Some time ago Frontiers Music released an UNRULY CHILD special box set titled “Reigning Frogs – The Box Set Collection”, a limited edition 5 CD pack including the now rare and hard-to-find releases from the band’s catalog which encompasses their whole independent productions.
In all, 5 full length studio albums from this excellent Melodic Hard Rock combo founded by guitarist Bruce Gowdy (Stone Fury, World Trade) & drummer Jay Schellen (Hurricane, Asia), and featuring talented vocalist Marcie Michelle Free.
Disc 1 is “Waiting For The Sun”, which was originally released in 1998 and featured the line-up of singer Kelly Hansen (ex-Hurricane, now fronting Foreigner), Gowdy and Schellen – with special guest Ricky Phillips of Styx / Bad English on bass.
This is Unruly Child’s second album, appeared in a time when this type of music was out of the charts and American music industry ignored. Fortunately legendary German label MTM released “Waiting For The Sun”, but of course it’s out of print now.
Original Unruly Child vocalist Marcie Free was busy with a solo career, so Jay Schellen called his former Hurricane bandmate Kelly Hansen (currently fronting Foreigner) for the mic slot.
Disc 2 is “The Basement Demos”, which features all the pre-production demos that the band recorded in preparation for their debut, self-titled album for Interscope Records.
This is pure ’80s material, with the then ‘Mark’ Free in full potential after his stint with King Kobra and Signal.
Of course here’s many tracks that ended in Unruly Child’s debut, but sounding quite different from their final versions. All are heavier and slightly rawer. Mark Free feels loose, the riffs are more edgy, an most the solos are bigger.
Disc 3 is “UCIII”, an album which sees another Unruly Child incarnation featuring Gowdy with Guy Allison back to the fold and singer Philip Bardowell taking on vocal duties. While slightly more proggy at times, “UCIII” remains in a truly melodic hard rock fashion.
After releasing the darker, heavier and more mature Waiting For The Sun in 1998, Hansen and Schellen went on to reform Hurricane, leaving Gowdy and Allison to find ex-Magdalen new singer Philip Bardowell.
On “UC III” Bardowell’s voice still fits the Unruly Child model, but the man has a different approach than Free and Hansen. He boasts a Lou Gramm kind of grit, more classic, bluesy hard rock orientation.
Disc 4 in the box is the awesome “Worlds Collide” which featured the full reunion of the original lineup of the band featuring Gowdy / Allison / Marcie Free / Antonino / Schellen. This is truly a release that brings back the magic of the early demos and first record.
This rebirth of Unruly Child took many fans by surprise. On “Worlds Collide” the band springs to life with all the excitement and energy of a newborn.
Disc 5 which can be found in the box set is “Down The Rabbit Hole” an independently released CD – very much sought after by collectors – which was only sold in a limited number of copies via the band’s website in 2014. Another very fine and classy melodic rock release featuring the original lineup members.
“Down The Rabbit Hole” is pure Unruly Child, this meaning Melodic Rock with an ’80s / ’90s feel & spirit. There’s some very little progressive touches on the title track, but even on this one melodies rule.
This bunch of songs is absolutely glorious, with lots of harmonies, sometimes catchy, and always, extremely melodic.
This limited edition box “Reigning Frogs – The Box Set Collection” is beautifully packaged, not only including an extensive booklet with Unruly Child’s story written by Gowdy, Free and Allison and photos from the archives, but also an individual booklet for each album plus complete lyrics.
The CDs are pressed as Vinyl LP replica, cardboard sleeve, and you have a total of three bonus tracks unreleased outside Japan.
HIGHLY Recommended
CD1 - Waiting For The Sun [1998]
CD2 - The Basement Demos [2002]
CD3 - UCIII [2003]
CD4 - Worlds Collide [2010]
CD5 - Down The Rabbit Hole [2014]
Unruly Child – Reigning Frogs (The Box Set Collection, 5 CD) – 2017, FLAC + MP3
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