Heaven
+ Earth ‘Dig’ album review
Released
on: Quarto Valley Records. Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Yes, here we have another of my favorite ‘artist’s’ projects and I hate to say ‘projects’ over ‘band’ but I have to say that until now - and this latest album from Heaven + Earth. - more or less, that’s exactly what Stuart Smith’s Heaven + Earth has been prior to the gathering of band members who recorded this here album!
That said, you cannot stray from the fact that alongside Stuart the whole time that H+E has existed, has been one Richie Onori, who put simply is a great drummer and solid to a fault!
Also, Stuart has had guest players from the initial Heaven + Earth album, return to play or participate on subsequent releases as well, take Howard Leese (Heart, Bad Company, Paul Rodgers), who guested on the first release and then produced the second release ‘Windows to the World,’ he also shows up once again on this new release, simply titled ‘Dig.’
Incidentally, it may be an odd album title but check out the detail of the albums fantastic detailed artwork, it's spectacular!
Also onboard is Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) once again as special guest and David Paich (Toto), alongside the very talented vocals of Joe Retta, who played alongside both Smith and Onori in Steve Priest’s US version of The Sweet from 2008 through until last year where Smith quit the band after a gig right here in Detroit, to get focused on this new H+E album. He's done a great job too!
Rounding off the band here is Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot, Giuffria, House of Lords) on bass and session wizard on keys, Arlan Schierbaum.
I have to say for me,
the kind of unknown quantity here was vocalist Joe Retta, who I’ve seen twice
with Sweet, but who’s also played in Queen, Led Zeppelin and other tribute
bands that have showcased his talents and while he can totally do those artists justice with his great range, I
had never heard him do anything original. So I wondered just how his ‘natural’
voice would be … I needn’t have been concerned of course, it’s just fine!
At times he seems to
remind me of Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company) and at others, Joe Lynn Turner (Fandango, Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple), so not bad at all.
Stuart Smith for those of
you that don’t know – Shame on you indeed, you don’t know what you’ve missed! –
is a guy who way back in his younger years had a little one on one personal
guitar direction from a certain Mr. Ritchie Blackmore.
There is absolutely no
question in my mind as to the influence that Ritchie had on inspiring Stuart
Smith in his teenage years.
Clearly through Stuart
Smith's style of playing, choice of guitar, appearance, ‘throwing shapes’ when
onstage and lot’s more, the influence is clearly there that is, of Blackmore’s
rock ‘n’ roll styling’s, sadly something that Mr. Blackmore put behind himself
a long, long time ago.
If you miss that, then
look no further than Stuart Smith’s Heaven + Earth band!
I certainly thought this
of the very first album from Stuart Smith, entitled ‘Heaven and Earth.’
The incredible lineup of
musical talent that Stuart pulled into that first release is almost endless!
Released back in 2004, he
managed to pull in the talents of vocalists Joe Lynn Turner and Kelly Hansen (Hurricane, Foreigner) to sing a few tracks each,
not to mention singers such as Bobby Kimball (Toto), Glenn Hughes (Trapeze,
Deep Purple, Black Country Communion), Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Paul Shortino
(Rough Cutt) and more, as well as muso’s such as Carmine Appice, Steve Priest
and also those players that are now on here as band members in Chuck Wright
and Arlan Schierbaum and guest Howard Leese.
Ironically also involved
here, in fact the main man twiddling the knobs on ‘Dig’ is none other than
co-producer of that first release, Dave Jenkins.
I think Stuart has done
well in his choice of Dave Jenkins, as the production here is great!
‘Victorious’ is an
interesting opener, starting with a mystical intro, it soon rocks out in a very
Rainbow / Deep Purple fashion.
It’s reminiscent of early
Rainbow, most certainly the Ronnie James Dio (RIP) period musically.
I also think there’s a
hint of (Led) Zeppelin about it too - For good measure! - in its vibe at times. Not too bad at all!
Next up is the song that
seems to be the lead off ‘tune’ that is being plugged through its cheeky promo
video. – See Link below.
Certainly ‘No Money, No
Love’ is an immensely strong track in terms of hook lines and a really great
vocal performance from Joe Retta and is the second of six complete band
compositions, which really captures the unity that the H+E band have here.
Stuart did the right
thing for sure in bringing Joe onboard from The Sweet. Very strong indeed!
“I Don’t Know What Love
Is (Anymore)’ is seriously a monster ballad!
It’s beautiful, great
layering, great balance, seriously … If only radio was what it used to be,
everyone would be downloading this in the same fashion as when you heard
Foreigner’s ‘Waiting For A Girl Like You,’ Toto ‘I Won’t Hold You Back,’ or
Journey’s ‘Faithfully,’ in terms of monster sound.
This track also features
the biggest artist / player input on the album, where David Paich adds some
strings, Howard Leese a little acoustic guitar, Armand Melnbardis – Violin, a
number of additional guest background singers and producer Dave Jenkins, as
well as a choir in the shape of the Agape Love Ensemble.
The song is one of three
great co-writes from Joe Retta and Smith, the other two being ‘Man and Machine’
and ‘House of Blues.’
There’s no doubt they
form a great writing combination, its great AOR indeed, very much power ballad
territory.
