What to do when you’re a musician/producer/engineer and a pandemic strikes, forcing you to stay at home, making sure that you can’t go out on tour or meet up with your band mates for recording sessions? Well, you stay at home, work by yourself and hang with your family, of course. Which in turn leads to a lot of movie watching, in many cases. That’s what producer/mixing engineer/song writer and current Pretty Maids guitarist/keyboardist Chris Laney (Randy Piper’s Animal, Zan Clan) did – and it all started with the feelgood movie Music & Lyrics, featuring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. Laney got hooked on the movie’s leading track “Pop Goes My Heart” and off he went up to his studio and recorded his own cover of the song, all by himself, just for the fun of it. The outcome spawned an idea in his head…
…and that idea was to make covers of old movie-hits, songs from movies that was a big part of his – and many other’s – youth. The initial idea was to come up with some cool songs and ask different artists for each song to participate. Said and done, the first to get involved was Laney’s former Pretty Maids band-mate and friend, drummer Allan Sörensen who gave his thumbs up. Then they all came onboard pretty fast – vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, Night Flight Orchestra), vocalist Linnea Vikström Egg (ex- Therion), bassist Pontus Egberg (King Diamond, ex- Treat, Poodles, Zan Clan), solo guitarist Pontus Norgren (Hammerfall, ex- Poodles, Zan Clan, Great King Rat, Talisman) and keyboard player Morten Sandager (ex- Pretty Maids) and it all felt so good, it was decided that they would make a band out of it, with only the occasional guest dropping by.
At first, this would be an online thing thing only – record a song, make a video and put it on YouTube but it didn’t take long for fans all over the world to demand a hard-copy release so they made a crowd-funding project of the whole thing. Money was raised faster than anyone could have hoped for or expected and the project went into action. As I write this, records – both vinyl, CD and DVD (plus some t-shirts) – is starting to be sent out to people who chipped in, but at some point everyone will be able to buy it in record stores or online. For me personally, I couldn’t wait to hold the physical record in my hand as I had been following this project since day one.
To get into the right frame of mind, the album starts with the intro you hear every time you take a seat at the movies – you know which one, I don’t know what it’s called, if it’s called anything – before the whole shebang starts with a brilliant take on Robert Tepper’s “No Easy Way Out” from Rocky IV. The cover stays true to the original in some ways but ATM has rocked it up and given it some minor arrangement changes – and the tune really hits home. I have always liked the song in its original form but ATM takes it to a whole other level. It’s driving on a pumping rhythm, melodic and catchier than catchy. Damn I’d love to see this live.
Next up is an energetic and intense version of Michael Sambello’s Flashdance hit “Maniac” – recently also covered by Avantasia with Mr Big’s Eric Martin on vocals. But ATM has Linnea Vikström-Egg – who totally owns the song. ATM stays true to the melody arrangements here but the song is heavied and rocked up – and even though I dig Avantasia’s version, I’ll go with this version every day of the week. It’s a pretty good song originally but bettered by far by this lot. I have always loved “St Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” by John Parr and I have always wondered why no one has ever covered it. It’s a melodic rocker in its original form with brilliant vocals by Parr but again, ATM gives it an extra crunch and edge with an extra-ordinary vocal performance by Strid – this song fits him like a glove. Also, the synth inlays in the original has been replaced by guitar ditos here, something that works brilliantly and gives an extra edge to the song. One of the album’s finest moments without a doubt.
I’m not a Duran Duran fan, never been and their James Bond theme song “A View To A Kill” has always been a big “meh” for me. In one ear, out the other. I wasn’t particularly thrilled by this choice of cover and even though I think it’s a whole lot better than Duran’s version, it still don’t go all the way for me. It’s too close to the original and in my book, it should have been done in a heavier and more gritty way. It’s not bad, though. And speaking of songs I’m not fond of, “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” from Dirty Dancing by Billy medley and Jennifer Warnes is a song that gives me eczema. The movie blows as well. But Strid and Vikström-Egg takes the tune to a whole new level – the way they take on the song, with a heavier rhythm approach and some fat guitar riffs, you get the feeling that they mean every word they sing and that they actually have time of their lives here. I never thought I’d even be able to listen to the song any less actually digging it. But this version is really damn good.
