Jeff Scott Soto “Duets vol 1”

7/10

However I do this it might be a bit fanboy´ish. I am a huge Jeff Scott Soto fan, been since his Yngwie days. So glad to see him come up with one great release after another even today. But as he said himself: it comes to a point where people might get bored with all his releases. That’s why he came up with this idea of a record. Invite friends for a remake of songs from his career.

So here it goes. “Vol 1” of his Duets records. Even before listening I am excited to see if and when and what will be on the second. But I need to hold my horses and walk through his career with this one first.

Kicking it off with a duet with his W.E.T. bandmate Erik Mårtensson on the “Rock Star” soundtrack song “Livin The Life” is perfect for Eriks voice. Second song was anticipated with a bit of a hesitation. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, yes? “Don’t Let it End” is a song that needs to go under that banner. Amazing song and here is the first time I hear Dino Jelusick since it was announced that he joined Whitesnake as a touring member. And at last the song is available on streaming platforms

Talisman must be one the highest profiled bands he has been involved since Yngwie but not as well known as Sons Of Apollo maybe. And “Mysterious” is another track close to the same as “Don’t let it end”. Or is it me that has played that record so much its almost in my DNA. This version feels a bit thinner in terms of production than the original though.

As Nathan James from Inglorious takes the microphone and gives us the Jeff Scott Soto song “Believe In Me” it turns into an American Rock radio tune, even more than it is in its original version.

Following the bland “Coming Home”( its refreshing but close to don’t touch)is another track that doesn’t reach up to the original versions standard. And the third track on the album to go under the banner Don’t fix what isn´t broken is “Ill be waiting”. A song that need no further information or explanation.

Eyes is a band not everyone is familiar with but I for one go back to this record every now and then. Might be typical 90s hard rock production and lyrics but “Callin All Girls” is one song that put a simile on my face and i can find myself dancing along to it. Here Jeff is joined by Symphony X frontman Russell Allen.

Wait a minute! “Colour My XTC” with Renan Zonata. What is this? The first part was way off but as it moves along it is acceptable but not a track I´ll return to just as “Coming Home” was.

A fun twist is to hear Jeff doing a duet on an Axel Rudi Pell song with the current singer in the latter’s band with the song “Warrior”

One ballad on the album and its one of his own songs. Remake of “Holding On”, it would of course had ended the album instead of second to last. Bj´s vocals(Spektra singer) has a touch of Glenn Hughes to it. Which is nice. Leaving us with a Humanimal track guested by none other than Mats Leven leave you asking yourself: can it get any better?

An album I didn’t loose interest in at all through the whole time. Sometimes I find myself floating away while listening but here I was completely into it.