Who says there is no great harmony rock anymore?
R. Blackburn | Middleton, WI | 10/18/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is easily Graeham's finest solo effort, as he returns to the simpler, guitar-dominant instrumentation that was a hallmark of early Little River Band. The true instruments, however, are the harmonies. On this record, Graeham himself handles the lead vocals--and while his voice isn't as powerful as Steve Wade's (or John Farnham's, for that matter), he can certainly hit the right notes, which in itself is an achievement considering Graeham writes such difficult harmonies. The finest example of this comes on the controversial final cut on the album, "Someone's Taken our History." As if to mock the vocal talent in Little River Band's current lineup, Graeham lays down the vocal gauntlet in the line "they can stand on the stage, but they don't have our DNA!" Whether or not you are a fan of the current LRB lineup, you'll find yourself playing this track over and over again, just so you can hear Graeham sing that one line (you'll hear Glenn Shorrock on backing vocals for this song also). Highly recommended... this album wets my appetite for a new album from Birtles, Shorrock, and Goble!"
A fantastic solo return for Graeham
William R. Neislar | St. Lous, MO | 09/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is Graeham's first solo release since 1995 and his first album to sing all the lead vocals. The last time he sang lead was in 1980 for the Birtles and Goble release, "The Last Romance", on two tracks. I have listened to "The Days Ahead" album repeatedly since acquiring it, very catchy tunes and lyrics! Graeham sings well and holds notes well and very clearly, however his particular voice isn't my favorite. Glenn Shorrock will forever remain my favorite male vocalist who joins in the harmonies for the final track "Someone's Taken Our History". I find this song to be absolutely memorable as it entails Graeham's feelings of losing his personal musical history, the Little River Band legacy he formulated and only to eventually lose ownership to Stephen Housden. He expresses himself very nicely and diplomatically in his lyrics for this very heartfelt song and the lyrical/harmony arrangement is breathtaking! I also adore the song "The Man Nobody Loved", very maudlin ending with the lyric "And so one night, he ended his flight...", meaning suicide. Graeham's two sons, Joshua and Nathan, join him as guitarists in this album and even his daughter joins in the harmonies for "Someone's Taken Our History". There's only one song that you might skip over and that is "I'd Rather Be With You" as the vocal track doesn't seem to be recorded properly, a production mistake in my estimation. I believe this album solidifies Graeham's reputation as being one of the finest lyricists in the world, the very best as far as I'm concerned! By far the most personal lyrics Graeham has ever created making this album all the more evocative and engaging. I hope Graeham promotes it with some solo concerts, it will do very well I know!"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1