In AOR circles, this guy has reached a status of an icon and for hardcore AOR:sters, it’s understandable when you think of all the high-quality music he has released throughout the years – his self-titled debut was released in 1983. That being said, Bush has never gotten any major attention and his big break never came around the famous corner. I have known about Bush’s whereabouts since 1988 when I found out who he was because he had written the brilliant “Love Don’t Lie” which appeared on House Of Lords’ debut album. I own some of his solo stuff plus both albums he made with his Barrage outfit but I never really became a big fan. I like many of his records but most of them will always be placed in my musical periphery.
I had more or less forgot about Bush when all of a sudden he released the Change The World album back in 2017, his first since Dream The Dream (2010), if we don’t count the compilation album The Ultimate from 2014. The album took me by surprise, to be honest. Not that I had predicted the album to be a piece of crap but it sounded surprisingly fresh and vital and the then 64 year-old had come up with some damn good tunes that landed somewhere between AOR and Melodic Rock and even though the album contained a couple of recycles – “Warrior” from the Shadow Warrior game in 2016 and yet another version of his 1987 semi-hit “The Touch” – the album proved that Bush had lots of life left in him. Let’s hope the new album will continue on that path.
Bush bites down hard with the opening track “Born To Fight”. Crunchy and rough galloping guitars, a bouncy rhythm-section and gloomy keyboards makes for an edgier opening than I had expected but when the chorus arrives, the 80’s are revisited with tons of hooks and effectively catchy melodies that sticks at once. All in all, an upbeat and driven AOR-rocker that screams Stan Bush all the way. And oh, it’s a magnificent tune as well. The title-track takes us back to the late 80’s and his Barrage days. It’s an upbeat number, both raunchy and poppy with a slight nod towards Honeymoon Suite’s golden days. A bit glossy but never mawkish, the huge chorus catches on directly and I could easily see this on a soundtrack for an 80’s action-comedy like Top Gun or such. Great stuff.
“The Times Of Your Life” starts out on a slower note, quite slick with verses that brings on a ballad mode. By the time the big chorus has arrived, the tune has gone from slow to a more upbeat structure with a straight-forward outlook. It’s a smooth and slick number and even though its chorus holds a tight grip after only one spin, the tune never gets too sugary for comfort. A damn fine AOR-stomper that holds enough catchiness for Bush to sell. The semi-ballad “A Dream Of Love” starts out down-beat and laid-back verses but it gets more upbeat as the song goes along with a late 80’s power ballad-groove, a rocking beat and a million hooks. With a chorus catchier than glue, the tune is classic Stan Bush all the way – only better than most of his previous stuff.
Aptly titled, the single “The 80’s” is an ode to exactly that – the 80’s. And the title sure speaks volumes about how the song sounds – this could easily been a track written back in that decade. It’s a mid-paced yet upbeat pop-rocker with a steady beat that not only brings on a Def Leppard like guitar-line but also some Bryan Adams influenced vocal-melodies. The chorus is nothing but a time-machine landing in 1985, catchy as can be, and Bush nails the tune with both honesty and conviction. Very good. “Live And Breathe” is a slow ballad, 80’s laden yet not a power ballad. It’s slow, mellow and slightly melancholic, smooth enough and adds some sugar to the chorus. In the mid 80’s, the song would have fitted mainstream radio like a charm. It’s a pretty good tune but for me, it never quite lifts.
“Heat Of Attack” kicks off in a Hard Rock way with chugging guitars, a pumping rhythm and a chunky groove. To hear Stan Bush take a heavier route feels good – to hear AOR with a bit of a grit always brings another dimension to the table. That said, Bush has still given the tune some smooth keyboards and dramatic vocal-melodies for good measure. As the icing on the cake we get a massively catchy chorus with a Survivor touch and hit-potential enough to make Diane Warren sick with envy. A hit in my book. “Dream Big” starts of with 80’s sounding blipping synthesizers before some chunky guitars and a Pop groove comes along. With a driving rhythm and a song-structure reminiscent of Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger”, this 80’s AOR styled pop-rocker holds yet another sticky refrain, impossible not to surrender to. Very good.
Starting off laid-back and soft, “True Believer” after the first verse takes off into a more upbeat structure with a ‘dut-dut’ synth-sound that screams 1987. The refrain is somewhat dramatic yet filled with pop-hooks and leans towards AOR the way it sounded back in the very early 80’s. A brilliant tune. “Never Give Up” is upbeat and straight-forward, an AOR-rocker with chunky guitars, big, catchy riffs and holds some stellar hooks throughout the tune. The song bears resemblance to his hit song “The Touch” and the whole sound takes the tune back to the Stan Bush & Barrage record. A good track despite the self-borrowing. The closing ballad “Home” is mellow and slower in pace, stripped down and held-back with a cozy soundscape. With smooth vocal-melodies and a slick outlook, the tune is decent but also harmless and goes by without making much of a fuss at all.
AOR hardcores and mega-fans of Bush might give me the evil eye for printing this but to me, this album takes what the last album started home. I look back at Bush’s discography and I have no problem stating that this is his finest effort of his entire career, even equal to the debut Barrage record. As a singer, Bush hasn’t lost any of his range and his somewhat raspy Sammy Hagar meets Bryan Adams meets Paul Sabu like voice sounds just as splendid as it did back in the day. What I have always liked about Bush’s music is that he – without reinventing anything at all – has always had a sound of his own, it’s not that hard to spot a Stan Bush tune, something that still holds to this day. If you’re into Melodic Rock and AOR and has never heard of Stan Bush, here’s a nice hour for you. And if you’re already into him, this album is a no-brainer.
8/10
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Tracklist:
1. Born To Fight
2. Dare To Dream
3. The Times Of Your Life
4. A Dream Of Love
5. The 80’s
6. Live And Breathe
7. Heat Of Attack
8. Dream Big
9. True Believer
10. Never Give Up
11. Home
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