Brian Howe Circus Bar

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by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Most singers fail when attempting to replace a legend (think Ripper Owens in Judas Priest, Blaze Bailey in Iron Maiden, etc.) Brian Howe, when joining Bad Company and replacing Paul Rodgers, not only kept the original momentum going, but took the group to new heights. Selling somewhere around 19 million albums with the band when he fronted Bad Company, the band was a more radio-friendly and less blues-based Classic Rock unit, but that’s exactly what they needed to stay relevant in the fluffy, Hair Metal ‘80s. Now, Howe is back with a revitalized sound on his new solo effort, Circus Bar, and for the most part even those rockin’ Bad Company days have been left as well.

Starting off the album with the obvious “I’m Back,” it’s clear Howe sings as well or better today than he ever has before. Some people are just born to sing, and Howe is one of those jealousy-inducing talents. A straight ahead AOR sounding Rock song, Howe seems to be shouting out to his fans (or detractors) that he still has it in him to create incredibly catchy anthems, and he does so here without question.

Besides that opening song, you’ll get a similar pacing and style on most of the tracks. “Life’s Mystery” is mid-tempo, starting with acoustic guitar and building tepidly to a chorus rich with “ooooh, ooohs” and a thumping bass line. When you think of Bon Jovi going nu-country or whatever the hell you want to call it, Howe does the same here and a few other songs.

“Could Have Been You” is another song that seems if Kenny Chesney sang it, it’d be all over CMT. Now, the difference between Howe and these pop country “artists” is that Howe sings better than all of them combined. Still, fans hoping to hear “No Smoke Without a Fire” won’t find it here.

Back in the day, ballads like “Something About You” and “If You Needed Somebody” brought Bad Company to the top of the charts with Howe. “Surrounded” is another one of those types of songs, and it nearly stands alongside them in quality. You can’t deny the warmth of Howe’s voice, his seemingly effortless range and the ease the notes flow from him on songs like this. This is one of the best tracks, and fans of his prior releases will glom onto it.

Now, it gets a little messy. “My Town” is hands down a Country composition. It’s not rock, it’s not even faux-Country like Mellencamp. Check the opening lyrics: “Just a young boy, in a small town, down by the sea. A little George Strait, playing football, that’s where you’ll find me.” George Strait, really? If he is looking for crossover potential, the definition of crossover is “appealing to more than one music chart or genre.” You could put this on Country radio stations around the U.S. and Moon-Pie eating RC Cola drinkers will love it, but don’t expect Nickelback or 3 Doors Down fans to return the favor. Simply put, it’s out of place on this release. You can’t blame him for experimenting, but Howe should record an entire Country album if that’s his focus today.

(Point: After reading this review, Howe left this comment: “Having read your review ( which I mostly liked ) I have to bring up a point or two. I am not sure where you got the references to George Strait from my CD.
Surely you must have seen the song titles and seen the last song on the cd was called ” Little george St “…… That was also the name in the song that you were referring too…..MY TOWN!” Bad mistake, and point taken, Mr. Howe.)

Brilliantly placed, a remake of “How About That” immediately follows and nearly scours your brain of “My Town.” There is no added element here; it’s just a remake and proof that Howe is still an incredible singer. The better remake is “Holy Water,” which used to be a chugging rocker but now is an atmospheric and poignant ballad. In fact, you could argue this version has more to offer than the original. There is orchestration, haunting background vocals, and of course, Howe’s immaculate voice out in front of it all. As far as remakes go, this may be one of the best you’ve ever heard.

Circus Bar is a bit of a conundrum. It’s still Howe, and he’s still one of the best singers on the planet. The good songs are effective in pulling you in, making you sing along and sticking in your head, and the remakes shine as well. But the Country tinge, slathered across a few of the tracks, is frankly offputting. So, go in to this one with an open mind, knowing Howe made the album he wanted to make and obviously didn’t bow to pressure from his label or anyone else. How that works out for him in the long run remains to be seen …

Label: Frontiers Records

Track listing:
1. I’m Back
2. Life’s Mystery
3. There’s This Girl
4. Could Have Been You
5. Surrounded
6. Flying
7. How It Could Have Been
8. My Town
9. How ‘Bout That
10. Feels Like I’m Coming Home
11. If You Want Trouble
12. Feelings
13. Holy Water
14. Little George Street

Hardrock Haven rating: 6.9/10