ALAN MERRILL: Aleecat

Alan Merrill

Aleecat

© 2004 MEC Productions (634479036354) (format: CD-R)

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Modern rock n roll sounds with a 70s flavor, by the lead singer of UK hitmakers The Arrows.

tracks

1 Every Time She Comes Around
2 Illusion
3 Trisha Uptown
4 No Speed Limit
5 Straight From Your Heart
6 Lost In Lust
7 Somebody Special
8 Next Time
9 Phoenix And The Renegade
10 Saxozone
11 Feet
12 Nothing To Lose
13 Woman (Come On Home)
14 When The Night Comes

notes

The basic tracks of this album were recorded in London England, at Stone Room Studios in February 2004.
On a trip to London from his home in New York, former Arrows lead singer-guitarist Alan Merrill was given a couple of free days studio time by his old friend, the Stone Room studio owner Rob Cox.
He immediately called in his UK all-star rhythm section, Pete Phipps (Gary Glitter Band / XTC / Eurythmics) on drums, and Dave Glover (Slade / Brian Connolly's Sweet ) on bass. The trio recorded 9 basic tracks over the two days.
Then Alan Merrill returned to New York's Studio 900 with the tapes and brought in Joel Diamond for some keyboard flourishes. Diamond did his typically melodic and lyrical overdubs on piano and Hammond B-3 organ.
The album was then mixed by Frank Garfi, former live soundman at the famous New York club "Max's Kansas City".
Merrill realized there wasn't enough material for a full album, with only 9 songs recorded, so he went into his storage room archives and found some great forgotten tapes from 1978, back when he was in the band Runner. There was a reel to reel tape with 4 song demos, tunes that were intended for Runner's second album. These tracks were done by Merrill and Runner drummer Dave Dowle in a single day's recording at Decibel Studio in London's Tottenham section. Dowle and Merrill were founding members of Runner, so the tapes sound a lot like that band, only raw and in rough demo form. These four "Half Runner-band" titles are included on this CD as bonus tracks.
Also included on the album is an instrumental, a song featuring saxophone by Gulliver Allwood from a session in Paris in the year 2000, with Glover and Phipps again on bass and drums.
The 14 songs are varied in style, and spontaneous fun. There are no electronic tricks on this album. No reliance on synths, no auto tuner or harmonizer on the voice, no digital tricks. It's all there as it sounds naturally, basic and direct, as if it were live. This is a theme of Merrill's recent solo work, like his last release "Double Shot Rocks".
Outstanding tracks on this CD are "Everytime She Comes Around", "Illusion", "Trisha Uptown", and "No Speed Limit".

The album title.~
Alan Merrill's nickname is "Aleecat", starting with what his family called him as a child, a variant on Alan.
The nickname is more recently applicable for his reputation as a late night bar crawler in the cities Tokyo, London, Paris, and New York, from dusk to dawn. He can usually be found holding court and telling rock 'n roll stories in late night bars in any of those towns, gathering a crowd around him in places open all night, right up 'til the early morning light.

For more information about this artist go to the website-
http://www.alanmerrill.com

reviews

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  • Somebody Special
    author: Andicat

    He certainly is. Sounds like original Arrows with a 21st century feel.

  • And the beat goes on
    author: Lotus

    A very interesting and varied album by this artist. A feel of simple raw tracks that will linger in your mind and one or two tracks will catch your breath. A natural fun loving album that will appeal to anyone looking for direct, honest music. Mr Alan Merrill has stood the test of time.

  • FANTASTIC!!!!
    author: Jan

    One of the best!

  • More fine music from Alan Merrill
    author: Steve

    I got a copy of this album and immediately played it through twice. The opener "Everytime she comes around" is an energetic Van Morrison type of vocal, with lots of great keyboard and guitar work. "Illusion" is a cynical ballad that sounds a bit like a cross between Randy Newman and John Lennon. "Trisha Uptown" is a catchy song about a gorgeous girl, sung in a bawdy style, with barrelhouse piano backing and a fantastic guitar solo. I love the twist in the lyric at the end, it took me by surprise ! Can't get that one out of my head. "No speed limit" is a bit of a Byrds meets The Who type of song, with a solo at the end that sounds like it's played on barbed wire strings. How did they get that sound ? Also, I ought to mention that the bass and drums sound great on this recording, and they're an extremely tight rhythm section. I nearly forgot the song "Phoenix and the renegade", a fantastic melancholy acoustic ballad with a warm vocal. Those are my favorite tunes on the album. Alan Merrill has obviously taken his main influences and used all he's learned over the years, shaping a unique music all his own on "Aleecat". As long as he keeps making albums, I'll be buying them.

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