It took the best part of five years to see the release of the second Nelson album. This effort straddles the melodic rock and new country fence, and for what it’s worth, I love it.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Nelson
ALBUM: Because They Can
LABEL: Geffen
SERIAL: DGCD-24525
YEAR: 1995
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Gunnar Nelson – vocals, guitars * Matthew Nelson – vocals, bass * Brett Garsed – guitars * Joey Cathcart – guitars * Paul Mirkovich – piano, keyboards * Bobby Rock – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 (You Got Me) All Shook Up * 02 The Great Escape * 03 Five O’Clock Plane * 04 Cross My Broken Heart * 05 Peace On Earth * 06 Remi * 07 Won’t Walk Away * 08 Only A Moment Away * 09 Joshua Is With Me Now * 10 Love Me Today * 11 Be Still * 12 Right Before Your Eyes * 13 Nobody Wins In The End
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Nelson Background
It took the best part of five years to see the release of the second Nelson album.
‘Because They Can’ was not the original scheduled second release (technically ‘Imaginator’ was). But due to ‘politics’ (for want of a better word) it saw the light of day first. ‘Imaginator’ followed in 1996/97..
This effort straddles the melodic rock and new country fence, and for what it’s worth, I love it. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I have a soft spot for some of those country rock outfits. Think Blackhawk, Restless Heart and Diamond Rio.
So it wasn’t difficult to slip between the grooves on this CD. Cross this with a West Coast oriented band like Venice, and you get the picture.
Most of the lineup from ‘After The Rain’ are here, though there are many other session musicians playing throughout the material too. Including Mike Baird, Mike Botts, Elliot Easton, Don Felder, Steve Porcaro, Timothy B Schmit and Venice‘s own Mark Lennon. Production duties this time are handled by family friend John Boylan.
The Songs
The acoustic guitars are right up in the mix. When combined with the backbone of harmony vocals the end result is warm, and luscious. This is best demonstrated on tracks like the album opener ‘All Shook Up’ and the impressive ‘Five O’Clock Plane’.
The level of urgency increases a couple of notches on ‘The Great Escape’ and the stomping ‘Wont Walk Away’. The latter is an awesome song!
Another epic style rocker comes in the shape of ‘Be Still’. It’s a ‘big’ sounding track akin to Jon Bon Jovi doing the acoustic/electric gig. Most of the other songs are an assortment of guitar based ballads or softer rock songs. Though good, they are not as immediate as those mentioned above.
In Summary
This is an album for those wishing to indulge in pure melodious rock veering on the softer side. It has a penchant for country tinged or West Coast flavoured stylings, so should be a contender for your collection.
Oh, and while you’re at it, grab all the Nelson albums you can lay claim to. They’re all worth having.
Nelson on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
