Schemer Dreamer (©1980 Kirshner / Sony)

the songs: Schemer-Dreamer / That's All Right / Get Too Far / So Many Nights / You think You Got It Made / Every Step of the Way / Just How It Feels / Wait Until Tomorrow

As the voice and other song writer for Kansas it was inevitable that he would want to try his hand at a solo record. This isn't a bad album, in fact at times it's pretty darn good. Most of his bandmates make an appearance at some point, and there is a Kansas feel to many of the songs. So Many Nights is haunting, You think You Got It Made is vintage stuff, and Wait Until Tomorrow while sonically flat features some nice work by Steve Morse. The album is short, under 40 minutes with only seven songs, but what the heck it's twenty years old, and the 70's sound was in a large part defined by Steve's songwriting.

Glossolalia (©2000 Magna Carta)

the songs: Glossolalia / Serious Wreckage / Heart Attack / Kansas / Nothing / Haunted Man / Smackin' The Clowns / That's What Loves All About / Mascara Tears / Rebecca

A long time between solo releases Steve shows that although he's older he isn't slowing down. Steve's voice over the last several years was taking a pretty good beating, I'm not sure what's changed (clean and sober?) but this is Steve circa 1978 again. Oh, the music isn't recycled 70's nostalgia.

From the opening of Glossolalia I was blown away. Wicked, hard edged, aggressive, with Steve's voice soaring. There are a couple of monster tracks too - Smackin' the Clowns, and Kansas clock in at 10 and 9 minutes respectively. Haunted Man is just a great rock song.

The band is something too. Trent Gardner plays a lot of the keyboards, and takes a share of the production credits. Billy Greer plays bass, and Mike Slamer is a guitarist to watch for. The drummer is an animal, some guy named Virgil Donati.

Overall a huge surprise for me. I'll admit that I was expecting another mediocre album. What I got was something that I wasn't expecting. This deserves a lot of airplay, but sadly I'll bet that only a few people really get behind this baby. Shame - shame shame shame.

Reviewed November 14, 2000

Shadowman (©2005 Muse-Wrapped)

1: Rise 2: Shadow Man 3: Davey And The Stone That Rolled Away 4: Keep On Knockin 5: Pages Of Old 6: Hell Is Full Of Heroes 7: After 8: The River

Man, has it really been five years since Glossolalia? Seems like just the other day. Steve's voice continues to sound better and better and with Shadowman he once again proves that he's not too old rock with the best of them. Shadowman doesn't have anything on it rivaling "Glossolalia" or "Haunted Man" but overall it feels like a more consistent product. I don't like the cover art at all if this is a shadowman why have it stand out in red ... oh well, you can't have everything.

Joel Kosche guitarist from Collective Soul really gets a chance to showcase his abilities. You'd never tell from his other band but he is a monster. He also supplies the bottom end, and is a better than decent bass player. Joe Franco from Magellan (he was also with Twister Sister and Chilliwack) rounds out the rhythm on drums. This is as much prog as anything, and some of the songs particularly "After" would be great Kansas songs. David Ragsdale even lends violin on "After" which is one of the showcases on the album.

Steve has probably resigned himself to the fact that no matter how good an album he releases he just won't catch a break. Which is too bad, as there's room out there. Rock and roll is a young man's game, and it doesn't matter if you can kick ass at 50, no one seems to care - Steve really is a shadowman. Which must totally suck.

Who knows, if enough of us old farts band together we could actually make a difference. If you like gritty prog-influence rock, you need this in your collection.

Reviewed July 15, 2005