Review | Russ Ballard – Songs From The Warehouse / The Hits Rewired

Frontiers Music Srl

Russ Ballard’s new double album, `Songs from the Warehouse / The Hits Rewired’, is a testament to his enduring legacy as one of rock music’s most prolific songwriters of the last couple of decades. At 79 (!!), Russ Ballard demonstrates that his melodic mastery and lyrical craftsmanship remain as sharp as ever, carving his legacy in the realms of (melodic) rock history. This 2cd album not only showcases his brisk new material but also reimagines many of his iconic hits, offering fans a fresh perspective on his unparalleled 5 decade spanning career.

THE FIRST DISC

The first disc, `Songs from the Warehouse’, brims with vitality and creativity. Interlacing his song craft with modern appeal, Ballard remains iconic on all levels, delivering a ton of tracks, timeless and powerful. Songs like ,,Resurrection”, with its rousing opening and subtle modern orchestration, and equally powerful ,,Courageous” reveal Ballard’s knack for blending introspective lyrics with soaring melodies, creating songs that resonate deeply. He indices them with vitality and modern instrumentation, perfectly built upon the classic elements hailing from his elusive past. They could easily be featured on any music soundtrack.

Experimenting with modern vocal elements, Russ delves into the throbbing ,,Journey Man”, also revealing his vocal perfection and voice still holding up. The song reveals also reveals an Americana root woven into its fabric, with the instrumentation keenly aligned in its resonation frequency. Propelling with strong groove propelled hooks, ,,The One Who Breathes Me” also leans on this gritty Western vibe, but packs tremendous energy with the chorus nesting immediately.

THE POWER OF MUSIC

,,The Wild” and ,,Make Believe World” embody his ability to craft narratives that are both personal and universal, wrapped in dynamic arrangements. Both tracks are contemporary in its vein and strike with intensity, discharging the typical Russ Ballard appeal. They could have easily been featured on any classic rock record by one of the timeless recording greats with the first reverberating with his ,,Voices” and ,,New York Groove” era. Linked to this era is his explorative ,,The Family Way” where modern hinges rotate underneath its classic rocking stance, with Russ crooning in 80s style.

The standout ,,Soul Music” is an ode to the transformative power of music itself, gripping into the universal appeal of music conveying good vibes while ,,Last Man Standing” delivers a heartfelt punchy anthem that feels timeless yet contemporary.

Ballard’s melodic marksmanship shines throughout, with each track meticulously constructed to balance emotional depth, like on the soaring modern ballad ,,Charlatan” and impressively radiant ,,Sleepwalking”, and musical accessibility is downright extraordinary. ,,Fearless” steps beyond, with its radiant intensity and brooding (yet lush) atmosphere and nesting melodics and rich textures in its constructive layers of instrumentation and vocal harmonies. It all crosses timelines and musical borders, displaying his insane composing qualities.

His collaboration with Thunder’s Harry James and Chris Childs adds a robust rhythm section that complements Ballard’s intricate songwriting, giving the album a polished yet heartfelt sound. This fusion ignites the pulsating heartbeat captured on the introspective ,,The Last Amen” with Russ reflecting deeply.

THE SECOND DISC

The second disc, `The Hits Rewired’, reinvents Ballard’s classics with a modern twist. Revisiting timeless tracks like ,,Since You’ve Been Gone” (Rainbow), ,,God Gave Rock and Roll to You” (Argent / Kiss), and ,,New York Groove” (Kiss), Ballard breathes new life into these anthems without losing their original charm. Stripped down to resonate with Russ’ warm appeal, the songs channel differently, impacting deeper.

The re-recordings are not mere replicas; they are reinterpretations that reflect Ballard’s growth as an artist and bring the songs closer to his soul. For instance, ,,Winning” (Santana) feels more introspective and genuine in its updated form, while ,,Voices” gains a richer texture through nuanced production choices. The typical eighties clinical version now proves less powerful than this contemporary version. These refreshed versions highlight Ballard’s ability to adapt his music to new eras while retaining its core essence. ,,Liar” (Three Dog Night) is impressive and former pop hits ,,I Know there’s Something going On” (Frida) and ,,So You Win Again” (Hot Chocolate) gain momentum performed with classic instrumentation, and Russ’ vocals add the right tone. He is aware of his register limited over time, but Ballard manages to flex his vocal cords with impressive precision around the wide range of melodic styles, each demanding his tone to shift.

A CREATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE GENIUS

Equally impressive is the vocal delivery on ,,I Surrender” (Rainbow), where he pitches with great croon, injecting a warm note. The elevating guitars in the center, the song is firmly built on multi layered vocals in the song’s chorus and the drizzling piano strokes add a counterpart to the rocking appeal of the song. More piano comes to the front on Russ version of ,,No More the Fool” (Elkie Brooks), which also pulsates modern, and sees Russ Ballard delving deep to carry the emotional discharge across in great magnitude.

Rounding up this special 2^nd disc, Russ Ballard delves into both Uriah Heep classics ,,Free Me” (’77) and ,,One the Rebound” (’82), tracks he penned towards their unique creative specifics. Both holding up in Ballard’s new recordings, they display their essential ‘harder’ rocking 70s shifting 80s compositional structures powering them up from the inside. To me these versions set Ballard apart as the creative and constructive genius he is, maintaining the primal prowess able to inject them with modernity and freshness all over.

The inclusion of these varied tracks originally performed by other artists, such as Rainbow, Heep, Hot Chocolate and Kiss, underscores the breadth of his influence across genres and times.

RUSS BALLARD – THE CONCLUSION

Ballard’s ability to bridge past and present as well as a multitude of genres and styles is what makes `Songs from The Warehouse / The Hits Rewired’ so immensely compelling as a whole. The new songs affirm his relevance in today’s music landscape, while the reimagined hits remind listeners why he remains an integral figure in rock history. This album is not just a celebration of his career but a bold statement that Russ Ballard continues to evolve as a recording artist. He proves that great songwriting transcends time and barriers, and he (again) puts his mark on music for the ages.

Fans of melodic rock will find themselves captivated and enticed by this release!

Release date: 18 April 2025