Diamonds Unlocked

Much like the metal Christmas cd I've always wanted, the covers cd is another idea that I love, that nobody has gotten quite right yet. This one is the best one I've heard so far though. The great thing about this album, is that even though the songs are all written by different people and they come from all different genres, the manner in which they were arranged and recorded makes them sound like a cohesive collection. They didn't change their style to suit each song -- they just played them the way they always play and that is why this works. The song selection is pretty good and the production and execution is great. Most of the arrangements are fairly standard, but their best moments came in their riskier, more unexpected choices though. U2's Beautiful Day was a song that got enough airplay that I recognized it instantly and it's infectious guitar riff is amplified to an unforgettable melody that will stick in your head all day. The churning guitar in Fool's Game makes the Michael Bolton track an upbeat rocker. And of course the gem of the album is the brilliant laid back ballad version of Kiss' Love Gun. Maybe it's because I've heard the other one so many times, but I think I actually prefer this version. This song alone is worth the sticker price of the cd. It's awesome. There are a few tracks on here that I've never heard of, but overall this is a very enjoyable album. The music sounds terrific and Gioeli (as usual) is in fine form. You should buy this one. --Scott