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Houston: Relaunch III

AOR Melodic Rock (Covers)

4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 18.07.2023 | Released: 14.07.2023

Cover albums are nothing new. Many bands and individual artists do them. Many successful bands have gotten their start by performing as "cover" bands. Sweden's Houston has made a musical career of doing both original material and cover albums. Their first cover album, Relaunch I, came one year after their self-titled debut album in 2010. Now they return with their third covers attempt, Relaunch III.

Houston

The premise of their Relaunch series is a simple one. Find some obscure AOR gems from their personal musical history and album collection, and then give them the Houston treatment. Though appearing to b contradictory, the words "obscure" and "gems" are key to understanding any Relaunch album. III is no exception. I didn't recognize any of the songs.

My promo copy came with no details of the songs' original artists. I had to do some Internet mining, and I didn't recognize many of the artists. You can find the same when you Google, but here's a short list of some of my favorites from this album: Marc Jordan (Slipping Away), Atlantic (Power Over Me), Franke & The Knockouts (Outrageous), Van Zant (She's Out With A Gun), and David Pack (She Don't Come Around Anymore). (David Pack, you may recall, rose to some fame with Ambrosia in the Seventies. Lately, I've been listening to their greatest hits album when driving.)

I did not take the time to listen to the original recordings. Which, in one sense, was a valuable thing to do. The songs were new and fresh to me like listening to a new Houston album of original material. Even afterwards, I still have no intention to make a comparison. That would spoil the moment, my listening enjoyment. Alternatively, those readers who know the songs a priori may have divergent opinions as to Houston's take on them. Otherwise, I enjoyed Houston's latest covers album, Relaunch III, another fine collection of AOR history given new life from a band that knows their AOR craft quite well. Recommended.

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While those readers who know the songs a priori may have divergent opinions, I enjoyed Houston's latest covers album, Relaunch III, another fine collection of AOR history given new life from a band that knows their AOR craft quite well. Recommended.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]

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