Unbroken [CD]

There was a time when the planet was awash with great female vocalists in the melodic rock field. Seriously, they were seemingly on the verge of taking over and turning the usual order of things on its head which is no bad thing. And it s fair to say that among the very best of these was Fiona.If you reckon this is a little bit of an exaggeration, then listen back to the albums she did in the 1980s and at the start of the 1990s, and you ll get the drift. Born in New Jersey, Fiona had a natural aptitude and affinity towards rock music. That is the sort of rock with a passion, a groove and massive melodic momentum. You could hear all of this brought into sharp focus on her 1985, self-titled debut album. One that broke into the US Top 100 and also gave her success with the single Talk To Me , which again firmly hit the US Top 100. A year later, the potential inherent on the first album was refined and honed on the Beyond The Pale album, featuring Winger s Reb Beach on guitar, plus famed trumpet player Chris Botti. It was obvious that Fiona had an international talent, and the ability and agility to stand apart from all the wannabes. This was a major talent. In 1989, Fiona established a tougher sound for Heart Like A Gun . This featured the Winger pair of Kip Winger and Rod Morgenstein, plus Night Ranger s Brad Gillis. Kip Winger even did co-lead vocals on the single Everything You Do (You re Sexing Me) , which was her biggest single. A move from Atlantic Records, who put out the first three albums, to Geffen led to the release in 1992 of the album Squeeze , which included drummer Jimmy Degrasso (Y&T, Megadeth, White Lion), and again Fiona s power and personality drove a strong collection of vibrant songs. But these albums only tell part of her story. Fiona starred in the 1987 film Hearts Of Fire, with Bob Dylan and Rupert Everett and directed by Richard Marquand. She also appeared in an episode of Miami Vice and guested on Warrant s breakthrough album Cherry Pie . Not only that, but she s also worked with Roger Daltrey, Europe, Julian Lennon, Dweezil Zappa and Steve Stevens. Fiona was also in a band with Ian Macdonald (King Crimson, Foreigner) and Steve Holly (Wings), and worked for The Doors. She even got to sing with Rod Stewart at his house. You can also add in the facts that she rehearsed right next door to Guns N Roses for months while in pre-production for Squeeze . They were getting Use Your Illusion done, and Fiona was even involved a little with November Rain . Now after a long gap, during she concentrated on other aspects of her life, Fiona is back and burning again. New album Unbroken is not only a testament to the fact that her creativity and voice have, in anything, been enhanced, but proves she still has an unswerving and unwavering capacity for writing memorable songs and giving them life in the studio. The record has been produced by James Christian, of House Of Lords fame, who also plays bass and provides backing vocals. Top vocalist Robin Beck also appears, while celebrated guitarist Tommy Denander (who has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Paul Stanley and Alice Cooper) plays on four tracks. And, in a connection to the past, guitarist Bobby Messano (who played on that debut Fiona album) is on four songs. So, what does Fiona feel like to be back on the scene after such a long time? Typically, she has witty response: Well, in dog years it wasn't really that long. Finally, and most important of all, what can you expect from Unbroken ? Let s put it this way. Some albums trickle into your memory. Others flow, and yet more are a torrent. A few, though, are a deluge of musicality, melody and muscle. This is certainly one of those few. Just play the damn thing you ll get the idea!