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Radioactive - 2001 Ceremony Of Innocence
 RADIOACTIVE - CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE (2001, MTM MUSIC) Tommy Denander - guitars, keyboards, other instruments: Guests: too many to name, read on, or read the liner notes of the album when you buy it... Background What could best be described as a labor of love for Sweden's ace guitarist Tommy Denander. A man with his body in Sweden, but his heart and soul in L.A. This collection was originally scheduled to be a solo album for him back in 1991, but label differences saw that plan shelved, and with the passing of time, and using the latest technology, these songs have now seen the light of day. And I have to say, well overdue, in fact ten years overdue! Take one part Toto, one part Chicago, and perhaps a drizzle of West Coast a la Fee Waybill or Richard Marx, and 'Ceremony Of Innocence' is what you'll get. Added to that of course is Tommy's own definitive guitar style, which combines all the influences of those L.A session greats such as Lukather, Thompson, Parks, Graydon etc. And to top it off, some of those guys even play on the record! The Songs There's a few songs on here, so lets rip into them. 'The Story Of Love' features Geir Ronning on vocals, and his Steve Overland (FM) flavored vocals sit atop a song which could quite easily fit on John Wetton's magnificent 'Battle Lines' opus. 'Crimes Of Passion' strides out confidently with Bobby Kimball's recognisable style. Similarly, Fergie Fredericksen's striking presence with 'On My Own' hauls memories of Toto's 'Isolation' out of the closet. Fellow Swede Kristoffer Lagerstromm steals the mike on 'Grace', a beautiful piece which has David Foster and Randy Goodrum providing the piano and keyboard layers. Chicago's bass playing vocalist Jason Scheff and ex Santana singer Alex Ligertwood share the honors on 'Waiting For A Miracle', while Jason follows up solely on the smooth AOR of 'L.A Movies'. Check out the insane solo-ing going down on 'Liquid'. Whether it's bass popping, fluid guitar solos, or ivory slamming of the keys, you gotta hear this one. Geir Ronning showcases his great voice again on the sublime 'Haunt Me Tonight', while our Tubes friend Fee Waybill appears on the powerful rock-out of 'A Case Of Right Or Wrong', carrying right on from his 'Read My Lips' album. Jim Jidhed sings on 'Silent Cries' and if you imagine Toto meets Alien, we'll your halfway there.. The Jap bonus track 'Remember My Conscience' is cool too, with Tommy's extended guitar solo's providing some sonic entertainment! Most of the songs feature the team from Toto, probably without the direct input of Steve Lukather it would seem, though I'm sure he would have been involved with precedings somewhere along the way, even out buying all the beers for all the boys! Some of the older members are in there too, such as Joseph Williams, Dave Hungate, and Bobby Kimball of course. Mention goes to the late Jeff Porcaro, as these would have been some of the last songs he ever worked on prior to his passing. In Summary In summary, 'Ceremony Of Innocence' is not just a collection of songs, but a subtle listening experience of quality production for those with appreciative and understanding ears! Tommy has demonstrated on this one album just what respect he has in the industry to assemble a stellar cast like this. Let alone the incredible musicianship displayed throughout. For Toto fans alone, this is a must have item for the collection, and makes one pine for those glory day moments of 'Toto', 'Hydra' and 'IV' etc. We'll try and get some words from Tommy himself about this project, and his reflections over the last ten years about it. In the meantime, source this out if you know whats good for your health. URL: www.tommydenander.com Track Listing: 01 The Story Of Love 02 Crimes Of Passion 03 On My Own 04 Grace 05 Waiting For A Miracle 06 L.A Movies 07 Ceremony Of Innocence 08 Liquid 09 Haunt Me Tonight 10 A Case Of Right Or Wrong 11 Silent Cries 12 When You're In Love 13 Remember My Conscience Related Articles: Radioactive - 2001 Ceremony Of Innocence Radioactive interview with Tommy Denander - Oct 2001  Radioactive - 2003 Yeah! Radioactive interview with Tommy Denander - Jun 2003  Radioactive - 2005 Taken Radioactive interview with Tommy Denander - Dec 2005 Copying of material without permission is not permitted. Posted by gdazegod
on August 15, 2003 ·
2 Comments ·
1816 Reads ·
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