|
RUSS
BALLARD |
|||
As
great as the song writing team of Rod Argent and Chris White was in
both the Zombies and a few years later by 1970 in Argent, it was the
presence of Russ Ballard that added so much to the bands stamina
and presence during the classic Argent era. After he left Argent after
1973s In Deepthe highlight being his amazing powerhouse
vocal on God Gave Rock And Roll To YouBallard stepped
out with his self-titled first album in 1974 and hes been going
strong since. After the breakup, the great Argent line up with Rod,
Russ and the future Kinks rhythm section of Rod Henrit and Jim Rodford
was sorely missed by fans who put them up on a pedestal with prog-rock
legends like Yes and Caravan. One of the most amazing shows I ever
witnessed was the In Deep era Argent lineup backed on the bill
by Yes offshoot band, Flash. I also had the unique chance to sit with
Russ in a booth at My Fathers Place after an Argent concert
at that famous club back when Argent visited Long Island. With a slew
of his great original songs, Ballards torch song rock repertoire
was a huge influence on pop and rock fans in that crucial early 70s
era. Admittedly, I hadnt heard him for years so a chance to
review his 2007 album Book Of Love came as a fantastic and
welcome surprise. Though older and seasoned in 2008, Ballard takes
advantage of his unparalleled song writing skills throughout the Book
Of Love album. Needless to say, Ballard was one of the great U.K.
singer-songwriters who was also a brilliant guitarist. A sidebar but
a valid point to mention on his guitar legacy is Ballards early
instrumental, a fantastic driving instrumental rock track of his called
The Lost City was one of the highlights on the now classic
1965 Shadows Lp on EMI, Sound Of The Shadows. Always worth
the ears of Argent fans, Hank and the Shadows fans and more, Ballards
unique ability to merge guitar driven progressive rock and pop influences
continues moving in the right direction with the classic rock vibe
of Book Of Love. www.Russ-Ballard.com
|
|
|||
|
||||
CD Reviews | Feature | Reviews & Features Archive | Photo Archive | Contact | MWE3 Home |
Email: Info@mwe3.com |
Copyright ©2000-2009 MWE3.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved |