Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
When the inspiration strikes, you have to follow the tune, no matter where it comes from, even if it means heading back to the beginning or to a time which may have been simpler but by no means less illuminating, certainly in music and art in general. To acknowledge the past heroics is one thing but to tread in the footsteps of angels and the heavy rock classic is to ensure a positive and productive outcome.
When you are in the company of stalwarts and legends as Humble Pie and Bad Company, it is not hard to realise what Little Caesar once brought to the turntables, and hi-fis of the country, and what they have managed to do with great charm and utter confidence in their honest approach to the world of Rock in their first studio album in six years, the sublime and hard hitting Eight.
The old AOR moniker may be wearing thin in the 21st Century, a sense of freedom to explore beyond traditional and sometimes outdated defining of genres, but when it comes to the fist clenching pump of the arm in the venue and the sweat and passion of the words and drum beat infused crush of melody, then Little Caesar must still be regarded as one of the best around and Eight exploits that feeling fully to its remarkable height and thumping drives.
The history of the band is enshrined in legend and yet like many of their cohorts on the stage, they keep moving onwards, leaving a little of the sunshine they bring to be delved over, to be seen in the groove of the song and radiated with in pleasure.
Tracks such as Mama Tried, Vegas and Crushed Velvet bake in the heat provided by the band and Time Enough For That, Another Fine Mess and the two bonus tracks of Mixed Signs and Slow Ride all confide in more than a loud whisper to the listener that even after six years away from the results of the studio, Eight has the power to be the biggest and most enjoyable album in its class for the year. Passionate, forceful and constructive, this is a set of songs that goes above the seventh heaven we all seek.
Little Caesar release Eight on March 16th.
Ian D. Hall