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Stephen Kalinich and Jon Tiven have a career and and a list of credits as impressive as one can imagine. Amongst the luminaries, this would include The Beach Boys, Alex Chilton, and so on. Kalinich, wrote lyrics for many of the stronger tracks in The Beach Boys’ catalogue; Tiven has been a music journalist, guitarist, producer and writer and both show no signs of slowing down.  In 2012, they released the masterful 2-CD set, Shortcuts to Infinity/Symptomology, which was a monumental achievement.  While this new album, Each Soul Has A Voice, is a 14 track offering, it is once again, a collection of songs with heart and mind. Some of the guest players include Tiven’s wife Sally on bass and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars (son of Jim, brother of Luther) on drums, Queen’s Brian May, Stax mainstay Steve “Colonel” Cropper, and extra drum appearances by Steve Ferrone and Anton Fig.  Quite an outstanding cast.

The beauty and interesting element in listening to Each Soul Has a Voice  is the quality of the production, which was handled by Tiven, Kalinich and Mark Linett.  There is a wonderful old-production style; a rawness that immediately (to me) recalls the early Stones records and makes it easy to sink your teeth in from the opening dive-bomber sounds of “Rude Awakening”.  “Usually” has a rollicking kind of New Orleans-boogie-stomp feel; “Harmony, Inner Peace and Tenderness” sounds like a lost Beach Boys number (one wonders what those voices would have sounded like together on this track) and “Explosions Of Love” has an early ’70’s soulful feel.  “To Each And Every Soul”‘s testimonial adds to the quasi-gospelness of the music; “Life Is A Fucking Zoo” has a great chug-a-long vibe and the title track has some of the tastiest reverb guitar I’ve heard in a while.

There is no sophomoric pitfall with this album.  But then again, you have two masters like Kalinich and Tiven.  And so that’s a good thing – as is this album.

RECOMMENDED

Each Soul Has A Voice is available now

http://www.stephenjohnkalinich.co.uk/

http://www.jontiven.com/

 

Album Reviews, Music

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About the Author

Rob Ross

Rob Ross has been, for good, bad or indifferent, involved in the music industry for over 30 years - first as guitarist/singer/songwriter with The Punch Line, then as freelance journalist, producer and manager to working for independent and major record labels. He resides in Staten Island, New York with his wife and cats; he works out a lot, reads voraciously, loves Big Star and his orange Gretsch. Doesn't that make him neat?

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