COMING THROUGH

So, following on from Neal and Nick's solo albums, Ryo has now decided that it is time for his new album. Ryo's solo recording career goes back as far as 1980, and this album is an attempt to revisit some of the songs that he has written over the last twenty years. While Ryo alone wrote three, four were composed with Neal Morse and Nick wrote the last. As well as employing the services of these two as vocalists (and Nick as drummer along with Simon Phillips and his own son, Sage) Ryo has also used the services of Glenn Hughes, Bobby Kimball and his wife Linda Green-Okumoto. Bass was provided by Dave Meros (he only needed Alan Morse to get the complete set) and Kenny Wild (who Ryo has been working with as part of Natalie Cole's band), while Steve Lukather, Michael Landau and Jun Sumida provided guitar.

This is not an album that would initially be recognised by anyone as being by Spock's Beard apart from possibly that he has enough nerve to start the album with an eight minute instrumental, and also includes a nineteen minute piece with Neal singing. Songs such as the pop rock of "The Farther He Goes, The Farther He Falls" and the initial menace of "Slipping Down" shows that Ryo has a strong understanding of melodic rock, with a Floydian edge. Strong Hammond style organ is featured on "Highway Roller" and the distinctive vocals of Glenn Hughes fit in so well that this song would not sound out of place on any of Glenn's solo albums.

Overall an album that is there to be enjoyed, just don't expect a Spock's Beard outing but there again Ryo has little input to the writing of that material so possibly that should be expected.

Originally appeared in Feedback #70, Oct 02