It’s back to the rock,
with a little help from Richie Sambora’s slide guitar and voice box on ‘Man and
Machine’ and I’m sorry if you folks don’t like comparisons, but maybe you do?
I think there’s very much
a feel for Rainbow’s Joe Lynn Turner commercial period here, certainly in the
verse I keep thinking of ‘Can’t Happen Here’ from time to time. That said
Stuart makes the solo his own, as he does all over with some fine playing indeed!
I love this track! It’s
rocking and fun, oh and very cool!
I’m really overlooking
something’s that really shouldn’t be and that is how much of an impact the
other players contribute here.
Arlan’s keys are great!
He really has a complete grasp for the Hammond organ and on tracks like ‘No
Money, No Love,’ ‘Man and Machine’ and many more here he certainly makes his
mark in rockin’ out. But then his input alongside David Paich’s work on ‘I
Don’t Know What Love Is (Anymore),’ could all too easily be overlooked, yet
it’s wonderful!
Richie Onori’s I’ve
already praised as I’ve seen Richie first hand twice live and Chuck Wright I
must say totally compliments Richie though in a fine rhythm section.
‘House of Blues’ really
captures what the song suggests, a smooth Hammond driven blues tune of the finest
quality.
Hammond fans should love
Arlan’s ‘go for it’ style playing here and throughout the album too!
Now the Paul Rodgers
influence on Joe Retta stands out clearly here, as it does elsewhere for sure..
The guy has a truly fine
voice, which as I mentioned previously does tend to be a little like Joe Lynn
Turner and Rodgers, but you know there’s another vocal that he’s a little close
to at times, which should suit the band’s other material well and that is Kelly
Hansen.
Great work from Joe
throughout the album indeed!
Now we’re up to track six
and do get the impression I like this album yet?!
‘Back In Anger’ next and
this is another monster rocker, loaded with hooks and I especially like the
interplay between Smith and Schierbaum, between guitar and synth accordingly.
From great drum intro
through strong verses and stronger choruses, killer guitar and keyboard solo
work here indeed!
It’s very like classic
Rainbow indeed, but much more on top, love this!
Possibly my favourite track on the album!
Possibly my favourite track on the album!
With ‘Waiting For The End
of the World,’ there’s a little more layering of light and dark to the track.
It’s very strong once
again and very much a favourite again for me, it also reminds me a little of
the sound modern day Uriah Heep have, which is right there alongside the
Rainbow and Deep Purple feel.
It is a monster track,
loads to it indeed.
An almost melancholy
start brings us ‘Sexual Insanity’ which then picks up here and there and
proceeds to rock out.
I think at times Joe
Retta even sounds a little like Steven Tyler, which almost gives the song a bit
of an Aerosmith type vibe at times too.
It also has a lot more
intricacies to it as well, some wonderful passages here and there. Yes, another
winner indeed!
Oh people, you’re going
to just love ‘Rock & Roll Does’ with Joe throwing in some harmonica here
and there, but the overall vibe here is very, very Purple like indeed, but with
perhaps with so many of the hooks that Rainbow often had.
The short interplay
between the Strat guitar and Hammond organ, just expands on that some more, at
around the three quarters of the way in mark. It’s literally only a few
seconds, but it’s right there!
A different direction
again, introduces ‘A Day Like Today’ which is a co-write between former H+E
singer Kelly Keeling, Howard Leese, Richie Onori and Stuart Smith.
It’s like Stuart and the
band were possibly inspired by Ritchie Blackmore’s renaissance direction, on
this one, with Joe Retta even adding a little flute, alongside acoustic
guitars, some piano and strings, as well.
A tune I could imagine
Morris dancers doing a jig to!
Certainly breaks up the
album a little. Nice touch!
‘Good Times’ starts a
little like Simon and Garfunkels ‘Cecilia’ and then gets into its groove, quite
an up tempo number, in a style of its own, with a fine blend between the guitar
and keys, wonderful stuff! Nice guitar solo, if a little brief and some
wonderful flurries from Arlan.
Album closer ‘Live As
One’ is a wonderfully big power ballad, really kind of gospel like actually,
with the Agape Love Ensemble getting in on the act again chorally and once
more, producer Dave Jenkins gets in on the background vocals with Joe Retta.
It’s funny, over the past
year I had spoken to Stuart on and off, as well as the interviews I’d done last
year with Joe Retta, Howard Leese and David Paich, touching base on the album’s
progression and very often your hear a lot of talk from people before an album
is released and you hope all the great stuff your told is fulfilled … Well I’m
delighted to say, it most certainly has!
I know that a hell of a
lot of time and money has gone into this and the performances throughout are
great, the production from Dave Jenkins, really well done, the balance, the
mix, I love it!
Folks, if you loved the
Rainbow material, really from the era of Joe Lynn Turner although it still
captures similar passages to early Rainbow too, you really should enjoy this
greatly.
It’s so full of melody,
yet still rocks out plenty, hooks galore, it’s just totally enjoyable classic
melodic rock of best variety!
Nice work by the whole
Heaven + Earth team, I know for a fact Stuart is very proud of this!
Catch them on tour, when
those dates are announced, it’ll be a great show for sure!
Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Weblinks:
Purchase the album here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BNWWUJ8/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dig/id637141654