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░ ██ ██ Artist: Black Rose ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Black Rose █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2000 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-01-17 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Casablanca Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Reissue ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Without Cher, I would probably hate every second █
█ of this record - with the exception of guitarist █
█ (and Cher's then-boyfriend) Les Dudek's song, "You █
█ Know it". The remaining tracks were written by █
█ outside writers, something very rare for rock █
█ bands at the time (but not rare for Cher). It's a █
█ grab-bag of moderate rock tunes that I could take █
█ or leave; the magic happens when Cher sings them. █
█ "Never Should've Started" kicks the record off to █
█ a good start, demonstrating promise in the █
█ songwriting. Right away, it is clear that Cher is █
█ in rocker mode - she adds a nice rasp to her voice █
█ now and then and sing-screams many lines to suit █
█ the style, doing so exceptionally well. "Julie" is █
█ weaker but still likable, and Cher means business █
█ - beware the occasional profanity on this record, █
█ beginning with this track. The next few songs are █
█ filler and have yet to excite me to any degree. █
█ "You Know It", as I mentioned before, is a strong █
█ track and Cher and Les wrap their harmonies around █
█ one another beautifully. It's got a shuffle-type █
█ tempo and could easily have been a Fleetwood Mac █
█ song. "Young and Pretty", in my opinion, is the █
█ highlight of the record - not that it's an █
█ outstanding song, but Cher sings it with superb █
█ emotion and conviction. At first it bothered me █
█ that most of the song was sung in a low vocal █
█ register, but it grew on me and only added to the █
█ dramatic flare of the track. The record closes █
█ with "Fast Company", with a nice guitar riff, but █
█ the song itself is nothing to write home about. █
█ It's easy to see why Cher was so musically █
█ satisfied with her Black Rose experience - she is █
█ very, very good at singing the style (what can't █
█ she sing? Folk, pop, hard rock, AOR, southern █
█ rock, dance, a/c, wow!) and brings nearly all of █
█ the quality to this album. A nod to Les Dudek for █
█ his talents - it's too bad we couldn't have heard █
█ more from him. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Never Should've Started 4:16 ░
░ 2. Julie 3:34 ░
░ 3. Take it From the Boys 5:01 ░
░ 4. We All Fly Home 3:59 ░
░ 5. 88 Degrees 5:59 ░
░ 6. You Know It 3:23 ░
░ 7. Young and Pretty 4:06 ░
░ 8. Fast Company 3:48 ░
░ 34:06 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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