Ten – Babylon (Frontiers, 2000)
(Album cover © Frontiers 2000)
Ten’s ‘Operation Mindcrime’
After a pretty dreadful 2020, it’s time for my first album review of 2021, a year that will hopefully beckon a return to normality, especially for the gig starved rock community, despite some good CD releases last year.
Going back over twenty years now though (can it really be?!), my first review this year comes from heavily underrated UK hard rock heroes Ten and their classic concept opus Babylon, arriving at a time when the band and vocalist/song writing chief Gary Hughes were in their purple patch and could do little wrong following 1998’s spell blinding ‘Spellbound’. In fact the UK’s Classic Rock magazine in it’s early days were big champions of Ten, often featuring their tracks on cover CDs in the days before they found they could sell more magazines by just re-running another article on Zeppelin.
Babylon was therefore praised at the time so is not underrated as such but it is often overlooked, as it should have the Ten’s ticket to noughties rock stardom. The album is a concept affair set in the distant future and details a story embedded in cyber networks, reality and romance – a nod perhaps towards those Manga classics such as ‘Ghost In The Shell’, which I won’t go into here although it’s quite an interesting storyline. There is also between-song narration which actually helps the plot and adds atmosphere. Hughes has previously called it the band’s ‘Operation Mindcrime’ and you can hear and see why. So, let’s delve then into the ten tracks featured …
Track by Track:
The Stranger – After a suitable spoken introductory narration to set the tone, Babylon kicks off in style with swirling progressive keys courtesy of none other than current Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey – another indication of the band’s high status in 2000 in being able to bag him for the record. ‘The Stranger’ is therefore heavy on keys throughout and maintains a simple underlining riff, although when the unique chorus finally comes on it really makes the song. Lyrically the main character (a programmer) and his mundane life in an IT corporation ‘Cryotech’ are introduced and as a scene setting opener it’s an ideal track, if a bit heavy on guitarist Vinny Burns’s wild soloing.
Barricade – From progressive to bombastic hard rock, ‘Barricade’ takes things in a heavier direction, opening with a great riff and laced with Burn’s intense soloing licks throughout. Indeed his tone dominates the track whilst the big bombastic album production definitely give the proceedings a hard, almost metal-like, edged quality. Good stuff.
Give In This Time – Third song in and the guitar soloing is toned down for the more commercial (in an 80s way) yet extremely infectious ‘Give In This Time’, a classic Gary Hughes composition with brilliant song-a-long verses that will stick with you for days. With a heavy late 80s Whitesnake influence, the track is a real winner, structurally and musically, and the ideal vehicle for Hughes’s endearing vocals, even if he’s not technically the most gifted singer. A definite album highlight.
Love Become The Law – For next number, ‘Love Become The Law’ the central character has met his perfect romantic match within the company and musically the pace is lowered for a moody semi-ballad which works well for the concept and to move the story along. Again the band just ‘play the song’ with atmospheric keys maintaining the undercurrent and don’t overdo things, producing neither a filler nor album highlight.
The Heat – Things however take a more serious tone musically and story-wise with this fifth track, which almost mirrors the previous song with it’s workman-like songwriting and verse-styled chorus and occasional Burns solo burst. When Hughes sings lines like, “they made a perfect fool of me and laid a trap I didn’t see”, its hard not to become engaged and involved in an otherwise above-average Ten track.
Silent Rain – Around this point in Babylon you might get the feeling that the band have just dropped the ball a little and need to deliver another album highlight ala ‘Give In This Time’. Well, get ready, for here it comes in the form of ‘Silent Rain’, not only one of the best songs on the album but also in Ten’s career! Yes indeed, here we have a classic Ten ballad which hits the mark all over, from the piano led intro to Gary Hughes’s heart drenched vocal lines to the wonderful chorus and instantly gratifying guitar solo. The verses in fact are especially memorable, detailing the loss of the main character’s love (by murder from his bosses) and a fabulous bridge (“but to him she was more than just another fairy tale. She became his reality unveiled”) before the genuinely heartfelt chorus – “Silent rain, You and I have shared the fears the night betrayed”. Overall, this is another one of those numbers that would have been a significant hit in the 80s – the band’s ‘Heaven’, ‘Every Rose …’, ‘Is This Love’ etc. A band classic then, showcasing Ten’s musical and emotional tour de force.
