{"id":42896,"date":"2014-07-22T06:42:35","date_gmt":"2014-07-22T11:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=42896"},"modified":"2014-07-22T06:43:18","modified_gmt":"2014-07-22T11:43:18","slug":"gregory-lynn-hall-heaven-to-earth-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/gregory-lynn-hall-heaven-to-earth-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Gregory Lynn Hall | Heaven To Earth<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska<\/span>
\n– Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"GregoryGeneric and repetitive, being a third-league copy of the particular artist\u2019s original band \u2013 or too drastically apart from the previously taken music direction, laden with unnecessary sound experiments. That\u2019s how things usually end up for musicians embarking on solo path after a longer tenure in a band. However, there are tremendous exceptions to the rule \u2013 one of them being Heaven To Earth<\/em>, a debut solo album by Gregory Lynn Hall of AOR band 101 South (set to be released in late July via AOR Heaven). It follows a one man-band formula as Hall holds responsibility for all vocals and instrumental parts on the album with the exception of a few guitar solos. These are a contribution of guest musicians: Craig Goldy (ex-Giuffria, ex-DIO, Budgie), Billy Liesegang (101 South, Harlan Cage, solo), Jeff Duncan (ex-Odin, Armored Saint, DC4), Mike Turner (101 South, Fair Ground) and Johnny Navarro.<\/p>\n

\u201cRockin\u2019 The Road\u201d goes first and keeps going full throttle throughout the entire four minutes! It\u2019s a perfect opener, flavored with distinct touches of blues and Southern Rock and some tasteful retro vibe to it, completed by Hall\u2019s raspy vocals. Instrumental work within the song is fine too, especially the furious guitar solo played by Jeff Duncan. The follow-up \u201cStars In The Night\u201d explores quite different territories music-wise. It\u2019s edgy melodic hard rock piece, slightly heavier than what Gregory Lynn Hall did with 101 South and more in vein of Paul Sabu or Kane Roberts. <\/p>\n

\u201cLove Can\u201d starts with tinkly \u201880s-style keyboards, signalizing a shift to more mellow AOR sound and mellow it is indeed \u2013 but not syrupy by any means, with certain power to tug at all Foreigner and Giant fans\u2019 heartstrings. As for the next track \u2013 if there\u2019s any recipe for a perfect power ballad, it\u2019s what Gregory Lynn Hall must have learned by heart and put into practice ever since. From its soft, reflective verses exploding into the powerful chorus to the incredible vocal harmony throughout the entire track, \u201cFly On\u201d is the best ballad tradition revisited to the incredible effect. <\/p>\n

The title track comes next, signifying a rapid change in the mood as it takes a listener for a rock-themed trip at breakneck pace \u2013 until the unexpected slowdown that comes with serious guitar wizardry delivered in a solo part. This one\u2019s a guest contribution of Craig Goldy, and if there was any doubt about the former Giuffria and DIO axeman being one of the most underrated six string masters in the history of rock, the guitar solo of \u201cHeaven To Earth\u201d proves there should be none. \u201cOrdinary Man\u201d is another ballad \u2013 not pre-eminent, yet enjoyable \u2013 and with \u201cMama Said,\u201d the journey continues somewhere down the dirt road in the midst of the US South. The feisty blues piece, enriched with trademark harmonica sound (played by Hall himself) features also guest solo from Johnny Navarro. In \u201cCry No More,\u201d the Americana influences blend with straightforward hard rock sound, culminating in Billy Liesegang guitar bravura. <\/p>\n

\u201cI Thought I Saw Heaven\u201d and \u201cCryin\u201d both mark a slowdown. However, while the former is a charming hard rock ballad, which may remind you of either Def Leppard or House Of Lords classic weepy moments, the latter gravitates more towards blues, of the similar nature music-wise as 1989 Gregg Allman\u2019s ballad \u201cI\u2019ll Be Holding On\u201d of the Black Rain movie soundtrack. This lengthy, emotionally laden track enriched with a wailing guitar solo \u2013 which ultimately brings to mind a picture of a lonely bluesman telling a story of his soul\u2019s torment in a smoky bar \u2013 is next to the last on the Heaven To Earth record. Afterwards, goes the final of the eleven songs included here, titled \u201cYou Got Me Runnin.\u201d This one\u2019s also slightly blues-infused, but much different in nature, feisty and dynamic. Again it\u2019s Americana-soaked Gregory\u2019s soul that speaks with his raspy voice, finishing this truly outstanding album on a very high note.<\/p>\n

Eclectic, varied approach to music, not restrained to a particular genre, but rather revisiting the best traditions of hard rock, melodic rock and blues \u2013 that\u2019s what Gregory Lynn Hall\u2019s solo debut stands for. Interesting and diverse, shaped by Hall\u2019s undeniable multi-instrumental talent as well as fantastic contributions by the guests from the outside, Heaven To Earth is one of the best albums to be released in 2014 \u2013 even though the year in its entirety is particularly gracious to us listeners and no one knows what the future holds in store yet. One thing is certain \u2013 with artists such as Gregory Lynn Hall still around and eager to share their passion for music, this future looks at least promising. <\/p>\n

Genre: Hard Rock, Melodic Hard Rock<\/p>\n

Band:
\nGregory Lynn Hall – all vocals, guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, harmonica.
\nBandit Bellamia – drums
\nCraig Goldy – guitar solo (track 5)
\nBilly Liesegang – guitar solo (track 8)
\nJeff Duncan – guitar solos (tracks 1, 2, 10)
\nMike Turner – guitar solo (track 11)
\nJohnny Navarro – guitar solo (track 7)<\/p>\n

Track List:
\n1. Rockin\u2019 The Road
\n2. Stars in the Night
\n3. Love Can
\n4. Fly On
\n5. Heaven To Earth
\n6. Ordinary Man
\n7. Mama Said
\n8. Cry No More
\n9. I Thought I Saw Heaven
\n10. Cryin’
\n11. You Got Me Runnin\u2019<\/p>\n

Label: AOR Heaven<\/p>\n

Website: http:\/\/gregorylynnhall.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.5\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska – Columnist — Generic and repetitive, being a third-league copy of the particular artist\u2019s original band \u2013 or too drastically apart from the previously taken music direction, laden with unnecessary sound experiments. […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":42897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10848],"tags":[9610,9075,2317,6180,9608,1103,9609,2847],"class_list":{"0":"post-42896","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2014","8":"tag-101-south","9":"tag-aor-heaven","10":"tag-cd-review","11":"tag-craig-goldy","12":"tag-gregory-lynn-hall","13":"tag-hard-rock","14":"tag-heaven-to-earth","15":"tag-melodic-hard-rock"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}