When I first saw the cover art of Jamie Allen's album I thought that it was about a new release from Poison's shouter Bret Michaels! The same impression I had when the record started to play! His voice reminded me so much of Michaels and that is a thing that I liked the most! You see I'm a huge fan of Poison and everything that sounds like them it's always a great pleasure for my ears. Also, the contribution of Johnny Lima is givin' to the album the extra 'push' to take this release into a higher level.
But before start this review let's find out some things about Jamie Allen. Jamie Allen is an American singer born James Allen Bumgarner in Florissant, Missouri on March 21st, 1970. As a young teen Jamie's grandpa bought an Alvarez acoustic guitar, learned "Where The Buffalo Roam" and decided that guitar wasn't for him, so he made a proposition to Jamie, "if you can learn to play a song on this thing, you can have it dear boy!" He was the life of lots of parties through the 80s and 90s, but marriage and factory work kept him from really ever pursuing anything. It may have stayed that way if not for a chance encounter that changed Jamies life forever. "I was hanging out with some friends at the Baja Rock Club in downtown St. Charles when I was aproached by a guy who introduced himself as Kaje, he said I looked alot like Bret Michaels, and asked me if I could sing". Jamie learnd a bounch of Poison classics and sartted touring the Eastern states with Heather Chadwell of VH1 fame on the "Tattooed and Tattered with Heather" tour. Talk Dirty fell apart and Jamie was offered a gig with the Kansas City based Poison Overdose in 2008, and he still plays gigs with them today. Jamie happened to be a long time fan of solo recording artist and producer Johnny Lima. Jamie brought Johnny Lima aboard to mix the Snow White Album that was under construction, but after a difference in opinion, decided that a solo album with Lima handling the production was the way to go. So with the contibution of Lima "Storyteller" is out and ready to offer to us some really great Rock N' Roll tunes played with heart and soul!!!
As you all asume the sound of the album is something between Poison's earlier works and Johnny Lima's albums. It's pure Rock N' Roll, well played, sometimes it's acoustic, sometimes is gettin' harder but without loosing any of it's melody. The songs are all simple with nice chorus lines, hooks, plenty of melodies and an overall good guitar work. The influences, in the harder hittin' tracks, from Johnny Lima are more than obvious but that's no problem at all! The fact is that I'm really enjoying every moment of this album. Highlights are the opening track "Smoke & Mirrors", "Ghost Of My Hometown", "Superman" and " I’m On My Way".
Bottom line is that this is a very interesting release. I have not stop playing this album for days! It's relaxing and it has a feel good vibe in all over the album. Jamie Allen has a strong and passionate voice and he is performing very good every single track of "Storyteller"! This album left me hungry for more......
HeavyParadise's Rating : 8/10
TRACK LIST : 1. Smoke & Mirrors, 2. That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll, 3. The Way I Roll, 4. Superman, 5. Reminiscin’, 6. Let It Go, 7. Back In The Day, 8. Time Alone, 9. Ghost Of My Hometown, 10. I’m On My Way, 11. She Gets Around, 12. Same Old Feeling
I love this CD by Jamie. He is as talented as ANY singer/songwriter. He is very personable. He has it all; Looks, personality and talent. I also have a hard time turning off his music. He takes me "home" with his Storyteller CD. I can't get enough! Love ya Jamie!!!
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