Jimi Jamison Proves It's "Never Too Late"

A little fun today. Today a friend and fellow writer and I are both doing a album review, but we are guesting on each other's blog. So filling up the space here is Jim Wood from gojimmygo.net Read his take of the CD then jump over to his site to read mine.

Go Jimmy Go!

I have to give a big thank you to Kat for allowing me to guest post on her blog today.

Ironically, it was through a mutual admiration of Jimi Jamison and Survivor that brought us together. So for our first cross-post to be about Jimi’s new album, “Never Too Late” is pretty cool.

Kat and I both have had the pleasure of meeting Jimi on several occasions this past year. But once we discovered he was releasing a new CD, our eyes lit up like saucers.

As most writers do, (and admittedly with a bit of bias towards the subject matter) we both set forth to write a review of the new album. But once we realized just how amazing this new music was, we thought it might be even cooler to “guest post” our reviews on each other’s blog. So, without any further ado, here is my review on Jimi Jamison’s ‘Never Too Late’: the absolute BEST melodic rock album of 2012.

As most of you know, I’m a tried and true music fan of the 80′s. For me, growing up during the age of the Members Only jacket was a great time to be alive (at least as far as music is concerned).

Whenever my favorite bands would put out a new album, it was an event. I remember rushing home from the mall with my new found treasure and making my way to my upstairs bedroom, where an empty turntable eagerly awaited. For the next hour or so, it didn’t matter if the world was ending; the music was all that mattered.

A great album from the 1980′s would typically have at least three hits on it. Songs that would be regularly played on the radio. The remaining tracks were usually just as good, but although these gems would never find a place on the FM dial, they’d still become fan favorites.

Over the years, the “event” of buying and enjoying an entire album went the way of the dinosaur. Today, you’re lucky if there are even two songs from an album that are worthy of repeated listenings. But just when I thought I’d be lost in the wilderness of musical despair, along comes “Never Too Late” by Jimi Jamison.

Fresh off the heels of ‘Crossroads Moment’ and his duets album with Bobby Kimball, Jamison again proves why he’s one of the greatest voices in rock. In joining forces with writer/producer Erik Martensson, he’s given us a melodic rock treasure chest. One that’s filled with enough musical booty to fill the soul and immerse our senses in tasty hooks and melodies and reunite us once again with the voice that defined a generation.

It’s worth noting that all eleven tracks on ‘Never Too Late’ are worthy of a place in any music collection. From the opening piano intro on the track ‘Everybody’s Got A Broken Heart’, the entire album is a cacophony of sonic euphoria.

The standout for me though is the title track. With its multiple hooks and inspirational message, it’s reminiscent of many classic Survivor songs about keeping faith and finding love. A song that will certainly endure the test of time, and one that would surely blow up any arena wherever it’s performed.

On ‘The Air That I Breathe’, Jamison pours out his heart and soul about finding a complete love; even comparing his personal defenses and walls with sand. Brilliant. In ‘Heaven Call Your Name’, Jamison asks the question, Why? An emotionally haunting ballad that could easily be sung without music and still deliver the same impact.

‘Walk On (Wildest Dreams)’ closes out the album with the same power and intensity that began it all, and makes one lament why such a great collection of songs has to end. Fortunately though, 21st century digital technology makes it easy to simply press repeat rather than flipping over a piece of vinyl to Side A. I guess progress is a good thing.

In an age where talent shows give record deals out freely and careers are dictated by how many auto-tuned singles you can release at any given time, it’s rare to find an entire album that can be this darn good. ‘Never Too Late’ indeed.

For the next fifty minutes, I’d like you to conduct an experiment. Hop in your mini-van (or whatever it is we middle aged connoisseurs of real music own these days) and drive somewhere with ‘Never Too Late’ as your soundtrack; preferably through the back winding roads of your own hometown on a beautiful, crisp day. Make sure you play the album from start to finish, and don’t just listen to it; immerse yourself in it.

Do you hear it? Can you feel it?

It’s real music, and what could possibly be better than that?

Track Listing:
01. Everybody’s Got A Broken Heart
02. The Great Unknown
03. Never Too Late
04. I Can’t Turn Back
05. Street Survivor
06. The Air I Breathe
07. Not Tonight

Thanks for stopping by Jim. For Kat's review, go to...
gojimmygo.net