Band Of Friends – Repeat After Me
self release
11 songs time – 46:06
Two thirds of this U.K. based band is comprised of former members of Rory Gallagher’s band. Gerry McAvoy was Rory’s bass player for twenty years, playing on his every recording. Ted McKenna, formerly the drummer for The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, backed Rory on three recordings. Dutch guitar slinger Marcel Scherpenzeel rounds out the trio. It seems like Marcel handles most of the vocal chores, although who sings what isn’t specified. Many of the songs are sung by all members in unison. The sound achieved here owes a lot to the icons of late sixties-seventies arena rock heroes such as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Foghat in as much as the guitar bombardment. This is testosterone driven macho guitar music. There are no riffs or melodies that stay in your head. All of the songs are band creations except for “A Sense Of Freedom” written by British rock icon Frankie Miller.
The title song is one of the better constructed tunes with some solid guitar riffing going on. Ted McKenna’s drumming throughout is more powerful than it was in his SAHB days, appropriate to the band’s dynamics. There are no distinctive voices throughout the CD. “Homeland” is more mellowed out with a slight Byrds vibe courtesy of the vocal and moderately ringing guitars. Ted’s brother Hugh, also formerly of SAHB, contributes keyboards on “Homeland”. The guys get funky with some nifty drumming, guitar and an ok riff on “Soul To Soul”.
Most of the rest conjures up memories of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “Radar Love” and Foghat, among others. This is paradise for guitar junkies. The closing song “King Of The Street” is just acoustic guitar and voice, a kind of an everyman anthem.
This is a case of two backing musicians uniting with a guitar slinger-singer to create music that echos of many classic guitar based rock bands of the early seventies. Judging from live concert videos of the band, there is an audience for them. If this is the kind of music you enjoy, this is for you.
