Chris White Experience Vol 1

I am a huge Zombies fan, so it pains me to give this a bad review. Chris White contributed a great deal to the Zombies during his time with that band, and it is my understanding that he is an all around good guy. That said, this disc is pretty weak with problems including unremarkable melodies, rhythms, and lyrics that that can't support a tune without the aid of more interesting song craft. Even when an interesting element crops up, it is overwhelmed by the weaker aspects.I used to play The Zombies while working in a book store back in the 90s. Most of my coworkers grimaced, thinking the band was too saccharine, that Colin Blunstone and his bandmates' voices were simply too friendly and goofy to be taken seriously on most tunes. They didn't appreciate the genuine joie de vivre, sincerity, and craftsmanship which made those albums so enjoyable. While much of that excellence might be down to Rod Argent's musicianship and Colin Blunstone's exceptional voice and singing, the rest of the guys, including Chris White, made solid contributions in their own way.This anthology shows why Chris White was not very active as a solo artist. The music is mostly the opposite of transcendent. There are moments where a song moves well, and some of the singing is pretty darn good, but the songs are less than the sum of their parts. Sometimes when inspiration is lacking, being a nice guy just doesn't cut it. Even Colin Blunstone's later work could suffer from the same problem. That too is hard to say as I enjoyed even his string soaked early 70s work which could be said to be somewhat overly sweet, and thought he was quite strong as a solo artist through part of the 90s. Perhaps Chris White should have started bashing the drums until he was weary, then get in shouting matches with Boris J@hnson (who richly deserves to be shouted at). yes. I know White is a bass player, but he really should have engaged in some form of primal therapy, whether with drums, or cannabis, or something more peculiarly necessary to him in an individual sense. That might have provided the impetus to produce work which didn't shout "I have retired, so kindly leave me be."A brief description of this album's tracks:Why Can't You Lie To Me - Okay Blunstone vocal. A good answer to the title might be, "Now this is why we broke up Stan. You're a bit off."Power Over Me - Strong vocal from Stevie Lange, nice tone. Sounds like many other second tier hard rock tunes. If you are a fan of Cobra, this might do the trick. Cobra made one of the best predictable hard rock albums of all time. That album is much better than this album.A Trick Of Starlight - Decent vocals. Most interesting track up to this point. Has some ambiance and a feeling of thoughtfulness.I'm Coming Home - Has a harder edge, but is run of the mill.Good For You Darlin’ - Kind of like the band Pilot. Very by the numbers. Has a few guitar flourishes that would be more convincing in a good song.My Love Tonight - The lyrics sound like a mix between eighties pop and David Coverdale whose band Whitesnake had plenty of decent moments instrumentally and vocally, but also made one shudder frequently at the words (especially once you are out of your teens and careening toward adulthood). What was White thinking?When My Boat Comes In – Blunstone and Argent are on this track which is generally a good thing. The harmonies and piano are good, but the song is just not compelling. Reminds one of a Alan Parsons Project filler track.Something I Heard – Another track with a pulse and some instrumental flourishes that are less than the sum of the parts. It’s a slow burner that never goes anywhere. Not dissimilar to some of Mel Galley’s Phenomena album tracks, although that project had more coiled aggression, and at times, much superior vocals.She Makes Me Feel – A competent Steve Gould vocal that is reminiscent of Colin Blunstone. The music plods, which is also true in other places on this album. Sluggishness is not synonymous with stately rhythm.Taking The Wings From Butterflies – Another good Blunstone vocal that echoes his better work, but it can’t save the average lyrics.Like A Shotgun – Boring, boring, boring. Strained vocals and banal lyrics. This kind of music is best done by hard charging rock monsters, not uninspired studio musicians.Ride On The Wind – Another mid-tempo tune on an album of mid-tempo tunes. Another emulation of the less interesting kind of eighties fodder on offer at the time.I Danced The Dance – Straight pop version of Enya meanderings. A touch of soul, but not as transcendent as the authors had hoped.There you have it. A bunch of near and not so near misses. How in the world can Volume Two be enticing, when Volume One of these archival recordings is so weak?I feel like a total creep picking on Chris White.

I absolutely loved this recording.