Rags N Riches new album ‘Heaven is only a moment away’ (released on 1st May 2018) comes a couple of years after the release of ‘Shipwrecked Out in the Street’ and features more original recordings from the band’s studio sessions in late 80’s/early 90’s. Musically this release encompasses more ground than the decidedly ‘Sleazy’ sound of that first release and here from the off and the opening riff of title track ‘Heaven is only a moment away’ there’s far more dirt under the fingernails and a more traditional Hard Rocking attitude. I’m presuming that these demos came first but I may be wrong.
There’s an ‘eastern’ thread through both the opener and ‘When the dream comes true’ a mid-tempo melodic rocker that is more than serviceable. That opening salvo is backed up by the more restrained demi-ballad ‘Is this really love’, before we crank up again for the arena rock anthem of ‘Last Days of the world’ and the soaring melodies of ‘We stand on the edge.’
Deeper in ‘Sign of the times’ is a real stuttering sleazy highlight that mashes AC/DC sensibilities with the sound of the Sunset Strip and ‘Cindy’s working on the streets’ takes that Strip sound and runs with it, it all goes into the mix to show what an interesting collection this album really is. It just makes you wish that you had the inside info on which songs came from which sessions and if they were intended for releases that never eventuated or were simply shelved?
Elsewhere the instrumental ‘Rotunda Comunda’ is more than competent and actually rather Satriani-like, and that lays the way for the expensive mid-tempo melodic hard rocker ‘Chains of love’ before the album proper closes out with the keyboard-led, gang-vocal infused ‘Catch me if you can’ and the strut and big chorus of ‘Take it to the top.’
Of the ‘Bonus material’ -‘Ripe for the pickin” adds a little more guitar grunt to a summer sing-along and ‘Livin’ doll’ drops a bluesy strut into the pot and is one of the few tracks here that might have been left off. The final two bonus tracks – both deliver though ‘Dancing underneath the moonlight’ has a great sway and thrust and given a heavier make-over might even have been vying for top honours, as it stands its still a pretty cool offering for a bonus. ‘Catch me if you can (original guitar version)‘ is just a better take on the track of the same name and closes out in style. As the press release says “This album encompasses the entire musical journey of Rags N Riches and captures the more traditional hard rock side of the band.” It’s not a bad trip do far…
Amazing to think that so much great music was buried under the mudslide of Grunge and Australia wasn’t immune…
Track listing: Heaven is only a moment away |When the dream comes true |Is this really love |Last Days of the world |We stand on the edge |Sign of the times |Cindy’s working on the streets |Rotunda Comunda |Chains of love |Catch me if you can |Take it to the top | Ripe for the pickin’ |Livin’ doll |Dancing underneath the moonlight |Catch me if you can (original guitar version)
