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undiscovered
talent if ever there was. This guy has sold
1.5 million records in Canada, had 5 gold and 4 platinum selling albums,
4 number one singles and is generally a house hold name, and have you ever
heard of him? I guessed not, well let me enlighten you.
Born in Scotland and raised in Canada, Gowan began classical piano studies at
the tender age of 10 at the Royal conservatory of music in Toronto. Graduating
with top honors Gowan gave up a potentially successful career as a classical
pianist to concentrate on writing and playing his own music. Until now Gowan
has done the exact opposite of
what every other Canadian act has, i.e. he’s concentrated on his home patch
and not felt the need to try his hand at global domination, a decision that has
until now satisfied both his personal and artistical needs. Well now he feels
the time is right to come home as it were to his birthplace and exorcise those
burning
urges within, the hunger has
returned. ‘Home Field’ is only available in the UK and basically
represents a kind of best of his Canadian back catalogue, which includes 15 amazingly
passionate, intermit and emotive songs, clocking in at nearly 70 minutes. Musically
it treads the same singer song writer path that other piano luminaries have trod,
such as Elton John, Billy Joel, Marc Cohn, with touches of Tori Amos, John Lennon,
Rod Stewart, and Chris DeBurge at times, but make no mistake this is not pop!
Obviously strongly piano based there is however a lot of slide and acoustic guitar
to be heard throughout, giving the whole album a very cool and pleasant West
Coast/Mid West/New
Country vibe.
The tracks have no doubt been picked to make for a balanced album, but I must
say it’s when Larry goes into full hands on mode that his music really
comes to life. Tracks like his trade mark
song ‘A criminals mind’, and the Rod
Stewart sounding ‘Wild summers night’. Then there’s the Chris
Reaish ‘Soul’s road’, the animated ‘Make it alone’ and
the excellent ‘Guns and god’ with it’s wonderful catchy chorus
and bag pipe finally. That’s not to say he can’t croon with the best
of them. Just have a listen to the wonderful ‘Innocent’ and
the Springsteenish ‘The good catches up’ and the moving tribute song
to Princess Diana ‘Healing waters’ complete with full orchestra.
Just a few high lights from an
album that just hasn’t any lows. So why not find out for your self what
1.5 million Canadians have already, the
wonderful world of Gowan. |
