Jeff Scott Soto Live at Firefest 2008
by Franco Cerchiari
Staff Writer
The resume of singer Jeff Scott Soto is indeed one of the most impressive in all of hard rock. Singing lead or background with everyone from Journey, Soul Sirkus, Takara, W.E.T., Talisman, Eyes, Glass Tiger to Axel Rudi Pell, Stryper, Saigon Kick to a lost of others, he has truly secured a place as one of music’s best. Live at Firefest 2008 is the latest in the catalog that features Soto singing a collection of his best. A show who according to various interviews with Jeff almost didn’t happen due to his involvement with Trans Siberian Orchestra.
What comes immediately into focus is how amazing of a vocalist he is, and even live, when many vocalists lose their “edge” or ability to sound the same as they do from the CD on which the song first appeared, his voice is clear, perfect and amazingly in pitch. He blasts through the hard rocking tracks with energy, his band in perfect form, the sound crisp and one can only imagine how his ability to transmit his love for performing relays to the audience, who then sends back to him their uproarious approval.
Opening with the hard rocking “21st Century Man” whose lyrics talk about the changing world around us. “21st Century Man,“ takes a poke at everything – from having the ability to vote, drunk driving and politics. With little warning, this tracks kicks it in the ass, when after strikes of the hi-hat as the power chords suddenly come into earshot then come the wonderful lyrics “… don’t drink, don’t smoke, if you don’t think, don’t vote … everyone‘s gotta live a little lie … these are the days, when anything goes …” This is true Jeff Scott Soto.
Things are just as good as Soto yells out, “you ready to rock ‘n’ roll?” during the intro of the following track, “Soul Divine,” with vocal harmonies and a killer guitar solo. With an almost bluesy edge, “Soul Divine,” (from Lost in Translation) is easily one of this live album’s highlights. The bass guitar work of Gary Schutt is all over the almost metal “Drowning,” the backwoods, off kilter vibe of “Mountain,” was superb, with again the bass guitar playing almost a slap funk style.
From the exceptional Prism release came “Eyes of Love,” which had a delicious give and take between the vocals of Soto and the sensational guitar riffs from the talented axe slinger Howie Simon. Heard next was a jam between the bass guitar, drums and guitars all taking turns at the spotlight. Simon’s fingers fly up and down the neck of his guitar as this made for an amazing solo. “Chicka Wah Wah,” said by Soto opens the dirty, nasty “Testify,” for one has to love a track with such lyrics as “…sugar so sweet, I wanna taste it.” and “shake it like it’s my birthday…”
Hard to not reach for the volume knob, “Testify,” was a melodic hard rocker’s dream, complete with screams, and admonishment from Soto to his band, “…set it up fellas…” The ballad, “Broken Man,” (from the Beautiful Mess release,) brought down the overall feel of the CD up to this point, as one is so caught up in the great hard rock heard thus far, that one hopes the hard rock would continue, instead of listening to a ballad. Not that in any stretch was “Broken Man,” a bad track, but when a lover of melodic hard rock gets sidelined by a ballad, things come to a screeching halt in terms of the hard rock vibe.
Also from Beautiful Mess is the following track “Hey,” a mid tempo rocker. Again with melodic vocals, and some strong drumming. Perhaps not one of this CD’s strongest tracks, it did however show just how much control Soto does have in his voice, as it fluctuates often from low to high. “Is This The End,” was well played, and as well did the piano fill in a strong accompaniment to 2009’s Beautiful Mess’s single, “Gin and Tonic Sky,” Closing this live release, was something completely unexpected and different.
A melody featuring some of classic funk and classic rockers, with Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and also a part of the medley and to throw things so far off the beaten track was Wild Cherry’s 1976 funk/disco hit, “Play That Funky Music (White Boy.”) Even this seemed to hit Soto funny as in a certain moment he is heard laughing out loud mid track. But son of a bitch, it was catchy as hell, and a mix of funk/disco played with a hard rock edge made for one infectious track. “Play That Funky Music,” indeed – it is hard not to wish they were in the audience during the part when Soto yelled out “… jump, jump and everyone scream …” Then if that wasn’t enough, The Commodores, “Brick House,” Carl Douglas’s 1974 hit, “Kung Fu Fighting,“ and K.C. and the Sunshine’s Band, “Shake Your Booty,” Village People’s “Macho Man” all made it their way into this almost 9 minute medley. A laugh at loud was made when in the middle of New Kids on the Block’s “Hang Tough,” … “oh, oh, oh oh,” came the line “…this song sucks.”
To continue the trek into the unbelievable was the band breaking out with “Staying Alive,” by The Bee Gees (quickly the WTF comes,) but heard during “Staying Alive,” was a break out guitar solo, when suddenly the band goes back into “Play That Funky Music.” with the yell from Soto to the audience to, “…go, go, go…” suddenly the scream “Goodnight!!!” with each band member delivering a final quick solo. Never has funk/disco been played with such fervor, especially by a hard rock vocalist, but all in all, one can’t help but admit it was well played and probably was sensational when heard as part of the audience. Different to say the least, but damn, it was fun to hear. So gather your friends, crack open a 12 pack of Michelob and sing your heart out.
With a mix of the ballads, the hard rockers, funk and yes, disco, this was overall a great release by one of today’s premiere vocalists. It is true that live albums don’t always come across as standouts, with many of the sounds of the audience enhanced in the studio, but what was heard sounded natural and many times one could feel of the repose that Soto does have with his audience. The instruments were clear, each note audible, not a reverb or squelch to be heard and the sound spot on. Jeff Scott Soto has done it again – this was a great live CD.
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock
Track Listing:
21st Century Man
Color My XTC
Soul Divine
Our Song
Drowning
Drum Solo
Mountain
Eyes of Love
Guitar/Bass Guitar Jam
Testify
Broken Man
Hey
Crazy
Gin and Tonic Sky
I’ll Be Waiting
Funk/Disco Medley (Play That Funky Music, Jungle Boogie, The Roof Is On Fire, Brick House, Shake Your Booty, Kung Fu Fighting, Yo Baby Yo, Macho Man, Ice Ice Baby, Stayin’ Alive, Another One Bites The Dust, Walk This Way, I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, My Love, My Friend.)
Musicians:
Jeff Scott Soto – vocals
Howie Simon – guitars, background vocals
Gary Schutt – bass guitar, keyboards, background vocals
Dave Dzialak – drums, percussion
Label: Frontiers Records
HRH Rating: 8.9/10