Här får du en recension (på engelska) som jag skrev till min BTO sida som jag hade för många år sedan. TRIAL BY FIRE Fred Turner: Vocals and bass Randy Murray: Guitar and vocals Blair Thornton: Guitar Robin Bachman: Drums Trail By Fire - Latest and Greatest CMC 1996 I must say that it took me some time to get used to this album. Dont get me wrong, I loved most of it from the beginning but its a strange sensation to hear old favourites in new versions. The production is very weird though. You can hear every instrument perfect but the mix is sometimes, in my humble opinion, not that good. The balance between the instruments cold have been a lot better but its still not a major problem once you get used to it. I must admit that I dont really understand why BTO chose to re-record old songs instead of making a brand new album. The ten classic songs are of course very good and I guess that none of us expected anything less. So its just natural that the biggest interest concerns the five new songs. Well, actually its just two new songs as the other three are covers written by other composers. Personally I dont see the point for BTO to record other songs then their own as they are excellent songwriters in their own right. This also means that the three covers was a major disappointment for me but that the two new compositions from the band was definitely not a let down. Especially the heavy Nothing Comes Easy exited me as its a real BTO classic that I hope will set the direction for coming BTO albums. Its quite difficult to review an album like this so I have done a short track by track resume. 1. House Of The Rising Sun (tradd;arr by Price,/Skorsky/Petit-Scarano) There is not much to say about this song. If you like the original you will not be disappointed and of you dont chances are that you will like this version as BTO perform it impeccable but orthodox. CF Turners singing is as always fantastic. I do however prefer BTO originals to covers of others bands music. 2. Roll On Down The Highway (C.F.Turner/Rob.Bachman) This is probably my favourite song by BTO and its of course hard to make a better variation than the original from Not Fragile. However the song is so strong in it self that it must get the highest grade. The big difference from the original recording is the lack of drive and a somewhat strange mix. The production is still very good though and once you get used to it, its almost as good as the original. 3. Trial By Fire (Turner/Thornton/Rob Bachman/Murray) This is the first of the two new original songs from the new album and its also the title track. The style is somewhat similar to the best parts of the SA/R&RN albums but still quite a bit better. I really like everything about this song except for the refrain which is in my humble opinion is horrible. It sounds like the predicable American metal bands of the eighties standard refrains and I know that BTO can do much better than that. However the rest of the song is strong enough to get three gears but with a better, more BTO style, refrain it would have gotten four. 4. Hold Back The Water (Randy Bachman/Rob Bachman/C.F. Turner) A real interesting version of this song. Its kind of like an unplugged version, totally different from the original but still very recognizable. This is the way one should handle a re-recording of an older song, different but just as good as the original. The best thing is that its a grower that you will like even more after each time you hear the song. Without a doubt five gears. 5. Blue Collar (C.F. Turner) This is probably my favourite song of the re-recorded tunes from this album. The only thing that is better on the BTO I is the jazz solo which is not as relaxed here as on the original version. However Randy Murray, I think, plays an amazing solo just before the jazz ending directly followed by a short bass solo from CF. I loved this song the first time I heard it on the first BTO album and I love it even more now. Definitely five gears. 6. Gimme Your Money Please (C.F. Turner) A very strange version that it takes time to get used to, at least for me. Its really not that different from the original recording. What I miss is the drive from the first BTO album. Here its more kind of laid back, if a song like this can be laid-back. There are also some weird keyboards in the background of the refrain, at least I think that its keyboards. After several times I got used to it and started to like it. So I must say that its still a very good song that easily deserves at least four gears. 7. Let It Ride (Randy Bachman/C.F. Turner) Just as good as the original apart from a strange mix. The drums in the refrain are a little to load in my humble opinion. Apart from that its just as impeccable as on BTO II. I really cant say anything else about it more than that it is a definitive five gear song in both versions. 8. You Aint Seen Nothing Yet (Randy Bachman) This was never one of my favourite songs by BTO. This time its Randy Murray that sings the lead and I must say that even though I think that Randy Murray is a very good singer this song is too much of a Randy Bachman song for me to accept another singer on it on a studio recording. However I must say that it probably works fine live. My verdict is three gears but then again I wouldnt give the original a better grade. 9. Not Fragile (C.F. Turner) The first thing I heard on this version was that they had changed the bass intro. which I didnt like, apart from that the song sounds excellent. This time there are some new short parts in the middle of the song and the guitar solos are amazing. Just when the songs is about to end they have added a facer over everything and this sounds so cool that now when I play it Im almost longing for the song to end. This is the way BTO should sound, heavy and driving hard rock. This is their strength and no one can beat them at it. If it hadnt been for the changed bass intro. this would have gotten a five gear grade but now its just four very strong gears. 