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SON OF MAN “Gaslight”
SON OF MAN “Gaslight”
By Dark Starr
This album features George Jones and Bob Richards, formally of MAN, which might lead someone to think that it’s a prog album, but it really isn’t. Yes, there are some other proggy elements here, but overall this is more hard rock than anything else. Comparisons to bands like URIAH HEEP, DEEP PURPLE and BLUE OYSTER CULT are frequent visitors. Call this what you like, but it rocks.
The sounds of a train get things going on “Down.” Trippy sounds join after a time. Then guitar and other elements are added to the mix, feeling a bit like PINK FLOYD. That holds it for the duration of the introduction before they drive in with a real hard rocking sound from there. This is a bit like DEEP PURPLEin some ways, but with more of a metal edge in place. It’s a bluesy rocker. Another hard rocking tune, “Stuck” isn’t quite metal, but it’s not far from it. There are some cool hooks on this thing. It’s not proggy, though.
A slower tune, “Can’t Stop Loving You” isn’t quite a ballad. It’s definitely more melodic, though. This is more of a power-ballad. There are some proggy things at play at times on “Far from Home.” That’s particularly true of the keyboard heavy instrumental section. This has more of that mainstream hard rock thing at play, too. I love the chorus section on the title track. The number makes me think of BLUE OYSTER CULT to a good degree. It is hard rocking, but does have some prog things going on. It’s also got some great dramatic sound. This is one of my favorites here. It definitely gets pretty rocking later.
The opening guitar on “103” is rather metallic. The tune is hard rocking. Imagine a hard-edged FOGHAT meets URIAH HEEP and you might be close to this tune. Again, it’s not the proggiest thing. It does have more of that BOC angle, too. More of a melodic rocker, “There Will Come a Day” is another that is sort of a power ballad. There are some minor hints of prog here. I’m reminded a little of a harder rocking STRAWBS. I really love the cool Americana guitar fills later. The soloing lends some classic hard rock sound.
“Tomorrow” is next, and the melodic rocker does feel proggier, in an AOR prog vein. The instrumental break brings some of the most progressive stuff of the whole album to bear and feels quite a bit like PINK FLOYD, particularly on the guitar solo section. I dig the hard melodic rocking sounds of “Hiding: quite a bit. It’s a mainstream rocker that feels very 1970s-like.
There is a real epic feel to “The Road “. It’s has some really dramatic moments and is one of the highlights here. In fact, it might be my favorite track on the album. “Thanks for the Ride” is the closing shot, and piano and other elements combine on the extended introduction to bring a real prog angle to it. It turns harder rocking later, but it still has prog elements at play. There is a definite URIAH HEEP kind of vibe on the vocal section.
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