James Christain - 'Meet The Man'
Released through Frontier Records in 2005
THE BAND:
**Unknown at the time of review**
TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "After The Love I Gone" -Over the top of this intro
section there is a very laid back melodic lead guitar solo. In the fashion
the guitar notes of this lead guitar solo were written and performed gives the
intro a very sweet hook. The musical arrangement underneath the pre-verse
consisted of two different lead guitar rhythms. In the way this two
rhythms were arranged fills in a lot of the emptiness that would have otherwise
been in the arrangement if it had just been done with one guitar. James's
vocal lines of the pre-verse were sang in a very subtle way. For the
verse's musical arrangement the drummer added an extra hi-hat note that is
played with his left hand. This gives the hi-hat rhythm an almost
syncopated feel. It is very good to see modern rock drummers throwing in
little percussion patterns giving the song more depth. For the chorus
James pulled back to the old House of Lords days and wrote a very cool hook.
This song has no lead guitar solo and too be completely honest it doesn't need
one.
2.) "Know You In The Dark" - The drum fill that opens this song was
done with a studio effect. The musical arrangement leading into the first
verse consisted of a very small minor lead guitar solo. The main guitar
rhythm of the verse was done with a palm muting effect. This effect
automatically gives the song a very eighties metal feel. In between the
vocal lines of the verse are small lead guitar licks used to accent the vocal
lines. For the backing harmonies of the chorus it sounds like James
overdubbed his own vocal lines. The main guitar rhythms of this track are
amazing. At times through the musical arrangement you can hear a very cool
bass line bleeding through. The guitar solo though short had a very
intense feel. This track had such a cool sound to it that you really hate
to hear it end.
3.) "Surrender Your Love" - This track is the first ballad on the
release. The rhythm guitar was done acoustically. One of the first
things that comes to mind as the vocal line of the opening verse starts, is what
a damn shame this song did not come out fifteen years ago. James vocals
are some of the best I have heard him do. The hi-hat mic was turned down
causing the drum rhythm to have a very subtle effect. Through the
verse the drummer used a wood block and does not kick the snare until after the
first chorus. There is a very small string arrangement through the second
verse. James wrote this song perfectly. The lyrical content and the
way the words are arranged is just awesome. After the second chorus there
is a small lead guitar solo. Ballads like this one come once in a
lifetime!!
4.) "Meet The Man" - The intro to this track reminded me of early
House of Lords material. The bass line of the intro section gives the song
a very solid groove. For the intro section the drummer leaves the snare of
his drum just a little loose cause a metallic sound when struck. This
added a nice effect to the drum line. The notes of the snare are dotted
and played with a bounce. This is something the legendary John Bonham made
famous in the sixties and seventies. James kept the choruses of the song
fairly simple. Underneath the vocal lines of the chorus there is a minor
lead guitar solo. All around this is a very cool sounding song. At
times through the choruses you can hear a small female vocal accent.
5.) "End Of Time" -The intro of this ballad consisted of a small
keyboard arrangement. The drum patterns of the verse sound like they were
done with a drum machine. In the way James sings the vocal lines of the
pre-verse shows his vocal talent. The bass line kicks in on the verse and
fills in several of the emptiness left by the guitar arrangement. After
the first chorus the band kicks the song arrangement in with a very simple
distorted guitar rhythm. James wrote a very solid hook for the choruses of
this song. The guitar solo had a very laid back melodic feel. James
wrote the backing harmonies of this track in much the same way as Johnny Lima
writes his backing harmonies.
6.) "Love Looked Into My Life" -This track opens with a very simple
rhythm guitar arrangement. In the key James wrote the verse makes the
vocal lines of the verse not sound so much like him. In between the
vocal lines of the chorus there is a small lead guitar solo section. The
percussion arrangement of the song really gives the song a lot of depth.
This song is just pure amazing!!! And shows James songwriting and
arranging ability.
7.) "Leave Well Enough Alone" - The pre-intro to this track opens with
a small vocal effect. At times the intro reminds you of older Guffria.
Which only makes sense since Gregg Guffria and James Christain were both in
House of Lords together. The main musical intro consisted of a huge lead
guitar solo section. Though I hate using this term, the pre-verse has a
very semi-ballad feel to it. Laced within the vocal line of the pre-verse
there is a minor lead guitar scale. In the way James wrote the song has
the rhythm guitar kicking in on the verse. This kick in completely changes
the dynamics of the song. In the way James arranged the lyrics of the
chorus gives the chorus a very sweet hook. After the second chorus there
is a small musical change that leads into the breakdown section.
8.) "Strong Enough" - The intro of this track as a very early Night
Ranger feel. In the way James arranged the lyrics of the verses also gives
the song a Night Ranger feel. Leading into the first chorus there is a
very small lead guitar scale. Through most of the drum arrangement the
drummer uses the 'china boy' cymbal instead of the hi-hat, this gives the drum
arrangement a little bit of a different feel then most younger music fans will
be use to. The guitar solo was taken right out of a late eighties fake book.
All in all this is a very cool yet simple sounding song.
9.) "You Should Be Blue (All I Could Feel Was Blue)" - Over the
top of this intro section there is a very small James vocal accent. In
between the vocal lines of the first verse there is a small lead guitar scale.
Also through the verses you can hear a small acoustic guitar arrangement.
It sounded like James overdubbed his own backing vocals on the chorus. The
lead guitar rhythm of the song is several lead guitar licks strung together than
an actual rhythm. After the second chorus the band drastically changes the
structure of the song for one bar with the addition of a piano section.
Because the lead guitar was arranged in the way it was makes the musical
arrangement sound like it is going in hundred different directions at once.
It takes a very talented songwriter to write an arrangement such as this and
still be able to keep everything sounding so simple. There was no guitar
solo.
10.) "Circle Of Tears" - This track opens with a very simple hard rock
intro section. James kept the rhythm guitar arrangement very simple for
the verses. The vocal lines of the verse have a very subtle feel to them.
The backing harmonies were very tight and matched James lead vocals perfectly.
After the first chorus there was a small effect added to the rhythm guitar
riffs, this was done during production instead of an effects pedal. Not
that this is a bad point but this song would make for one hell of a b-side.
After the guitar solo the rhythm section of the song changes just enough to give
the song a little bit of a different feel. Though the song was four
minutes long it seems no more than it gets started the song ends.
11.) "Hold Back The Night" - This track has a fairly long intro
section. The main instrument of the intro was done with an acoustic
guitar. Leading into the first verse there is a small minor lead guitar
solo. At first in the way the arrangement was set up makes you think it is
going to be an instrumental. Laced in between the vocal line there are
small lead guitar accent pieces. The bass line for this song was very cool
sounding. What a great song to end the CD with.
As I am writing this I am listening to House Of Lords self
titled release. It is amazing by how much James songwriting has progressed
over the years. 'Meet The Man' shows a lot of maturity with songs like,
"After The Love Is Gone", and "Surrender Your Love" just to name a few.
After pulling back and comparing the early House Of Lords' material to this
release, 'Meet The Man' leaves his early songwriting stuff in the dust. I
guess to sum it up in one sentence would be, "Hard rock for mature adults."
If you are into House Of Lords then you should really check 'Meet The Man' out.
It is amazing!