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The Poodles: Prisma
The Poodles - Prisma CD Album Review

The Poodles: Prisma

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
3.5/5.0

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Gain Sony Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 06.01.2018

Cover albums can be a dangerous thing: something that can be a hit or a miss. The Poodles return with their seventh studio album, Prisma, with covers of songs by artists, from the past forty years, which have influenced the band. What makes cover albums difficult things is picking songs that people know, and then interpreting them properly without losing the song's essence. So how do The Poodles fare? As mentioned earlier, for some listeners (such as myself), it's that thin line between hit or miss.

The Poodles Band Photo

The Poodles

The full track listing can be found below, but the artists include an eclectic range from the well-known like Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, and Adele to the relatively obscure like Swedish House Mafia or the delightfully weird Osmond Brothers. Osmond Brothers? Really? I grew up with the Osmonds, and can't remember a single song they did. But apparently Crazy Horses, which kicks off Prisma, is full blown, blast from the past, rocker. And The Poodles get the wildness of the song. But the Osmond version is better, especially if seen in the context of this archival video. Dig those Mummer-like outfits.


Other novelties within Prisma include an enthusiastic version of the Flashdance hit She's A Maniac; a heavier version of Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way with a stronger guitar solo; the familiar beat, groove, and vocal harmony of Blondie's Call Me (also made heavier); and a soulful version of Deep Purple's Soldiers Of Fortune.

Conversely, The Poodles, specifically vocalist Jakob Samuel can't quite capture the soulfulness of Elton John in Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Also, I've never been a Depeche Mode fan, too dark New Wave for me. Though performed quite well, It's No Good didn't appeal to me either. I find Adele to be pop music boring, and I don't know any of her songs except Skyfall, only because I saw the James Bond movie. In the case of Set Fire To The Rain, The Poodles version is largely meaningless to me. Nevertheless, in the case of The Poodles' Prisma and any of the cover songs, this old adage may be in play: a well-crafted song is a fine song no matter who covers it and how. Or not. What say you?

Track Listing:
1. Crazy Horses - The Osmond Brothers
2. Maniac - From Flashdance
3. Love Is Gone - David Guetta, Chris Willis
4. It's No Good - Depeche Mode
5. Don't You Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia
6. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
7. Call Me - Blondie
8. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
9. Set Fire to the Rain - Adele
10. Soldiers of Fortune - Deep Purple



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The Bottom Line

In the case of The Poodles' Prisma and any of the cover songs, this old adage may be in play: a well-crafted song is a fine song no matter who covers it and how. Or not. What say you?

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