GINGER: Valor Del Corazon

Ginger

Valor Del Corazon

© 2006 David Walls (5024545383829)

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Big guitars and great melodies, and a bit of everything thrown into the pot.

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Singer/Guitar player/Songwriter in UK Rock band The Wildhearts goes solo. Album charts the demise of a relationship and self-discovery while maintaining strong melodic content,uplifting musical arrangements and mixing in huge guitars.

Born David Walls on December 17, 1964, Ginger grew up in South Shields, near Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North East of England. The prolific singer, lyricist, and songwriter is best known for being the creative genius behind The Wildhearts, a band he created after parting ways with bands The Throbs and The Quireboys.

Created and fronted by Ginger, The Wildhearts had quite a few official albums under their belt, but they are best known and famous for the musical integrity of two or three unreleased b-sides tagged on every CD single as an added bonus for their loyal fans. The Wildhearts brought a refreshing sound back into a stale music scene post-Nirvana, but this time around, the music was extremely catchy, aggressively upbeat and melodic.

In 1995, their 2nd album, P.H.U.Q. climbed to the top of the UK charts peaking at No. 6. The Wildhearts became a cult sensation throughout the UK and Japan, but had limited exposure in the United States. However, that would change due to the rapid growth of internet access. Ginger’s music could now reach a worldwide fan base, and through good old fashioned word of mouth from fans, some success in the US was achieved.

Ginger once said that he couldn’t sleep at night because of all the “tunes” in his head, constantly playing. These tunes would eventually lead to side projects. During hiatuses from The Wildhearts, he immersed himself in writing and creating new, different types of music. These projects were known as Clam Abuse, Supershit666 and Silver Ginger 5. Clam Abuse, once described as “deranged”, was a creative departure from The Wildhearts, but, at the same time showed Ginger’s amazing and diverse songwriting skills.

Silver Ginger 5 brought Ginger together with Swedish guitar giant Conny Bloom (Hanoi Rocks) and ‘Random’ Jon Poole (The Cardiacs), an energetic bass player who would continue to play with Ginger as a member of The Wildhearts as well. SG5 had a mission to bring back huge guitar hooks and the long forgotten chorus to rock music. Released in Japan and the UK, Black Leather Mojo proves the mission was successful.

The Wildhearts, with a minimally altered line-up returned for their most successful U.S. tour in 2004 opening for fellow Brits and good friends, The Darkness. However, after the tour Ginger decided to focus on his getting his personal life in order and embarking on a solo career. He then put pen to paper and wrote and recorded his most prolific, personal and passionate album to date, an autobiographical soundtrack to his eclectic musical life called Valor Del Corazon.

Valor Del Corazon, Ginger's first official solo album, was released through Round Records on January 9th, 2006. It was recorded in 2005 at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales studio in Texas. Long time producer and friend Ralph Jezzard and a wide range of talented musicians were brought in for the sessions. Ginger took the best elements from his rock, pop, funk, gospel, country and metal roots to create 19 heartfelt songs full of angst, sadness, joy, and loneliness.

Only an artist of Ginger’s caliber could tie such harsh emotions together with haunting, beautiful melodies that make you want to pump your fist in the air, sing along, clap, bang your head and even shed a tear or two. To help promote Valor Del Corazon, Ginger created a new band called Ginger and The Sonic Circus with the help of good friends Conny Bloom and ‘Random’ Jon Poole.

The “circus” atmosphere continues with the addition of a keyboard player, saxophonist and back up singers added for live shows. The band recently completed a number of very successful UK appearances in March of 2006 and played two shows in New York City to a bevy of rabid fans from all over the globe. Ginger and The Sonic Circus were recent headliners on the bill of the massive UK Download Festival in Donington Park on June 9, 2006 which featured heavy hitters such as Korn, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.

The future is brighter then ever for such a talented performer. Ginger and The Sonic Circus continue to impress the UK critics and fans alike. The next time you hear, “the circus is coming to town”, it will have a whole new meaning. A meaning that is way cooler then any Ringling Bros. version you've ever witnessed.

copyright:2006 Matt Tritico

reviews

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  • Instant Classic
    author: 29xTheJames

    To be blunt, all I can say is this album is a classic and rivals Ginger's stuff with the Wildhearts. Sometimes even better.

  • Ginger has a new fan!
    author: Michelle

    I'd never heard of Ginger until a friend recently recommended the song "Yeah Yeah Yeah"... once I heard it, I was hooked. The rest of the CD did not disappoint!

