Heaven & Earth [Import]

 

 

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This one ROCKS! The songs are very well arranged, the singers great, and Stuart Smith is a superfine guitar player. I think he needs to seek his musical individuality, as he plays a lot like Blackmore. What the hell, if you have to sound like somebody else, better be like the best there is. Anyway, I was totally blown away by this disc, and I reccomend it for the rocker and blues lover. And keep an open eye, this man is gonna make a lot of good stuff in the future.

In case you don't recognize the name (I sure didn't), Smith is an old friend and guitar protege of one Ritchie Blackmore. Once you're hip to that connection, the strong Purple/Rainbow flavor of these tracks should come as no surprise. Test YOUR Blackmore IQ and spot the many 'quotations' sprinkled throughout the album: "No No No", "Difficult to Cure", "No Time To Lose", "Temple of the King" and others make welcome cameo appearances throughout this cd. (A cover of Purple's "When A Blind Man Cries" is maybe pushing it juuust a little.) For added commercial heft, he has vocal duties split between Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes, Kelly Hansen & Ritchie Sambora. A good move: the diversity of vocalists lends the project freshness and vigor from start to finish. As a songwriter, Smith shows a nice touch for heavy, bluesy AOR tempered with interesting bits of classical and English folk music, much in the manner of The Man In Black his ownself around 80-3, so fans of later Rainbow will enjoy this thoroughly. (However, if you found 80s Rainbow to be a bit too sticky-sweet and poppy for your taste, be aware that HEAVEN & EARTH likewise pursues that sort of airbrushed glossiness. The sound here is Turner-era, as opposed to Dio-era, Rainbow.) That said, there are a handful of outstanding tunes here: opener "Don't Keep Me Waiting" is a beginning-to-end stunner that thunders along powerfully after a tension-mounting intro, driven home by a fiery vocal performance by Kelly Hansen; blues chestnut "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" is given a furious workout and features a typically wallrattling Glenn Hughes guest-vocal; "Shadow of the Tyburn Tree" is a surprising, and beautifully understated, slice of medieval minstrelry with one of Joe Lynn Turner's best-ever (and most restrained) performances; and "Lose My Number" is a roof-raiser closing out the proceedings with a hard-rock flourish reminiscent of Rainbow's "Lost in Hollywood". The other tracks may not be in the same league as those four, but they're uniformly full of good playing, singing, arrangements, etc, and Smith proves himself no slouch, delivering crisp fills and fiery leads without overwhelming the tracks or his bandmates. Hard to believe this hasn't (yet) been picked up for American distribution, but till it does, seek the recent Euro version with a raft of bonus tracks added on. Unlike a lot of flash-in-the-pan debut CDs, this one offers tantalizing promises of a masterful followup album as Smith solidifies his band lineup and gets his musical feet more firmly planted. Keep an eye on Stuart Smith.

Stuart Smith's "Heaven & Earth" is the best CD I've bought in a very long time! His playing is extremely tasteful and melodic yet powerful and dynamic! WHAT A RUSH!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Stuart Smith's "Heaven And Earth" is Five Hits Up!!!!!!!
Stuart Smith is a brilliant English guitar player who was taught by the legendary Ritchie Blackmore. Read more

Published on April 7 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Smith knows what TO play & what NOT to play! Very impressive
Stuart Smith's solo release is quite a treat - a labor of love! If you love the blues, rock and roll, passionate songwriting and some of the greatest players/singers around, buy... Read more

Published on April 3 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic mix of blues based rock with a variety of twists
Heaven & Earth: With all the grunge and pop music emanating from today's radio airwaves, there is a pleasant surprise in the form of Stuart Smith's "Heaven &... Read more

Published on April 1 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars The best album I've heard in the last 10 years.
Stuart Smith's Heaven & Earth features guest appearances by Richie Sambora, Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes, Kelly Hansen, Howard Leese, Carmine Appice and many others and... Read more

Published on Mar 14 1999

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