TONY NERO  -  BLACK EAGLE

CD Review By Pat Frisina

I have to say I'm quite excited about this debut album by Tony Nero, a seasoned musician and songwriter with a long and respectable history of performing, writing and recording,. 'Black Eagle' is a superb collection of danceable, poppy folky and fun tracks with a slight Latin flavour and a central romance theme. It also includes 3 bonus classics from previous recordings which in contrast, have a distinct country/folk flavour.

Well written and sung from the heart, every track is strong with some absolute gems. The combination of Tony's big baritone voice and infectious singalong melodies backed by punchy sequenced bass, tasteful piano and keyboards and pumpy danceable rhythms zestfully laced with 80's blues/rock guitar will capture and romance you at first listen and although relatively lively, it is also relaxing and soothing It was recorded and produced at Jungle Records by Shaun Looker who is also responsible for the great guitarplaying on most of the tracks.

'Dance with Me' -  Is a great opening track,  the smooth, Robert Palmer style vocal sits nicely over a refreshing Caribbean feel with light airy keys and reggae bass lines It has a beautiful sax solo that floats above the lively rhythm of timbales and If you close your eyes, you could be easily whisked away to the Lido deck of 'The Love Boat' 'I Love You Only'  a strong love song with meaningful lyrics, pumps along with a solid 8 beat rhythm and a 50's style progression and a catchy melody and features chorusy guitar interludes and  a nice piano break. 'Chicago' - A great, showy, blues number with lots of brass and a story to go with it, typically about Italian immigrants visiting America and falling in love with the women,music and booze then having to go back to their families forgetting what they've seen. 'China Doll' Relatively simple but solid and very catchy, starts with a nice Tijuana brass intro then features Tony's big vocal over light scratchy guitar and a big band rock rhythm with added tambourine and light piano.  'Astro Venus' - This fun, poppy, fantasy, like the Venus in the song, appears out of nowhere and takes you on a ride beyond the stars. Taking off with chime sprinkles, the reggae bass and offbeat keys form the main rhythm complimented by responsorial guitar licks with nice sans vibrato and a raunchy solo. The slight reverb on the vocal adds to the spacey feel. 'Angel Eyes' Romantic and upbeat euro-pop with a smooth vocal and a great disco'y bass riff over a 16 beat soul rhythm, features nice keyboards and plenty of crisp ZZ Top style guitar. 'You are the One' - A refreshing upbeat ballad with syncopated rhythm and brass accents, light guitar, strings and punchy bass and features a nice melodious piano solo. 'Memories' -  This light and airy gem is my favourite, it is superbly crafted with so much feeling that it will instantly transport you. The simple backing of bass, light strings, piano tinkles and light snare and rimshots perfectly compliment an infectious melody floating above it with beautiful dreamy Sax. This is one of Tony's most beautiful songs, reminiscent of the past, it is a love song that will truly stand the test of time. 'Let Me Believe' - Perfectly designed for Valentines Day, this wishful Romeo & Juliet scene will bring out the Valentino in anyone. Charged with solid, half beats over 80's pop rhythm and scratchy guitar, it features a nice harmony lead of duelling pan flutes. And if things all go well.the last track goes off with a bang getting you home as 'Hot Romancing' explores dirty dancing in the moonlight and whatever comes next with this upbeat latin flavoured dance featuring a smooth vocal, steamy lyrics  and sizzling guitar licks.

The first of the bonus tracks 'Australia Australia' is a classic country, Australian travelling song which is up there with the best of them. Starting with a big band intro, it shows Tony's passion and love of this country. With a big sing a long chorus and nice harmonica break, it also gives mention to the Aboriginals lending itself the potential to be adopted as an alternative Aussie anthem. 'Make it Simple,Make it Nice'  infectious, perky, upbeat, bluegrass that will get your feet tapping quicksmart and stay in your head for days, (no cure for this one)  it features a collection of country instruments including the banjo  'My Cinderella' - this last track is a powerful ballad in sweeping rock waltz with a folky feel that will dance you around the room. It features light, dreamy strings and a nice combination of acoustic picking and sweet classical guitar weaving in and out as it novelly reverses the traditional roles.

More than just playing across different genres, Tony has managed to combine them all to create his own unique sound using old and modern styles. I loved this album, start to finish and I'm sure you will too.

Fun, Romantic, Infectious. Enjoy. Paz