Description
The self-titled debut album by the Finnish blues rock band Q. Stone was released on the Swedish gospel label Royal Music in 1988, with distributed by Word Records in the UK. Also released in the US by Refuge Records the following year. The album was recorded by Benny Lundin, Cenneth Almgren, and band member Hessu Silvennoinen at Royal Music Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden; with Larry Norman producing. Mixed by Bo Reimer at Royal Music Studio. Arranged by the band. (A Royal Music/Finngospel Production.)
Q. Stone features Mikko Kuustonen of Pro Fide fame on harmonica and lead vocals, Harri Taittonen on keyboards, Heikki “Hessu” Silvennoinen on guitar and vocals, and a rhythm section consisting of Mikko and Sakke Löytty on bass and drums, respectively.
When Solid Rock Records dissipated into the wind at the end of the 70s, Larry Norman was into the blues, as heard on his 1979 (released in ’81) recording ‘Something New Under the Son‘. After all the Americans Norman had worked with regrouped elsewhere, he worked with a number of European imports, most successfully with Lyrix and Sheila Walsh. Here he gets another chance, and for those of you – into that 70s blues thang, this will be a real pleaser.
Unfortunately, Norman’s production values remain dated, and Q Stone, for all their somewhere between Little Feat and Dire Straits potential, never quite sound relevant. Hessu Silvennoinen is an excellent guitar player, I’d love to hear him featured in a fashion like the Jeff Healey debut. However the songs feel dated, and the lyrics feel, as is often true with “English as a second language” bands somewhat difficult – not quite right. Thus two instrumentals, «Blues Man» and «Zack’s Blues», are the real standouts, but Norman’s fans will appreciate a duet between the blonde prince and Q Stone vocalist Mikko Kuustonen on «Sweet Dreams». This will no doubt be a popular record with some folk, I’ll just wait for a more modern attack on these old blues. [Ernest P. Strange, Harvest Rock Syndicate, Issue 3, 1989 (Volume 4)]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/q-stone/1146832707)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “The Blue View” – 4:46
A2. “Sweet Dreams” (duet with Larry Norman) – 3:54
A3. “You Did It For Me” – 5:37
A4. “Open Door” – 2:30
A5. “Blues Man” (Instrumental) – 2:31
A6. “Black Water” – 2:45
Side Two
B1. “High Winds” – 4:56
B2. “Behind The Bars” – 4:28
B3. “And I Wait” – 4:33
B4. “Tomorrow With You” – 3:28
B5. “Give Me Something Else” – 4:42
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette (RMC 036), 12-inch vinyl LP (RMLP 036), and CD (RMCD 036) by Royal Music, with the CD edition featuring two bonus tracks: “Zack’s Blues” (Instrumental) and “Dead Man At Dawn”. Re-issued by Solid Rock Records on CD in the US in 2000 (featuring reworked cover artwork).
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