High Noon No Turning Back
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
No Turning Back is an interesting chronological presentation of the veteran West Coast club band High Noon. Most of the recordings on this album were pulled from the band’s demos and the album as a whole paints an interesting picture of the evolution of a rock band.
High Noon was formed in 1989 by Ken Hitsman (guitar) and Sam Persons (bass). These two native Californians added New Jersey born drummer Mike Patterson and New York born vocalist Jim Zappa and hit the Southern California club scene in mid-1989. High Noon spent most of their time playing the usual Sunset Strip clubs (Gazzarri’s, The Whiskey, The Roxy, the Troubadour, etc.). They bounced all over the West Coast supporting a number of major acts until 1993, but were unable to land a record deal with their first demo.
The band hooked up with Great White’s Michael Lardie and later with veteran producer Michael Wagener to record and mix a second demo, which didn’t land them a record deal either. They did get some airplay though, and one of their songs, “Have My Heart”, landed in the top 10 in Belgium. Jaime Harris replaced original drummer Patterson in 1992, but the rise of the Seattle grunge scene drove High Noon out of the music business in 1993 – the same sad fate shared by many decent bands.
The CD opens with “High Noon” and “Bad Moon Risin,’” two songs recorded on an 8-track tape machine back in 1989. The sound is obviously degraded and thin, but not bad overall. You can feel the raw enthusiasm of the band, but Jim Zappa pushes his voice a bit out of his range and overreaches – particularly in “Bad Moon Risin.’” These tracks are about what you’d expect from a newly formed rock band, but you can hear the underlying talent.
“Rude Boy” and “Don’t Come Running” were recorded in a real studio and mixed by Michael Lardie. “Rude Boy” is really cheesy ‘80s/’90s “happy rock” but it has some nice guitar work. “Don’t Come Running” is a snappy blues rock tune with good musicianship all around. Michael Wagener pitched in on the next four tracks. “Have My Heart” is a great song, stylistically almost “Dokken-esque”.
“Skatin’ On Thin Ice” opens with a great riff but falls back into the bouncy “happy rock” category, albeit with solid guitars throughout. “When The Night Calls” and “Just Like A Woman” are solid bluesy groove numbers that sound like a mix of Great White and Dokken (not surprising considering the gentlemen behind the mixing board).
The next three tracks were recorded in the band’s rehearsal studio with decent equipment. “Who Do You Think You Are?” is another upbeat bluesy Dokken style song. “Around Midnight” and “Faith Hope And Love” have a touch of GNR attitude and swagger (and great guitars).
The remaining songs on the album are a bit different, almost experimental. New drummer Jaime Harris stepped in for “Bed Of Lies” and “Weight Of The World.” These two are really good blues rock tunes with outstanding guitar work – the latter being one of the strongest on the disc with lyrics still relevant today. Zappa and Hitsman recorded “House Of Glass” on an early home computer setup – only the synthetic-sounding drums spoil what is otherwise a solid song.
What really sets this album apart is not so much the music, but the chronological development of the band. Zappa has a great voice and Hitsman a fabulous guitar player. Persons, Patterson and Harris seem to be good musicians as well, but there is not a track on the disc that highlights their skills particularly well. Had the timing been different these guys might have made it big, but for now this album is a pleasant window to the past. Fans of late ‘80s or early ‘90s radio-friendly rock will enjoy No Turning Back.
Label: Eonian Records
Web: http://www.eonianrecords.com/b-highnoon/highnoon.html
http://www.myspace.com/highnoonrocks
Track Listing:
01. High Noon
02. Bad Moon Risin’
03. Rude Boy
04. Don’t Come Running
05. Have My Heart
06. Skatin’ On Thin Ice
07. When The Night Calls
08. Just Like A Woman
09. Who Do You Think You Are?
10. Around Midnight
11. Faith Hope And Love
12. Bed Of Lies
13. Weight Of The World
14. House Of Glass
HRH Rating: 8/10