  • Ginger = great music
    author: Chris Kaiser

    Ginger never fails to release a great CD. I wish his other material was easier to come by in the States for a more reasonable price but it is worth the extra cost. Ginger's music is heavy and melodic and sometimes humorous. You can not go wrong with feel good rock and roll.

  • Awesome! When's he coming to the West coast?
    author: JOD

    Awesome! When's he coming to the West coast?

  • Finest English Songwriter of his Generation!!!
    author: Paul Brannigan

    Kerrang! - Valor Del Corazón review THE WORDS 'lonely' and 'alone' feature in half the songs on Ginger's new solo album and it's not hard to understand why: 'Valor Del Corazón' was written in the aftermath of the singer's personal and professional life falling apart after his Christmas 2004 admission to his (soon to be ex-) girlfriend that he'd been using heroin. With its title translating as 'Strength Of Heart', it's an eclectic, stream of (un)consciousness collection - 19 songs, spread over two discs, taking in country rock to dark piano ballads via booze-sodden swayalongs, funk, gospel and harmony-stacked pop-rock, in which the finest English songwriter of his generation attempts to piece together the shards of his life. And, eschewing self-pity for defiant optimism, it's primarily and empowering note-to-self reading 'deal with it'. By their very nature, double albums tend to be self-indulgent, but as with Guns N'Roses 'Use Your Illusion' sets, the self-financed and self-released 'Valor...' is an audacious, occasionally flawed and infuriating, but always endlessly fascinating trip into one man's heart of darkness. It's an album of both great songs (the Ryan Adams-esque 'Only A Problem', the bitter-sweet West Coast pop-rock of 'Keep It Cool', the Wildhearts-esque crunch of 'My Friend The Enemy' and the gorgeously bruised REO Speedwagon-at-twilight hymnal 'The Man Who Cheated Death' chief among them) and wonderful moments (the Lizzy-esque instrumental mid-section on '10 Flaws Down', the twinkling, celestial layered guitars on 'L.O.V.E.', the snarling 'I will not repent' chants on 'Drinking In The Daytime'). On the album closer 'Something To Believe In' Ginger sings 'Music will get you through times of no love', but really, by then this belief is self-evident. In songs there is salvation, and ironically, at his lowest ebb, Ginger has never sounded more alive. DOWNLOAD: 'The Man Who Cheated Death'. FOR FANS OF: The Wildhearts, Johnny Cash. KKKK - Paul Brannigan

  • GREAT REVIEW OF AN EXCELLENT CD!
    author: Darren Sadler

    Classic Rock - Valor Del Corazón review An album built around confessionals sees the Wildhearts mainman shirking off the past and striding into the present. Adversity, it is said, makes for great art. In which case the last 12 months of Ginger's life would generate enough grist for any emotional mill. Ginger's intensely detailed diaries posted on his former band's website are nothing if not candid. Heroin addiction, a failed relationship, the albatross-like weight of a band - The Wildhearts - that never quite managed to make good on their promise... The list is endless. But through it all, it's clear that somehow, like a courtroom stenographer, Ginger has been taking notes about all of it, filing it away for later use. Broken down by it all, he eventually headed for LA at the beginning of 2005 and then, after a series of dashed (sometimes self-inflicted) hopes, to Texas and the relative solitude of country music legend Willie Nelson's recording studios. Texas is big enough and easy to get lost in, and life in the Lone Star State appears to have appeased Ginger's demons and freed his artistic urges. His new album, Valor Del Corazon (roughly translated it means strength of heart) is a two-CD set crammed with ideas and not a small amount of bravura. Those familiar with The Wildhearts will be pleased to find that Ginger has lost none of his appreciation of Cheap Trick's panache or Metallica's heft. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Bulb (which reads like a page from his drug diaries - I'm assuming he's kept some, and that they're probably about 50 pages thick) and Only Lonely all have Ginger's familiar stamp of urgency and brusque melody. Better still, however, are the songs where he wearies of the familiar: with its sweeping horns and persistent thrum, G.T.T. wouldn't have surprised me if it had turned up on an album by The Go! Team, while his Texan surroundings have put their fingerprint on the magnificent Drinking In The Daytime - which also tips its hat to Kansas at one point (the band not the State) - and the rueful honky-tonk of Something To Believe In. Ten Flaws Down (I'll forgive him the title, because the song is so strong) rails like a song that UFO have forgotten how to make, and The Man Who Cheated Death (another confessional - they run like a spine throughout the whole album) sees Ginger seated on the piano stool, doubtless with his head resting on the keys. Whatever Ginger's emotional state, Valor Del Corazon sounds like someone shirking off the past, striding into the present and putting some dwindling ghosts to rest.

