TMG 1
DISCLAIMER: This CD is only available as a very expensive
import from Amazon.com, and after reading this, you may want to
avoid spending the gastly $37.99 price tag, but then again.....
TMG 1, the Tak Matsumoto Group (now your thinking 'WHO the HELL is this Tak guy?'), one of Japan's premier guitarists and leader of the B'z
(Japan's equivalent to LED ZEPPELIN), decided to make a group project involving some key American players. His choices couldn't have been more
appropriate than ex-MR. BIG singer Eric Martin, NIGHT RANGER/DAMN YANKEES bassist and songwriter to the stars Jack Blades on bass and vocals, along with session drummer Brian Tichy (PRIDE & GLORY/SLASH's SNAKEPIT) to form an all-star line-up that could only result in a hardrock masterpiece. Well, after spending more than three weeks with this disc in the player, I must admit that this disk falls far from the mark on the promise of those involved.
Considering the songwriting power of Blades alone, along with Martin's very well crafted pipes and Tak's fluid, VAN HALEN inspired playing, this disc really has a few good tracks, and an awful lot of duds. It's not that the disc, nor the songs are bad per se, but instead they just fall flat. The hooks really aren't there, except for disc opener 'Oh Japan - Our Time Is Now', which has some terrific modern production values, tons of punch and a terrific hook, the rest of the disc is forgettable. And boy I wish it wasn't. I had huge expectations for this one (that should teach me), and that's were things always
go wrong. It's also the fact that no matter what Martin sings, it always sounds like Mr. Big. The production is top notch and the musicianship is
perfect and really well delivered, but the songs really don't rise above that. What a shame, because this could have been a terrific disc. If your a fan of any of those involved, and have alot of spare change kicking around, then this disc might make you happy, but this disc made me...broke.
