BALLARD, RUSS

Paying close attention to the title reveals that this compilation from Argent's guitarist is not only made up of solo efforts from Ballard, but also his versions of songs made popular by other artists that were written by him. Chock full of hearty guitar and staid organ, all of these songs have something to offer, either by Ballard's vast, colorful voice or from the rawness felt within the atmosphere of the tunes. Russ Ballard uses a unique approach in most of his songs, whereas his voice creeps up silently to the chorus and then brazenly erupts in full force, releasing a multitude of energy by doing so, and is quite entertaining. Some of the real treasures on this album include his version of "Winning," made famous by Santana, and a full-throttle outpouring of "Since You've Been Gone," probably known better as a Rainbow tune. Ballard's style gives "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," an Argent tune covered by Kiss, a feel all it's own and it truly comes across as refreshing. Argent appears on this compilation as well, and the array of keyboard work in "Hold Your Head Up" sounds just as piercing and penetrating as when it was first heard. Nearly every song on this album justifies the talent and the passion bred within this artist. Little may be known about Russ Ballard, with all the attention shone towards Argent, but isolated and left to showcase his talents alone, his gift for musicianship is evident. ~ Mike DeGagne, AMG

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