK release and the running order has changed a little,
sadly Darren has also chosen to take off the Thin Lizzy classic track, ‘Still In Love With
You’ on this new version. Shame …
‘Walk on
The Water,’ is a great track to open the album with, great stuff, classic Dare material and Darren still sings it so
smoothly, if a little different in some spots.
Likewise,
‘Someday’ next is another winner in my book and in fact, there’s some pretty tasty
guitar work here, brought a little more up in the mix but on 'C.B.T.S. 2' the track is about thirty
seconds shorter, but with so much layering on the Dare albums, it sometimes
seems a little too easy to not think that it still rocks. Good stuff in my
books!
Title
track ‘Calm Before the Storm’ is so rich, really like all of the tracks on
here, but it gives the impression of power ballad after power ballad. You do at times just kind
of wish for a little more of the mix of songs that ‘Out of the Silence’ had or
some more of the edge of ‘Blood From Stone.’
Don’t get me wrong, sure there are
soaring guitar solos throughout, but they seem at times to be a little too much
in the overall mix and they don’t get enough of centre stage if you ask me.
On this
latest version of the album, the song has without doubt been cleaned up,
chopped down from over eight minutes originally to just over six and a half
here.
‘Crown of
Thorns’ sounds like it really wants to rock a little harder and not be quite so
slick, although again it is perfectly smooth AOR, heavy on keyboards on this
one, like every track and the guitar blends into the mix without really
projecting.
All the
lead breaks are at the same level at the rhythm guitar, which although they’ve
been brought up a little more in the mix and very nice, it still – to me - is
lacking a little punch.
‘Precious’
is the first of the bonus tracks and it fits as if it were always there. While
it’s mid to up tempo in pace, it still feels like it could use some more ‘rock’
but then with a title like ‘Precious’ perhaps I’m misguided in my desire.
To
‘Silence Of Your Head’ and the song keeps up with everything else here as well
as being cut down by a full minute off the songs original length, there’s also another
tasty guitar solo here too.
OK,
getting down to brass tacks and yes, there is still more of the album to
discuss, BUT …, if truth be known, without doubt the overall production and mix
is better than the original and if you are an owner of the original, then
you’ll know where I’m coming from …
I don’t want to be critical, I really don’t
as I’ve shouted the praises of this band to so many people who have sadly missed
out on knowing their material previously and Darren Wharton is one of nicest
people you could wish to meet. It’s just that …
I think if
Vinny Burns had been brought in on here, it could’ve been rocked up a little, when re-recorded,
but then Vinny didn’t play on the original either so ….
Andrew
Moore who replaced Vinny back in the day and Richard Dews who is on this new one are both very
good players and Richard sounds good here, I just think Vinny had a little more edge to his playing.
I really
do love the music Darren writes and has written or contributed to, I mean on
top of Dare’s great material just look what he contributed to Thin Lizzy as the
last three albums with Phil Lynott show.
Who can
knock the killer ‘Angel of Death’ from ‘Renegade’ or his contributions to the
final Lizzy album ‘Thunder and Lightning,’ where Darren co-wrote four of the
nine tracks, including the excellent ‘The Sun Goes Down?!’
I’m
getting off track here, clearly ....!
Seriously,
there is nothing wrong or even mediocre about any of the songs on ‘Calm Before
The Storm’ version one or two and again they’re all great songs. It’s really
just about what you or I or anyone would expect someone or a band to do different,
if you’re going to completely re-record something?
What are / would you be expecting
to get and why would any artist spend all that time and money doing it, unless
you were going to make significant changes, which I guess they have to some
degree.
Perhaps
I’m just making more of this than I need to, anyone hearing this album for the
first time that is a lover of class AOR will most likely simply love it! So,
back to the review!
‘Rescue
Me’ next is almost a minute shorter than the original version but no less
enjoyable, great, lush harmonies both musically and vocally. Nicely done
mid-paced AOR number, good job guys!
There’s more
of a power ballad style to ‘Ashes’ next and again, all these tracks really do
just ooze class and really Darren Wharton has this down to a fine art.
‘Rising
Sun’ is another again written in power ballad style and is very slick indeed,
of course right?!
Here’s
‘Cold Wind Will Blow’ which is the second of the previously not released tracks
– It was actually previously available as a bonus track on the European special
edition originally, but I never had that one. – and yes, it follows the same
kind of pattern as the two previous tracks. Perhaps just even a little more laid
back, until the guitar solo which rips initially with raunchy style then eases
back a little.
Nice one
again!
‘Deliverance’ closes the album and while it’s
still laid back, it’s a song where the power chords are more emphasized than
the previous few tracks and the guitar solo is just sweet, great flurry on the
final track to wrap things up here.
I think in
summary, I’ve said so much about how I think this could’ve been a little
different, since it has been completely re-recorded, but it’s still a class
album to hear redone.
Anyone
hearing it for the first time, who enjoys smooth, slick AOR, will love it!
Don't forget also, if you want to see Darren playing live, he's still out for a little while longer with Thin Lizzy right now, but that will soon be over, as the band have announced they will no longer tour or release the album they have been recording together under that name.
Rating: 4
out of 5
Official artist releated weblinks:
http://www.dare-music.com/ - Ed's note: Not sure how valid this is today?
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