Lone Star were a Welsh band who released two studio albums in 1976 & 1977, Lone Star and Firing On All Six, both included here in this single disc set and remastered by the folks at BGO Records. These guys were criminally underrated, and probably most known as the breeding ground of future UFO guitarist Paul Chapman (who replaced Michael Schenker in 1979) and soon to be Uriah Heep & Gary Moore vocalist John Sloman. Their formula was melodic hard rock with some prog elements, and well worth your attention if you haven't already discovered these two gems.
The debut album features Kenny Driscoll on vocals, alongside guitarists Chapman & Tony Smith, bassist Peter Hurley, drummer Dixie Lee, and keyboard player Rik Worsnop. Tunes like "Flying in the Reel", "Lonely Soldier", and "Spaceships" are catchy hard rock numbers, filled with gritty guitars, keyboards, and memorable melodies, similar to material by bands like UFO, Sweet, Mott the Hoople, and KISS from that same time period. "A New Day" has an almost Led Zeppelin feel, and the band also does a fine job on a rocking cover of The Beatles classic "She Said She Said".
Over on Firing On All Six, enter Sloman in place of Driscoll, and things take on a much more proggy nature, with keyboards taking on more of an impact. "The Bells of Berlin" and "The Ballad of Crafty Jack" contain some crafty guitar & keyboard passages (listen for some bass pedals as well!), while "Time Lays Down" and "Hypnotic Mover" are more pop flavored rockers with strong vocals from Sloman and crisp guitar work to go along with memorable melodies. The hardest rockers here are the final three "Rivers Overflowing" , "Lovely Lubina" , and "All of Us to All of You", with Chapman and Smith really laying down some tasty guitar work.
Lumbering hard rock Lone Star was not. Both albums here contain some really intelligent and sophisticated heavy music, and it's a shame the band splintered after the sophomore release and were never heard from again. BGO's reissue sounds great, and comes with an essay on the history of the band, lyrics,and photos.
Track Listing
1. She Said She Said
2. Lonely Soldier
3. Flying in the Reel
4. Spaceships
5. A New Day
6. A Million Stars
7. Illusions
8. The Bells of Berlin
9. The Ballad of Crafty Jack
10. Time Lays Down
11. Hypnotic Mover
12. Lovely Lubina
13. Seasons in Your Eyes
14. Rivers Overflowing
15. All of Us to All of You
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