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Great White - Rising
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Great White first returned to the rock and roll arena with 2006’s Back to the Rhythm, but with the release of their new disc Rising, they prove they are truly back in the groove again with their particular brand of blues-rock that put them on the map way back when, with a Grammy nomination and a multiplatinum record. Having barely survived tragedy in the early 2000’s, it is wonderful to see the sharks swimming their way back up to the top again with their 14th studio album.
Rising takes the listener on a roller coaster ride, starting off with the hard rocking Situation, the questioning of Loveless and a trip into the Danger Zone, slowing down to catch breath on the ballad I Don’t Mind, which features some spectacular keyboard work by Michael Lardie, then weaving in some mid-tempo singalongs (Shine, Is It Enough.)
The chemistry that brought Great White such success in the 80’s is still very much intact, with Mark Kendall’s guitars perfectly matching Jack Russell’s lyrics in an intricate conversation. Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow are back for the count, and the only thing missing from the original lineup is bassist Tony Montana, who has been replaced by Scott Snyder on this offering. Just in case we had forgotten, Russell reminds us with the – dare I say it – cocksmanship of the swaggering 80’s frontman ‘tude - that he “gives it all or nothing cuz that’s the way I roll” and that he’s a man who “takes what he wants when he wants it”.
One of the pleasant surprises of this record came later in the track listing with the funky 70’s riffs reminiscent of Mista Bone in Down on the Level, and the band’s bluesy roots really come into play with the final track, My Sanctuary, which announces "All Rise” with a church organ sound and launches into a blues track suitable for that last slow dance of the evening.
All in all, Rising is a well put together record that leaves you smiling at the end, a fun rock record that will be a great summer soundtrack.
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