Customer Reviews

Brother

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sometimes in this day and age after listening to all this dance and hip hop stuff, you are in the mood for a good old rock -n- roll record. Now don't get me wrong, I like a lot of dance and rap, but sometimes I just want to hear four guys who can really jam out doing just that.

This album is pure, great bluesy rock. Just a couple of mikes, some instruments, and some amps. The instruments are superbly balanced in the mix, making the guitars come through clear but still being able to hear the bottom end of the drums and bass. The lines are based in the blues, but with a whole lot of rock thrown in. Certainly reminiscant of Bad Company in their heyday, but with a bit of a heavier sound.

This is a great straight ahead rock album. This is the type of band you'd go see and there would be no fancy clothes, no half dressed chicks dancing on stage, just a bunch of guys in jeans and t-shirts with some Marshalls and their instruments. They'd plug in and they'd blow you away.

For a debut record this 1993 release is as good as it gets. The Rhythm section holds the tight sound that every band in just about every genre strives for. The band had a string of rock radio hits (Bad Thing, Peace Pipe and Too Cold in the Winter), but the songs that never saw the light of day may have been over-looked classics. I'm not even a big fan of blues rock, I just feel that the music on this record has stood the test of time and 12 years later doesn't sound dated. Probably because it didn't sound like 1993 in 1993. Sure the band may have lifted some riffs from the 70's once or twice, but does that really matter. When you put this in your CD player and you immediately pick up an air guitar, turn the receiver to 11 and sit in awe of the overall sound that is all that matters.
I hate to tells stories when it comes to CD reviews, but this is very much related. I was lucky enough to see these guys play live in NJ shortly after this disc was released. It was an outdoor show and just about an hour into the show the skys opened up. The band tried to play on, but the winds and rain were not cooperating. We all figured the show was over and headed back to the parking lot. About 25 minutes later the sun came out and dried up all the water so we headed back to the stage area to find the band setting up their equipment and getting ready to play. A lot of the fans had left or were on their way back when the band started playing again. They played a few more songs and an encore before realizing that they only had one album worth of songs. I guess the point that I am trying to make is that these guys really love to play and it shows on the record as well as live. For sure it wasn't about money, because the show was a free concert put on by the local radio station so I'm sure the band wasn't paid much if at all.
If you enjoy any brand of Rock and Roll, this CD will not disappoint

In the 70's you had Nantucket, the 1980's had PKM & the 1990's had Cry of Love. All share a page in NC's rock and roll history and Pee Wee Watson played part in all. This is the rock and roll tree of North Carolina. I loved them all and want to thank them for the memories. I recommend all their albums to any. You can still get Nantucket's albums and this one from Cry of Love, but unfortunately you can't find PKM's "Rock Erotica". Maybe one day! I want to thank Kenny Soule, Pee Wee Watson, Michael Gardner, Audley Freed & Robert Kearns for some great memories.

Daryl Boyette (formerly of WKNS & WSFL radio)

Wow! Talk about an old school, tour de force guitar album, this is just that. If you are in the mood, or plain out appreciate, killer guitar riffs, great vocals, and a tight rhythm unit, all packaged in some 70's style rock n roll, then this is the album for you. Great from track to track, just pop it in the cd player and be prepared to do whatever it is you do with music in the background, only you'll be doing it with a grin ear to ear.

I saw that you can pick up a copy for under five dollars: no brainer. Great music from these guys. Their second album is just as good, if not better. Buy these two, you won't be disappointed. Audley's work with the Crowes is solid as well, thanks guys!

Over recent years, the way of the classic rock style has gone by the wayside. With the emergence of alternative or grunge, we have seen many bands with excellent talent and songwriting prowess get thrown away with yesterday's trash. Most times, in the world of the modern music industry, timing is everything; this band, Cry Of Love, could have been legendary if they had arrived in 1977 instead of 1993. Blending rich and soulful vocals, impressive blues-inspired guitar riffs and solos, a tight rhythm section, and a 10-pack of great songs, these guys deserved to be recognized.

