Bottle Rocket

Description

Bottle Rocket is the sixth album by the American hard rock band Guardian, released on Myrrh Records in 1997, a division of Word. The album was recorded by Russ Long at Quad Studios and at The Carport in Nashville, Tennessee; with Steve Taylor producing. Additional engineering by David Schober, Steve Bishir, and Wade Jaynes. Mixed by Long at The Carport in Nashville and at Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee. Featuring guest musicians Eric Darken on percussion and John Mark Painter of Fleming & John fame on theremin and strings (“Bottle Rocket”), keyboards (“Fear The Auctioneer”), and mellotron (“My Queen Esther”, “Hell To Pay” and “Bottle Rocket”).

With the ascendancy of alternative and grunge in the ’90s, no one has been as displaced as the purveyors of pop metal. That leaves little territory for a band like Guardian – poised in the Christian market to be the ’90s cross between Petra and Van Halen – to develop a credibility among the youthful rock customers who control the determining dollar/vote that defines success in the music world.

But the band has not been easily discouraged. Seeking middle ground between the established Petra-franchise and the up-start Stryper, Guardian has applied its considerable talent to following the leader by jumping on every promised new trend. Band members went “unplugged,” they exhumed their Led Zeppelin childhood fantasies, and now they’ve gotten alternative, with the help of returning producer Steve Taylor, who this time out contributes to a fair amount of the lyric writing.

‘Bottle Rocket’ features a big, bold, rhythmically hip rock sound. Still, a first-class pop metal band, Guardian builds strong melodic hooks around Tony Palacios’ immaculate guitar chops. Singer Jamie Rowe reveals a gruffer, rawer vocal style than you’d have thought possible in his early screamer days. And, of course, the songs are sensible constructions, smartly hung on a rich bed of bass, drums and studio-enhanced noise. Just enough grit to sully the polish and sheen to which these guys can’t help but aspire. If only Nirvana had been a tighter band, Pearl Jam better musicians and anybody on modern rock radio as good a voice as Rowe, then Guardian could just be themselves.

All that said, Guardian delivers a serviceable, scrappy modern rock record in ‘Bottle Rocket’, especially in those places where Taylor’s contributions help push the context out of the trite and familiar («Are We Comfortable Yet?», «Coffee Can», «What Does it Take?», «Fear the Auctioneer»). Guardian sounds like a band with a future. But, for those who still remember when hard rock wasn’t afraid to sound classic, «Revelation», «Blue Light Special», »Hell to Pay» and «Salvation» may not break new ground – but they shake up the ground.

Lyrically, Guardian and Taylor have strived to keep things up-tempo, witty and challenging. The title track emphasizes the importance of personal witness, «Babble On» challenges gossip and useless speech, while «Coffee Can» gets the Jonathan Edwards/Oscar Wilde award for the strangest metaphor meant to scare the sin right out of the sinner.

But is Guardian just destined to sell records to old Petra/Stryper fans, or are they going to crack that all-important youth market dominated by bands who sound like Green Day and Offspring? Guardian continues to write solid songs and play with gusto, but the kids, well… the hard alternative music kids don’t care – they don’t want to play air guitar. They want to mosh and stage dive.

Still, ‘Bottle Rocket’ finds Guardian making credible strides and, thanks to Taylor, a more relevant effort. [Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM, March 1997]

Seven years ago Guardian began their career in their stylistic chrysalis of being old fashioned, ’80s, long haired rockers and have now fully completed the metamorphosis into the gutsy butterfly of an energetic, powerful, full on ’90s short haired rock outfit. This final transition owes much to producer Steve Taylor who began helping the band shape a new sound on their last offering, ‘Buzz‘. ‘Bottle Rocket’ explodes with rock life and at times sounds similar to some of the denser sounds Taylor masterminded with Chagall Guevara, especially on something like «Revelation» which also sports a new Oasis style chorus! On first listen, he title song made immediate impact hitting me between the eyes with it’s straight ahead attack! Subsequent listens highlighted some of the album’s subtleties – the acoustic groove of «Babble On» or the metaphorical lyrics of «Coffee Can» which talks about trying to get to heaven trusting in our own strength. «Blue Light Special» thunders along and «Break Me Down» had my wife Pip playing my battered acoustic guitar pretending to be a rock chick! Yes, it’s that kind of album! Impossible to ignore and a healthy step from ‘Buzz’. [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, April 1997]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/bottle-rocket/123351640)

CD tracklist:

01. Are We Feeling Comfortable Yet?
02. Bottle Rocket
03. Coffee Can
04. Revelation
05. What Does It Take?
06. Babble On
07. Blue Light Special
08. Break Me Down
09. The Water Is Fine
10. My Queen Esther
11. Hell To Pay
12. Fear The Auctioneer
13. Harder Than It Seems
14. Salvation

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Myrrh Records.