You are
really going out on a limb if you decide to call your band by the name of the
genre you play. But the participants have the pedigree and talent to pull it
off, taking part is some of the cream of the crop in this genre: Tommy Denander
(Radioactive and co-producer on the album), Philip Bardowell (Places of Power),
Steve Overland (Shadowland, FM), Fergie Frederiksen (Toto), Bill Champlin
(Chicago), Steve Lukather (Toto), Bruno Levesque (Silence), David
Williams (Michael Jackson), David Diggs (Irene Cara), Joey Heredia (Stevie
Wonder) and a few more...
Main man
behind it all is Frenchman
Frédéric Slama, and this is his sixt album, all of them with the connection to
the Westcoast and L.A. Since 2000 he has released five critical accliamed AOR /
Westcoast albums starting with 'L.A. Confession" back in 2000, followed by 'Next
Stop: L.A.' from 2001, 'L.A. Reflection' from 2002, 'Dreaming of L.A.' from 2003
and 'L.A. Attraction' from 2006. He has been working with first class musicians
on the albums and some of the real dinosaurs' in the genre, and have received
much acclaim for his efforts.
And 'Journey to L.A.' is another fantastic AOR / Westcoast album with all the
virtues and signatures present, the musicianship is as expected at the highest
level and the songs are all very catchy and smooth as silk. But that's where the
fun stops and things get too nice; there's no real excitement and nothing sticks
out and makes you stop and wonder.
Probably one of this years finest moments in AOR / Westcoast this year, sadly
very limited within in the tight boundaries of the genre, and strickly for genre
fans. But genre fans do have a real treat on their hands, so do check it out if
you are into this kind of rock.
Best
Moments: "Love Remains the Same",
"Read the Signs" & "Never Surrender".
