Customer Reviews

Recovering the Wasted Years

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

 

 

Recovering The Wasted Years is former White Lion and Freak of Nature vocalist Mike Tramp's second solo album and third solo release (including the 1999 release Remembering White Lion). It took Mike almost 5 years to release new material after his debut album Capricorn. There were a few reasons for that. One of them was Mike looked for a decent label to sign a contract without success. The current music industry doesn't really show any interest in signing an 80's singer. This caused a big loss of time. Finally, when Mike realised he 'had to' look for other options if he wanted to continue with music, and he inked a deal with German indie label Ulftone releasing his album shortly after. He was planning to title it You Can't Take My Rock'N'Roll initially but changed it to Recovering The Wasted Years. A good decision in my opinion.

Recovering is different from its predecessors in many ways. First of all it is a very European album. Besides Mike Tramp, there are several unknown Danish musicians on it. There's no Vito Bratta, Oliver Steffensen, James Lomenzo, Kenny Korade or Steve Lukather here. And, maybe it's this what the album lacks. It lacks the touch of a professional musician. The compositions in some songs are really weak. I think Tramp would have done better if he put 10 tracks on the CD instead of 12. He did it on his latest album More To Life Than This and it worked. Recovering has 12 songs, but almost half of them suffer from poor songwriting and we hear more songs of the same sort which don't really anything new to offer. I'd rather Tramp combined some of those songs into one 'complete' song if you know what I what.

The first song "Falling Down" is a very introspective track which Tramp must have written on tour. Lyrically it deals with his being away from home and his beloved son. Is it a good song? Yes. Does it sound heartfelt? Yes. Do I like it? Yes. Is it a good album opener? No. The organ present in this song can also be heard in some other tracks throughout the album. The third track "Mr Death" surprised me. I thought it would be a heavy rocker, but on the contrary, it turned out to be a man in his middle ages asking God not to take his life. Not because he was afraid to die, but because he felt he still had a lot to offer to life. I know the title sounds cheesy, but the song does not. "Darkness" is easily my favourite song on the album. It is a very emotional song reflecting Tramp's inner world. When I told Mike that I love it, he replied that it also happens to be his favourite. Songs like "If It Aint Gonna Rock", "All Up To You", "Do It All Over" and "Don't Take My Rock N Roll" don't really have any artistic messages. They are obviously supposed to be fun songs, but honestly I feel it's time Tramp moved on. He really doesn't need to write songs where he complains to the world that he will continue playing rock'n'roll no matter what happens. And come on, no one is trying to take his rock'n'roll from him. I personally don't want to hear any excuses. This is no longer the 80's and Tramp is no longer in his 20's. I expect more songs like "Endless Highway", "Darkness" and "Always Tomorrow" from him depicting his true feelings about life. It is about time Tramp understood his golden days in the sun are over and his fans expect to hear his mature offerings. Just my opinion. Recovering is perhaps the only Tramp album I'm rating 4 stars because the songs, other than Mike's voice, lack a lot--particularly in the guitar solos and compositions. I recommend starting with More To Life Than This or Capricorn because they feature some great guitar players on them.

Mike Tramp was the lead singer in White Lion, an average band connected to the Hair Metal scene. Mike Tramp on his own is more interesting and he has left most of the past behind him. Just like Joey Tempest from Europe ("The final countdown"), Mike Tramp has matured in a way as he went solo, and the music is not pop metal or even hard rock anymore. "Recovering the wasted years" is a good effort and musically it bare connections to Joey Tempest's "A place to call home" as well as to Tom Cochrane's "Ragged ass road", or in a way even Jimmy Barnes' "Freight train heart". Some of the songs are very good indeed, like the opening "Falling down" and the fast and catchy "Don't take my rock `n' roll".

Tramps second 'electric album sees him furthering his cause with continued exploration of rock 'n' roll with uplifting delivery. He's not out to change the world but he is out to peddle honest music that wears it's heart on it's sleeve. Simplistic strumming is the order of the day on this album accompanied by equally simplistic backing arrangements with Tramps at times raspy voice laid over the top. The effect is enjoyable even for those such as myself who hanker after a bit of rawk more often than not. It's perfect for slapping on when you want some background music with verve and if you were a fan of White Lion then Tramps familiar voice will lull you into a concented stupor.

Lyrically Tramp is musing about lifes little struggles and disappointments but also looking back with joy, revelling in life and rock 'n' roll. And that last is an important consideration when discussing this album - it's rock 'n' roll and doesn't want to be anything else. Not hard rock and never metal. In fact it's all the better for it as it provides variety within his cataloge and for his live show (caught him live in Sydney, Australia - the guy was both fun and humble). As an artist he seems happy within himself and while I've only given this three stars, it pushes four for simple enjoyment and is only dragged down somewhat by the lack of truly killer tunes to really stamp this album on the listeners memory banks.

I don't think I can do this CD justice with mere words. Mike Tramp put out good CD's in the 80's with his first band White Lion but nothing would prepare me for this. I have more than my fair share of CD's and this is by far one my favorite CD's ever. Tramp's songwriting has always been there but he outdid himself on this one. Every song should be a hit unfortunately he has yet to live down the 80's hair metal stigma. If you like good rock n' roll this one is for you. Very mature songs with a voice that has only gotten better over the years.

It took a while for Mike Tramp to issue a follow-up to his heartfelt solo debut Capricorn, but the former White Lion and Freak of Nature frontman finally delivered in 2002 with the self-produced and self-released Recovering the Wasted Years.

Like Capricorn, Recovering the Wasted Years is a more stripped-down (but still electric), more personal affair, and is a far cry from the arena rock of White Lion or Freak of Nature's hard-hitting rock sound. Tramp, like fellow "hair metal" veterans Jack Russell and Joey Tempest (of Great White and Europe, respectively), has a surprising flair for this kind of emotional, soulful, lighter-edged rock. It's more strumming than power chords, but the melodies are still catchy, if simpler and sweeter, and Tramp's voice sounds as good as ever. Besides, there's real heart and soul in these songs, and that's not something to dismiss lightly.

It's not an essential album the way most White Lion and Freak of Nature albums are, but Recovering the Wasted Years feels much more personal and emotional, and will definitely appeal to fans of Mike Tramp's unique voice. As long as you're not expecting the kind of melodic rock Tramp is best known for, this album should come as a pleasant surprise.

Good effort by Mike Tramp. If you like White Lion, his solo efforts are a little different, but still the song writing is good and the songs are good. I like most of his solo records.