Eric Singer Project – ESP Live In Japan

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Rock Hard Records
Produced by Bruce Kulick

The Eric Singer Project is the all-star covers band featuring Union/Ex-Motley Crue front-man John Corabi, Union/Ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric and KISS/Alice Cooper drummer Eric Singer. Their setlist invariably contains songs from each members’ career and this release is the first ever ESP live album.

A great many parallels can be drawn between ESP and Union, the other band Kulick and Corabi play in, which currently also includes Garric. One of these is the setlist, which when you consider that ESP cover Union songs as well as many of the same songs by other bands that Union cover, can often be the same. The only directly comparable live recording is of course Union’s Live At The Galaxy, and this is much better, largely due to the superior sound quality.

As with the Union album however, there’s one weak song. Union covered The Beatles‘ Oh Darling as a bonus track on their self-titled debut album, and ESP have played it here. In the more varied setlist of the forthcoming live DVD Live At The Marquee it might have worked, but putting it in this particularly hard-rocking setlist jars considerably. Another classic Union track or the KISS track Jungle, which they so often play, would have been good in its place. Incidentally, on Union’s live album the out-of-place track was Tangerine by Led Zeppelin.

Otherwise, the song selection is excellent. ESP and Union tend to only cover KISS songs with muscular, immediately identifiable riffs, and tracks like Unholy, Domino and War Machine certainly fit that bill. Since Garric joined as bassist they’ve also started to favour tracks that were originally sung by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, because Garric can do a perfect Simmons voice. At times it’s like listening to a KISS live album, complete with Kulick’s smoother, superior leads.

The rest of the set comprises the Union classics Love (I Don’t Need It Anymore) from Union and Do Your Own Thing from The Blue Room, Alice Cooper’s School’s Out and the ever present Motley Crue song Power To The Music, from their self-titled album which featured Corabi on vocals.

In terms of audio quality, the band are crystal clear, equally balanced and suitably loud. One mild irritation however is that the crowd noise has been mixed in as constant cheering, in the same way Steve Harris used to do with Iron Maiden live albums. Not only is this unrealistic, as crowds don’t cheer constantly throughout entire songs, it’s ever-so-slightly distracting. This is only a minor issue, however, and overall doesn’t detract too much from the listening of the album.

ESP play rock and roll the way most fans enjoy it most. Big, loud and fun. Songs you can sing and will be singing some time after the CD is finished. For the fans who have been waiting so long for more material from this band (their one and only studio record was released in 1998) this, and the DVD, will be perfect. For everyone else, this is essential rock music that you shouldn’t be without.

“ Big, loud and fun ”

Tracklist: Watchin’ You / Love (I Don’t Need It Anymore) / Unholy / Do Your Own Thing / Domino / Oh Darling / War Machine / School’s Out / I Love It Loud / Power To The Music

Written by Andy Lye
More: Hard Rock, Live Albums, Eric Singer Project