Rough Edge: Nelson CD Reviews

NELSON

"The Silence is Broken" (Perris)

I know what you're thinking: What the hell is a band like Nelson doing on Rough Edge? However, I think if you give this guitar-oriented album by the brothers Matthew and Gunnar (offspring of the rock'n'roll legend Rick Nelson) a shot, you'll find that they've come away from their 80s "long hair" fame and have produced an album that continues hard rock into the 21st century.

"The Silence Is Broken" is sure to be a hit. It's a solid rock record with enough loud guitar so as not to embarrass anyone as they listen to it. In fact, the only tracks I really didn't like were the first and sixth track which were so country music-oriented that they turned me off. That being said, track 6, "What About Me?" could turn into a nice country/western hit for the guys - so maybe it's got that country twang for a reason? Maybe they're shooting for a hard rock / country-western crossover?

I don't know for sure. But I do know that this is a great album. Tracks 5 ("Sunset Strip"), 8 ("L.O.V.E. Me Not"), and 9 ("Running Out Of Time") are AOR hard rock at its best.

Performing on "The Silence Is Broken" are Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, Michael Raphael, and Guy Defazio.

For more info please go to http://www.perrisrecords.com.

"Life" (Perris / Stone Canyon)

Reviewed by Keith Guillotine

Frankly, unlike the above-reviewed recording, "Life" doesn't really fit the Rough Edge criteria. "Life" isn't the hard rock that Nelson played so effectively on "The Silence Is Broken." Instead, "Life" is more family-oriented; a mellow, top 40 CD. It's definitely not for the hard rock/heavy metal enthusiast. As a matter of fact, the title song was actually written back in the 1960s.

As with their 1999 country debut album ("Brother Harmony"), "Life" makes it clear that these the Nelson boys are trying to dip into all aspects of the music field. If you're going to invest some money in these guys for their harder edged sound, go with the CD reviewed above instead.

This time Gunnar and Matthew were joined by Ricky Salyer - Drums; Dow Tomlin - Bass; Shane Hicks - Keys; Tom Bukovac - all other Guitars; and Steven McClintock, Beth Hooker, Marilyn Martin and Anthony Joyner - Background Vocals.

You can check out all the history of Nelson at http://www.thenelsonbrothers.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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