Secrets Of Astrology (Japanese)

Remastered with 5 bonus tracks."Because of the strength of the number three single "Oh Sherrie," the rest of Steve Perry's first solo album was somewhat overlooked, even though it managed to put three other songs into the Top 40. Even with Journey's power ballad formula draping every runny lyric and mawkish keyboard stretch, Perry was able to make the album sound relatively steadfast and sincere all the while. "Oh Sherrie" deserves it's chart placing, accentuating Perry's vocal power, especially throughout the explosive chorus. Both "Foolish Heart" and "She's Mine" aren't as strong, but they do provide the same type of romantically florid appeal that made "Open Arms" and "Faithfully" hits for Journey, minus the sturdiness of his former band. "I Believe" is pulled along by a catchy melody and highlighted by Steve Douglas' sax playing, but songs like "Strung Out" and "Running Alone" begin to drown in sugary currents of insipid fluff. Steve Perry does a respectable job in producing the album though, and the overall package comes off rather clean and bright. Street Talk proves that Perry's song writing and vocal prowess is worthy of its acclaim, but the musicianship that accompanies him throughout the album is noticeably weaker than what he is used to." - Allmusic

"Although it was barely a year and a half ago, it seems another lifetime when we reviewed Night Flight Orchestra’s “Aeromantic” album, a couple short weeks before the world went all to hell in a hurry. The band themselves, despite their name and all its trappings, were not able to fly above the fray. A few weeks into their ambitious tour supporting the 2020 album, venues were shutting down, flights were being cancelled, and the tour was brought to its premature end.While this would usually mean misfortune in the music business, many acts used the downtime to turn lemons into some quality lemonade, and NFO has been no exception. Soilwork’s infamous Björn “Speed” Strid took the boys shopping for an exciting new keyboard persona, and found it in the form of John Lönnmayr, recommended by guitarist Sebastian Forslund. With Lönnmayr’s jazzy-poppy pedigree, the band may have found the last ingredient to perfect their “Miami Vice Goes Disco” sound they’ve been chasing in the last few years.The new album for 2021, “Aeromantic II,” really does feel like a spiritual successor to its predecessor. Let’s be real for a moment. If you enjoyed “Aeromantic,” you can just skip the analysis and go buy the record.You will enjoy it. Of course, if you just cannot bear the wait, and want to know all about this new offering, we have plenty of good news to share.The album’s opener, “Violent Indigo,” (not a typo) truly is back for revenge, and lets us know with its nearlyVangelis synth opening that the band is recharged and ready to give us more. The song is laden with lyrics full of allusion to the love-across-the-miles travel theme so present in the 2020 album. The 80s pop instrumentation, riffs, leads, and big rich chorus really set the stage for the rest of the album.With a driving 4/4 dancing discotheque beat, “Midnight Marvelous” carries the torch well for the album’s unrelenting nature. Aside from some cool beats, funky basslines, mysterious female spoken word bits, and some sweet keyboard leads, the song seems to be all about defanging mom’s lessons about how nothing good ever happens after midnight. An up-tempo little number described by Björn as “90s Deep Purple on cocaine,” the track entitled “How Long” has one of the strongest and most ear-wormy choruses of the album.Make no mistake, the riffs are a really cool vehicle to get us from one catchy chorus to the next.“Burn for Me” missed its cue to appear on a Phil Collins solo album, but that’s OK, because it’s right at home flying full time with the Night Flight Orchestra. Aside from the big reverb snare fun and old school piano chords, the song has great major-key energy, and the band is marketing the video as a post-Corona good times celebration. Let’s hope it’s a good omen. “Chardonnay Nights” however, is thankfully more lively than dinner party conversation over white wine and continental cheeses. It’s kind of like if Dennis De Youngwrote a disco song with Styx. Don’t worry, that’s better than it probably sounds. No one let JY sing on this one.“Change” once again removes all doubt about whether the improved keyboards presence makes a difference on this album. From the piano synth chords, to the driving kick drum beat, to the cool synth embellishments, it is almost music for Rocky IV training montage. Almost. Which is no mean feat. If we return from fight time with Ivan Drago to something a little more poppy, it would be “Amber Through a Window.” Hopefully the song’s protagonist is appreciating the young lady through a window and not defenestrating her, but in any scenario, it’s an interesting prog-pop fusion, and one for a future “Greatest Hits” collection.The song “I Will Try” is a surprise favorite of the album. The opening and the main beat are like some nostalgic revival of mid-80s Journey fused with 80s Genesis, and maybe a hint of Tina Turner. “You Belong to the Night” is textbook NFO, from its disco beat to its Latin percussion to its mix and songwriting. While there may not be anything especially noteworthy in the song, it’s a solid track and gets us well prepped for the less usual “Zodiac.” From spanky single coil guitar strumming, to meandering basslines, to a chorus guitar riff that’s almost in-your-face like “Beat It,” it’s a cool little song to be sure. It is also worth noting the subtle female spoken word bits again, which are blessedly in English. Not that there is anything wrong with Swedish, or any language really, but we pointed out the bits of Swedish radio chatter on the previous album, and hinted that sticking to English makes the music more portable to international commerce. Of course, the band has a rabid following at home, and cannot be blamed for the occasional localized shout out.The next track, “White Jeans,” is gay. No, seriously. The band penned the track as a tip of the hat to their friends in the gay and lesbian community, especially in the music scene, and for real, the song is actually very cool, just bursting with energy and attitude, up-tempo pacing and cool guitar riffs. The album ends with “Moonlit Skies,” which somehow manages to have the keyboard feels of an 80s Synth Pop act like Men Without Hats or the Human League, and simultaneously have the guitar sounds of Maiden’s“Somewhere in Time” album. The tempo has calmed down a little bit, as has the energy, but the song is quasi-serious enough to bring the album to a tasteful conclusion.The analysis of this record is straightforward; the album is a worthy successor to its namesake. Arguably, it is even better with the improved soundscapes created by keyboard and synth usage. We also must award huge extra credit for the bonus cover of Cheap Trick’s “Reach Out” from the Heavy Metal motion picture soundtrack. We’ll let you decide if it’s better than the original, but it’s heartening to hear an old favorite get a victory lap. Otherwise, this album is really solid in virtually every way. Considering NFO is bound by a somewhat limiting formula, they still manage to remain creative and inventive. The mix is ideal in what could end up being an overcrowded mess in the wrong hands. This album, and hopefully an Aeromantic World Tour, are ready for takeoff. We wish the band (and hopefully the “Airline Annas” much success as the music world gets back to rocking."