Timeless – After the kleenex inducing high of the latter, a welcome piece of narrative separates it with the barraging riff which opens up‘Timeless’, the band firmly back on the hard rock / metal path. Again it’s another weighty and satisfying heavy rocker with the arguably the best riff on the album and one I actually believe Tobias Sammet probably stole for his Avantasia track ‘Twisted Mind’. Well, just a theory anyway! A solid track all round, which, although plods a bit and is rhythmically a bit samey, shows the metal side of Ten well.
Black Hearted Woman – And again, from good to great, the songwriting quality is raised again for next piece, the more keyboard-laden and AOR-ish ‘Black Hearted Woman’, a brilliant song with a better melodic flow to it, indicated by the keyboard effects intro. The whole number feels really cohesive and natural with a perfectly infused memorable melodic chorus. Story wise, our main character has just created the perfect ‘online’ female killer who…
Thunder in Heaven … is unleashed onto his dead love’s murderers from the corporation, for the thunderous ‘Thunder in Heaven’. Just check out those intro drums – thunder indeed. Yes, Babylon’s penultimate piece is full throttle bombastic traditional metal at its best, sort of in-between Gary Moore’s ‘Over The Hills And Far Away’ and, say, Maiden’s ‘Losfer Words’. So there’s plenty of furious ‘celtic’ rock riffing (and soloing) but Don Airey’s keys are also front and centre carrying the great melodies. Again it’s another example of a real band effort at the top of their game musically, and concept-wise fits the revenge themed lyrics like a glove. A real belter then, laying a blazing trail for the climatic album finale …
Valentine – And so Babylon reaches its climax in style with another tear jerking ballad that starts off beautifully with sombre piano and gradually builds with moody keys. Then half way it erupts with full force into a proper power ballad, Burns’s soloing coming to the fore and bombastic as always. And just like with ‘Silent Rain’ earlier, Hughes’s verses and lyrics are absolutely top draw, as the main character loses, “his will to mend”, and sung with real passion and emotion. ‘Valentine’ therefore ends our story and album on a big high and again is a track destined for future band ‘best of’ releases.
Final Words …
So there we have it, a near perfect ten for Ten and an album alongside their ‘Spellbound’ opus which I would definitely recommend for all newcomers to the band. In retrospect, I have to say that the production is my least favourite thing on Babylon – perhaps being a little too bombastic for the concept – but there’s very little to fault from a songwriting perspective. On this note, Ten have often been accused of plagiarism in the past from hard rock greats such as Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, UFO et al but on Babylon you really don’t hear any blatant examples of this, nor should plagiarism be confused with influence. I hope for one that the album gets a re-issue someday and exposure to new fans, as Ten are still active today (although with only Hughes at the helm) and undoubtedly deserve more success for their past toils. Oh, and did I mention I love the artwork?
Sample Album Track:
Urban Tale – Self Titled (Now and Then, 2001)
(Album cover © Now and Then / 2001)
An AOR tale well worth hearing …
Background to album:
In the early noughties it’s fair to say that, after the turgid grunge / ‘Nu’ 90s era, true or ‘pure’ AOR was probably at it’s lowest level, commercially speaking. Nevertheless, out of the ashes, and courtesy of the now very well established Frontiers Records (formally allied with Now and Then), more than a few releases (particularly from Scandinavia) did not go unnoticed by AOR purists at this time and one such release was this scintillating self titled debut from Finnish masterminds Urban Tale.
In fact, I remember that Classic Rock (UK) did pick up on the album at the time with a very positive review, comparing it to Journey at their best and perhaps anticipating a new wave of AOR for the 21st century. Sadly however the album, despite it’s critical praises, didn’t make the intended impact, with the band disbanding after only one more release. Nevertheless it is this debut which could and really should have re-established classic AOR to a whole new 21st century audience, not just with it’s superb songwriting and performances but also sonically, with a distinctive cutting edge modern production for the time. Let’s have a further examination then of this rare to find gem …
Track by Track:
The Devil In Me – Commencing proceedings is an ideal opener for a debut album, showcasing the quality musicianship from the whole band, especially with their star vocalist Kimmo Blom who possesses one of the best Steve Perry-esque delivery’s I’ve yet heard, yet whose voice is still distinctive enough not to be a mere imitator. Great guitar melody lines and a satisfying chorus also provide an ample taster of what comes later.
Passion Takes Over – With it’s upbeat smooth opening keyboard melody, track two really reminds me of mid 80s Toto with it’s clear west coast sound and delivery. It’s further bolstered by the album’s slick production and a breezy laid back feel. Great summertime listening!
