KEANE - Keane (1981) [Japanese remaster]

Requested in "REQUEST & FILL CORNER" section...

The KEANE brothers Tom & John were prodigious kids, as in the mid-seventies at the age of 11 and 12, both fronted their own musical TV show and signed a major record deal. As 'Keane Brothers' they released two LP's produced by the likes of David Foster, Lamont Dozier and David Paich.

At the beginning of the '80s, the bros. formed their own band simply called KEANE, musically oriented to the AOR / Melodic Rock waves so en vogue with a more than a passing nod to the Toto sound. Indeed Keane was called 'Little Toto' but not only for their musical similarity, but also for the quality in their compositions and performances.
Tom Keane (only 18 years old at the time of the recording) shows a remarkable maturity on his greatly harmonized vocals, while the rest of the band including brother John on drums is impeccable.



Cuts like the dynamic opener "Tryin' To Kill A Saturday Night", the muscular "Bad Little Baby Girl" or the rocking "You Got The Better Of Me" are no-brainers for any Melodic Rock / AOR aficionado.
"Baby I'm Dead" has something of REO Speedwagon, and the highlight "Kill Or Be Killed" somehow reminds me I-Ten, but the rest of the album is clearly impregnated by Lukather & Co: the sweet and melodious "Lorelei", "Anything Less Than Love" or the superb ballad "My Special Way".

Production is top notch and this remaster from the specialized Japanese label Cool Sound, pristine and clear.
Great album - Out of print.


01 - Tryin' To Kill A Saturday Night
02 - Bad Little Baby Girl
03 - You Got The Better Of Me
04 - Kill Or Be Killed
05 - My Special Way
06 - Baby I'm Dead
07 - I Love My Life
08 - Anything Less Than Love
09 - Lorelei
10 - Judy

Tom Keane - Vocals, Keyboards
John Keane - Drums & Percussion
Mike Milwood - Bass & Vocals
Mark Moulin - Guitars & Vocals
David Pearlman - Lapsteel Solo
Michael Zorro Singers - Background Vocals




KEANE 1981 remastered
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JAY GRAYDON with K-A-Z - Blazin (2003)

This a fun request. Super talented L.A. Session god JAY GRAYDON wrote some years ago the theme song for a Japanese popular wrestler, Kenta Kobashi.
The song titled "Blazin" was recorded by Asian guitar wizard K-A-Z, but also by Graydon in California, accompanied by some other luminaries often linked with AOR sounds; keyboard player Bill Cantos, bassist Jimmy Johnson and John Keane on drums.

Used when Kobashi entered into the Pro-Wrestling NOAH arena, the various versions of the song were pressed on CD.
K-A-Z takes are really hard rocking in a Marty Friedman style, while Graydon's and his cats, as you suppose, deliver a very melodic breeze. Jay Graydon shines with a clean yet powerful valvular guitar performance, while Cantos add some synths as embellishment.

The "Blazin" EP is a cool release, many versions of the same song yes, but fun. It's almost like a 'soundtrack type' release.
The CD is a rarity, as far I know out of print and a collectors item.


01 - K-A-Z - Blazin
02 - Ryu Nakata - Ring Announce
03 - K-A-Z - Blazin (Victory Version)
04 - Kenta Kobash - Message
05 - Jay Graydon - Blazin (Original Version)
06 - Jay Graydon - Blazin (Original Long Version)

Tracks 1, 3:
K-A-Z: Guitars, Bass & Programming
Go: Drums
Tracks 5, 6:
Jay Graydon: Guitars, Keyboards, Programming
Bill Cantos: Keyboards
Jimmy Johnson : Bass
John Keane: Drums


JAY GRAYDON with K-A-Z - Blazin
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JOHN KEANE - Straight Away (1999)

Continuing the Keane brothers saga, I wanted to present you JOHN KEANE's first solo album "Straight Away". While Tom's subsequent solo works in the music business are more widely known, this record by John Keane is quite hard to find and pretty unfamiliar to AOR aficionados.
After the Keane early '80s albums John Keane became one of the busiest session drummers from the L.A. scene. He did an instrumental LP but his true, integral first solo album was this one from 1999.

John secured some serious cats for the "Straight Away" recording sessions: Mike Landau, Tim Pierce and Buzz Feiten - probably the best guitarists around - Toto's Steve Porcaro on keys, Jason Scheff playing bass, brother Tom Keane on synthesizers, and the list continues.
Obviously what we have here is AOR with a Westcoast smell but highly tinted with a Hi-Tech colour.
Title track "Straight Away" opens the album driven by a pulsating bass line, agile drums and stylized guitar work akin Mr. Mister. John sings with aplomb helped by great harmonized backing vocals.
Then the Hi-Tech AOR appears on the uptempo "Red Raven", followed by the softer "We Love Our Fantasies".



"Venice Is Sinking" is a ballad with a smooth piano accompaniment, "She Can Not Be Denied" recalls Mr. Mister again, while the rocking "Love Is The Last Frontier" (love the guitar work here) is one of my favorites.
"Dark Side Of The Earth" has a slow, climatic atmosphere in the Richard Page solo works, "Since I Met You" is a midtempo with a nice melody, "Still" a truly elegant Westcoast number, and closer "More" ends the CD in full Hi-Tech mode, perhaps too much '90s Peter Gabriel-like for my tastes.

To sum up, if you like the lighter side of AOR with Hi-Tech and L.A. Westcoast touches, John Keane's "Straight Away" deserves a place in your collection. Of course production is impeccable and the playing precise and smooth.
Out of print.


01 - Straight Away
02 - Red Raven
03 - We Love Our Fantasies
04 - Venice Is Sinking
05 - After Dark
06 - She Can Not Be Denied
07 - Love Is The Last Frontier
08 - Headlines And Deadlines
09 - Darkside Of The Earth
10 - Since I Met You
11 - Still
12 - More

John Keane - vocals, drums, keyboards, moog bass
Mike Landau - guitars
Tim Pierce - acoustic & electric guitar
Buzz Feiten - nylon string & electric guitar
Steve Porcaro - keyboards
Tom Keane - synthesizer
Jason Scheff, Ronnie Sage, Ted Landau - bass
Jerry Scheff - acoustic & electric bass
Paulino DaCosta - percussion
Todd Taylor, Guy Thomas - background vocals




JOHN KEANE Straight Away
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