Kelly Keeling - Giving Sight to the Eye
Mascot - M 7071 2 - 21/03/2005
By Patrick Walsh
It's unlikely that many people will have heard of Kelly Keeling outside of the 80s glam scene, as he's probably best known for his work with cock-rock troupe Baton Rouge. However, with a string of appearances around the musical spectrum with everyone from Alice Cooper, Blue Murder and Michael Schenker Group, Keeling is indeed a fairly proficient musician in his own right. Giving Sight to the Eye is his first ever solo outing, and is a commendable and genuinely varied collection of hard rock songs.
Keeling's guitar noodlings are for the most part of the blues variety, yet he throws in a variety of stylees into the equation, from a fairly prominent prog-rock element at times and a Beatles-esque pop-rock edge. 'Rising of the Snake' is an excellent pounding blues-rock anthem, and 'Parasite' continues things in this vein. 'Perfect Day', meanwhile, showcases Keeling's intent to stretch his musical platform, being a successful blend of early 70s prog-rock with the sunshine pop of mid 60s Beatles. Unfortunately, Keeling overstretches things a little on 'Ground Zero', a meandering tune full of pompous keyboards and overwrought solos that seems like it's building up to something big but never really goes anywhere. However, cuts such as the lazy ballad 'Sunlight Needs the Day' and the driving alt. rock of 'Hell is on the Way' make up for this album's shortcomings. Keeling's voice is undoubtedly the highlight of the whole affair, as he's in possession of quite an extensive and emotive range, and although his lyrical approach sometimes borders on the cheeseline, this is mostly good stuff except for a few notable fluffs. Indeed, Giving Sight to the Eye is an album that has obviously had a lot of attention paid to its individual songs, and that in itself is a commendable virtue in today's rock climate.
7/10
Official Kelly Keeling Website
Official Mascot Records Website
Mascot - M 7071 2 - 21/03/2005
By Patrick Walsh
It's unlikely that many people will have heard of Kelly Keeling outside of the 80s glam scene, as he's probably best known for his work with cock-rock troupe Baton Rouge. However, with a string of appearances around the musical spectrum with everyone from Alice Cooper, Blue Murder and Michael Schenker Group, Keeling is indeed a fairly proficient musician in his own right. Giving Sight to the Eye is his first ever solo outing, and is a commendable and genuinely varied collection of hard rock songs.
Keeling's guitar noodlings are for the most part of the blues variety, yet he throws in a variety of stylees into the equation, from a fairly prominent prog-rock element at times and a Beatles-esque pop-rock edge. 'Rising of the Snake' is an excellent pounding blues-rock anthem, and 'Parasite' continues things in this vein. 'Perfect Day', meanwhile, showcases Keeling's intent to stretch his musical platform, being a successful blend of early 70s prog-rock with the sunshine pop of mid 60s Beatles. Unfortunately, Keeling overstretches things a little on 'Ground Zero', a meandering tune full of pompous keyboards and overwrought solos that seems like it's building up to something big but never really goes anywhere. However, cuts such as the lazy ballad 'Sunlight Needs the Day' and the driving alt. rock of 'Hell is on the Way' make up for this album's shortcomings. Keeling's voice is undoubtedly the highlight of the whole affair, as he's in possession of quite an extensive and emotive range, and although his lyrical approach sometimes borders on the cheeseline, this is mostly good stuff except for a few notable fluffs. Indeed, Giving Sight to the Eye is an album that has obviously had a lot of attention paid to its individual songs, and that in itself is a commendable virtue in today's rock climate.
7/10
Official Kelly Keeling Website
Official Mascot Records Website
