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CITY BOY BLUES
Don't be upset if you don't remember Zinny J. Zan. He's not widely known on U.S. soil other than his stint as the singer for SHOTGUN MESSIAH (he was replaced after the first disc was released by Tim Skold, who was playing bass). It's 2002 and the Swedish screamer has signed with Fastlane Records, based in Oklahoma, and returned from his 12 year-long hiatus from the US music scene with City Boy Blues.
Zinny's back up band on this disc is top-notch. Kee Marcello, who you may remember from EUROPE makes an appearance on lead guitar on "Wild As A Rose".
There's nothing too revolutionary about the songs on this disc; they're pretty straight-forward hard rock songs, with stacked growling vocals, and very distinct hooks. Lyrically, it's not working for me. Zinny has loaded each track up with a slew of cliches and tired prechy lines that have been used a thousand times on every so-so hard rock record since 1987...with that in mind, pulling them out for a disc in 2002 isn't the wisest move. I already know that drugs kill people, and I don't need Zinny telling me in every other song that people die from overdosing.
I will say that even though I'm not a fan of the lyrics, some of the riffs he's come up with on this collection of tracks are monstrous. "Lost Generations" has an IRON MAIDEN tone while the slide playing in "Wild As A Rose" sounds like it could have been yanked out of a CINDERELLA song.
One thing I think Zinny needs to re-think are the FIVE shots of himself on the CD insert. He's no spring chicken and it really shows. He's an aging Swede with jet black dyed hair, and a purple jacket. He reminds me of ACE FREHLEY in these pictures..you know, just an old man with a bad dye job, trying to dress like a 20 year-old.
Hard Rock enthusiasts will get a kick out of City Boy Blues for it's adherence to old school riffage, and for the answer to the "What Ever Happened To" questions about Zinny...although something tells me there weren't too many people who were that curious.
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