Search - Tmg (Tak Matsumoto Group) :: Tmg V.1

Not Brilliant, No Masterpiece, But A Good, Solid Album

wizey | Margate, Tasmania, Australia | 03/05/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"At the time I write this review for TMG I there are three others posted, two give the album a 5 star rating, the other gives it a 4. I based my purchase of this album on these reviews, plus the excellent review it received at www.melodicrock.com (a great website if you haven't already seen it). However I must say that I don't think the album is as good as the other reviewers think it is.



I disagree with the reviewer who said it sounds like rock of old. Old school rock to me is AD/DC, Krokus, Motley Crue, older Warrant etc. This album sounds nothing like that, I think it sounds more like modern rock. It's also been said in a review that it sounds bluesy. Well again I disagree. Blues-rock is Walter Trout, or old ZZ Top, and bluesy is Whitesnake or old Aerosmith. This album sounds nothing like that either.



I don't think it's a bad album, in fact I think it is a good album, but it is not brilliant. Nor is it a master piece by any standards. I rate it as a good, solid, easy to listen to rock album.



There is some good guitar work from Tak Matsumoto, and Eric Martin does a good job on vocals. None of the 14 songs on the album are very long in duration (all except the last two are under 5 minutes), and nor are they very complex. Instead they are just straight-ahead rock songs and ballads, with a Japanese influence that pops up now and again. This hint of Japanese music actually sounds quite good, and does blend well into the songs. It gives the album the Japanese feel/theme to it, which is no doubt what they were aiming for. The packaging is quite good and the album cover is a perfect choice to complement the theme.



There are no bad songs on the album, but by the same token there is nothing new, exciting or innovative about it either. The best songs in my opinion are as follows:



1. "Oh Japan". A good opening rocking track with that hint of Japanese and a good chorus. It's easy to sing along with this song.



2. "Everything Passes Away". Again the Japanese music, but also good hard rocking guitar. This song sounds a bit more powerful and aggressive than most on the album. (The aggression is a good thing).



3. "Kings For A Day". A faster rocker with a great chorus and rocking guitar. Another to sing along with, this is my second favorite song on the album.



5. "I Wish You Were Here". This is my favorite song on the album. It has a great chorus, a good guitar solo and sounds more like old school rock. It's a shame there aren't more like it on the album.



11. "Wonderland". Another good rocker which sounds more like old school rock.



The song I like the least is track 10 "My Alibi". I just don't like the style of it and reckon it sounds lame compared to those I've mentioned above. The other nine songs on the album are just average.



In general, it's not a bad album of hard rock that's easy on the ear. You can play this album anytime, anywhere and no one is gonna get offended or hate it. I just wish that there were more songs like the five best that I listed above. There are not many good rock albums released these days, and this is a good one, but I think it could have been better. In saying that, it's still worth buying. As I said earlier, it's definitely not brilliant or a masterpiece, but it is still a good album. Just don't expect too much, which perhaps I did after reading the other reviews.

"

Classic Hard Rock Masterpeice!!

T. G Krysinski | Medina, New York United States | 12/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're a fan of 'old-school' hard rock (tinged with that bluesy touch), then you definately HAVE to own this disc!! Remember giants like the first Montrose or Captain Beyond? This disc stands strongly among ANY of the biggest monsters of classic rock! Great vocals & songwriting by Eric Martin(Mr. Big) and Jack Blades(NightRanger)along with super axe work by Japanese shredder Tak Matsumoto-this cd SHINES front to back!! Absolutely worth the money-GET IT!!"