The Storm
"The Storm"
© Interscope
July 17 - 23, 2022
Year of Release: 1991
Rating:
You Keep Me Waiting
I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love
In The Raw
You're Gonna Miss Me
Call Me
Show Me The Way
I Want You Back
Still Loving You
Touch And Go
Gimme Love
Take Me Away
Can't Live Without Love
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Once again, a review from what I call "the Goodwill collection"... This week we look at a supergroup band, called The Storm. The band included members of
Journey. In fact, these members of Journey were founding members, before Steve Perry joined the band - Gregg Rollie, Ross Vallory, and Steve Smith. Rollie was
Journey's lead vocalist and keyboard player, and before Journey, he was a member of Carlos Santana's band. Vallory played bass guitar and backing vocals. Smith
played drums. In the Storm, the three were joined with Kevin Chalfant, and Josh Ramos. Chalfant had been int the band 747, and would be the lead vocalist in the
Storm, along with Rollie. Ramos was the lead guitarist, and cited Journey founder guitarist Neal Schon as a major influence. The Storm released only two albums,
as their first album is this week's pick.
On "You Keep Me Waiting" - "the storm" is coming through (storm sound effects), then it grabs your attention into a solid rock tune. Great guitars,
great vocals. The Storm has arrived! "I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love" was the hit from this album, and it does have a close comparison to that of
Journey. (They say that the lead singer Kevin Chalfant's vocals sounded like Steve Perry's; but in my opinion, Perry is better. In fact, The Storm's rock style
is quite "heavier" than Journey's.)
"Heavy" gets it on "In The Raw" - it is much heavier than Journey, and really, it has no compaison to Journey's Rock style. The Storm has it's own
Rock style, and "In The Raw""You're Gonna Miss Me" has the Storm's musical style as the first two songs, in powerful form, and Chalfant's
vocals gets the close comparison to Perry again, but as mentioned, the Storm has a more hard rock form than Journey. "Call Me" has a softer rock style than
the other songs heard, a power ballad, and in most cases for hard rock bands (especially from the 1980s and 1990s) the power ballads have always worked. And
"Call Me" gets the power ballad call. It's a very good tune. "Show Me The Way" is another power ballad number, and like "Call Me," it's
another great powerful song.
"I Want You Back" continues the great Storm (powerful) sound... The softer side of the Storm returns on the next track, "Still Loving You." --
This one has a similarity to that of Mike + The Mechanics' "The Living Years."
"Touch And Go" is more heavy metal, and another powerful track, as it could be compared to the hard rock style Led Zeppelin (guitars), and the later years of
Kiss, and other 1980s hard rock bands. And "Gimme Love" is another incredible, heavy metal monster. A good wind down is needed, and "Take Me Away"
just does that -- another great softer rock Storm track. Ending the album is another softer tune, "Can't Live Without Love." (Somehow, this song reminds me
of Heart's "What About Love.")
The Journey comparisons are there, yet the Storm has a more harder rock approach. The Kevin Chalfant and Steve Perry vocal comaparisons are there as well.
But, Chalfant and the Storm had it's own unique sound, and Chalfant didn't have the high range as Perry. Chalfant worked briefly for Journey in their formations
after Perry had left.
The Storm's second album, Eye Of The Storm was recorded in 1993. Drummer Steve Smith had left the band in 1991, and was replaced by Ron Wikso. Eye Of
The Storm was not released on Interscope (the first album's label). Interscope had made a deal with Death Row Records, which would be the future label for gangsta
rap artists. Eye Of The Storm was released by the UK independent label Music For Nations, Avex Trax (Bareknuckle) in Japan, and Miramar Records in the U.S.
The release of the Storm's second album had the members of the group moving on to other music projects. Rollie played briefly with Abraxas Pool (with most of the
original Santana members; Abraxas was one of the titles of Santana's albums.) Rollie also appeared in Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. valory joined a reformed
Journey, likewise (briefly) Chalfant. Chalfant and Ramos formed the band Two Fires, and released three albums. Chalfant also worked with the Alan Parsons Project as
lead singer, and the Kansas City band Shooting Star. In 1999, Rollie and Wikso co produced a solo album for Rollie (Roots) and since then they have toured
togther as the Gregg Rollie Band.
For Journey fans and Rock fans alike, The Storm will be enjoyed. Their rock style has actual comparisons to bands and artists of the 1980s and 1990s, but
not really to that of Journey; The Storm just rocks it out more, in my opinion. There isn't one bad track on this album. It is truly a good ROCK album to enjoy to.
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