GEORGE LYNCH & JEFF PILSON - Heavy Hitters [ ]

8/10

GEORGE LYNCH & JEFF PILSON - Heavy Hitters - 8/10

8/10

Summary

Deadline Music
Release date: December 18, 2020

[spoiler title=’Metal Express Radio – Ratings Scale’]

10.0: Cannot be improved! Perfect, instant classic! Essential in any record collection.
9.5 – 9.9: Fantastic, spectacular and outstanding!
9.0 – 9.4: Amazing release! It just lacks that little extra spice to make it perfect.
8.5 – 8.9: Exceptional release! Will likely rank among top ten albums of the year.
8.0 – 8.4: Great release! It has many different qualities.
7.5 – 7.9: Above average! It is an enjoyable release.
7.0 – 7.4: It is not brilliant, but has many strong points.
6.0 – 6.9: It has its moments, but is not that strong.
5.0 – 5.9: Slightly above average, does not stand out. Good outweighs bad by just a little.
4.0 – 4.9: Just below average, bad outweighs good by just a little.
3.0 – 3.9: Mediocre. There might be a song or a performance that is enjoyable, but that is it.
2.0 – 2.9: Very weak! There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, too many flaws.
1.0 – 1.9: This release gives the word “terrible” new meaning.
0.1 – 0.9: Awful! Avoid at all cost. There is nothing good to say about this release.[/spoiler]

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User Review

6.5/10 (1 vote)

The Backstory

George Lynch and Jeff Pilson go way back to when they were bandmates in Dokken from 1983-1989. They first teamed up as a duo under the name Lynch/Pilson for the 2003 album Wicked Underground. In 2011 under the name T & N (with Mick Brown & Brian Tichy), they released Slave to the Empire. 2019 saw the duo reunite again under the moniker The End Machine (with Mick Brown & Robert Mason) for the release of their self-titled album. At the end of 2020, George Lynch & Jeff Pilson are doing it again with the release of their Heavy Hitters covers album. The former Dokken alums are bringing along Wil Martin (Earshot) on vocals and Brian Tichy on drums. Special guest vocalists include Angelo Moore (Fishbone) and Marq Torien (Bulletboys). The song selection is an eclectic mix of Pop, Singer-Songwriter, and Rock and Roll hits.

Listen to our George Lynch interview HERE

The Album

“One of Us” is a dark and haunting interpretation of the Joan Osbourne hit. Wil Martin injects a lot of emotion and melody into his delivery. Lynch and Pilson are laying down some funky grooves while guest vocalist Marq Torien delvers a soulful performance on “You Got the Love.” It’s not the most recognizable song by Rufus and Chaka Khan, but it will probably entice you to check out the original. The gang injects a lot more energy into Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move.” George shows why he’s the master of his instrument during the break.

Lynch and Pilson released their cover of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” as the first single, but the track is pretty similar to the original. There are better reinterpretations on this album to have been released first. “Music” was the song where Madonna lost her magic touch, and this echoey, effects-laden version isn’t much better. “Apologize” would have made a great choice for the first single. Lynch & Pilson (and Martin) take an originally dull, and emotionless One Republic song and give it a Rock edge.

It’s the pounding drum work of Brian Tichy that propels the Martha Reeves classic “Nowhere to Run.” While Lynch & Pilson’s version of Prince’s “Kiss” isn’t the worst version (that belongs to Tom Jones), you tend to miss that signature high falsetto that we all once laughed at, but can’t get out of our heads. Martin and his crew turn “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” into a funky, Red Hot Chili Peppers jam. “Champagne Supernova” gets the Southern Rock ballad treatment.

The Verdict

You can’t deny that Heavy Hitters is a diverse collection of cover songs. Most of Lynch & Pilson’s reinterpretations are a fun Rock and Roll jam session. There are a few songs that will have you scratching your head. Wil Martin really flexes his vocal range and muscle here. A lot of our favorite Classic Rock and Metal bands have put out covers albums this year (BPM, Ellefson, Ace Frehley, Zakk Sabbath), and I’m sure we’d all rather have some kind of music from them than nothing in 2020. Heavy Hitters is an excellent place marker for the next George Lynch & Jeff Pilson all-originals collaboration.