"By 1977 Journey had reached a creative crossroads, with three underwhelming studio albums under their belt and little to show in the way of commercial success. At the prodding of manager Herbie Herbert, who felt a major shakeup was needed in order to reignite their spark, the band was convinced to audition and eventually recruit the services of former Alien Project vocalist Steve Perry. Sure enough, adding him to the band just prior to the sessions for Infinity proved to be a stroke of genius, and a move that undeniably altered the course of history for the fledging Bay Area act. Released in January of 1978, Infinity easily proved to be the band's most cohesive work to date. Dead and buried were the jazz fusion overtones of previous offerings, and with the new songwriting combo of Perry/Neal Schon leading the march, the band set out to completely redefine their sound. Traditional pop arrangements were now adopted, cutting out the unnecessary musical fat, and allowing each bandmember to play to his strength: Perry's soaring, whale of a voice, Schon's scorching fret work, and Gregg Rolie's subtle keyboard arrangements. Enlisting eccentric producer Roy Thomas Baker (already famous for guiding the likes of Queen and Nazareth to giant commercial triumphs of their own) also proved to be a rewarding move for the boys. With newfound confidence, Journey crafted a record that could finally land them on the radio. Loaded with future FM staples like "Wheel in the Sky" (which hit the Top 50 in April of 1978), "Lights" (which quietly peaked at number 68 that August), and "Anytime" (pretty much a flop, crawling to number 83 in July), Infinity introduced Journey to an entirely new audience. Even non-singles like "Patiently (the first tune Perry ever wrote with Schon) and "Somethin' to Hide" were leaps and bounds beyond the band's previous accomplishments. And, ultimately, though Infinity merely introduced the band to mainstream radio (it was the never-ending tour on which the band embarked on to support it that drove the disc past the platinum plateau), it effectively cemented their rep as one of America's most beloved (and sometimes hated) commercial rock/pop bands. With over 170 shows under their belts, Journey had just begin to hit their stride." - All Music Guide

"This is a classic live album by my all-time favorite rock band. It includes many of the band's classics from their three successive classic rock albums "Infinity" (1978), "Evolution" (1979), and "Departure" (1980). Needless to say for any true Journey fan, these songs sound great live.Many of these performances go far beyond the studio versions. Take the jam that comes out of "Walks Like A Lady"--a 3-minute song that turns into 7 minutes live. Songs like "Line Of Fire", "Feeling That Way", "Anytime", and "Wheel In The Sky" absolutely rock. The inclusion of the live track "Dixie Highway" and the new (at the time of release) studio track "The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love) are also fantastic.This is what a live album should be. The crowd is very prevalent throughout the album, and the interaction between the band and the crowd is left unedited in many spots. Clearly, this band was as special live as they were on their studio albums. (They still are, by the way, as I just saw the current lineup at "The Big E" in Massachusetts on September 29th--their last show of this year's tour.) This is a fantastic live album of some of the best classic rock of a generation. Highly recommended."

