with everything you got
Have you told her that without her
life is really not a lot
Have you ever held your new born
and looked into his eyes
When you saw your own reflection
were you man enough to cry
Yes I was"
One Word Review: Splendid
This is the first solo album by Mike Tramp, the singer and founder of White Lion and Freak of Nature. On this album he sings and plays guitar on all songs. All solos are played by Kenny Korade, who also played in Freak of Nature. Since I discovered the album back in 2002, it has kept its status as my favorite Mike Tramp solo album, with Recovering The Wasted Years a close second. It is one of those albums, I still pull out from the shelf and enjoy as much as I did 10 years ago. That speaks of its timeless quality.
Back then, it took some time before it really hit me how great the album was. Seeing Mike Tramp perform live was the kick that made me discover this overlooked gem in my collection.
The style is Melodic Rock, a little softer than White Lion and Freak of Nature. The album has everything going for it, great melodies and solos, very personal lyrics, a somewhat melancholic atmosphere and not one bad or indifferent song. Everything comes together around the unique voice of Mike Tramp. Can this guy sing or what? He has an amazing voice filled with emotion in every song. Fortunately his voice holds up live, and I am always amazed that he sings as good, if not even better, live than on record.
The songs on this album are very personal and most of the lyrics seem to be based on personal experiences. It gives the album an extra dimension.
Killer tracks are: If I live tomorrow, Here I don't belong, Heart of every woman, Better off, and Love will come and go, which has a little Beatles influence in it. Once these songs get in your head they will be forever etched in your mind. They are soooo good.
It took 5 or 6 listens before I really started to like Capricorn, but from then on it just got better and better every time. If you like rock music then you can't go wrong. Be sure to get the re-released version with four bonus tracks.
Capricorn is a gem. The music speaks for itself. Enuff said.
Written By Steen
Online: Sunday, September 23, 2012