  • I'm really impressed!
    author: StarvedRock

    ok, I'll admit that a friend turned me on to this talented man. I've never heard of the Wildhearts or Ginger before that. My friend sent me the cd and I was really surprised by the quality of the music. When I first saw a picture of Ginger I thought I was getting a reggae cd?? Not at all close. Total, unbiased rock with alot of soul and tragedy built in. I'm converted. I'm checking out everything I can about Ginger and The Wildhearts as of today!

  • Ginger Rocks!
    author: Mistress

    A definite must have for anyone that appreciates great music!! The combination of every element in this CD proves that Ginger is a genius. Buy it now, and let Ginger take you on the most incredible orgasmic ride of your life!

  • Ginger Never Disappoints
    author: Patrillium

    Go ahead, gorge yourself on Ginger. They say too much of a good thing is bad for you -- I beg to differ. This delicious double album rocks your bones like nothing else has in a long time. The man is a genius - this melange of jangly guitar, catchy as hell melody and bust-your-ass-and-take-names impact, without any sickly sweet diverting emo/pussy BS, will satisfy your hunger for some real, juicy ear meat. Solid. In the Upper Tier with John Lennon, God rest his soul, Ginger's diversity is staggering... and that's no exaggeration. See for yourself. Play this in your car on the way to work and I DARE you to have a bad day.

  • Fantastic
    author: Dre

    Ginger is probably one of the greatest singer/song writers of our time. This cd certainly proves that. Filled with every emotion, one can pick any song to fit any mood. This is a must have for any music lover.

  • Kicks Ass!
    author: Chris A

    The CD rocks! If you enjoy any other Ginger/Wildhearts music, you'll enjoy this album. Great melody and songwriting. Catchy as hell. Incorporates a lot more of rock music than the usual Wildhearts output. I highly recommend it!

  • Ginger is a living legend amongst any songwriting genre.His solo career is just
    author: Dedicated Rocker Productions

    VALOR DEL CORAZON Ginger P&C Round Records 2005 For those of you who were rocked by The Darkness and thought that this is what the U.K. had to offer, well you’re half right. I love The Darkness. For those of you who hated them, give England another chance and welcome Ginger into your life. It’s time to jump on a different bandwagon, one that has been chugging right along since 1993. Yes Ginger led his mighty band, The Wildhearts to many “highs” since then. They struggled with band members, breaking up, re-uniting, drugs, all the while putting out some of the most creative songwriting you’ve yet to hear. Hell, this is Ginger’s second double CD in as many years. In late 2004 Ginger asked his lady to marry him, she replied by leaving for good with his two children. But being the survivor and great singer songwriter that he is, Ginger managed to release a double CD, move to L.A. and join a band, he was over qualified to be in. Sober and still on the edge, Ginger once again rose from the ashes and headed to Texas of all places, with a head full of stories. After kicking his habit, he wound up at Willie Nelsons studio with Ralph Jezzard. (Producer of the Wildhearts “Endless/Nameless” album). What we end up with is another outstanding collection of personal tales from one of rocks most talented storytellers. ‘Valor Del Corazon’ is over 80 minutes of heart wrenching stories, wrapped up in country, gospel, rock, boogie shuffles, huge riffs and of course, those choruses. His personal stories are not only very well written, he has surrounded his words with such a vast variety of musical genres, that I’m sure it would affect mass appeal, if only people heard it. He has a very radio friendly voice, an ear for melody and his hooks last for days after each listen. On Disc One, he goes from the heavy opening and huge drums of “Ugly”, with it’s spiteful lyrics, right into “Mother City”, an ode to NYC that sounds like seventies pop rock from Cheap Trick, right into an instrumental called “G.T.T.”, a funky Ministry styled instrumental with spoken word and a guitar solo. There’s also a horn section playing a familiar melody that I can’t quite put my finger on. If you’re looking for that Wildhearts riff/hook and huge sing along chorus, look no further than “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”. If you didn’t read Gingers open letter to his fans about his life, check out “This Is Only A Problem”, about him getting over it and getting back on with it, like only he can. This is one tough human being folks. Then there’s the build up and the breakdown of “Ten Flaws Down” and the Sixties pop of “Paramour”. Which leads us to the final track of Disc One, “The Man Who Cheated Death”. This is the one that set it all up. The first track to be released to the masses on the internet. It’s a beautiful piano laced song with heartfelt lyrics and an Eagles vibe. Now Disc Two is just as strong but we just don’t have the space so you’re just going to have to go out and by this special 2 Disc set from a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and is proud to share it with us. The rock world is a better place thanks to Ginger. A must have for sure. -The Rocker

