The mid 80’s and early 90’s was a fertile period for Canadian Paul Janz, who released several albums between 1985 and 1992.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Paul Janz
ALBUM: Electricity
LABEL: A&M
SERIAL: SP 65156 (LP), CD 5156/DX 1656 (CD)
YEAR: 1987
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
LINEUP: Paul Janz – vocals, keyboards * Tim McKenzie – guitars * Bob Press – bass * Michael Root – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 One Night Is All It Takes * 02 Electricity * 03 I Won’t Cry * 04 We Touch * 05 I’ll Be Your Eyes * 06 Send Me A Miracle * 07 Believe In Me * 08 I Go To Pieces * 09 Angel * 10 Alien * 11 One Last Lie
Background
I have developed a soft spot for Canadian artists as far back as I can remember. And accordingly, one of the lesser known guys in the business to produce wonderful AOR is British Columbia’s very own Paul Janz.
Though born in Alberta, Paul and the Janz family moved to Switzerland when he was 4. Paul’s natural musical ability started off with singing in choirs and developing his all too obvious piano and keyboard skills. Once he discovered rock music there was no turning back.
Always with his christian upbringing in the background, Janz was one of the few artists to straddle the christian and secular boundaries successfully. His early forays included a couple of efforts with his band Deliverance who released three albums during the 70’s. They were European based and they released the rather lovely ‘Tightrope’ album from 1979.
The band fell away but Janz emerged unscathed and commenced the start of a great solo career by moving back to Canada in 1980. He eventually resettled in a town called Mission just southeast of Vancouver (and not too far away from another town called Chilliwack!)
It wasn’t until he ventured out on his own with the album ‘High Strung’ in 1985 that the rock world sat up and took notice, with several good singles coming off that album. His standing was further enhanced by the release of the ‘Electricity’ album released two years later, and which is the basis of this review.
Boy this is real good, and in comparison could be described as a keyboard oriented version of Stan Meissner, though in saying that, the guitars are there, and to his credit, Tim McKenzie’s guitar lines come off sounding like Dann Huff it’s uncanny! You gotta hear it.
The Songs
The pomp beginning of ‘One Night Is All It Takes’ does indeed take us on a journey of tasteful and well produced melodic rock. Then there’s the awesome ‘Send Me A Miracle’, pretty much an AOR piece of perfection.
As are the delicious choruses of ‘We Touch’ and those Huff like guitar passages. The title track ‘Electricity’ is quite literally hot wired for sound and moves and shakes in an upbeat fashion.
There are a number of classy slower moments, such as the ballads ‘I Won’t Cry’, the very radio friendly ‘I’ll Be Your Eyes’ and the heartfelt ‘Believe In Me’. Waves of keyboards cascade over these songs like summer rain. Gorgeous!
There’s the hi-tech blast of ‘I Go To Pieces’, while the slow introductory keyboard flutterings of ‘Alien’ misleads the listener somewhat as this turns into a glorious melodic rock workout.
The other tracks ‘Angel’ and ‘One Last Lie’ continue the high standard already achieved. Put it this way, these songs would have died in lesser hands! Only a song writing and production master like Janz can make these tracks stand out.
In Summary
A few more albums followed after this. The excellent ‘Renegade Romantic’ which deserves a review in it’s own right, the rather indifferent ‘Trust’ album from 1992 (on a new label Attic), and the superb ‘Presence’ which is a collection of his hit singles compiled by A&M, also in 1992. This features the previously unreleased track ‘This Love Is Forever’ from 1992 which is awesome.
His christian beliefs have seen him travel the world and indeed I understand he has even ventured down my way to New Zealand.
For anyone reading this review who has never heard his music, get onto the case now. Check out New World CD’s in Canada to see if copies of this album are still around. Do yourself a favour and get acquainted with an AOR legend.
Paul Janz on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
