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THIS IS NOT A TEST...
SONG REVIEWED: "Had It All"
WHEN I RECEIVED THIS DISC FROM A BUDDY OF MINE, I WAS EXPECTING IT TO BE "JUST ANOTHER HARD ROCK DISC FROM A FEW GUYS IN JERSEY"... AS I TRACKED THROUGH THE FIRST SONGS ON "THIS IS NOT A TEST", I BECAME VERY AWARE THAT I WAS MAKING THE WRONG ASSUMPTION. THIS IS BY FAR, ONE OF THOSE DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH; YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF CD YOU HAVE TO TREAD THROUGH A FEW DOZEN ACRES OF SHIT TO FIND.
TO USE ONE OF THE MOST BEATEN-TO-DEATH PHRASES OF ALL TIME. YEARS OF STATIC IS THE "BASTARD CHILD" OF MIKE CRISTI (FORMERLY OF NON-FICTION AND ALL TIME LOW) AND SCOTT MUELLER (FORMERLY OF DOG EAT DOG), BUT FROM WHAT I RECALL OF THOSE BANDS, THIS IS A COMPLETE DEPARTURE. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY SPENT A FEW YEARS LEARNING HOW TO WRITE SONGS BEFORE COMING RELEASING THIS LATEST EFFORT, BECAUSE LAST YEAR THEY WON THE STEPPIN' OUT UNSIGNED BANDS CONTEST.
OK, ON TO THE SONG... TRACK 5, 'HAD IT ALL', HAD ME WONDERING WHO THE HELL KNOCKED OUT THE BAND AND LET STEELY DAN INTO THE STUDIO. THE SONG KICKS OFF WITH A KEYBOARD INTRO, AND QUICKLY BLOOMS INTO AN ELABORATE, LAYERED PIECE OF MUISC SIMILAR TO SOMETHING TOTO MIGHT HAVE RELEASED IN THE LATE 80s.
FOR A DISC THAT WAS RECORDED IN A HOME STUDIO, THIS IS PUT TOGETHER VRY WELL. NONE OF THE INSTRUMENTS ARE TERRIBLY OVER-POWERING...MY ONE GRIPE WITH THE RECORDING IS THAT THE VOCALS SEEM A LITTLE BURIED IN THE MIX, A TACTIC SOMETIMES USED WHEN A SINGER'S VOICE AIN'T SO HOT...THIS, HOWEVER IS NOT THE CASE. A SINGER WITH A HIGHER RANGE WOULDN'T KILL THESE GUYS... IF ANYTHING, IT MIGHT BE THE FINAL ELEMENT THAT PROPELS YEARS OF STATIC THROUGH THE ROOF.
LYRICALLY, THE SONG IS ABOUT LOST LOVE, WHICH AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, IS ONE OF THE BEST CREATIVE INFLUENCES A WRITER CAN HAVE. NOTHING LIKE GETTING DUMPED OR HAVING SOMEONE DIE TO GET THE CREATIVE JUICES AT THEIR PEAK. ALSO, THIS IS WHERE A DIFFERENT SINGER MAY HAVE HELPED OUT...SOMEONE WHO CAN REALLY BELT OUT THE CHORUS WOULD MAKE THIS SONG A KILLER (NOT THAT THEY SHOULD GET SEBASTIAN BACH HELMING THIS OUTFIT, BUT I COULD VERY EASILY HEAR BILLY JOEL'S OR STEVE LUKATHER'S VOICE ON THIS TRACK).
THIS IS DEFINITELY A "WORTH-HAVING" DISC. MIKE AND SCOTT HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN THIS BUSINESS BEFORE, AND THEIR ENDEAVORS WITH YEARS OF STATIC WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE THE SAME RESULTS...HOPEFULLY BIGGER THIS TIME.
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