The Phenomena concept was created by Tom Galley, whose brother Mel Galley played guitar for Trapeze and Whitesnake. Drawing on a theme supernatural phenomena, Tom wrote most of the lyrics and some of the music, while Mel rounded up singers, musicians, and other writers to bring it all to life. Over the course of eight years, three albums were released — Phenomena (1985), Phenomena II: Dream Runner (1987), and Phenomena III: Inner Vision (1993). The Phenomena series enjoyed success in Europe and South America, though not enough to hatch the visual treatments the Galleys had envisioned. Still, with Glenn Hughes, John Wetton, Cozy Powell, Brian May, and other noted musicians in the mix, the three Phenomena albums were well received when they were reissued in 2018. For 2019, Phenomena X: Anthology collects 15 best-of-breed tracks with a few rare mixes thrown in for extra appeal.
Branded as a 25th anniversary compilation put together by Tom Galley, the thread through all the songs is this very deliberate 80s pop rock sound. Though Galley’s concept was modeled on 70s prog rock, the music was more in the vein of perennial favorites of the day like Journey, Foreigner, Kansas, and Asia. It’s easy to see how songs like “Still The Night” and “Did It All For Love,” which garnered considerable airplay, brimming over with tight harmonies, soaring guitar solos, and rigid arrangements, were constructed with all the right ingredients.
Glenn Hughes, the voice of rock whose career was wavering a bit in those years, leads the way on the first five numbers — “Still The Night,” ‘Dance With The Devil,” and “Phoenix Rising” from the first album, plus “Assassins Of The Night” and “Running With The Pack,” recorded at around the same time, but left off the original release. Mel Galley handles most of the guitar work, with legendary drummers Ted McKenna and Cozy Powell logging straight time with little fanfare. Clearly the emphasis is on the melodic nature of the songs and the loose plot behind the lyrics, with extraneous instrumentation relegated to a secondary role.
Singer Ray Gillen, who briefly sang with Black Sabbath in the mid 80s and later formed Badlands with guitarist Jake E. Lee, definitely makes “Stop” from Phenomena II: Dream Runner his own. Hearing John Wetton polish his pipes on “Did It All For Love,” often mistaken for an Asia song, is certainly a high point on this set. Hughes also made an appearance on the second Phenomena album, and his steady performance on “Hearts On Fire” is included here.
Keith Murrell, who’s worked with everyone from Cliff Richard to the Who as a backing vocalist, is the lead singer on the five songs from Phenomena III: Inner Vision, including “What About Love,” featuring Brian May. Another highlight, “How Much Do You Love Me,” has all the earmarks of an arena rocker with a swift hook, Murrell on lead vocals backed by some strong un-credited female voices, and Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham delivering a clean, brisk lead at the break. To complete the package, which includes a booklet filled with lyrics, credits, and Iain Lowe’s notes on his artwork that appears throughout, Phenomena X: Anthology is rounded out by new mixes of “Did It All For Love” and “Still The Night.” In retrospect, Galley’s efforts to reintroduce the concept record in the MTV age was bold and brave. The fact that the Phenomena project features players no longer around (Mel Galley, Cozy Powell, Ted McKenna, Ray Gillen) subtly adds to its legacy.
~ Shawn Perry
