Customer Reviews

Talisman

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Jeff Scott Soto (Eyes, Yngwie Malmsteen, Axel Rudi Pell) is one of the best vocalists alive. He has power in his voice than very few can match. If you love melodic metal/rock then this cd will be like heaven. He has brought on Marcel Jacob (Malmsteen, John Norum) and Christopher Stahl. This cd was originally issued in 1990 & re-released in 1993 with bonus tracks. But this cd has 25 songs including demos and live songs. If you are a fan of Jeff you have to have this cd in your collection. Their second cd "Genesis" is very good as well. Standouts are: EVERY SONG!!!!

this looks like and is described as their debut cd that has been reissued,but actually what i recieved...not once,but twice! was their 5 out of 5...live in Japan cd...i have alerted Amazon of this,yet they sent me the same one again...if you are looking for Talisman's first self titled cd,look elsewhere,because this aint it!

Swedish/American melodic rock band Talisman made their debut in 1990 with this self-titled album. The band paired powerhouse vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (Eyes, Yngwie Malmsteen) and bassist Marcel Jacob (RIP), who had worked together previously in Yngwie Malmsteen's band. Talisman marked the beginning of an amazing partnership between the two melodic rockers, and remains a classic album.

Talisman is a great example of why the late `80s melodic rock sound was so much fun. You've got these amazing guitar hooks, catchy rhythms, fantastic melodies and of course Soto's powerful, soulful vocals. Later Talisman albums would go in a more soulful, funky direction, but this album is pure arena rocking AOR along the lines of Giant, Bad English and Tyketto. The album is just loaded with songs that should have been huge hit singles - "Break Your Chains," "I'll Be Waiting," "Just Between Us" to name a few - but for whatever reason the band never really broke big. Fortunately that didn't keep them from continuing to record amazing melodic rock albums.

Just about any release by Talisman falls under the "must have" heading for all dedicated melodic rock fans, but the debut is an absolute essential. This is about as good as late `80s and early `90s melodic rock gets, and is one of the bet Jeff Scott Soto performances period.

Edition Notes: Rock Treasures reissued Talisman in 2003, and did a fantastic job of it. In addition to expanded liner notes and a nice slipcase, the reissue features digitally remastered sound and a second CD full of rare and unreleased songs, including the early Talisman demos with Goran Edman on vocals. It's a real treat hearing the more polished Edman's take on these songs. It sounds a lot like Europe, actually. The remastering is terrific, and the bonus disc is a great addition. Together they make an already great album that much better.

"Talisman" is the Swedish-American melodic hard rock band led by iconic AOR vocalist Jeff Scott Soto and bass virtuoso Marcel Jacob. The two musicians would prove the only consistent members throughout the band's musical course beginnig with this self titled album in 1989 up to 2006.

This 2003 reissue features the original album PLUS a second CD with most of the songs in Demo version. While the original album is sung entirely by Jeff, the demos feature Goran Edman on vocals; he and Jacob were both part of the line up of the John Norum band so the choice seemed obvious. Still Edman would exit the line up, being offered the lead singer spot in Y.J. Malmsteen's band a move that left Jacob without a singer and little time on his hands. At this point Jacob turned to Jeff Scott Soto another former bandmate of his (the two musicians were original members in Y.J.M. "Rising Force") and "Talisman"s core was formed. The line up would be completed by Christopher Stahl on lead guitar, Jake Samuel (currently "The poodles" frontman) on drums, and Mats Olausson on keyboards.

In retrospect "Talisman", as an album, drew considerably on the late 80s hard rock/glam metal style. The compositions are in line with the 80s American glam sound featuing catchy choruses, melodic keyboards and huge drumming, while Jeff Scott Soto deviates from his characteristic vocal and takes a "Europe"-Joey Tempest style of singing. So the band were clearly looking at mainstrean success with this debut album and, to a certain extent, they achieved that as the single version of "I'll be waiting" topped the radio charts. One has to also adress that the production of "Talisman" was definitely ahead of its time, the entire album sounds immense. Favorite tracks include "Break your chains", "I'll be waiting" "Just between us" and "Day by Day".

Overall "Talisman" layed the foundation for a melodic hard rock group that would move forward through the unforgiving 90s, batling its way through label disputes and establishing a distinct sound and following.

Talisman's first studio album is also called Talisman and this is not it!!!!!!