The new effort from the Rick Ray Band features twelve songs filling 69 minutes. This band has shared stages with Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush and Robin Trower, with music that goes back to seventies progressive rock. It's music with lots of instrumental parts including duels between guitarist Rick Ray and clarinet player Rick Schultz as in You're Not Alone. Some of the songs have a jazz rock flavor and here and there some percussion was added for good measure. The instrument playing is quite good, though this is not a top notch recording, sound wise. In fact, it sounds like it was recorded with seventies recording techniques which keeps this underground. From a positive perspective you might say it suits this music, without giving it a fake retro sound. The lightest track is the acoustic instrumental Loriann which is really beautiful. Other tracks that attract my attention in particular are Only Human with vocals from drummer John Cek, and The Road To Freedom that makes me think of good old Midnight Oil. Back to the seventies!
More from Rick Ray
2000Cast Into Our Dimension
2001Insanity Flies
2003Out Of The Mist Of Obscurity
2002Guitarsonist
2001Manipulated DNA
2004Night Of The Living Dedicated
