Customer Reviews

Magnificent Seven

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

 

 

The Good

"I Love You More Than Rock and Roll" is awash with an infectious riff and Bowes' consummate rock vocals. The track starts off slow but another element is added with each new verse. "The Gods of Love" uses some cosmic sound effects to get things going, but that's followed by some crunchy guitar riffs. The catchy chorus and high-powered vocals are sure to draw you in. "I'm Dreaming Again" is an emotionally powerful acoustic ballad. The musical background is a combination of single note picking and chords. The solo is just as moving.

"Amy's on the Run" will have you scratching you head. At first I thought it was about a woman running away to a new life, but after a few listens I realized...she's running away from being a woman! Yep, she's a guy now. It's such an anthemic song for having such a weird theme. Bowes' tuneful and heartfelt lyrics take center stage on the acoustic/electric power ballad "Together or Apart".

Three, count `em three 80s rock clichés appear on this release. All three are titled after a known idiom. Despite it's silly title, "Monkey See, Monkey Do" had an impact on me. Maybe it was the hypnotic riff or gritty and soulful vocals that did the trick. I'm actually singing it in my head right now. "You Can't Keep a Good Man Down" has a bluesy lick similar to Great White's "Once Bitten" with a little driving piano thrown in for good measure. "One Foot in the Grave" keeps the bluesy groove going with a beefy riffs and a power chord conclusion.

The Bad

You probably haven't heard of them before.

The Verdict

Every song is a winner on The Magnificent Seventh. I would say that Thunder sounds like a bluesy-er version of 38 Special. It baffles me that I've never heard of them before.

Thunder are one of the most underated bands in British Rock Music. Thunder have had success, with 17 top 40 singles over the last 14 or so years, but as with many bands on their own label/ on a small label they have done this with little radio airplay and rely on a loyal fan base.

If you ever have the chance to see Thunder play live then you will see that they can impressively transfer their excellent studio material on to the stage.

Danny Bowes is an excellent rock singer and this can be heard on the new album. Slightly heavier in parts, but there is a good mix of a typical Thunder ballad and classic blue-rock/ party rock.

The single from the album and also the opener on the album (I Love you more than Rock n Roll) has a simple yet effective riff, along with a strong melody and sing along chorus. Together or Apart and I'm Dreaming again are excellent ballads and if they were done by a bigger band they would surely be top ten hits. Argubly, the best track on the album is Amy's on The Run which has a great feel about it and you can't hlp but tap your feet to this one. Gods of Love and Fade into the Sun are great rockier numbers and are particular favourites of mine on the album. If you like Thunder's earlier material then you will like this. Definitely 5 stars!

Thunder is one of the best rock acts out there. The music has a good feel to it, and its a shame they don't have a record deal in the US (to answer the question in another review.) They are not heavy heavy, and I've loved their music since I heard their debut album. If you have the money to do it, you should get their previous albums.

This is just great rock & roll,in fact this band dose not have a bad record, why they are not known in the usa is beyond me. Their are a lot of people that are realy missing something great. Do yourself a favor and check out this band,you will see what I mean. Hugh, Bangor PA

Never heard of these guys but apparently they were pretty popular years ago, in Scotland. I found out about them on the Fish (Marillion) list. Reminds me alot of Whitesnake when they were in their heyday. After the first listen, I had to go back and listen to it again. Bugs me that I never heard of them until now.