Vocalist Graham Bonnet has had a pretty exciting career to date, fronting legendary acts such as Rainbow and the Michael Schenker Group in addition to Alcatrazz and Impellitteri, but he's also had a fairly prolific solo career over the years that has seen him assembling various line-up with limited success. That all might change with The Book, his current incarnation of the Graham Bonnet Band, which features South American guitar hotshot Conrado Pesinato, former Fates Warning/Warlord drum god Mark Zonder, bassist Beth-Ami Heavenstone, and Bonnet's former comrade in Alcatrazz (and ex-New England member), Jimmy Waldo on keyboards. If that sounds like a formidable ensemble, it certainly is and lives up to the billing, with this new album for Frontiers Records not only containing some stellar new material, but a bonus disc of re-recorded classics from Bonnet's time with Rainbow, MSG, Impelliterri, and Alcatrazz, as well as his solo career.
The singer has a history of working with some of the best guitarists in the business, and when you can boast Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, and Chris Impellitteri on your resume, well, that speaks volumes. It's no surprise then that he was able to find Pesinato, an unknown virtuoso who makes his presence felt here on The Book in a big way with his muscular riffing and neo-classical shredding. "Into the Night", "Earth's Child (I Am Your Son)", and "Rider" are littered with his tasty, acrobatic lead work and crunchy riffs, but as this is a band effort he works side by side with Waldo's majestic keys and Bonnet's still powerful delivery. Having the remarkable Zonder on drums certainly doesn't hurt either, and while he's not performing the intricate progressive metal of Fates Warning here, his rock solid rhythms are dazzling and keep everything in perfect synch. Other tunes to look out for are the hard rocking "Dead Man Walking", the more progressive "Strangest Day" (featuring some killer guitar & organ exchanges), the melodic "The Dance", and the groove laden heavy rocker "Where Were You", all of which have a healthy classic Rainbow/Deep Purple vibe to them. The title track could have easily been a leftover from Rainbow's Down to Earth album, which you could also say for the catchy "Everybody Has to Go There", as Bonnet soars over thick Hammond organ and memorable guitar work. "California Air" seems to be the album's lone attempt at a Russ Ballard styled hard rock single, and it's a good one with crunchy riffs, keys, tight rhythms, and a hook laden chorus.
Over on disc two you get the band re-creating some of Bonnet's most memorable solo, Rainbow, MSG, and Alcatrazz material, and for many longtime fans it will be a fun trip down memory lane. Pesinato is certainly up to the task of tackling all those great Blackmore, Schenker, Vai, Impelliterri, and Malmsteen riffs & solos, evident on "Eyes of the World", "Lost in Hollywood", "Assault Attack", "Desert Song", "Island in the Sun", "Hiroshima Mon Amour", "God Blessed Video", and "Stand in Line" where he pays homage to the originals but injects his own flair as well. Bonnet sounds great throughout this whole album, and incredibly strong on these re-recorded classics. Considering he was 30+ years younger when he originally recorded these songs, the man still can belt it out with the best of them.
The Book is easily the album we've wanted to hear from Graham Bonnet for quite some time, and with a killer new band in tow, hot new material, and expertly dusted off classics, this a package any classic hard rock fan will want to dive right into.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
CD1 - 1.INTO THE NIGHT
CD1 - 2.WELCOME TO MY HOME
CD1 - 3.EARTH'S CHILD (I AM YOUR SON)
CD1 - 4.RIDER
CD1 - 5.DEAD MAN WALKING
CD1 - 6.STRANGEST DAY
CD1 - 7.THE DANCE
CD1 - 8.WHERE WERE YOU
CD1 - 9.THE BOOK
CD1 - 10.EVERYBODY HAS TO GO THERE
CD1 - 11.CALIFORNIA AIR
Re-Recorded Classics
CD2 - 01 Eyes Of The World
CD2 - 02 All Night Long
CD2 - 03 Lost In Hollywood
CD2 - 04 Since You've Been Gone
CD2 - 05 Night Games
CD2 - 06 S.O.S.
CD2 - 07 Assault Attack
CD2 - 08 Dancer
CD2 - 09 Desert Song
CD2 - 10 Island In The Sun
CD2 - 11 Hiroshima Mon Amour
CD2 - 12 God Bless Video
CD2 - 13 Will You Be Home Tonight
CD2 - 14 Witchwood
CD2 - 15 Stand In Line
CD2 - 16 Here Comes The Night (Down Without A Fight)
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