This one has been on many wants lists of all the AOR Fans, because it is a quite unknown and collectable AOR Classic for sure. It is so rare that it is nearly impossible to get the original LP release. Happily it has been burned on CDR and easier to get. But still the original release is more interesting to have than a copy on CDR. But it's the music that counts and ARTHUR MUSEUM had a very high quality AOR/Pomprocksound.
Actually it is pretty weird why this is so hard to get, because guitarist of ARTHURS MUSEUM is non other than RICHIE KOTZEN who released a couple of solo-albums on Shrapnel Records and joined forces with POISON for a while. Still this release is one of the rarest AOR albums in history.
Only 5 tracks are on the E.P. but all sounding very good. Producer David Ivory really did a fantastic job, because the sound and production couldn't be better. Opener "L.A." is a nice midtempo melodic rocker, but it's the following two tracks that are making this E.P. so classic AOR. First there is "Feels so good", a high class AOR/Pomp Ballad like the first PROPHET album. This song has some classic AOR keys. Then the song "No turning back" is high class super AOR like a mixture between WHITE SISTER and SURVIVOR. You can't get any better than this. This song closes the wonderful side-A.
Moving over to side-B you don't get as classic AOR/Pomprock orientated as side-A, but still quite enjoyable material. "Lady" starts calm and slow, but the explosive chorus is heavy Pomp Melodic Rock like TOUR DE FORCE mixed with WINTER'S REIGN. The harmonyvocals are really big during this chorus. The closing track "Life" is somewhat like the opening track of side-A, a nice midtempo melodic rocker that reminds me of STRESS.
Concluded I can only say that this is pretty much a must for the fan of 80s AOR/Pomprock. If bands like MESSAGE, early PROPHET, WHITE SISTER are your kind of bands, then this will be worth looking for. You probably have to look very good (and pay a lot) for the original, but you can also get easily a copy on CDR. This CDR has as a Bonus the first mini classic AOR release of BEAU COUP . What more do you want?
Listen to one of the songs of the ARTHURS MUSEUM EP by CLICKING HERE
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
