NIACIN
''TIME CRUNCH''
SEPTEMBER 21 2001
56:04
1/Elbow Grease
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:19
2/Time Crunch
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/3:15
3/Stone Face
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/6:11
4/Red
Robert Fripp/8:00
5/Invisible King
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/4:28
6/Daddy Long Leg
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:18
7/Hog Funk
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:08
8/Glow
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/3:06
9/Damaged Goods
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/4:24
10/Outside Inside Out
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:02
11/Blue Wind
Jan Hammer/5:53
Dennis Chambers /Drums
Robert Fripp /Composer
Jan Hammer /Composer
John Novello /Arranger, Bass, Composer, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Producer, Synthesizer, Tracking
Billy Sheehan /Bass, Composer, Producer
REVIEW
By Glenn Astarita
With their fifth recording, this 2001 release provides undeniable proof that the hard-driving power organ trio known as Niacin has achieved an artistic milestone. On this outing, Hammond B3 organist John Novello maneuvers his powerful and altogether fluid rhythm section through a series of memorable tunes also featuring a dynamic and unabashed rendition of the legendary King Crimson piece, Red. The trio also renders a blitzing, hard rock cover of keyboardist Jan Hammer's "Blue Wind." However, the musicians' unified approach, consisting of tightly woven fabrics of sound and multicolored themes, bears the mark of a unit who has perhaps reached the pinnacle of group-based success. Strong soloing abounds atop funk/fusion and first-call session ace drummer Dennis Chamber's heavy-handed, polyrhythmic attack. Whereas, the artists also jazz up the proceedings via tightly coordinated unison statements and melodious choruses amid a bevy of twists, turns, peaks, and valleys. Here, progressive rock receives a college education. Recommended.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Huey Having played straightforward hard rock with Mr. Big since the tail end of the '80s, bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan formed Niacin as an outlet for his jazz fusion and prog rock inclinations during the mid-'90s. The trio also featured keyboardist John Novello and drummer Dennis Chambers, both musicians who had crossed frequently between the worlds of jazz and rock during their careers. With Niacin, Novello devoted himself especially to the Hammond B-3 organ, a longtime mainstay of both jazz and prog rock. The band recorded a self-titled debut album in 1996, following it up in 1998 with High Bias. An import-only concert recording, Live!: Blood, Sweat and Beers, surfaced later that year as well. For their next album, Niacin moved from Stretch to Magna Carta, the label that became virtually synonymous with technique-oriented neo-prog rock at the turn of the millennium. Deep was released in 2000 and featured the group's first vocal track, courtesy of special guest Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), as well as Toto guitarist and session ace Steve Lukather.
''TIME CRUNCH''
SEPTEMBER 21 2001
56:04
1/Elbow Grease
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:19
2/Time Crunch
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/3:15
3/Stone Face
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/6:11
4/Red
Robert Fripp/8:00
5/Invisible King
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/4:28
6/Daddy Long Leg
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:18
7/Hog Funk
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:08
8/Glow
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/3:06
9/Damaged Goods
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/4:24
10/Outside Inside Out
John Novello / Billy Sheehan/5:02
11/Blue Wind
Jan Hammer/5:53
Dennis Chambers /Drums
Robert Fripp /Composer
Jan Hammer /Composer
John Novello /Arranger, Bass, Composer, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Producer, Synthesizer, Tracking
Billy Sheehan /Bass, Composer, Producer
REVIEW
By Glenn Astarita
With their fifth recording, this 2001 release provides undeniable proof that the hard-driving power organ trio known as Niacin has achieved an artistic milestone. On this outing, Hammond B3 organist John Novello maneuvers his powerful and altogether fluid rhythm section through a series of memorable tunes also featuring a dynamic and unabashed rendition of the legendary King Crimson piece, Red. The trio also renders a blitzing, hard rock cover of keyboardist Jan Hammer's "Blue Wind." However, the musicians' unified approach, consisting of tightly woven fabrics of sound and multicolored themes, bears the mark of a unit who has perhaps reached the pinnacle of group-based success. Strong soloing abounds atop funk/fusion and first-call session ace drummer Dennis Chamber's heavy-handed, polyrhythmic attack. Whereas, the artists also jazz up the proceedings via tightly coordinated unison statements and melodious choruses amid a bevy of twists, turns, peaks, and valleys. Here, progressive rock receives a college education. Recommended.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Huey Having played straightforward hard rock with Mr. Big since the tail end of the '80s, bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan formed Niacin as an outlet for his jazz fusion and prog rock inclinations during the mid-'90s. The trio also featured keyboardist John Novello and drummer Dennis Chambers, both musicians who had crossed frequently between the worlds of jazz and rock during their careers. With Niacin, Novello devoted himself especially to the Hammond B-3 organ, a longtime mainstay of both jazz and prog rock. The band recorded a self-titled debut album in 1996, following it up in 1998 with High Bias. An import-only concert recording, Live!: Blood, Sweat and Beers, surfaced later that year as well. For their next album, Niacin moved from Stretch to Magna Carta, the label that became virtually synonymous with technique-oriented neo-prog rock at the turn of the millennium. Deep was released in 2000 and featured the group's first vocal track, courtesy of special guest Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), as well as Toto guitarist and session ace Steve Lukather.
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