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[ More Music Reviews ]

Robert Hart: Circus Life

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.5/5.0

Label
Escape Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 29.01.2024 | Released: 26.01.2024

Rolling Stone magazine¹ has called Robert Hart "rock's most versatile substitute frontman." Why? He's been around the block more than a few times. Hart has been tapped to fill the shoes of Paul Rodgers in Bad Company. Drummer Kenney Jones (Small Faces, Faces, Who) asked him to sit in for Roger Daltrey, Rod Stewart, and Steve Marriott. In 2023, at a charity show, he was also helping out Mike Rutherford's latest Mike And Mechanic's set. Currently, he's the lead vocalist for Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

Robert Hart: performing with Manfred Mann

Hart has had some solo work as well, which was recently revived with 2020's Pure. Now, he returns with his fourth project Circus Life. The album features such AOR luminaries as Steve Morris (producer), Steve Overland (also producer), Robert Sall, Chris Childs, Harry James, Keith Atack (Atack, Bonnie Tyler), and Steve Mann.

Circus Life finds Hart firmly fixed in, and applying his raspy melodic voice to, the classic AOR melodic hard rock genre. You'll find robust rockers filled with rock rhythm and groove, catch melodies and powerful guitars in Overdrive, I'll Take The Bullet, Lay Me Down Easy, The Time Of Our Lives, or Right Here Right Now. Alternatively, a more AOR vibe arrives with The Wrong Side Of Love, Bring On Tomorrow, and the slow burning anthemic ballad, I'm On Your Side.

Fundamentally, overall, Robert Hart's Circus Life is a consistently solid album of well-crafted classic AOR melodic hard rock tunes, performed with diligence and skilled by gifted artists of the genre. There's little more to say. Recommended.

Footnotes

¹Greene, Andy. Is This Guy Rock’s Most Versatile Substitute Frontman? Rolling Stone, 4 Sept. 2023, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/robert-hart-frontman-paul-rodgers-roger-daltrey-rod-stewart-1234809484/

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Robert Hart's Circus Life is a consistently solid album of well-crafted classic AOR melodic hard rock tunes, performed with diligence and skilled by gifted artists of the genre. 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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