Away Team

SIN-ATRA
Various Artists
Armoury Records
7 out of 10







Who doesn’t love Frank? Seriously, who out there doesn’t like at least a little Frank Sinatra? If you don’t, you probably haven’t really listened to him. And if you haven’t ever sat down and really listened to Mr. Sinatra then do yourself a favor and grab a CD of his and sit down and find out for yourself what all the hub bub is about.

When I first heard about SIN-atra the rock/metal tribute to Frank Sinatra I was very excited. I thought it was a great idea. And when I heard all the names attached to the project, I was even more excited to hear the album.

Upon hearing the album I was surprised and disappointed at the same time. Some of it worked, but most of it kind of left me scratching my head.

You have one of the greatest song writers of a generation, one of the most popular singers of all time supplying the material, then you have such great voices like Glenn Hughes, Geoff Tate, Time Owens, Eric Martin, and Dee Snider to belt out the great tunes. How could this go wrong?

There are two schools of thought about doing covers. One is to make the song ‘your own’ and change it up a little or a lot. The second school of thought is to stay true to the song and redo it note for note. Both are valid, but I have found that when a band or artist ‘reinterprets’ a song, it is usually to the detriment of the song. Just my opinion, but that’s why you’re reading this, to get my opinion.

The artists on SIN-atra have for the most part taken the songs and put their own touches on them. For the most part the songs are recognizable as the originals, but the arrangements and vocals throw a new spin on old classics. Some work, sadly for me, most didn’t.

The stand outs for me were Dee Snider’s It Was A Very Good Year (for the simple balls out vocal performance), Jani Lane’s That’s Life (last song on the disc, and may just very well be the closest to the original, Kudos to Jani for a great performance here), and Dug Pinnick’s I’ve Got The World On A String (for another great vocal performance).

The best laughs were the over the top performances of Franky Perez’s High Hopes, Elias Soriano’s Love And Marriage, and the tripped out and possibly best song on the album Robin Zander’s Fly Me to The Moon. And when I say best laughs, I don’t mean they are so bad they are good, I mean they are so over the top they are good. Very tongue in cheek, nudge nudge, wink wink, and if you get it, you can enjoy the hell out of it.

I was disappointed in Geoff Tate’s Summerwind. The man has an amazing voice, but the arrangement of this song was flat and uninteresting. It was one of the most anticipated songs for me, and there for almost the most disappointing. But taking the cake was certainly Joey Belladonna’s Strangers In The Night. Completely out of his range, he should have picked a different song to perform. Just a completely horrid song. So bad it is bad. But… it wasn’t the worst cover I’d hear today… for that gem (or turd) you’ll have to read my review on Stryper’s new album The Covering.

Great attempt here, but a few too many misses to be a great album. The disc is worth picking up for Dee Snider, Robin Zander, Franky Perez, and Elias Soriano’s performances alone.

Check out AOL’s listening party where you can listen to the album online right here.

You can pick up SIN-atra right here.

HOLLYWOOD, CA (February 23, 2011) MR. BIG is back with their highly anticipated new studio album entitled ” What If… ” out now on Frontiers Records.

“What If… ” is MR. BIG’s first all original album since the reunion of the four original members,  Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey back in early 2009. Sixteen years after the release of ” Hey Man ”, the new recording is set to bring back MR. BIG on the height of the current Hard Rock scene.

 Guitarist Paul Gilbert said: “This is the first MR. BIG album I have been a part of, since fourteen years and it was done in a snap. It was fun and we had really a  good time in making this one”. Continues Billy Sheehan “It’s so great to be back with Paul, Eric and Pat too. We wrote this record like we did in the old days for the first 2 records. Jamming together in the same room to write songs”. Pat Torpey adds ““Some of the recording process is different now from what we were used to in the old times. But I think this record really managed to capture the performances of the band, not of the individual musicians”.

 Eric Martin concludes: “I like to compare this to the first album, when we just got to know each other in a reharsal studio and cut it in 8 or 9 days. This is like chapter 2. We had so many years, so many records and so many things behind us. Now this feels like a beautiful brand new chapter starting for all of us”.

 ”What If… ” was produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Rush, Iron Maiden)  and the release will be followed by a World Tour which will kick off in South America in March and will hit Europe in early summer.

 Formed in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history by combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The original line-up – vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Pat Torpey. Mr. Big produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres – be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock.

 Their hits included “To Be With You” (Billboard Hot 100 number one single in 15 countries for weeks, in 1991, propelling the band the band to huge international success and record sales in the multi-millions), “Wild World”, “Green-Tinted sixties Mind”, “Just Take My Heart”, and a host of heavy metal songs that were played mostly during their live performances: “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy”, “Addicted to that Rush”, “Colorado Bulldog”, and “Take Cover”.

