Here we have the debut album from a collaboration between Chris Ousey (Heartland) and Steve Mann (Liar, Tytan, Lionheart, MSG etc.) and it’s a good a slab of classic hard rockers with a melodic tinge as you’ll hear anywhere.
Chris Ousey wrote the words and handles vocals in his effortless style singing up a storm.
Steve Mann wrote the music and gets a welcome chance here to show what a fine guitarist/keyboardist he is here coming to the fore rather than filling out the sound for the likes of Schenker.
Between them Ousey and Mann have cooked up a real winner of an album. Thirteen classic pulsing rockers so well written it’s a pleasure to listen to every time.
Class stuff from start to finish by two musicians who know their craft well and how to present it.
Ousey’s vocals are effortlessly classy. Well, you’d expect nothing less than that. He always delivers.
The real pleasure for me is the performance of Steve Mann. I’ve been an admirer going all the way back to the Liar days in the 1970s, the NWOBHM connection with his time in Tytan and Lionheart and more recently with his doing for Schenker what the late, great Paul Raymond did for UFO (and briefly Schenker in the early days) before his untimely passing – and that’s filling out the sound rather than being front and centre.
None of that here. Mann shows his guitar chops in fine style. He throws out the chugging riffs and some rather nifty soloing throughout and it really is good to hear him put his case forwards. The wonderful swells of keys are here in abundance also.
A baker’s dozen of consistently excellent meaty rockers and a couple of ballads which are note-perfect. Take the atmospheric opener – The Flag. Nice understated dramatic keyboard intro before it breaks out in to an atmospheric, powerful rocker with a big hook. Marvellous stuff. Have a listen:
The other twelve songs are just as well written, performed and enjoyable. Can’t go wrong with Is Anybody Listening. The question should be re-phrased as why isn’t everybody listening……?
>> OUSEY MANN IS ANYBODY LISTENING ON AMAZON HERE <<