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Kimball Jamison: Kimball Jamison
Bobby Kimball Jimi Jamison 2011 album new music review

Kimball Jamison: Kimball Jamison

Melodic Rock/AOR
4.75/5.0

Speak of an AOR melodic rock 'dream team' and you have the duo of Bobby Kimball of Toto and Jimi Jamison of Survivor on their first album together. It's fitting as they have been friends for years. Listening to their eponymous first album, this pairing is perfect like chocolate and peanut butter in a Reese's candy. Kimball/Jamison are the Allen/Lande of melodic rock.

Bobby Kimball Jimi JamisonConsidering the singers, the bands they front, and their extensive musical output, you would expect a large dose of Eighties arena ready, radio friendly, and extremely catchy melodic rock, and you would be right. Expecting something consistent and familiar to their respective bands and it's here. Honestly, there's not a bad song here, even though that description can lead to redundancy as well.

It's hard to quibble with quality with contributions from songwriters Richard Page (Mr Mister), Jim Peterik (Survivor), Randy Goodrum (Steve Perry, Toto), John Waite, Erik Martensson (W.E.T.) and Robert Sall (Work of Art). The AOR melodic rock value is at current gold prices: a major premium.

At above right: Kimball and Jamison looking tough?

The larger issue may be pointing to the best tracks. Worth Fighting For, Hearts Beat Again, and Get Back In The Game deliver the rock, with little doubt. The latter kicks some serious ass, and those vocal harmonies? Well, that's the measure of this album. Best track as far as I'm concerned. What would AOR be without a motivational track? Find it on We Gotta Believe. As for ballads? Yep, they're here. Find Another Way and the soaring Your Photograph deliver the goods.

It's rather hard to find flaws on this work. Perhaps one is the redundancy within the repeated refrain of Chasing Euphoria. But as I've said on many occasions about many albums, it sounds so damn good.

Perhaps the most quizzical thing about this work is the involvement of Mat Sinner (Sinner, Primal Fear) as producer. His normal purview is hard rock and heavy metal. It seems we may have underestimated his genius as he does a fine job here.

Putting together the talents of Bobby Kimball and Jimi Jamison for a recording of AOR melodic rock borders on genius, definitely inspired for these two friends and fine vocalists. Don't miss this one. Strongly recommended!





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In Short

Putting together the talents of Bobby Kimball and Jimi Jamison for a recording of AOR melodic rock borders on genius, definitely inspired for these two friends and fine vocalist. Don't miss this one.

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