This is Gregg Rolie’s first solo release for ages, former colleagues, friends and family collaborate on ‘Sonic Ranch’, which as you can imagine, is a fairly earthy and robust slice of rock, a bit like Texan beef.Gregg Rolie – Sonic Ranch
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Gregg Rolie
ALBUM: Sonic Ranch
LABEL: Rolie Music Group
SERIAL: GR01CD
YEAR: 2019
CD INFO: Discogs Info List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Gregg Rolie – lead vocals, organ, keyboards * Rocket Ritchotte – guitar, backing vocals * Wally Minko – keyboards * Gary Brown – bass, backing vocals * Ron Wikso – drums, backing vocals * Adrian Areas – timbales * Toby Borrero – congas * Neal Schon, Steve Lukather, Alphonso Johnson, Dave Amato – guest guitar solos * Sean Rolie – guitar, co-production * Michael Shrieve – percussion
Additional Musicians: Alan Haynes, Kurt Griffey, Ollie Thompson, Kenneth Patterson, Einar Pederson, Sticky Lopez, Taylor Mills, Teal Collins, Akina Adderley, Ashtyn Talley, Hortencia Campbell
TRACK LISTING: 01 Give Me Tomorrow * 02 Breaking My Heart * 03 What About Love * 04 That’s The Way It Goes * 05 Only You * 06 They Want It All * 07 Lift Me Up * 08 Us * 09 You * 10 Look Into The Future * 11 Rockit * 12 If I Went Home * 13 Don’t Be Cruel
RATING: 85/100
Background
There’s been a bit of prerelease info already on this latest Gregg Rolie release. It’s Gregg Rolie’s first solo release for absolute ages, the keyboardist having spent the most recent years playing in Ringo Starr‘s All Star Band. For this album he ropes in a few former colleagues, friends and family, who collaborate on ‘Sonic Ranch’, which as you can imagine, is a fairly earthy and robust slice of rock. A bit like Texan beef.
The Songs
Variety is the one word that crops up often when listening to this. The track order doesn’t follow any particular pattern, the music dropping from the speakers in a random manner. For instance, ‘Give Me Tomorrow’ opens the album as a mid-paced effort, just one notch up from being a ballad. The Rolie/Schon partnership is restored!
The mournful ‘Breaking My Heart’ will yank at the heartstrings for sure. Anyone who’s been in this position will know. The emotive guitar lines from Neal Schon are sensitive and powerful. Some of you will have heard the first single ‘What About Love’, which is a bit of a handclap/footstomping special. One for the football terraces maybe?
‘That’s The Way It Goes’ is a lovely reminder of mid-west heartland rock, with a plaintive piano intro making way for organ and guitar sourced from the famous Dixie Highway. Nice. Yet again for something different, ‘Only You’ is a cooler than cool number, built on a shimmering arrangement. It just rolls on a gentle rhythm.
‘They Want It All’ sees Schon return to the action. It’s a slow burn bluesy number, and is a pertinent reminder what these two can concoct in the studio. Rolie builds an earthy rocker with ‘Lift Me Up’, the verses kinda slinky while the choruses ‘lift’ the momentum.
We’re onto a pair of single syllable songs in ‘Us’ and ‘You’, the former a near three minute instrumental which segues directly into the latter – which is a somber affair operating in the same tempo as the same named song by Glory Daze fave Lamarca, but a different song altogether.
The 1976 Journey chestnut ‘Look Into The Future’ gets a 2019 update. I try not to read the tea leaves as to the reasons why artists re-record such songs. Put it this way, I loved the original, and this new rendition makes for a good companion piece, but 43 years is a big gap of time.
Into the back end of the album now. ‘Rockit’ didn’t quite move heaven and earth for me, while the ballad ‘If I Went Home’ with its 60’s styled vocals and lounge club piano reinforces that one word we mentioned at the start of this article: variety.
Gregg and friends finish up with ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, a cover of the song made famous by a certain chap with the first name of Elvis, but sounding absolutely nothing like the original! Trust me.
In Summary
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was. You will be too. For those expecting an album in the vein of The Storm or his first two solo albums from the mid 80’s, please don’t. Leave the room now.
‘Sonic Ranch’ is a likeable rock n roll record with a foot firmly planted in the 70’s. I can sit with this album on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a beverage and watch the world go by. And for many old timers standing at the entrance to pension and retirement living, this album is fine by them too.
Gregg Rolie on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
