“Hold Me Back” opens the debut cd from the pairing of Charlie Farren with Jon Butcher, a modern day Hall & Oates or Chad & Jeremy, if you will, with some gusto and double guitar power. Now it isn’t a stretch to say they totally mopped the production of the Tremeloes great rendition of Cat Steven’s “Here Comes My Baby” (1967 nugget that George Skaubitis likes as well!) …the party atmosphere also on the Beach Boys “Barbara Ann” or even Jay & The Americans’ rip of La Bamba that was “Come A Little Bit Closer”, meaning the boys are opening their disc with some fun.
The vivacious and effervescent spell is only a glimpse of what the pair have in store. “Rolling” is a jazzy kind of Pink Panther soundtrack out-take, sort of like Charlie’s own “The Livin’ Daylights” which SHOULD have been a James Bond theme. The re-working of “Deja Blue” is nice and very necessary, as are “East Coast/West Coast” (a Joe Perry Project staple, of course) and Butcher’s own “New Man”. The chemistry between these two is undeniable…and rockers with a history should consider teaming up in this fashion because when you hear “Love Story” and “Soul Mate” you’ll understand the magic that their following has enjoyed for years. “Heaven On A Railroad Train” would have been perfect with Jimi Hendrix sitting in.
The film Priest has a train full of vampires for the natives to hear a coming, Farren & Butcher have a train full of gems that sparkle from your speaker. A real keeper.
Joe Viglione is the Chief Film Critic at TMRZoo.com. He was a film critic for Al Aronowitz’s The Blacklisted Journal, has written thousands of reviews and biographies for AllMovie.com, Allmusic.com and produces and hosts Visual Radio. Visual Radio is a fifteen year old variety show on cable TV which has interviewed John Lennon’s Uncle Charlie, Margaret Cho, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Felix Cavaliere, Marty Balin, Bill Press and hundreds of other personalities.