"Frontiers Music Srl is thrilled to announce the return of Lana Lane, who has signed to the label for a new multi-album deal. Lana Lane released her last album, “El Dorado Hotel” in 2012, so it has been a long time coming for her next release. The new album was produced by Lana’s husband, Erik Norlander and features an outstanding lineup including Norlander on keyboards, bass and background vocals, Jeff Kollman on lead and rhythm guitars, Mark McCrite on rhythm and acoustic guitars, additional bass guitar, and backing vocals, Greg Ellis on drums and percussion, and John Payne on backing vocals. The album goes in a modern AOR direction with slight proggy and pomp elements. This a very welcomed and exciting return by Lane for all the fans who have enjoyed her work in the past and are keen to embrace her outstanding musical comeback.Lana Lane is an accomplished rock vocalist with a long history of recording and touring. Born in Concord, California to a musical family, Lana grew up on a balanced diet of both rock music and big band swing music. Since music was always in the house, singing came very naturally to Lana, and she started fronting bands straight out of high school. To further her career, Lana moved to Los Angeles in the late '80s where she met her husband/producer Erik Norlander (Dukes Of The Orient, ASIA featuring John Payne). Lana's debut album, "Love is an Illusion", was released in 1995 to critical acclaim. It soon caught the ear of a Japanese record company, Marquee Belle Antique, who saw great potential in the music, and of course in Lana's voice. The company released Lana's second album, "Curious Goods", in 1996, and then in 1998, Marquee launched a new high profile label called Avalon with Lana Lane as their flagship artist. Avalon released Lana's "Garden of the Moon" album which skyrocketed her career on the international stage, ultimately resulting in her first European release.Lana began touring in Japan in 1998 to support "Garden of the Moon" and the subsequent "Ballad Collection" and "Queen of the Ocean" releases. She then expanded her touring efforts to Europe in 2001 to support "Secrets of Astrology", with additional tours in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, Lana released her first DVD, "Storybook: Tales from Europe and Japan", which documented her first years of touring on two continents. Then in 2005, Lana embarked on her 10th Anniversary Tour which culminated in her appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival at the end of the European leg and then the filming her 10th Anniversary Concert DVD in Tokyo after the final show in Japan at the tour’s conclusion. These years also marked the beginning of Lana's relationship with Frontiers Music Srl.Lana has been dubbed "The Queen of Symphonic Rock" by fans and media, yet she remains a very versatile artist, able to move from intimate jazz pieces ("Ballad Collections", "Winter Sessions") to bone crushing progressive metal ("Secrets of Astrology", "Lady Macbeth", etc.). But, in the end, it is Lana's love of melody and artistry that reigns over all. She is a dedicated artist who approaches her craft with grace and integrity."

"Whilst most of their peers have retired or rest on their laurels, Magnum just keep on getting better, each new album better than the previous one. Musically hitting the same run of success that saw them ascend to headlining arenas in the 1980’s, Messrs. Clarkin and Catley bring a partnership that has been forged through the fire and flame of almost fifty years together and it looks like they have no intention of slowing down.‘The Serpent Rings’ has all the hallmarks of classic Magnum from the beautiful Rodney Matthews cover onwards and is filled with the magnificently melodic hard rock that their legions of fans have all come to know and love. This certainly isn’t a case of going over old ground for songwriter Tony Clarkin though as he continues to push himself and the band to new heights. Having been through a major shake-up of the band in the past three years, with new members on keys, drums and bass, rather than derail the band it seems like there’s a new fire and desire to prove themselves. With new bass player Dennis Ward joining the band as recently as Summer 2019, the band hit the studio and the results are some of the best and heaviest work they’ve done.‘Where are You Eden’ is the perfect opening track, it’s galloping rhythm charges at the listener and to be honest, it sounds absolutely huge. Despite concerns about his voice suffering through the constant touring, Bob Catley is on great form in the studio, the power and nuance in his delivery undiminished.Rick Benton’s keys are also shining through the mix, his playing deft but never overly florid, whilst new pairing of Ward with drummer Lee Morris has brought a thunderous heft that provides the perfect bedrock for Clarkin to build on.  The guitarist is on top form throughout and the solos on the scorching ‘You Can’t Run from the Bullet’ and the multi coloured hues of ‘House of Kings’ are blistering.  This latter song, along with the epic title track, shows all the facets that makes the songwriter/guitarist/producer just so great as each add layer upon layer of sound that only someone like fellow Brummie Jeff Lynne would dare to do.This was never going to be just a run of the mill, straight down the line, rock record and although it packs a powerful punch, there’s still so much to capture both the ear and the imagination. ‘The Great Unknown’ dances on a sea of stars and ‘Man’ has a pugnacious and knowingly bold riff that drives a typically brave skyscraping chorus that reaches to the heavens and then breaks down into a brief section that is reminiscent of 10cc before the solo comes in.The album reaches its end with the thoughtful and thought provoking ‘Crimson on the White Sand’, one of many songs on the album that manages to tell a tale that weaves between the deepest imagination and the harsh glare of a spotlight on a vital and pressing global subject.  There are rockers and there are ballads, all done in the unique Magnum style and ‘The Serpent Rings’ can certainly stand shoulder to shoulder with such classics as ‘Chase the Dragon’ and ‘A Storytellers Night’.  Masters of their own destiny, Magnum, steered by the seemingly tireless Clarkin, are still one of the very best bands in the UK and the hallmark for quality. In an ideal world they should be as huge as Queen and this album shows why. Long may they continue." - Metal Planet Music