Roll down the windows and crank up the tunes because Takara, as this 18-track collection proves, refused to acknowledge that it was a decade too late. The melodic hard rock band from California hooked up with producer and singer Jeff Scott Soto when it was recording its first demo. After Takara's original singer couldn't cut the sessions, Soto was drafted. And he has never sounded better than he did on Takara's first three albums (released mainly in Europe and Japan and the best tracks of which are highlighted on this best-of reissue). One could argue that the man's best work musically came with either Axel Rudi Pell or Talisman, but Soto soars here on melodic hard rockers like "Two Hearts Together," "Days of Dawn" and "Blind In Paradise," while emoting on such ballads as "Restless Heart," "Colors Fade," "Last Mistake" and "Don't Wanna Be Alone." Even his backing vocals, more crystalline than his leads, hit the sweet spot. That said, the Prince-like titles ("Take U Down," "Say U'll Stay," "Your Love 2night") were annoying, and Takara's lineup (which at one time included ex-Ozzy bassist Bob Daisley) never really solidified over the band's initial five-year lifespan. Heck, Soto wasn't even a permanent member, according to Eternity's liner notes, penned by founding guitarist Neal Grusky. Takara reunited with new singer Michael James for 2001's Perception of Reality, but Eternity lives on and is well worth hearing again …
Track Listing:
1) Spotlight (3:26)
2) Two Hearts Together (3:41)
3) Restless Heart (4:02)
4) Fallen Angel (3:11)
5) Colors Fade (4:40)
6) When Darkness Falls (4:56)
7) Days of Dawn (4:30)
8) Your Love (3:11)
9) December (4:48)
10) Last Mistake (4:42)
11) Lonely Shade of Blue (5:27)
12) Take U Down (4:59)
13) Your Love 2night (4:08)
14) Don't Wanna Be Alone (6:42)
15) Blind in Paradise (4:14)
16) Say U'll Stay (4:59)
17) Restless Heart (Acoustic) (3:10)
18) Your Love (Acoustic) (2:35)
Total Time: 77:29
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