Alive was the first album released by Jeremy Morris all those years (and albums) ago. This is a limited edition and is the first time this has been made available in a digital medium. So this is effectively the starting point for Jeremy's prolific musical output down the years. He has always worked in several different musical idioms and this album illustrates that that was the case right from the start. The use of heavy overdriven guitar sounds in his more recent releases is also on display here and actually is more in the 'heavy metal' bracket here than it is now, which is fine as long as you can weld a good tune to it, which Jeremy has always, it seems, been able to do.
Although he is known mostly for his contribution to the powerpop genre, you always get some psychedelic, some prog rock and some heavyish rock excursions too, which makes for an interesting and varied listen in this instance, especially as the genres hadn't been focused on yet on separate releases as has happened more recently. If you like your musical genres all in separate neat compartments, then this might not be a comfortable listen, but if an artist likes to keep things varied, then for this reviewer at least, it keeps thngs fresh and interesting instead of disappearing down one well trodden path until you can't wring any inspiration out of it anymore.
'I Don't Want To See You Cry' is quite a heavy opening track and has plenty of melodic content sitting in and around the guitar riffage and dual lead solos. The arrangement shows that there was an intelligent attitude to song construction even in the early days. 'Translated' also displays some heavy duty guitar work and this is where some comparisons with the work of Cheap Trick have possibly been drawn down the years. Cheap Trick have always been a really hard rocking 'pop' band, but in reality, Jeremy sounds as much like them as Urge Overkill (another great band saddled with a rep for sounding like C.T.) do, yes, maybe working in the same groove to some extent but both making their versions of hard rocking music with pop sensibilites.... and so they should, it isn't an exclusive domain for Mr Zander and co.!!
'Mark's Song' is a complete change in that it is gentle, very melodic and although there is a predominance of eighties synths, you have to allow for the fact that they were cutting egde at the time we all thought they were marvellous then. The song does show that there was an ability to move between genres quite comfortably.
'Heaven at Midnight' again crunches away quite nicely but is melodic and very hooky too. 'Monday Morning' is a very gentle poignant song about the plight of the old and infirm and the lyrics hit home quite hard. There is a strong 'Fab' influence here and there and sometimes the songs do sail very close by as in 'The Key', but Jeremy just about manages to come out with only a couple of cuts and bruises and no permanent damage done.
This reissue includes nine additional songs and to be honest there isn't a drop in musical standard on these and the album could have so very easily been a double at the time of it's first appearance. All in all, it demonstrates that Jeremy's abilites with melody, arrangement and instrumentation have always been present and will please any fan of his who maybe hasn't had the opportunity to own this album up 'til now.
Reviewed by Kevin Wallbank of M100 and Honeymoon on Mars
03/23/09