10. Hey You (Randy Bachman) This was the first song I heard by BTO so its got a very special place in my heart. Unfortunately this song suffers even more from the absence of Randy Bachman’s vocals than You Aint Seen Nothing Yet. I must once again point out that Randy Murray does an excellent job with the vocals but its not just the same as the original. The strange thing is that one of the things that I didnt like about the live version from Live Live Live is the rhythm guitars as they made the song sound like al light weight pop song. I never expected this line-up to keep those arrangements and regrettably I must say that I have not yet gotten used to it. This means that I must give it a weak three gear grade while the original version probably would have gotten four gears. Personally I wish that they would have recorded two new or older songs featuring CF Turner on vocals instead of Randy B. songs. However I can understand if the record company wanted these two classics on the album. 11. Take It Like A Man (C.F.Turner/B.Thornton) I never really liked this song that much on the Head On but that was mainly because of the piano from Little Richard that made it sound to much like old rocknroll for my taste. On this version there is no piano and therefore Im much happier with it now. The only thing that I feel isnt an improvement is the tempo. Once again the song lacks the drive of the original version but all together I still feel this is an improvement. This is the only song on Trail By Fire from Head On and the grade will be four stable gears. 12. Nothin Comes Easy (Turner/Thornton/Rob Bachman/Murray) The second new BTO song on this album is a real killer, a fantastic song that I instantly fell in love with. This song proves that BTO is still a force to reckon with. Its a real heavy song that has the feel of the first BTO album but with an edge of the nineties. Vintage but still progressive and important. The guitar sound is heavy and very modern sounding and the singing is just the way we love to hear CF. If this is the direction that BTO will take on the next album Im sure that they will not only gain back their old fans but also attract the new generations that might not be familiar with the band. I cant find enough superlatives to praise this song and its definitely the best song that BTO have released since Four Wheel Drive and probably the best song on Trail By Fire. Here BTO hits you with a sledgehammer and I cant wait to hear more songs of this calibre on the first real new studio album whenever its released. I just have to give it five strong gears, there is no way around it. 13 . Testify (Jeff Neil) With a beginning that first reminds me of the Rolling Stones Start Me Up Im not overly impressed with this cover. Unfortunately it doesnt improve as the rest of the song is probably as far away from the BTO that I love as I can imagine. The style is safe boring eighties AOR and the refrain goes nowhere. I dont really understand why a band that are as good songwriters as BTO needs to record weak songs like this. However I must point out that the performance from the band is impeccable and that Freds singing is as good as ever but it certainly isnt BTO music. Two gears is almost more that this song deserves. 14. Four Wheel Drive (CF.Turner/B.Thornton) Once again a song that sounds a bit different from the original release but is just as good. The biggest difference is that they have added a couple of new short riffs in the middle of the song. The guitarists really sounds as they have a good time, Robs driving drums is almost back and even Fred sounds very inspired on the bass. A perfect song that easily manages to shift into four gear overdrive. 15. A Sense Of Danger (Gary Comeau) The last of the five new songs is also a cover and this time its even worse than Testify. This song is basic boogie rocknroll and even though its well played it certainly isnt BTO. Actually it reminds me of what Fred played in UNION where it would have worked real well. The piano that was kicked out of Take It Like A Man seams to have escaped to this song and that certainly doesnt improve it. Im real sorry but I cant give it more than on weak gear. All in all I must say that after a couple of listenings this is altogether a very god BTO album that indicates that the band still has a lot to offer on future BTO albums. All of the members are in fine form and their playing is impeccable. Randy Murray proves to be an excellent guitarist that has no problem at all to fill out Randy Bachmans shoes. CF Turners bass playing is a lot more interesting than on previous albums and his singing is as good as ever. The album is by far the best album since Head On. Much better than the two previous efforts without Randy Bachman and also better than the 1984 release BTO, despite the weak covers. My only wish for the future is that BTO stays away from the covers and light weight pop songs and that if Randy Murray is going to sing lead, please let him do it on some really heavy numbers as I think that it will suit his voice better. Personally I wont mind if CF Turner will sing on all new BTO songs in the future. If it hadnt been for the covers the album would have gotten five gears but as it is now it will receive four. The album Trail By Fire is a must for any serious BTO fan and was well worth the wait.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 11:34:57 +0000
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