  • Some music deservers to be listened to over and over.
    author: trica

    Ginger's genius writing skills for lyrics and amazing music perfectly convey his emotional journey on this album. Listening again and again still yields more each time. Valor del Corazon never loses it's varied and delicious flavor.

  • One of the greates jobs Ginger has ever done
    author: Sammi Sixx

    Hey there. I got into the wh a bit more than an year ago and from the first moment i heard them (the first song was "i wanna go where the ppl go" Phuq) i fell in love. For me, they are my second Beatles. They changed my life since then and i have been wating for new Ginger stuff for sooo long. I got the cd and seriously it saved my life. I had to hear it 3 times in a row until i was able tu put it down. The sound is a great mix and combination of many different Ginger and Wh records, it has a nice transition between each song and it all fits perfect. It has all possible sound and it never misses the pop/catchy melody needed to get stuck in you head for the rest of the month. This is a record for people who listen to any kind of music. If you know a bit of music, there is no way you wont love it. Many thanks to Ginger for his beautiful art. He did it one more time; a record that can cheer you up in a matter of seconds.

  • BRILLIANT
    author: Hamish

    Fucking ace. If you don't own it, buy it...if you don't buy it..you obviously have shite taste in music.

  • Shot version? See attached hehe
    author: MATTBOY

    Now this is the mutha of all mutha's...an eclectic batch of creative and catchy songs that will make your knees freeze, your bladder splatter and your big toe shoot up in yer boots! It’s only rock and roll and by God you will like it. Are you tired of buying a CD and all of the songs sound processed and the chords are hauntingly similar? Well, not anymore my friends. Stand up and buy a copy, do something daring. Something worthy enough to share around the water cooler. For those about to rock, we definitely salute you. Tell a friend or two hundred. “Waiter, check please. Gotta go jam.”

  • Phenomenal CD. Funny, sad, melodic, & guitars, it has everything!
    author: Candice

    I've purchased three CD's, one for home, one for the office, and one to share. I guess I like it! I'm looking forward to more.

  • incredible!
    author: michelle

    Ginger bares his soul and leaves his heart splayed all over 19 glorious tracks. An emotional rollercoaster that is gutwrenching at one moment and spiritually uplifting the next. Track by track, Ginger takes us through the toughest year of his life and by the end leaves you standing up cheering that he made it through to the other side. The last line of the album sums it all up, but you'll have to purchase it to get the answer!

  • author: M Wade

    The greatest double disk since Quadrophenia. Ginger is a genius, and this record is brilliant--a must for any music fan.

  • Fantastic
    author: DEL901

    I was just introduced to Ginger's music a few months ago and went to him play live in New York City in April. This CD is amazing. Wonderful melodies, great vocals and intriguing, meaningful (and occassionally sad or funny) lyrics! And Ginger's surrounded himself with some great talents in the Sonic Circus. If you like your rock with meaning and your rockstars talented, give this CD a try.

  • Pure genius!
    author: Stephen Hines

    This is easily the best collection of songs ever released on the planet Earth. Rumor has it that the rest of the galaxy is soon to confirm that it's the greatest they've ever heard too. If you love great songs with fantastic melodies, huge guitar riffs, and intelligent lyrics, this is for you! If you also dig genre-defying artists who can play just about any type of music while sounding like they were born to play it, look no farther. Ginger covers a huge variety of styles here (rock, punk, metal, country, pop, etc.) so there's something for everyone and every mood. If you buy this, you will NEVER regret it! Viva Ginger!

  • author: S Wallace

    If you want to ride the roller coaster of emotion...then strap in for the thrill of your life. Amazing songwriting coupled with catchy guitar riffs and brilliant melodies. You'll need a cigarette and a stiff drink after this one.

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