Pretty In Pink. Not a fan. But Nik Kershaw’s “Wouldn’t It Be Good”, recorded by Danny Hutton Hitters, is a really enjoyable tune. Actually, I didn’t even know it was a soundtrack song until now. ATM nails it completely. Even Kershaw himself went online, giving it his thumbs up. It’s rhythmically punchy with some chugging guitars and some convincing vocals by Strid. Great. Tina Turner’s “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from Mad Max – Beyond The Thunderdome is great originally. ATM’s version is nothing short of amazing. Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) guests on lead vocals – his first vocal performance since going through lung cancer treatment – and fuck me sideways, this man can sing. His treatment has taken nothing away from his vocal abilities. Bruce Kulick (Kiss, Union) guests with a magnificent guitar solo which takes us back to Kiss’ 80’s and producer Jacob Hansen (Pretty Maids, Volbeat) guests on rhythm guitar. The huge backing vocals by Strid and Vikström-Egg gives me goosebumps. Brilliant – and maybe the album’s best track.
Huey Lewis & The News contribution to Back To The Future, “The Power Of Love” is a good enough pop-song but in the hands of ATM, it’s a Melodic Rock stomper, uplifting and happy-go-lucky with an enormous groove and the summer-feel is all over the tune. I’m getting a new tan only by listening to it. It’s catchy as hell and no matter if you like it or not, you’ll be singing along to it. On a hot summer day at the festival of your choice (hello Sweden Rock…), this song has every possibility of starting a major party. Great version, fun song. “The Heat Is On” from Beverly Hills Cop never impressed me much in Glenn Frey’s version – but this version sure impresses me. It’s upbeat, uptempo with some chunky, riff-happy guitars, a striking rhythm section with Sörensen putting in his metal-chops here and there for good measure – the guy’s an amazing and underrated drummer. This is some great stuff.
As a kid, I used to laugh at Limahl. Didn’t dig him, I was into Hard Rock and Metal, see. “The Never Ending Story” and the movie that bares the song’s name never got to me either. Ok, not more. But when Björn and Linnea goes all in for a duet, I’m floored. That’s what it took for me to realise what a killer song this is. This rocked up version is fantastic and the smooth vocals sends shivers down my spine with a melodic and Melodic Rock sounding guitar solo from Norgren as the icing on the cake. Another big favorite on this record. As a bonus track, the more obscure “Far From Over”, originally by Frank Stallone from Staying Alive, comes out fabulously. It’s quite rocky in Stallone’s version but here it has been given the Melodic Hard Rock treatment with raunchy guitars, a solid rhythm and a brilliant duet by Strid and Vikström-Egg. We get a striking, 80’s sounding guitar solo, brilliantly played by Norgren but also a killer keyboard solo by Sandager. I wasn’t really familiar with the track before I heard this one, but damn, this is a great song – catchy as hell. I love it.
I’m not that big on movie-scores. Most of those soundtracks are underwhelming, in my book, but to do an album like this is a stroke of genius, if you ask me. It’s even a mystery why it hasn’t been done before. I love this album. I love these versions. Sure, it’s a cover album and sure, ATM is a cover-band. But so what? This is done for one reason only – to have fun. Great musicians and singers, a killer production and some killer versions of songs that means something to the guys and girl – and to many, many others. Sure, there are times that I wish some of the some of the songs had been a bit heavier but that’s a bagatelle. It’s very rare that the cover beats the original but on this album – and I guess there will be listeners who begs to differ on this – they all do exactly that, on some song by miles. I love this record and I can’t stop listening to it – and now I can’t wait for season 2, the 90’s – because it is in the works. But most of all I’d like to see this project at a stage somewhere as soon as the fucking pandemic is over!
9/10
Tracklist:
1. No Easy Way Out
2. Maniac
3. St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)
4. A View To A Kill
5. (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life
6. Wouldn’t It Be Good
7. We Don’t Need Another Hero
8. The Power Of Love
9. The Heat Is On
10. The Never Ending Story
11. Far From Over
CD & Festival reviews 