With a career stretching back to 1979 and the band Boulder — that's almost 30 years! — American singer/guitarist Stan Bush continues to prove why he's one of AOR's classiest elder statesmen. The man's tenth album, In This Life, is packed with massive melodies and overwhelmingly upbeat themes. And, really, isn't that what this music is supposed to be about? Rockers like the opener "I'll Never Fall," "This Moment" and "Take It All The Way" push the feel-good needle to the red. Sure, Bush gets a little sappy on "I Can't Cry" and "The First Time," but isn't that part of the AOR condition, too?
Backed by a band that includes musicians who've played with Alice Cooper and David Lee Roth, Bush sounds like the consummate professional — giving songs all they need to shine. His radio-friendly voice remains in fine form as he practically puts on a clinic for how to perform classic-yet-original AOR. That said, the best song on In This Life is the acoustic stunner "Southern Rain," an ode to Bush's Florida youth in which he steps out of his comfort zone and delivers an emotionally charged vocal.
Sadly, no major record company in his homeland would dare touch Stan Bush today, making In This Life perfect proof of why we need labels like Italy's Frontiers Records.
Track Listing:
1) I'll Never Fall
2) I Got A Thing For You
3) I Can't Cry
4) This Moment
5) Waiting For You
6) The First Time
7) Long, Long Way
8) Over You
9) Take It All The Way
10) In This Life
11) Southern Rain
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