Customer Reviews

Gamma 4

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

 

 

This album is just plan bad. Not because it does not sound like another Gamma album, or because it is not hard enough, or there are not enough blazing solos, it is bad because it is simply a weak effort. The songs are anemic, the lyrics are lame, and even most of the performances are stilted. And yes, when a band reunites and creates something of a continuation of it's legacy, it should have some semblance of their original sound. This just comes across as an album for an albums sake. Uninspired.

Another reviewer stated of this CD "Good unless you need synth." Well, yes, we need synth! Keyboards were an integral part of the Gamma sound. (Full disclosure here, I am a keyboardist.) When I try to explain to guitarists the perfect balance between guitars and keys in Hard Rock I play them Gamma 2 or 3. Most have never heard it and it shatters their false notion that keyboards are optional in Hard Rock.

I saw this band in concert circa 1981 and they were tremendous! But Mitchell Froom was on the keys then. I know he's a big-time producer now, but surely he could've been persuaded to join this line-up for "4." Lacking that, Derek Sherinian would have been a fitting replacement. In any case, I won't trash the band's effort on "4," just suffice it to say it is not the same style of music that made them famous. Perhaps it was felt they should update their sound for the current stylings in music. The problem with that is yes, the synths on the first 3 CD's were a product of the time (late 70's early 80's). But the point is that Gamma's music has aged well while that of many of their contemporaries has not. So their legacy should be embraced rather than ignored. Ah, but artists are usually the least objective about their work.

With all of this in mind, "Last Man on Earth" is a good song with a slow, lumbering beat (not unlike "Voyager.") It's worth a buck to download this one song. But by all means pick up the rare "Best of Gamma" CD. It's from the early 90's but has been re-released at least once. It's 16 songs from the first 3 CDs so all the important tracks are present.

I disagree with the majority of these reviews. This is a very good album, and it is definitely essential for most fans of Gamma and any fan of Montrose or Pattison. Here's why:

1) Nearly all the songs are solid and grow on you the more you listen to them. There are two "bad" songs, but if they were cut, it would still be a full-length album and would be far more consistent with almost nothing to criticize. It's a little slower and mellower than the first three, overall, but not much--and it's less poppy.

2) There are a couple of outstanding songs that are definitely among the best of Gamma. Darkness to Light is a great rocker, and Last Man On Earth is a long track that has some super-tasty guitar. To me, the album is worth the ten bucks I paid for it just to get those two songs.

3) Pattison's voice sounds terrific, and the guitar work throughout is impressive. One of my favorite vocalists with one of my favorite guitarists makes it a slam dunk for me. I would have preferred less slide guitar, but I enjoy that too. The synthesizer is missing, but I don't miss it.

4) Regardless of what the other reviews say, this album totally sounds like Gamma. If you put this album on shuffle with the other three, it would blend perfectly. It has a bit more stylistic variety than the first three, and a few of the songs might have gone better on one of Pattison's albums with Robin Trower, but the guitar and the voice together make it unmistakably Gamma. I will admit, if you listened to Gamma for the synth-heavy 80's element of their sound, you will probably dislike the stripped-down bluesy approach of this album. The omnipresent synthesizer could arguably be called an essential attribute of the Gamma sound, but I liked Gamma for the songs, Montrose, and Pattison--not the synth. If you are a fan of Gamma for the same reasons, you should definitely check out this album.

This doesn't even belong on the same planet as Gamma 3 or 2 (or even 1). Gamma got better with each release, until this one. Listening to it, I get the feeling that both Ronnie Montrose and Denny Carmassi have lost the edge they once had. (Where are the killer drum riffs Carmassi was known for? He became a wimp all those years he wasted his time playing for Heart.) The quality of songwriting and playing just isn't there. Sad, really.

OK, I give it 5 stars because people are unfair. Gamma never sounded like Montrose, and Speed of sound didn't sound like Gamma, and...need I go on. People change and so does the music. So if you want it all to stay the same then go back and live in the 70's with your bell bottoms. This album is good. It's not my favorite. I like Gamma 3 the most. I really Love speed of sound too. Give it a chance, or not, or listen to it on Itunes.

Oh No!....This doesn't sound like Gamma 1, 2 or 3....I guess I can't like it = NOT. I LOVE IT. The Gammaman (R.M.) has allways liked to evolve musically with his bands and that is exactly what happend "hear". I my heavy metal opinion this is a very good thing. This is actually pretty upbeat if you give it a chance, so there are horns & keys were there was mostly guitar in the old days...so what. The guitar work & sound on this album is very cool, even gritty at times - There aren't as many blazing solos as I would like, but the little fills and thrills more than make up for it. I am only going to say this once....Davy P. is the best fricken rock singer there is....Hughes, Coverdale, Bach, Labrie, Moog, Wetton, ....Well, he is very good. The bass/drums are solid as allways (Great Bass Player if I could spell his name I would) . Bottom line - if you like cool AOR with an edgy twist to it you will like all the Gamma CD's. WARNING: Montrose is infectious....If his music grabs you, you'll never get away - Open up your wallet.

P.S. Start With "Music From Here" - JRK

Music is as personal as belly buttons. Therefore, it is almost impossible to say if a piece of music is good or bad. You may or may not like it but that is it!!!! Open up your senses and love this music.
In this case, I enjoy this piece of music so much because it shows how great musicians and songwriters Gamma are. They evolve album to album without losing their esscence. They have horns and Edgar Winter!!!!!!.
Do you understand that this is rocking???
People, learn to enjoy music and life in general and your lives will be happier.

This rocks period!

Gamma 1 was probably the best effort of Montrose, the 2nd Generation. Resurrection Shuffle & These Hands are not good songs at all. Still worth buying though. Gamma 2 & 3 are a toss up as to which was better. This one is a distant 4th.