CDreams #1: Rock Sugar- Reimaginator

Yes, we combined Led Zepplin and Supertramp. So?

Hello, Streakers! Boog here, with an apology for no review last week. Crap happens, but I really had no excuse for not doing one, so, sorry. That said, I'm hopefully making up for it this week with TWO reviews, one Flick Pick, and this, the first CDream, on an album called Reimaginator, from a band called Rock Sugar. This band, and this album, is quite possibly the single most original thing I've heard in quite some time, and considering that there isn't a single original note or word in the entire album, that's saying something. You see, Rock Sugar is a cover band. But not just any cover band. a MASH-UP cover band. As to what they mash-up, and the format I will use for this and subsequent CDreams reviews, keep reading. Oh, and SPOILERS! if you haven't heard them yet.
Okay, so first things first. I will review only complete albums, no singles, unless that single is so awesome or godawful that I have to mention it to keep being a member of the human race. I will review them after listening to the album in it's entirety, including bonus tracks, if there are any. I will give my opinion on the album in general, and then break down my opinion track by track, in playlist order.As an example, this album I shall commence reviewing has 13 tracks. The album as a whole, is downright ear candy. Take a metal band from the 80s, put them in stasis for twenty years, pumping nothing but 80s pop music in their ears, and when they wake up, they'll probably play like Rock Sugar.

I sing in a rock band, and I voiced Wakko Warner. I am a god.

As a Metal/Rock Band, they are great, with the guitarists and drummer really nailing the vibe of some of the harsher tracks they're covering, with music from Metallica, Ozzy Ozzbourne, and Judas Priest mixing with bits from Warrant, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, and even Bryan Adams without skipping a beat. Literally. The segways, while at times predictable, always flow naturally, which shows a deep muscianship from the group that I thoroughly enjoy. And speaking of the group, they are a talented and varied little bunch. The frontman, Jess Harnell, pictured here, is the standout for me. You see, not only is he an award winning singer, he has also done steady voice acting work from 1989 to the present, and still has projects lined up. It was no coincidence that he did a weird John Lennon impression for Wakko Warner, music was his first love. While doing the voices of Sewer Urchin from The Tick, to Captain Hero from Drawn Together, Jess was working on getting a band together. He did, eventually, with close friend Chuck Duran on Guitars and Bass, and Alex Track on Drums. Later, after the album was released, they found a bassist who worked with them well in the form of Johny Five, whose previous career work with other local metal bands had given him a strong following.

This is how I ride to gigs. Got a Rocket on the back.

Alex, to the left here, is a Grammy winning drummer(he snagged it for his drum skills on Ike Turner's 2007 album, the last one before Ike died). Trained for two years at the
Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria, and owns and runs his recording studio, Track Entertainment Studios. Chuck, pictured below, on the purple, is also a Grammy winner, and also owns his own company, World Digital Studios, that works primarily doing voice-overs, commercials, and voice acting. Johnny Five, pictured last, on the couch, doesn't have any awards to my knowledge, but is one of the more well regarded bass players of the local SoCal music scene, even fronting his own band at one point. Now, as I said before, overall, I think the album is great, and works on every level it's supposed to. Now for the fun part, where I break down each track. They are all Mash-Ups, so I'll give the title, and the titles of the songs used, and the bands they orignally came from.

Cheesy Pose, with the cockyness of knowing he's cooler than you.

Track 1- "Don't Stop The Sandman" This first song really tears it up, opening with the deep bass riff from Metallica's "Enter the Sandman" without a whole lot to back it up. Then Harnell starts crooning out the word to "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. And suddenly, it all makes sense. The words are paced very well, and the music is spot on. Perfect opening song, the heavy beats to catch you, the lighter lyrics to keep you in.

Track 2- "We Will Kickstart Your Rhapsody" Not as strong as track 1, but keeps the energy high. Two Queens songs here, "We Will Rock You", and "Bohemian Rhapsody", sandwiched around "Kickstart My Heart" from Motley Crue. Again, expertly done, love the music and lyric combinations here.

Track 3- "Crazy Girl" If you've figured out the formula, then you'll know that this is Ozzy's classic "Crazy Train" mixed with Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl". Here, the music still works great, and the lyric syncing is still top notch. I personally love Ozzy's music, and "Jessie's Girl" but then I am a child of the 80s.

