Cor blimey, has this band got a history or what? Formed around the talented Aldy Damian, Eyes go back as far as 1986, where various musicians particularly singers had come and gone.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Eyes
ALBUM: Eyes
LABEL: Curb
SERIAL: D2-77314
YEAR: 1990
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Jeff Scott Soto – vocals * Steve Dougherty – guitars * Jimmy O’Shea – bass * Aldy Damian – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Callin’ All Girls * 02 Every Single Minute * 03 Don’t Turn Around * 04 Miss Demeanour * 05 Young And Innocent * 06 Walkin’ Fire * 07 Wired 4 Love * 08 Nobody Said It Was Easy * 09 Can’t Get Enough * 10 Start Livin’ * 11 Bonus Track
Background
Cor blimey, has this band got a history or what? Formed around the talented Aldy Damian, Eyes go back as far as 1986, where various musicians particularly singers had come and gone. If my memory serves me correctly they were orignally called L.A Rocks, with the name Eyes coming later on in 1988.
Eventually the combination of Damian, singer Jeff Scott Soto (who hasn’t he sung with!) and ex Burning Rome guitarist Steve Dougherty settled in, with Jimmy O’Shea joining the fray later, coming off a stint with guitar rockers Cacophony. After releasing demos in 1988, Curb Records picked them up after Eyes had recorded material for Capitol Records strangely enough.
Eyes were a band that gave Soto (in particular), room to breathe. He even plays guitar, a role he used to perform in an earlier life with metal band Panther though for obvious reasons stepped back when fronting for Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. Despite a synchronous appearance with the band Talisman at the time of this release, Soto was fully committed to Eyes.
The Songs
This is a fairly classy affair, while the album theme is fraught with sexual references, of which the band are only too happy to admit. Overall though, the delivery is hard rockin’, melodious to the ear, and infectious as only the best bands can create.
Most of the songs are Soto, Damian and Dougherty co-writes, and quality abounds all the way through. We have the opening track ‘Callin’ All Girls’, which is also the band’s video cut, while ‘Every Single Minute’ has those big choruses and stompin’ guitar rhythms courtesy of Dougherty.
The Diane Warren penned ‘Don’t Turn Around’ is a commercial affair,and not a bad one at that. Perhaps the band were told by Curb Management to put a potential hit single on their album. ‘Miss Demeanor’ has a very Van Halen party time flavour throughout. Another pair of great tracks are the controlled fury of ‘Wired 4 Love’ and ‘Start Livin’. Then there’s the token ballad ‘Nobody Said It Was Easy’.
In Summary
At the time of this album release, there was very little press about it or the band, and as a consequence, they sort of slipped through the net. Eyes recorded a follow up, the excellent ‘Windows Of The Soul’ in 1993, as well as an album of outtakes called ‘Full Moon’ during 1994.
For Eyes fans, there is an unlisted track on this album called ‘Somebody To Love’ which is a Soto influenced vocal workout dedicated to 60’s crooner Sam Cooke.
Eyes on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