Circus – Two numbers in and time for a slight change in emphasis with ‘Circus’ being the most progressive track on offer, especially with the atmosphere keys, hinting at perhaps Asia or Yes. This is further evident around the three minute mark when the song dives into a guitar and key interlude, although the band don’t over indulge and keep to the song. There’s also no obvious chorus but the verses (i.e. “children are building a circus of dreams …”) and bridge are strong enough that it dosen’t need one. A great ‘composition’.
King Of Hearts – And so, from the progressive height of ‘Circus’, we are presented with the number that initially attracted me to the band. Yep, quite simply ‘King Of Hearts’ is the huge hit that never was – a fabulous classic AOR masterclass with a contemporary delivery (sonically) and a contender for AOR track of the year in 2001. Kimmo Blom sings his heart out here, especially on the utterly infectious chorus (more than proving his worth) and just the angelic guitar/key combination intro still gives me chills. The number then breaks in with, “spring is waking up those feelings, I thought were gone away” setting the cool super slick tone straight away. It’s all simply brilliant even twenty years on. Essential listening.
One Day – After one textbook AOR number, the album launches another with it’s first big ballad. In fact the piano intro sounds uncannily similar to Survivor’s ‘The Search Is Over’ and structurally, also follows the gentle 80s ballad style. Blom is again all over the instantly memorable chorus in very Steve Perry fashion and again you can’t help but think this could have been another big hit back in the day.
Runaway Train– A breezy guitar intro then gives way to the next likeable track on the LP, if not quite the same quality of the last three. Nevertheless ‘Runaway Train’ still showcases that cool westcoast feel which the band master throughout and again there are some great singalong verses as the song kicks in with, “dreams may come and dreams may go …”. Still no skippable track yet.
Engine – In contrast, next track ‘Engine’ does plod a little but is still saved but the standout Journey-esque chorus. There is also a neat guitar solo at 3.30 from the so far unmentioned Erkka Korhonen, whose neat licks and shapes and ability to just play the song, really aid the material. ‘Engine’ also reminds the listener of the (in my opinion) unique album production, namely encapsulating those classic AOR sensibilities whilst sounding freshly ‘modern’ (at least for 2001). Perhaps someone can post a comment in agreement or vise versa?
On The Edge – Nearing the end of the record now, finally we have a bit of a filler on what is a remarkably consistent collection of songs. ‘On The Edge’ isn’t a bad track but in my opinion sees the band trying too hard to sound like Journey and just lacks the songwriting quality of what came before, especially with the unmemorable chorus.
Doris Day – The ship is immediately steadied however with ‘Doris Day’ and it’s blasting “whoa woah” intro 15 seconds in, in true Bon Jovi fashion. The pace gathers a little later for the pre-chorus with plenty of lavish vocal harmonies to support Blom. A wonderful guitar solo from Korhonen rounds off the song with more ‘whoa woah’s. In a nutshell: classy, slick and superbly executed, just like the whole LP.
Water – So, onto the last official track on ‘Urban Tale’ and given the quality of everything before, it was bound to end on a high. ‘Water’ is in fact a slight departure for the band, sounding part ballad and part folk but works particularly well in it’s own dreamy way (aided by the soothing rhythmic sound effects). It would have been the ideal gentle closer had it not been for another ‘hidden’ number …
House of Blues – Yes, don’t push ‘stop’ just yet, as five minutes and 40 seconds into track 11, this untitled number emerges out of nowhere with a slick guitar solo intro and turns out to be a ballad to cherish. With it’s Journey (‘Lights’) feel, ‘House Of Blues’ is again quite simply textbook classy AOR, light and fluffy yes, but hooks you in from the first listen. Just listening to the vocal lines (e.g. “love is a song, a song from the heart”) will have you reaching for the tissues. Quite why the number was hidden from the track listing we’ll never know but again, like so much on offer on ‘Urban Tale’, if released as a single in the right era, the band would have been hot property. A touch of class to conclude everything.
Final words …
And so there we have it, 12 polished AOR diamonds under one debut album and all delivered with fabulous choruses, melodies, harmonies, production – the lot basically. The general quality songwriting consistency is also hard to believe, as are the stunning vocals of Kimmo Blom on every track – a real star born to sing this genre. Sadly, as mentioned before, despite favourable reviews the breakthrough never came and the LP disappeared, as did Blom after a second effort (the harder edged but inferior ‘Sign Of The Times’). As such, this debut is a very worthy release for inclusion on this site for those overlooked LPs and one definitely worth tracking down for anyone AOR (the softer variety) inclined.
Sample Album Track:
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