Track 4- "Voices in The Jungle" This was the first one to throw me, as I don't really know one of the songs in here all that well. Guns and Roses' "Welcome to The Jungle" is present, as well as the riff from "Sweet Child of Mine", mixed with parts from 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry", which I have maybe heard all of three times before this album. That said, the quality of the mash-up is still rock solid, although this one and the track before it are a little slower and less energetic than the first two.

Track 5 "Here Comes The Fool You Wanted" Now here's and ambitious track. Starting slower than 4, but has bits that ramp it up to the energy levels of 1 and 2. Oh, and there's FOUR songs here. Two from Eurythmics "Here Comes The Rain Again" and "Sweet Dreams(Are Made of These)", peppered with "Wanted Dead or Alive" from Bon Jovi, and a dash of "Nobody's Fool" from Cinderella. Strong vocal work here from Jess, showing off the lighter side of his voice.

Track 6- "Shook Me Like a Prayer" Here's the first song I didn't love on first listen. The music is well done, the vocals are well done, I just didn't love the syncing, or the combination in general. AC/DC gets an appearence here, through "You Shook Me All Night Long", as well as the Chorus to "Hell's Bells" here and there, matched with Madonna's "Like a Prayer." It's still a good song, but I don't know that I think it's a GREAT song, like the five before it.

Tattoo Sleeves? Coveralls? Yep He's a bassist.

Track 7- "Straight to Rock City" Here is another that just jumper out at me. The first pop tune I fell in love with, hell, probably the first music video I ever watched, was Paula Abdul's "Straight Up". This track sideswipes that song with a heavy KISS of "Detroit Rock City". The result is in my picks for top five songs of this album.

Track 8- "Prayin' For a Sweet Weekend" Bon Jovi and Loverboy collide here, with "Livin' on a Prayer" going "Working for the Weekend" in the same boat as track 6 for me. The song is still good, the vocals are great, music's great, something about the combo just doesn't grab me. Oh, and the "Sweet Child of Mine" riff from track 4 reappears here.

Track 9- "Heaven and Heaven" Every metal band of the 80s had to have a ballad, and this mash-up is Rock Sugar's. Two songs named "Heaven" are mixed here, one from now perennial crooner Bryan Adams, the other from now defunct hair metal band Warrant. This song is very slow compared to the other tracks, but it's a ballad, and that's to be expected. This is my least favorite song on the album. This particular track, while just as technically proficient as the rest, and I can say is a good song, it's just a good long that I don't happen to like as much as the others.

Track 10- "Breakin' the Love" - Here's another energetic piece, with Judas Priest's "Breakin' The Law" being mixed with "I'm Not In Love" which, oddly enough, was a cover at the time(1984), then recorded by Will to Power, and first recorded by British band 10cc in 1975. I like this one. The music is catchy, the lyrics well thought out throughout the piece.

Track 11- "I Love Sugar On Me"- This is my #3 pick for top five of this album. Awesome syncing, great song choices with Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" having some fun with Joan Jett's versions of "I Love Rock and Roll", and just plain rocking out. Hard.

Track 12- "Round and Separated" In the home stretch now. This song is a mash-up of Journey's "Seperate Ways" with RATT's "Round and Round", and it is the best synced song on the album. This mash-up just had to happen, and it sounds the most natural as a result. However, the best song on the album, is...

Track 13- "Dreaming of a Whole Lotta Breakfast" Three Songs get just about equal play in this epic rock jam session. "Dream On", from Aerosmith, "Breakfast in America" from Supertramp, and "Whole Lotta Love" from Led Zepplin. If you're wondering, yes Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven" puts in a cameo appearance too. And this song, is pure, unadulterated, awesome, now fortified with extra Vitamin Rock. The syncs and segways flow into each other pretty damn seamlessly, and make for an epic song, to end a damn near epic album.

My recommendation? If you can find this album, however you can find this album, Buy it. These musicians, currently touring the US and the UK, need to be encouraged to make more albums. And, as there websites says...

Because Pop. Rocks.
Now, as it's 3AM on Friday Morning for me, I'm going to nap, and put up my Flick Picks review after I wake up. Until next time, Streakers, keep dreaming.