{"id":53963,"date":"2017-02-06T17:13:33","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T22:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=53963"},"modified":"2017-02-06T17:13:33","modified_gmt":"2017-02-06T22:13:33","slug":"jack-russells-great-white-he-saw-it-comin-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2017\/jack-russells-great-white-he-saw-it-comin-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Russell’s Great White | He Saw It Comin’"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller<\/span>
\n– Managing Editor —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Everyone loves a story of redemption, of comebacks, of someone on the verge of losing it all (in this case, Jack almost lost his life) and then against all odds, like a phoenix from the ashes, rises from the rubble and takes back what was rightfully theirs. In short, that’s what Jack Russell’s Great White’s new studio album He Saw It Comin’<\/em> is really all about. <\/p>\n

If you’ve followed Jack through the ages, you know this multi-platinum rockstar had his ups and downs, from arguably owning the best vocal chords in the ’80s to nearly dying in a hospital bed from drug and alcohol abuse after his then-band Great White left him to wither away, alone. (If you want some Hardrock Haven editorial insight into this story, read here: http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2012\/03\/great-white-vs-jack-russell<\/a>). All that he’s overcome to become THAT singer again, that songwriter, that rocker and so much more is the tale He Saw It Comin’<\/em> tells.<\/p>\n

The album opens with a track \u201cSign of the Times\u201d that easily fits on a release like Hooked<\/em>, a classic Great White track that dissects the current human condition as people who love their cell phones and i-Whatevers more than they do human interaction. The track is smooth, it glides, and Jack sounds stellar. For all of the \u201cfeel-good\u201d nuances of his comeback, if Jack couldn’t sing like he used to, none of this would really matter as much to the fans. Thankfully, Jack IS<\/strong> back, in every way, shape and form. The dude has pipes \u2026 <\/p>\n

If you liked \u201cMista Bone,\u201d that super-sexual song off of Twice Shy<\/em>, then you’ll dig \u201cShe Moves Me.\u201d It’s a slinky, stripper-dance anthem that owns a fun groove and makes you want to shimmy. After this though, the darkness is coming. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy Addiction\u201d is a warped \u201clove\u201d song to what addiction has meant to Jack. \u201cI can’t stop although it’s killing me, my addiction’s got me on my knees.\u201d Yeah \u2026 for anyone who’s wrestled with drugs and alcohol, the lyrics spell out the omnipresent haunting of jonesing for that next high. It’s Jack tearing back his own flesh and daring you to take a peak inside his soul. Robbie Lochner’s guitar solo is a searing, chaotic accompaniment to that panicked, chasing-the-dragon lust. <\/p>\n

Great White has been known for their ballads, with \u201cSave Your Love\u201d leading the charge, but so many others, like \u201cThe Angel Song,\u201d \u201cAfterglow,\u201d \u201cHow Far is Heaven,\u201d \u201cIs Anybody There,\u201d the anti-balled \u201cLove is a Lie,\u201d and so many more. Add \u201cAnything For You\u201d to that list and put it at A-1 with \u201cSave Your Love.\u201d When recording it, Jack’s voice was a bit worn down, and Lochner thought that’d make the song more real and emotional; Jack admits he was in tears when singing it. (Listen to the Hardrock Haven interview with Jack about the new album to hear the whole story: http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2017\/01\/audio-interview-jack-russell-of-jack-russells-great-white\/<\/a>) It’s a bare-bones ballad to his wife, with lyrics that chill, like, \u201cWhat would you do, if we had no more tomorrows? What would you say, as the last thing, before I pass away?\u201d True love might not exist for the bulk of mankind, but if you want to hear what it sounds like, Jack recorded it for you here. <\/p>\n

The title track goes back to a lighter side of the album, with Lochner’s kids playing out a \u201crock star\u201d fantasy on drums and guitar as the crowd screams for them before the real song kicks in. This owns a huge Queen vibe throughout, both vocally and musically; there’s just a lot of pageantry to soak in. It’s not a straight forward rocker, and it may be the best on the album. This is Jack pounding his chest and saying, \u201cI’m not done yet!\u201d <\/p>\n

One of the most goofy-cool songs is \u201cSpy vs Spy,\u201d an homage to Mad Magazine<\/em> and their comic series of the same name. It’s a blazing track, and Lochner’s deft opening solo turns into a chunky riff that will make you look for 11 on the volume knob. <\/p>\n

What’s a Great White album without a doo-wop song, right? Never fear, there’s one here in \u201cGodspeed.\u201d All jokes aside, this song highlights how \u201cgreat\u201d the guys harmonize with each other. It’s a capella<\/em>, it’s a riot, and while Jack’s voice out front is just further proof he’s back in every way, you’ll have to be impressed with the backing vocals. <\/p>\n

He Saw It Comin’<\/em> is not like a number of releases from bands who made it in the ’80s and are still making music today. Those bands live off of their hits, but bring nothing new (or palatable) to the table. He Saw It Comin’<\/em> is really Jack Russell as the voice of Great White somehow capturing the essence of the classic sound yet bringing it all into the now with new music that will also stand the test of time. It’s pure, it’s heartbreakingly honest, but above all else, it’s just really damn good.<\/p>\n

Genre: Hard Rock<\/p>\n

Band:
\nJack Russell: Vocals
\nRobby Lochner: Guitars
\nTony Montana: Guitar and Keyboards
\nDan McNay: Bass
\nDicki Fliszar: Drums <\/p>\n

Tracklisting:
\n1. Sign of the Times
\n2. She Moves Me
\n3. Crazy
\n4. Love Don\u2019t Live Here
\n5. My Addiction
\n6. Anything for You
\n7. He Saw it Coming
\n8. Don\u2019t Let me Go
\n9. Spy vs Spy
\n10. Blame it on the Night
\n11. Godspeed<\/p>\n

Label: Frontiers Records<\/p>\n

Online:
\nwww.twitter.com\/jacksgreatwhite<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.jackrussellsgreatwhite.com\/<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JackRussellsGreatWhite\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: [usr 9.4 size=20]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller – Managing Editor — Everyone loves a story of redemption, of comebacks, of someone on the verge of losing it all (in this case, Jack almost lost his life) and then against […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":53161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15128],"tags":[2317,374,54,1103,12864,4814,13024,13100,13099],"class_list":{"0":"post-53963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2017","8":"tag-cd-review","9":"tag-frontiers-records","10":"tag-great-white","11":"tag-hard-rock","12":"tag-he-saw-it-comin","13":"tag-jack-russell","14":"tag-jack-russells-great-white","15":"tag-tony-montana","16":"tag-twice-shy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53963","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=53963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}