SONG REVIEWED: "Illusions"
I AM BECOMING MORE AND MORE FOND OF SIDE PROJECTS IN MY RIPE OLD AGE (YEAH, RIGHT..."OLD" MY ASS)... WHEN THE MEMBERS OF THESE ESTABLISHED ACTS BRANCH OFF WITH OTHER GUYS AND FORM OTHER BANDS, IT'S USUALLY A STEP IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. THAT INJECTION OF NEW BLOOD AND NEW INFLUENCES MORE OFTEN THAN NOT RESULTS IN FRESH MUSIC... THIS IS CERTAINLY THE CASE WITH WESTWORLD, WHICH INCLUDES BRUNO RAVEL OF DANGER DANGER, TONY HARNELL OF TNT, MARK REALE OF RIOT, AND DRUMMER JOHN O'RIELLY.
NOW, BEFORE WE ALL START GOING DOWN ON EACH OTHER, LET'S GET ONE THING STRAIGHT: THIS IS MELODIC, EXTREMELY 80s-INFLUENCED, HARD ROCK. IT'S NOT REVELUTIONARY BY ANY MEANS, BUT IT IS VERY POLISHED AND EXTREMELY WELL-PRODUCED (A TIP OF THE HAT TO PRODUCER PAUL OROFINO).
"ILLUSIONS" BEGINS WITH A FAMILIAR 80s-STYLE KEYBOARD INTRO LEADING INTO A DRIVING, CRUNCHY, MAIN RIFF. FOR SOME REASON, I CAN SEE THIS SONG RUNNING DURING THE END CREDITS OF SOME CHEESY, COMING-OF-AGE, SEAN-ASTIN OR COREY HAIM 80s MOVIE... OH, I KNOW WHY!!! DID YOU EVER SEE THAT MOVIE WITH SEAN ASTIN AND KEVIN BACON CALLED "WHITE WATER SUMMER"? ... WELL, DURING THE END CREDITS, "BE GOOD TO YOURSELF" BY JOURNEY IS PLAYING, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS SONG REMINDS ME OF (OK, NOW YOU CAN GET THE STRAIGHT JACKET... I'VE OFFICIALLY GONE NUTS).
TONY HARNELL'S (WHO BY THE WAY LOOKS LIKE A VERY PISSED OFF CRAIG SCHEFFER OR JOSH BROLIN IN THE INSERT PHOTO) VOICE IS TOP NOTCH DURING THIS SONG. HE'S LISTED AS PROVIDING ALL VOCAL AND HARMONY TRACKS FOR THE SONG, AND HE DOES SO FLAWLESSLY... HE SOUNDS A LOT LIKE PAUL LAINE ON THIS DISC (LAINE IS SINGING LEAD VOCALS FOR DANGER DANGER... BUT YOU KNEW THAT) LYRICALLY, THIS HAS A JOURNEY-ESQUE TONE TO IT, IN THAT IT TELLS A FEW BRIEF STORIES IN THE VERSES ALL WITH A COMMON THEME; PEOPLE LIVING WITH THEIR HEADS UP THEIR ASSES, AND ULTIMATELY MEETING THEIR DEMISE BECAUSE OF IT.
MARK REALE'S GUITAR TRACKS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SONG... WHEN IT'S TIME FOR HIM TO RIP INTO A SOLO, HE POPS IN, DOES HIS THING, AND THEN FADES BACK INTO THE BACKGROUND, FILLING IN A FEW LITTLE LEAD LICKS HERE AND THERE.
THE SONG ISN'T GOING TO WIN ANY MODERN COMPOSITION AWARDS, AS IT'S HOOKS ARE FAIRLY DATED. THESE ARE GUYS THAT MAKE VERY GOOD, HOOKY, MELODIC, HARD ROCK...AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. I WAS SURPRISED TO NOT SEE BRUNO RAVEL'S NAME ON THE WRITING CREDITS, BECAUSE THIS HAS A SIMILAR SOUND TO DANGER DANGER'S "FOUR THE HARD WAY" AND "RETURN OF THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVES"... IF YOU'RE GETTING TIRED OF YOUR OLD BON JOVI, DANGER DANGER, AND TNT DISCS, AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ASKING YOU TO DEVIATE TOO MUCH FROM YOUR MUSICAL TASTES, PICK THIS ONE UP. HOWEVER, IF YOU JUST HAVE TO HEAR "BANG BANG" ONE MORE TIME, YOU'LL BE JUST FINE WITHOUT THIS ONE.
