ProgRock Records has re-released Kansas singer Steve Walsh’s 2005 album
Shadowman, repackaged with two new tunes. The heavy thud behind
these ten songs might come as a surprise given the diminutive Mr. Walsh’s
progressive rock fame with Kansas. In his case, rocking harder isn’t necessarily
a bad thing
Starting off “Rise” (complete with some cool distorted Walsh vocals),
we are soon into familiar melodic territory with the next couple of .tracks.
There’s a bunch of aggression here, which serves Walsh’s voice pretty
well against the big sound of Joe Franco’s drums (he of Twisted Sister
fame) and some Kansas-like orchestration at the tail end of the song (Michael
Romoe is credited with “giga symphony”).
“Davey And The Stone That Rolled Away” is pretty much a straight-ahead
rock and roll number, and you gotta love Joel Kosche’s guitar in “Keep
On Knockin’” (he of Collective Soul fame). “Pages Of Old”
is adorned with pretty acoustic guitars and a heartfelt vocal. It’s definitely
one of the best songs on the album, sustained by Walsh’s plaintive pleas,
a solid and hypnotic rhythm, and well-produced orchestration. You know how when
you hear a great power ballad and it only stays quiet for the first 30 seconds
or so before breaking out into a full band kick-ass production? Well, that’s
not what happens on “Pages Of Old.”
“After,” at nine minutes, sounds a little like a Kansas tune, maybe
a bit long, but pretty much a solid romp of different styles and shading with
long instrumental breaks and probably the best lyric Walsh delivers on the album.
“The River” comes with a real strong Steve Walsh vocal, open light
acoustics, and a pseudo gospel feel. My only complaint is that it’s a
little too long, but it’s still a great tune. “Faule Dr. Roane”
and “Dark Day,” the bonus tracks, are exceptionally strong, not
the usual scraps and left-overs kept off the original release for a reason!
David Ragsdale (violinist Robby Steinhardt’s replacement in Kansas) is
smoking on both.
Walsh says of Shadowman: “It’s hard to put into words
what writing these songs meant to me. I don’t think I was born to do it. But
over time, I was able to feel things that I blocked out for many years, hell
maybe I never felt them before at all.” It’s good to see Shadowman
get its due and a full fair airing.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
