Customer Reviews

Aldo Nova (Exp)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Aldo Nova's 1982 self-titled debut is a blueprint for the pop metal, or sometimes deridely called hair metal, music that would become tremendously popular throughout the 80's. The album is built around double tracked guitar riffs, sledgehammer drums and crisp melodies. The songs are either rocking anthems or power ballads. Mr. Nova spent three years as George Harrison in a Canadian version of Beatlemania, so he brought a strong sense of melody to the power chords. The album's open track and first single is the superb "Fantasy". The song opens to the sounds of helicopters and then kicks in with a searing guitar riff. The lyrics are pure 80's hedonism with talk of street girls and white powder. Mr. Nova was also one of the first artists to embrace MTV and his video for the song is a classic and peaked at number 23 on the charts. "Ball & Chain" and "You're My Love" are strong power ballads. "Foolin' Yourself" has a strong pop sound and was a small hit peaking at 65. "Heart To Heart" & "See The Light" heavily incorporate synthesizers into the mix. The album had a strong influence on Bon Jovi (whose cousin engineered the album) and he practically copies the album's format on his first few releases (Mr. Nova plays guitar on Bon Jovi's first hit "Runaway"). The album peaked at number 8 in early 1982, but Mr. Nova would never again crack the top 50 on the charts. He would later go on to big success as a songwriter and producer mostly notable for fellow French-Canadian Celine Dion for which he would win a Grammy for his production. This is a superb remastering of the album. The sound is a marked improvement over the original CD release which contained alot of hiss. Their is one bonus track, a demo version of the album's second single, "Foolin' Yourself", but the overall sound improvement is reason enough to buy th ealbum.

Aldo Nova was a cool dude in '82: a laserbeam/helicopter/sonic intro to one of the most recognizable hard rock/pop/metal songs was fuel for what was a solid album overall. The song of course is FANTASY, which many people consider to be "sexy." Yes, this song is an absolute rocker with all the attitude. The guitar is superb, the drums loud, and the vocals (while not great) are still adequate. There are other standout songs on this album, including the slow BALL AND CHAIN, as well as FOOLIN' YOURSELF, then the up-tempo SEE THE LIGHT. Aldo was a master in the studio, and after he hung 'em up for good, he became a renowned producer for other great artists. Aldo Nova more or less invented or defined pop metal. This album is solid. Get it. 8.5/10

Debut album by Canadian melodic rock/AOR composer, guitarist and singer Aldo Nova, originally released in 1982. In many ways the `Aldo Nova' debut was a sign of things to come for the rock music world in the 80s - the mixture of the well established AOR/melodic rock sound of bands like `Journey', `Foreigner' and `Styx' through a harder, more polished and stylish prism was the most significant step in the development of the `Hair metal' genre.

Much like Gary Moore, John Sykes and Jeff Paris, Aldo Nova showcases incredible skills in songwriting, singing and guitar playing. One has to admit that it is not very common for musicians to match two of the above criteria, let alone all three. Therefore the album is bound to impress or at least prove itself substantial, even in 2010. The material on offer here, "Fantasy", "Hot Love", "Heart to heart" and "Under the gun" walk the fine line between late 70s AOR/melodic rock and 80s Glam metal. In addition, the album features the much slower tunes "Ball and Chain" and "Can't stop loving you" setting the standards for the glam metal ballad of the 80s which would develop into an inescapable must for any band wishing to dominate the charts at the time.

While the album bares the above characteristics of the Glam/Hair metal stle, it also differentiates itself through minor yet significant qualities: Foremost no instrument is overproduced on Nova's debut, therefore one finds no huge drumming or screaming/vibrato filled guitars while the keys are either piano or atmospheric string section.

Overall, the Aldo Nova debut could be considered both a melodic rock/AOR and Glam metal album at its own right; and while it proved not to be the most extreme or outrageous of glam metal albums, it is definitely one of the first and most substantial releases of the genre.

This product was exactly as advertised. i recommend wholly. A++++. It is all good for me. (more words to appease Amazon.com, though nothing more to say).

I originally had the LP when it first came out in the early 80s. I was feeling nostalgic for good music since most of the current music played on the radio is not that great. The album is just as fabulous as I remember. The guitar playing, the lyrics, and the general energetic vibe beats this generic American Idol crap any day.

ALDO NOVA is Aldo Nova's first- and best- album. The big hit was "Fantasy", but other songs on the CD cut pretty deep lyrically, too. The expanded version features improved mastering and an alternate version of "Foolin' Yourself." On many tracks everything except drums is played by Nova himself or with one other person. This album was a prototype for much of the "hair metal" that came later, but is much more complex musically. This was the bridge between the Montrose/Foghat/Ted Nugent 70s hard rock sound and the Bon Jovi/Def Leppard pop-metal style. Get this album as soon as you can.

Spoken wasn't the only good rock band to come out of Arkansas. Originating from Texarkana, Arkansas, this four piece group delivers with a wide range of heavy and melodic elements that do not disappoint.

Nova has put so much effort out to make sure that this EP, being their second, turned out as best as it could. Going through multiple lineup changes and overall sound transitions after replacing their singer with their original drummer, Nova's self titled soars above their previous release "The Affirmation".

Centering their ideas on Christ, Nova isn't ashamed to admit what they believe, and have even been invited to play at multiple churches and Youth Conventions around Arkansas and surrounding states, one of which I personally attended and was blown away at how such a small group could shake such a large building. Nova stays positive even if everything seems to be going wrong, which is one of the main reasons they have been able so trek this far despite the struggles they have went through along the way.

This EP is a delight to listen to. With the classic "We're Here" as well as new hits like the "Memories" and "The Rope", it's evident that Nova has come a long way. They even wrote the song "JM" dedicated to Jordan's brother and Nova's former singer. It's clear that the boys in Nova poured their heart and soul into this CD, which has been in the making for the past year or so, and the wait definitely payed off; Nova delivers...enough said.

This album is pure pop/rock magic. Aldo Nova plays every instrument, wrote every song, and even produced the original album. Many consider him a sort of one hit wonder because "Fantasy" is the only song people really know. The song still gets played on the radio too. Every song is great, lyrically. His lyrics are very deep. Also, he can play a mean guitar. If you like bands like Triumph, you must buy this album.

okay I was not a big MTV/video fan. MTV
didn't and doesn't play enough hard rock
like UFO, Thin LIzzy, Y&T you know real
rock bands by the way are all still around
BUT I saw Aldo Nova open for Cheap Trick &
he blew me away with his live show. The songs
sounded much better live. I had this cassette
but it didn't thrill me as much as seeing him
live but looking back it was a great 80's rock
album & better than most of what was out there.
Fantasy still rocks but the rest is better than
I remember. Hot Love, It's too Late, Heart to
Heart also rock but Ball & Chain should've been
a mega hit! This is a great medium tempo love
song. Great hook/chorus. This is a must for
any 80's rock fan or just for title track!

Nova is up and coming, and quick. I'm proud to say I know the band members personally, and the guys couldn't be more awesome.

There isn't a bad track on this album- it's incredibly solid. I've seen them twice in concert, and each show was astounding. I highly recommend you go see them live if you have the chance. I'd really have to say "The Rope" is my favorite track on this album, with "The Grey Side".

Overall, worth every cent, especially at 89 per song! You should purchase this album.