| Musical Style: Hard Rock | Produced By: Tommy Wales |
| Record Label: Spun Records | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2002 | Artist Website: Wales Road |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 36:25 |
To order the album, please contact the artist at: walesroad@yahoo.com
Hard music enthusiasts looking for hard rock with strong blues sentiments and varied yet consistent songwriting will find plenty to like about 2002 independent (via Spun Records) Wales Road full length offering Rock ‘N’ Roll Dizzy Man. The project of Rochester, New York based founding member, lead vocalist and guitarist Tommy Wales, Wales Road represents quite the prolific outfit having released 17 studio albums, 1 rock praise album, 3 live albums and 1 DVD dating to its mid-nineties inception. The group performs what it self-describes as ‘blues based metal with Christian frosting’ (quoting its press material), and while such indicator by no means misses the mark there is also much more to Wales Road in terms of acoustic and classic rock, new wave, praise and worship and even progressive rock.
Cannot say I am familiar with the entire Wales Road back catalog, but of those albums in which I am acquainted Rock ‘N’ Roll Dizzy Man is the most consistently heavy, or at least ranks alongside 2015 (and 80% Angelic Warlord reviewed) effort Wounds & Whispers in this regard. When the group branches out musically, it for the most stays true to the heavier themes and lends an element of continuity in the process.
Songwriting wise, Rock ‘N’ Roll Dizzy Man is not one dimensionally repetitive either, in that regardless of the heavier affection it maintains a high degree of musical acumen in that each of its tracks compels you to return for repeat listen. Playing no small role in such regard is musicianship in that the talented Wales Road supporting cast of keyboards & bassist Tom Sluberski and drummer Lou Gonzales helps bring out the best in the albums material, while Tommy Wales plays a mean lead guitar in addition to proving a multidimensional vocalist.
Hence, the Wales Road 2021 compilation album Character Voices, which traces its title to when a studio engineer suggest that Wales uses ‘character voices ala Alice Cooper’. Artist, for instance, sounds at home whether it be his smooth classic tenor voice, gritty and raspy voice; or lower register and sterner voice. Artist emphasizes that gritty and raspy on albums first of two opening borderline metal meets hard rock cuts “Blessed Hope”, a knife edged slicer innate to deafening riffs, clangorous hooks and rattling lead guitar. A melodic aspect arises in form of the periodic concentrated vocal melodies.
With drum solo to start, “Paper Missionaries” rumbles to caustic riffs with an underlining punk feel as rhythm section batters with implacable authority and rhythms exude energy of a classic metal form. Interestingly, Wales runs the vocal gamut from lower register intimations to lightly done classic tenor aspects. Closing the song is a preacher voice over in line with the songs subject based around late night TV preachers:
Paper missionaries – made of paper
Living all over the place
Laughing in the face of grace
Begging you fall you have
The manipulate and they grab
Nothing but a passing breeze
A mockery and a fallacy
Springs without water
Depravity, false teachers fleecing the sheep
“A Love Song To My King” carries over the hard rock sentiments but in a more melodic package. Song mirrors a seventies edge found in the face first Hammond B3 but exalts equally melody, revealed in the soulful ‘hallelujah’ female backing vocals adorning the explosive (and wonderfully catchy) refrain. Sluberski’s bouncing keyboard solo closing the final seconds builds upon the palpable energy.
“Battlefield” represents one of albums more manifold tracks. On one hand, guitar rhythms reflect a distinct The Police influence; on the others, Wales’ lead guitar is reminiscent to that of Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits). When further factoring how artist lowers his register with a sterner inflection, a new wave element also rises to the surface. No, this might not rate with albums heaviest, but due to the creativity, it separates as a very solid deep cut. Lyrics revolve around spiritual warfare:
Runnin’ on a empty tank
Danger all around me
Cracks in my armor
Under attack
The Lord’s a Warrior
Jesus fight for me
Flyin’ a dog fight
Another buzz bomb dropped
Oh Lord please save me!
