Chris Catena - 'Freak Out'
Released on Frontier Records in 2003
THE BAND:
Chris Catena
Glenn Hughes
(Deep Purple, Trapeze),
Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake, Ringo Starr),
Mickey Moody (Whitesnake),
John Taylor (Duran Duran),
Stephen Ferrone (Duran Duran, Michael Jackson),
Doug Wimbish (Living Colour)
Stevie Salas (Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones)
Eric Singer (Kiss, Alice Cooper)
Bruce Kulick (Kiss)
Myron Dove (Carlos Santana)
Johnny Ohlin (Nation)
Tony Franklin (Whitesnake)
Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake)
Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman)
Frank de Groot, Vitalij Kuprji (Ring Of
Fire, Artension)
Virgil Donati (Ring Of Fire)
Al Cooper (Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix)
Chuck White (Al Cooper)
John Lawton (Uriah Heep)
Chester Thompson (Genesis)
Dave Meniketti (Meniketti, Yesterday & Today)
Vivien Lalu,
Kelly Simonz (Blindfaith)
Marko Pavic,
Davide Spurio,
Max Spurio,
Daniel Flores,
Enrico Cosimi,
Yuri
Roveri, Stefano Baldasseroni,
Gianni
Francesconi, Hakan Granat,
Nobby,
Mauro Munzi,
Marco Capasso,
Aleks
Ferrara, Paolo Patrizi,
Andrea Cicco Martino,
Katia Salemi,
Marco Quagliozzi, and
The Slaves & The Funky Pranksters
TRACK - BY - TRACK:
1.) "Crazy Man" -This track opens with a fairly standard
rock intro. From the opening vocal line you really get a feel that Glen
Hughes is doing the vocals. But Hughes is not the singer on this track the
vocalist is Chris himself. The change in beat for
the solo section really changes the dynamics of the song. musically this
song has a very sweet hook. The solo section
opens with a keyboard solo. The keyboard solo section has a very early Jon
Lord influence. The guitar solo was done with two different guitarist. (At
the time of writing this I have no idea what musicians played on each song.
When I get the detailed list from Chris I will attach it to the review.)
2.) "Freak out Tonight" (duet with Glenn Hughes)-This track opens with a very Deep Purplish sounding
keyboard arrangement. After the pre-verse during the intro section the song
kicks in with a funk type arrangement. There is a very small lead guitar
arrangement over the kick in section of the song. The bass line for the
verse section of the song utterly blew me away!!! The opening and closing
of the hi-hat during the pre-chorus section really added to the music
arrangement. There are several real cool lead guitar scales through the
pre-chorus. The chorus section has a very funk R&B feel to it. Bruce Kulick does the guitar solo for this song. During the breakdown section
there is a small spoken section that sounds like a small crowd. **This is
the only track on the CD where Glen Hughes helps Chris with the vocals**
3.) "Hey Man" (Freedom Calls) -This track opens with a funk guitar
effect. The music arrangement for the opening pre-verse is very laid back
with a solid sounding groove. After the pre-verse there is a small lead
scale. The vocals are so smooth that you do not notice the vocal change
between the verse and pre-chorus. The song has a lot of strange background fill
in music. The backing harmonies of the chorus sounds like they where done
with female back-up singers. The song has no guitar solo. one of the
things I really got off on was the fact that the music and vocals are so tight
that you find yourself getting lost in the song.
4.) "Lady Starlight" -This track opens with a classic eighties metal feel. The
guitar riffs of the intro and pre-verse section has a very huge hook laced
within the arrangement. The vocal accents of the verses have a very early
Deep Purple with David Coverdale feel to them. Chris changed the
musical arrangement for the pre-chorus and chorus sections, this is classic
songwriting. After the first chorus there is a small bridge consisting of
a lead scale. The drum fills for the song are very laid back and placed
right where they should be. The bass line for the song is very unyielding with a solid groove.
At the beginning of the solo section there is a very small stereo speaker split
on the rhythm guitar parts. The solo for the song is very laid back and melodic.
The song has a very cool outro section.
5.) "Desire" -The intro to this track has a very cool opening bass
line. Vocally this track also has a very early Hughes/Coverdale feel.
The vocal duet feel the song has has a very nice effect. The spoken vocal
sections along with the singing vocal parts really play off each other. The
keyboard arrangement is set up with a seventies feel. The vocal lines and
backing harmonies are very influenced by African/American seventies funk music.
you can tell the band really locked into a solid groove. I will say this
who ever is playing the bass on this track is plucking the hell out of it. The ending
female vocal outro was very cool.
6.) "Take Me Away" -The keyboard sound on the intro of this track has
a very sixties sound to it. The main musical arrangement kicks in with a
very solid groove. The female backing harmonies along with the lead vocals
are very tight. At times the lead vocal accents have a very James Young of
Styx feel to them. A lot like the stuff he done on Styx's "heavy Metal
Poisoning". The bass line underneath the solo section is unreal!!!
7.) "To a Friend" -This track opens with a very cool acoustic guitar
solo. Just about one of the best I've ever heard. The singer of this
track has great vocal control. This is very evident through the verse
section. At times the vocals sounds like they are done by Hughes but once
again it is just great vocals from Chris. The backing musical
arrangement is very simple. I really liked the addition of the small bass
line solo section.
8.) "What You gonna do" (duet with Jeff Scott Soto) - This track opens with a very simple funk
guitar arrangement and bass line. The vocal lines of the song have a very funkish feel to them. You can really tell that the chorus section was
influenced by George Clinton. The solo section was spit in two one half
done by the keyboards and the second half done with guitar.
9.) "Sweet Talker"-Classic Whitesnake cover
10.) "Don't Stop Runnin'" -This track opens with a very late seventies
Whitesnake type intro and lead scale. Chris's vocal lines have a very
David Coverdale feel to them. The choruses arrangement gives the song a
very live feel. The solo section of the song was tacking right from an
eighties metal fake book. The song is very short and simpler.
11.) "Follow Me" -This track opens with the beginning of a concert
performance. The slide rhythm guitar gives the song a very blues feel.
The vocal lines of the first verse where done withy studio effects added.
The pre-chorus and chorus sections of the song have huge hooks laced within
them. The solo for the song is very laid back and at times as a newer
Lynard Skynard feel to them.
12.) "Gimmie Your Love"-This track opens with a very simple blues/funk
arrangement. At times the vocal lines of the verses have a very older
Whitesnake/Deep Purple feel to them. The choruses of the song are very
short in length. The bass line of the song really has a solid groove.
The second half of the guitar solo was done by two different guitar players.
All in all this is a very simple song that has a great sound.
13.) "Getting Tighter" -Cover of the Deep Purple classic.
14.) "The stronger You are, the harder You fall" -This track opens
with a small Hendrix type guitar effect before the intro kicks in. The
vocal lines of the verse have a Glenn Hughes with Deep Purple feel. The
female backing vocal harmonies of the chorus added a nice effect.
Underneath the second pre-chorus there is a small lead scale.
15.) "It's a long way to go" (duet with john Lawton)-This track opens with a very sixties
influenced keyboard arrangement. There is a very cool bass line underneath
the musical arrangement of the verse. The main musical arrangement keeps a
very sixties feel. Vocally the vocal lines have a very Hughes/Coverdale
with Deep Purple sound to them. The guitar solo for the track was done
with an effects pedal.
In the almost 10 years I have been writing
reviews this is the first time I have actually been left speechless!!!
All that I really can say is that you will just have to buy this CD to believe
it.