 “What If…” will be released in a special edition CD + DVD in digipak, regular CD, vinyl and digital download and in a limited edition luxury box including the CD, DVD, LP and exclusive memorabilia.

 “What If…” tracklisting includes: Undertow; American Beauty; Stranger In My Life; Nobody Takes the Blame; Still Ain’t Enough for Me; Once Upon a Time; As Far As I Can See; All The Way Up; I Won’t Get In My Way; Around The World; I Get The Feeling; Unforgiven (exclusive bonus track for Europe / North America – not on vinyl edition).

 The DVD will include the videoclips of “Undertow” and “All the Way Up” plus a documentary “Making of” the album including interviews and exclusive behind the scenes features of the four members.

 For more information go to www.mrbigsite.com

On March 28th, Eagle Rock’s Armoury Records is releasing the truly unique SIN-atra album. This is another mind and genre-bending triumph from the team that brought you We Wish You A Metal Xmas and, put simply, is the world of heavy metal’s tribute to the genius of FRANK SINATRA.

Featuring a great line-up of artists, SIN-atra offers a set of totally original versions of classic Frank Sinatra songs. The album features twelve songs made famous by Ol’ Blue Eyes which are given a radical and individual new treatment from some of the finest voices in rock including members of ANTHRAX, TWISTED SISTER, DEEP PURPLE, QUEENSRŸCHE, MR BIG, WARRANT and CHEAP TRICK with the backing of a superb band led by guitarist Bob Kulick (KISS/MEAT LOAF).

Tracklisting:
New York, New York (Devin Townsend)
I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Glenn Hughes)
Summerwind (Geoff Tate)
It Was A Very Good Year (Dee Snider)
Witchcraft (Tim “Ripper” Owens)
Fly Me To The Moon (Robin Zander)
Lady Is A Tramp (Eric Martin)
I’ve Got The World On A String (Dug Pinnick)
Love And Marriage (Elias Soriano)
Strangers In The Night (Joey Belladonna)
High Hopes (Franky Perez)
That’s Life (Jani Lane)

These classics are re-imagined musically by the SIN-atra house band which features Bob Kulick (guitar); Brett Chassen (drums); Billy Sheehan (bass); Doug Katsaros (keyboards and orchestrations); Richie Kotzen (lead guitar on That’s Life). The songs are known to everyone but you’ve never heard them quite like this before!

To pre-order your SIN-ATRA click here.

MR. BIG is back to announce their highly anticipated new studio album entitled What If… on February 8, 2011 on Frontiers Records.

What If… is MR. BIG’s first all original album since the reunion of the four original members, Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey back in early 2009. Sixteen years after the release of Hey Man, the new recording is set to bring back MR. BIG on the height of the current Hard Rock scene.

Guitarist Paul Gilbert said: “This is the first MR. BIG album I have been a part of, since fourteen years and it was done in a snap. It was fun and we had really a good time in making this one”. Continues Billy Sheehan “It’s so great to be back with Paul, Eric and Pat too. We wrote this record like we did in the old days for the first 2 records. Jamming together in the same room to write songs”. Pat Torpey adds ““Some of the recording process is different now from what we were used to in the old times. But I think this record really managed to capture the performances of the band, not of the individual musicians”.

Eric Martin concludes: “I like to compare this to the first album, when we just got to know each other in a reharsal studio and cut it in 8 or 9 days. This is like chapter 2. We had so many years, so many records and so many things behind us. Now this feels like a beautiful brand new chapter starting for all of us”.

What If… was produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Rush, Iron Maiden) and the release will be followed by a World Tour which will kick off in South America in March and will hit Europe in early summer.

Formed in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history by combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The original line-up – vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Pat Torpey. Mr. Big produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres – be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock.

Their hits included “To Be With You” (Billboard Hot 100 number one single in 15 countries for weeks, in 1991, propelling the band the band to huge international success and record sales in the multi-millions), “Wild World“, “Green-Tinted sixties Mind“, “Just Take My Heart“, and a host of heavy metal songs that were played mostly during their live performances: “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy“, “Addicted to that Rush“, “Colorado Bulldog“, and “Take Cover“.

“What If…” will be released in a special edition CD + DVD in digipak, regular CD, vinyl and digital download and in a limited edition luxury box including the CD, DVD, LP and exclusive memorabilia.

The DVD will include the videoclips of “Undertow” and “All the Way Up” plus a documentary “Making of” the album including interviews and exclusive behind the scenes features of the four members.









For more Mr. Big click here.