Naming their band in honor of the Jimi Hendrix classic lp of the same name, Cry Of Love found that 1993 may have been the worst possible year to release an album of this style. Nirvana, and anything remotely like them, ruled the world. The alternative sound was in full swing, and the guitar rock was left in the dugout. Guitar rock is exactly what this record is, too. With current Black Crowes guitarist Audley Freed the driving force here, this is jam packed; that's right, packed with guitar jams. From the jangling funk of the lead off track, Highway Jones, to the spiritual revival sound of the final cut, Saving Grace, we're treated to all the wonderful elements we come to expect from a classic rock artist. Sounding like the second coming of Bad Company, with a twist of Zeppelin, Grand Funk and Badlands, Cry Of Love proves to be worthy of the comparisons. When you listen to Highway Jones you get that sloppy guitar sound that Jimmy Page made famous. Loose jamming with a sense of high tension and anticipation. You find yourself waiting, .....yearning for the explosive climax. It's refreshing to hear a guitar player that can put me on the edge of my seat again. The second track, Pretty As You Please, has the same tension and anticipation to it; except this time, guitarist Freed maintains a steady funk strut before he lets it rip. As we move to their single from the record, Bad Thing, we get the party feel of Grand Funk. We got hand claps, a two-string bass line, and a snappy snare. Reminiscent of Some Kind Of Wonderful, it has that same simple appeal also. The further we journey through this album, the better it gets. Tracks like Too Cold In The Winter, Drive It Home, Hand Me Down, and Gotta Love Me all deliver great performances from the entire band. Listen to the bass line from bassist Robert Kearns on Drive It Home, the passionate vocal track from singer Kelly Holland on Too Cold In The Winter, or the steady foundation drumming of Jason Patterson throughout the record; it's all perfectly in place on this release.
Some of the highlights here, besides the blistering guitar work and vocal prowess, is the hook-laden songwriting of a lot of these songs. You find yourself clenching fists while you writhe to every note. Not just singing along to the songs, but you might find your eyes tear up from the passion and soul that you feel while you sing them. This is what music is all about. I still get shivers when I hear Peace Pipe. This is one of the best rock songs I can recall. If this track don't make you shake and shimmy, you need to see another doctor!! I still sing at the top of my lungs when I listen to Gotta Love Me, Bad Thing or Carnival. It's all about the passion and soul here, and the undying spirit of rock 'n' roll.

If you miss classic rock like Bad Company and Led Zeppelin, and want to tap the steering wheel a little harder on the way home, get this record.
OVERALL RATING: 8 (1-10 scale)
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I first heard this album on the PA before an Aerosmith's permanent vacation tour concert. The guitar work here is stand out. This band got washed away in the flood of grunge. Guitarist Audley Freed stands out in this excellent rock album. Audley has gone on to work with the Black Crowes, tours with Gov't Mule, and is an active session guitarist.

If you like crunchy, gritty guitar hooks set in concise songs, buy this album. This is the first of two Cry of Love albums, I like this one best. If you like Gov't Mule, you'll like this. He performed on Mule's Deep End Vol 1 on "Life on the Outside"

I was born & raised on Rock & Roll. I remember as a teen going to see bands at local NC hangouts - bands like Sidewinder, The Point, Nantucket. All my favorites. Put together soulful guitarist Audley Freed & kicking bassist Robert Kearns of Sidewinder with Kelly Holland, the vocal genius of The Point & add Jason Patterson, the driving force behind Nantucket and you get Cry of Love. Having seen these guys play hundreds of times and having known them personally, I was so excited when "Brother" hit the scene. My one and only experience standing outside a record store on a release date had me biting my nails waiting to get my hands on this one! It surely didn't disappoint, and was, in fact, better than I could have ever imagined. Reminiscent of old Bad Company and soulful with a rockin' edge, "Brother" has become probably my favorite release of all time by ANYONE. On my fifth copy now, I still listen to this one nearly every day. Cry of Love's debut album gives an edge to blues based rock with the emotion not heard on the music scene in years. From the depth of "Too Cold In The Winter" to the drive behind "Don't Hand Me Down", this one is hard to beat. Add to that the pure passion and emotion in "Saving Grace" you can't go wrong choosing this album. You FEEL every word and every riff of every song...too bad the grunge scene overshadowed this true musical talent.......

It's a shame that this album got lost in a sea of grunge in 1993. I guess I can understand why after all these years. It was a curse that Cry of Love could write great songs, outplay most bands that were around, and make a record that had depth to it. AHHHH! Maybe their guitars and vocals being in tune was like nails on a chalkboard to rock listeners. Well, enough sarcasm. This is a fine album. It's real. When "Brother" was released, it was like a discovering a "new" classic rock record. Years later, it still feels classic yet refreshing. You should purchase this album for no other reason than to hear the guitar genius of Audley Freed. Hear the talent being suppressed by the Black Crowes. Could you imagine if the Robinson brothers set their egos aside and let Audley do his thing? My only complaint with "Brother" is that it should have been a double album.

If so, then this album is for you. Pure, simple, blues-driven rock music - sound familiar? No wonder they're often compared to Bad Company but their sound is bluesier, more like Free, if anything. It's a pity they packed it in because if there ever was a band to give The Black Crowes (TBC) a run for the money then Cry Of Love was it. Not as soulful as TBC nor as daft as The Four Horseman (there's a place for them too!), but superb songs well played & with real feeling. They could cut it live too. If you want to hear more of Audley Freed's great guitar work just check out TBC live. I'm buying this CD again as a gift for a mate but having to do so from the US since it's deleted in the UK - shame!

This is one of the most crisp and deliberate works of hard southern rock ever assembled by such an under-rated band. Produced by John Custer, (DAG), and recorded at Mussel Shoales Studios, this effort has obvious influences yet is as orginal as any release this decade has seen. This group has dis-banded since the release of this CD however, if you ever hear of a reunion, catch this act.