First side closes to “Hear My Prayer”, which approaches from a praise and worship standpoint: acoustic guitar and airy keyboards not to mention occasional baritone vocals accent the moving if not inspirational vestiges. Yes, song is well performed and a worthy addition to the track listing, but as can be the case with worship music, I find it somewhat formula, at least compared to albums better material.
Album returns to a heavier veering with “Yer Not A Little God”. A symphonic joining of feedback and classical keyboards gets things going ahead of a drum solo and plunging bass. As snarling guitars impel in, song evokes an intensified feel - again, a slight punk allure is at hand - as gruffly hewn vocals and lower a lower register backend voice allow the rugged hooks to stand out that much further. Song deals with false teachers:
You are out of this world
You are out of your mind
Mystified you visualize
You’re so blind in the eyes
Same old lies
Same deception
Nothing new it’s all confusion
Lies long ago similar told
This heresy is getting old
“Loose Lips” is in similar vein with a polished metal guitar burnishing. Song stays true to the mid-paced, decelerated with its provoking rhythms and bluesy guitar leads but also unambiguous, established in the slow to a near crawl ‘let me love you with my heart and not just my lips’ refrain. This one represents a quintessential Wales Road joining of metal and the blues (sort of like Stevie & The Saints).
“Breathing” separates as this reviewer’s choice track. Impression is five moody and melancholic minutes essential to doleful bass and grainy rhythm guitar - distorted vocals hearten the forlorn imprints - building upon the unfeigned melody. Keyboards are fittingly eerie, particularly for the uneasy instrumental run closing the final minute. Romans 12:15 is the subject discussed:
I ain’t got much in this world
Treasures on earth that money buys
Where is the cure to all my cares?
Doubt clouding the skies
God are You really there?
Can you hear the words to my simple prayer?
Why do I feel so alone?
Won’t last forever or so I’m told
As albums shortest at two and half minutes, “Have Mercy” explores the bluesy side to Wales Road. Limber, lively and blithe, song winsomely ripples its span to acoustic pigmenting and raw edged harmonies that advocate for the uplifting hooks to distinguish. Fans of Glenn Kaiser Band and Dale Thompson & The Boon Dogs rejoice.
Back to five-minute territory for closing cut “Believe”. The swirling guitar distortion to start morphs into the coalescing of seventies tinged classic rock, pinpointing Sluberski’s electrifying Hammond B3 alongside all the bluesy licks and chops you could ask, and faith based articulating muscling forward. I LOVE the rousing keyboard and lead guitar closing the final instrumental three minutes- you can tell the guys had a great deal of fun in the studio on this one. Song makes a statement of faith:
Son of God
Counselor
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
Immanuel
The Lamb of God
The beginning
Holy One of Israel
What I believe
I believe in Jesus who I live for
Rock ‘N’ Roll Dizzy Man presents with more than its fair share of impeccable musical moments, recognizing choice tracks “Paper Missionaries”, “A Love Song To My King”, “Yer Not A Little God”, “Breathing” and “Believe”. Tommy Wales literally outdid himself from a songwriting standpoint. Yet, band performance shines equally in that the power trio of Wales, Sluberski and Gonzeles in my opinion represents the strongest Wales Road lineup. Again, I have not had opportunity to listen to the entire Wales Road back catalog, but Rock ‘N’ Roll Dizzy Man is musically the finest effort I have heard from the group.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Blessed Hope” (2:56), “Paper Missionaries” (2:58), “A Love Song To My King” (3:07), “Battlefield” (3:44), “Hear My Prayer” (3:19), “Yer Not A Little God” (4:00), “Loose Lips” (3:23), “Breathing” (5:06), “Have Mercy” (2:39), “Believe” (5:11)
Musicians
Tommy Wales - Lead Vocals & Guitars
Tom Sluberski - Bass & Keyboards
Lou Gonzales - Drums
