BONHAM
"The
Disregard of Timekeeping" (WTG; 1989)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
I remember hearing “Wait For You” on the radio back in
'89 and I thought that Led Zeppelin was resurfacing. Of course, such hopes would never be. After calling
the station 96 times and finally discovering out that a Bonham was the group, I rushed out to pick up the
cassette (yeah, a cassette). I then found that Jason Bonham, son of John, had put together a band and
... since the first single sounded like papa’s old band ... I was stoked that an extension of Led Zeppelin was happening.
If you've heard this CD then you know that it sounds more like a Robert Plant CD than a Zeppelin CD. I’m not dismissing it for that, and I think Jason knows better than to try and recreate what shouldn’t be copied. Jason does pull together all the elements to have a Zeppelin sound via his
drums and, with a father as famous as the legendary John Bonham, what else could or would he want to do but bang the skins.
The CD begins with a two-minute intro that grows into a Zeppelin sound to perk your interest. The single “Wait For You” busted this band all over radio and it became a gold selling album because of the requests. The rest of the cuts are bluesy and the lead singer, Daniel McMaster, can parallel the voice of Robert Plant.
The drums, of course, sound like the Bonham brand, the guitar riffs are heavy and the solos are surprising. There are some keyboards to balance out where dry spots
exist and this is one added bonus that Zeppelin fans may not dig, but this CD was produced when synth was popular.
The song “Dreams,” clocking in at 7:50,could be a pure Zeppelin tune. It's got time changes, pounding drums, ripping guitar and a soulful chorus. It’s one of the gems from “The Disregard Of
Timekeeping.” Plus, this CD is not without Jason beating the snot out of his kit in lieu of a guitar
solo.
Bonham: Jason Bonham – drums; Daniel McMaster – vocals; Ian Hatton – guitar; John Smithson – keyboards, bass.
For more information, check out
http://www.jasonbonham.net.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
18 Nov 2024 12:18:24 -0500.
