ALLIANCE is a superb AOR supergroup including the talents of Robert Berry (Hush, Ambrosia, GTR), keyboard player Alan Fitzgerald (ex-Night Ranger), guitarist Gary Pihl (Boston, Sammy Hagar Band) and drummer David Lauser (Sammy Hagar Band, Moonshine).
The seeds of were panted in the mid-80s, but due all members busy schedule it wasn’t until the early Nineties the band consolidated, releasing a string of stupendous melodic rock / AOR albums with a slightly lite proggy feel.
“Destination Known” is some kind of ALLIANCE’s ‘best of’ double-CD digipak put together by Escape Music comprising two albums from the band remastered, plus a bunch of bonus tracks taken from an album only released in Japan – these tracks remixed for “Destination Known”.
“Destination Known” (now sold out) is a must have for fans of the genre, with that classic ’80s luxury sound.
In 1985 Sammy Hagar Band lost its leader to Van Halen. As Sammy began a journey that would take him to new heights, his long time band, David Lauser (drums), Gary Pihl (guitar), and Jesse Harms (keyboards), started looking for that missing ingredient. A way to continue together but also do something fresh.
Geffen A/R guru John Kalodner gave them a tape of Robert Berry, an artist being groomed by Geffen. Phone calls were exchanged, tapes were traded. Harms and Lauser traveled to see Berry’s band perform.
But as with most things timing is everything. They didn’t get that first chance to play together. Harms hooked up with REO Speedwagon, Gary Pihl was asked to join Boston, Berry was off to England to work with Steve Howe in GTR and Lauser was touring non-stop recording with others.
For the next few years history ran its course. But Pihl and Lauser still had the desire to do something of their own. Something original.
Early in the Nineties Berry again received a call from David Lauser. They wanted to try again and form this new band and had recruited Alan (Fitz) Fitzgerald. Alan’s band, Night Ranger had just broken up and he to was looking for something new. The timing was finally right.
David, Gary, Robert and Fitz gathered together at Hagar’s basement studio in Mill Valley and plowed through a few tunes. The vibe was powerful. Everybody in the room could feel it. They immediately knew that there was a common thread that would feed the demand for creativity in this new band. A bond between their musical styles and their background.
So it all began. Initially recording demos at Sammy’s house and then on to Boston to work in Pihl’s studio. The band was searching for a style and musical unity that most bands get from growing up together or playing in rival bands.
Though this band was spread geographically throughout the country, with Pihl in Boston, Fitz in Texas, Lauser in Northern California and Berry in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, they were committed to this long distance, sonic relationship.
To complicate things even further Pihl was still working with Boston, Fitz was the behind the scenes keyboard player for Van Halen, Lauser was still touring and helping Hagar with his “Unboxed” release and Berry, after finishing an album and tour with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer (in the band 3/Three) was busy producing other artist as well as keeping his solo career rolling. Writing and releasing several CD’s.
Over the next four years they continued to build their long distance affair by sending each other tapes and ideas and meeting at Berry’s Soundtek Studio to write and record together.
The first album simply titled “Alliance” is the sum of those four years. Some songs are the original demos from Hagar’s basement and Pihl’s studio. Some are from the band’s 1996 Japanese release “Bond of Union” but re-worked.
With the success of their first album in Europe, and the desire to keep creating new music, they immediately started to write and record their next CD. The scheduling was still an obstacle to overcome but the musical standard had been set and they wanted to acceed their first release.
The second album “Missing Piece” would turn out to be the total fusion of these four musical talents. It shows the incredible growth and maturity the band was searching for. They broke new ground with the combined depth of lyrics and musical arrangements.
“Destination Known” comprises all that music resulting into a great slice of elaborated AOR.
The debut album (Disc 1) is full of great tunes including the ultra catchy ‘True Meaning Of Love’, ‘Rosie’s Catina’ and the AOR-tastic ‘Best Of Me’. ‘(The World is) Changin’ is pure class, ‘Turn Around’ takes you back to 1986, as well as the fantastic ‘Endless Nights’ with some Aviator feeling on it.
Four bonus songs on this CD including a Stevie Wonder cover ‘Tell Me Something Good’ done melodic rock, and ‘My My My’, which has a strong chorus.
Their second album (on Disc 2) was is the same music vein adding mature proggy AOR touches on some tracks, and expansive arrangements.
Opener ‘I’d Give Anything’ sets the bar high being one of the best ALLIANCE songs ever, intelligent, catchy, rich in mesmerizing harmonies. ‘Young Blood’ makes justice to its title, an uptempo keyboard driven killer track with a powerful chorus. The Sammy Hagar penned ‘Do It For Free’ rocks.
Four more bonus songs on this CD, where ‘Change’ and ‘The Gift’ get the foot tapping.
You can’t get wrong with “Destination Known”, this is top class melodic rock / AOR filled with expertise songwriting, great vocals / harmonies, lovely keys, smart guitars and polished production.
A Must Have
1-1 True Meaning Of Love
1-2 Sleepless Nights
1-3 Second Chance
1-4 Turn Around
1-5 Rosie's Cantina
1-6 So All Alone
1-7 Best Of Me
1-8 (The World Is) Changin'
1-9 Endless Nights
1-10 You've Changed
1-11 Hurts So Bad
1-12 Find A Way
1-13 My My My
1-14 This Is The World
1-15 Tell Me Something Good
1-16 Love Win
2-1 I'd Give Anything
2-2 Missing Piece
2-3 Building Wisdom From The Wounds
2-4 Call Of The Wild
2-5 I Gotta Know
2-6 Young Blood
2-7 It's A Long Way To Go
2-8 Without You
2-9 It's My Life
2-10 Don't Turn Away
2-11 Gotta Find That Woman
2-12 Do It For Free
2-13 Change
2-14 Tonight
2-15 Cross That Line
2-16 The Gift
Alliance – Destination Known 2007 Deluxe Edition 2 CD, MP3+FLAC
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