Tony Lee - Album Review: Man on Mars
Tony Lee is a Man on Mars.
With a “here we go” Tony Lee’s band launch into a hootenanny rocking billy of an opening song which reminds me of the kind of frantic rhythm you might see and hear at Roberts Western World of a night, any night, on Broadway in Nashville. Replete with young maestros picking at speed and a big dusty country voice which might also be described as old fashioned in a down on the ranch kind of way. Retro.
Because that’s Tony Lee, a behatted and booted and kerchiefed cowboy from the heartland of the Waikato fresh off the paddock with dirt on his boots and in his voice and you can just taste it.
Might be Taking a Chance with this one but if you like your country big and ballady and chorused and laced with intermissions of rock, this is a genuine effort underpinned by a guitarist of particular merit.
This is Tony’s third album and he’s been at it for over twenty years now with some success across the Tasman including a single off this album charting in Tasmania, the cheeky devil claiming he Ain’t No Cowboy when he is.
The title track, Man on Mars builds off an acoustic base with an authentic electric rock riff and keyboard flourish. All the way to Mars on the back of a rocket ship of fast picking. But the standout track amongst consistently good songs is Angels in the Rain with its sweet guitar riff reminiscent of a Manic Street Preacher called Jimmy Lafave, which of course is highly incongruous but that’s the wonder of music. This is a complete country rock song and Tony’s voice travels from old fashioned to now. A gem of a song. And who is that on guitar?
The next song is also a beautiful one as well, at least that’s what it’s called, but after several lashings of this album (and we’re only halfway through) I’m seeing this guy with his band on a big country stage in a big stadium (or maybe a paddock) with a lot of revelry, hay bales, stomp, sweat and beer and maybe Jodi Direen.
And in this context retro country is a complement from an unashamedly Americana guy because there remains a place in country where they still play Lynyrd Skynyrd (I bet Tony does a swank version of Sweet Home (Waikato).
Reece Gielen is on very excellent guitar, Zac Cole on drums and Adrienne Bell (Bob) on bass
So if you like your Country Fun, then check out Tony Lee’s Man on Mars, and if you’re an old fashioned physical guy or gal go get the CD from JB Hi Fi
About Tony Lee
Tony Lee's debut solo album was Road Less Travelled. The album received high accolades in the press with critics loving Tony's 'wear your heart on your sleeve' approach to songwriting.
His music video for All That A Man Can Do has been internationally recognised, making the semi finals in the ISC (International Songwriting Competition) and getting nominated in the music video category at the Limelight Film awards in London. The video was produced by Neil Whitman who had made video's for Chris Rea and Robbie Williams.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Tony Lee
Releases
Other Reviews By Roger Bowie
Jazmine Mary - Album Review: Dog
01 Jun 2023 // by Roger Bowie
Jazmine Mary’s sophomore offering is out today; Friday June 3rd, and it’s called Dog. Why it’s called Dog they are not saying, but there are references to “Houndog” and “Flower Power” in the outro to Seagull, so maybe that explains it or maybe it doesn’t.
Read More...
Barry Saunders & Adam Hattaway - Single Review: Keep On
19 May 2023 // by Roger Bowie
Keep On is the title track of a Warratahs album released in 2006 (don’t mind that Spotty-fi has it as 2020). An almost lost song, as was the album, but a classic Barry Saunders story centred around someone, could be an acrobat, somewhere, where they don’t want to be, meeting a woman who shakes stars from her hair, dreaming in the morning, drinking in the afternoon, realising that love is the only thing missing, and therefore it must be plain sailing from here, just keep on, keep on, keep on.
Read More...
No Broadcast - Album Review: The Common Thread
11 May 2023 // by Roger Bowie
No Broadcast started out in the noughties and started releasing their music in 2011, when commonly regarded as a three piece. Two EPs and three albums later the band has evolved into a musical collective which is predominantly the vehicle for musician and vocalist Josh Braden’s eclectic soundscape experimentation.
Read More...
Tiny Ruins - Album Review: Ceremony
27 Apr 2023 // by Roger Bowie
Covid is still all around, but the alienation and dysfunction has gone, yet here we are, still salvaging the experiences of just before and during the world of hidden people and silent things. We’ve just experienced the hero’s journey of Finn Andrews as he comes out of the void to find love, and now we are simply blessed by the pain in the lyrics of the songs which Hollie Fullbrook started writing four years ago and longer and now find catharsis in the music of Tiny Ruins.
Read More...
Zephyr Love - Album Review: Homage
21 Apr 2023 // by Roger Bowie
If you like your rock retro, California retro with more than a hint of Boston, you’ll like the debut album from Chris McCollum under the moniker Zephyr Love, which is out now and will be featured live at the Anthology Lounge this Saturday night. The album is called Homage and it certainly is.
Read More...
Damien Binder - Album Review: Bright Side
20 Apr 2023 // by Roger Bowie
Damien Binder’s new album Bright Side has been toiling away in the background for nearly three weeks now, trying to connect. There’s something vaguely familiar about the sound and about that voice and the name also rings a bell louder than the natural conclusion that it’s just a good rock n roll name.
Read More...
Gig Review: The Veils @ The Powerstation, Auckland - 1/04/2023
02 Apr 2023 // by Roger Bowie
The much-anticipated album release tour by The Veils finished in Auckland last night at the Powerstation. And Out of the Void Came Love is an epic offering of songs which see Finn Andrews oscillate between his solo self and his bandleader self as he completes the transition in his life from incessant touring and writing and fronting his English and London based band to a quieter life back home in New Zealand with new found family bliss and the chance to breathe and live, despite the frustrations of the last few Covid years.
Read More...
The Loving Arms - Album Review: Dreaming Over You
01 Apr 2023 // by Roger Bowie
Auckland quintet The Loving Arms have released their debut album, Dreaming Over You, just a few weeks ago, after a two-year journey made longer by the conviction that better music comes from having other people in the room. Not for these guys the convenience of recording in isolation.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- CUPID (TWIN VERSION)
Fifty Fifty - PEOPLE
Libianca - LAST NIGHT
Morgan Wallen - DAYLIGHT
David Kushner - FLOWERS
Miley Cyrus - KILL BILL
SZA - CALM DOWN
Rema And Selena Gomez - DIE FOR YOU (REMIX)
The Weeknd And Ariana Grande - KARMA
Taylor Swift feat. Ice Spice - BOY'S A LIAR PT. 2
PinkPantheress And Ice Spice
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
