Danter; Ian: Prove You Wrong

I have to say that when I heard that respected UK sports broadcaster Ian Danter was turning his hand to rock music, my initial hopes weren't exactly through the roof. Countless "celebrities" have turned tried their luck at a music career and the vast majority with crushing failure being the ultimate outcome. However then discovering that one of melodic rock's hottest vocal properties, Lee Small (Shy/Phenomena/Snowfall/and solo) was to bring his authentic blues steeped voice to the whole shebang, suddenly added an air of reassurance that up to that point this project had undoubtedly lacked. In recent times Small has cropped up on numerous releases, none of them less than worthy and most falling into the essential category. Thankfully the aptly titled Prove You Wrong finds us veering intently towards must-buy.

Many bands, acts and artists spend the present yearning to be back in the 70s, but few it has to be said will have done so as expertly as Danter, who handles all of the drums, bass, rhythm guitar and piano on the album, while also taking on a few guitar solos and lead vocals! However a vanity project this is not, with the album positively bursting at the seams with tracks that could easily have come from MKIII Deep Purple, with that assured bluesy style that so turned on David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, while turning off a certain Mr Blackmore. However add to that mix a little of Blackmore's next move, Rainbow and you'll have a strong scent of the concoction joyously served up on the fifteen tracks of Prove You Wrong. Small certainly doesn't paint himself into a musical corner with his varied output, but there's no denying that this sort of setting is where his voice truly thrives, combining with some excellent songs and great performances to make this album a true exercise in what Classic Bluesy Rock should be all about.

"Soulmate" kicks things off, guitars soaring, vocals biting and drums hammering, but all with a classy sheen so lacking in many modern takes on 70s rock and if one thing above all else raises Prove You Wrong far above retro-rehash status, it is the warm, of the time production from Alex Cooper and Danter. "She's From A Different Solar System" brings a thick funky groove and a killer chorus, while the slightly more contemporary guitar attack of the album's title track allows the grittier, rough and ready vocal style of Danter himself to shine rather effectively. He's no Lee Small, but the man can sing and the three songs he chooses to front ("Overflow" and the excellent, good fun "I Wanna Be A Has Been" being the others) work well with his voice. Cleverly the songs are kept short and sharp and even with fifteen tracks, this is not an album that overstays its welcome, preferring to make short, sharp impacts that keep you coming back for more.

There's no doubt that 2013 will see countless albums released which try to relive the heyday of 70s rock. Truth be told, they'll have to go some to beat Prove You Wrong, which certainly did that to me right from the off!

Track Listing
01. Soulmate
02. She's From A Different Solar System
03. Cloud 9
04. Stronger Than That
05. Prove You Wrong
06. Brilliant
07. Stay In My Heart
08. Forget About Me
09. I'll Drag You Down
10. I Cried Tonight
11. I'll Get Around To It
12. Whiskey In A Wine Glass
13. Overflow
14. Crocodile Tears
15. I Wanna Be A Has-Been

Added: April 5th 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Ian Danter Online
Hits: 3045
Language: english

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