On the surface the two men behind The Gray Lions might seem like a bit of an unlikely pairing. In one corner we have Mark Hudson who is an established producer, musician (The Hudson Brothers) and songwriter and in the other corner, Marc Rubinstein a musician at heart who ran the famed Pig Light Show (a psychedelic liquid light show) at The Fillmore East in the 60's. A chance meeting at the Rock n' Roll Fantasy Camp in 2007 eventually led to discussions of a collaboration after Hudson heard some of Rubinstein's original compositions and was suitably knocked out. After some delays, largely due to Hudson's hectic schedule the duo has finally unleashed their debut effort entitled Run Wild.
So what does the music sound like you ask? Well for the most part the material on this thirty seven minute CD is pretty much a straight up, classic rock sounding affair, but with a modern twist. Rubinstein's wah-wah drenched guitar solos and Hudson's swirling organ are featured prominently throughout, especially on the first two tracks "Lost My Woman" and "Who Do You Love". These two songs also reveal the duo's propensity for soaring, layered background vocals as well as a whack load of cowbell! "Luck Of The Draw" and "The Forgotten Man" both reek of Southern bred boogie, while "Love Comes Soon" finds Rubinstein tearing into a slow blues and dishing out some absolutely scorching solos. Amid the abundance of killer hooks and melodies there's even a bit of Zappa weirdness happening on "Smaug's Revenge".
While Run Wild isn't exactly groundbreaking stuff, the music that these two unique individuals have come up with on this debut effort sounds so natural that it fits like a glove. If you're looking for a good, old fashioned, no holds barred, good time, rock 'n roll record then I think you'll find that The Gray Lions are up to the task. Oh, but guys, if I could make a suggestion for the next album, could we please have some more cowbell?!
Track Listing
1) Lost My Woman
2) Who Do You Love
3) Crimes Of Passion
4) Luck Of The Draw
5) Love Come Soon
6) The Forgotten Man
7) It Just Ain't Enough
8) Disarming Prince Charming
9) Don't Do It
10) Smaug's Revenge
11) Years Of Gold
12) You Were Wrong
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