Craig Erickson Project
"Shine"
Grooveyard Records

Rob Lamothe (Riverdogs singer): vocals on six tracks. Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple singer): vocals on one track. All the signs are that this will be a great album. And indeed, this is a great album! It starts with "Businessman", a blues rock track Jeff Healey would be proud of. The next track, "Familiar", is the absolute highlight of the album. A great, very relaxed track with a fantastic refrain, vocals by Rob Lamothe. Would be a highlight on every Riverdogs album. Also the other tracks with Rob on vocals are top notch. But the performance of Craig Erickson (who already released several albums before) should not be underestimated: he's playing a great bluesy lead guitar, singing and also performing the bass and keyboards on some tracks. The atmosphere sometimes reminds me of the great band The Joneses (anyone remember them?). "Wild Dogs", the track with Glenn Hughes on lead vocals, is a Tommy Bolin (R.I.P., ex-Deep Purple) cover version. A great track! "Angel" (a Jimi Hendrix cover version, Rob Lamothe on vocals) reminds me of Rob's solo albums (due to the laid back instrumentation). This is one of the best blues rock records I've heard in a long time. All fans of the Riverdogs and Glenn Hughes should get it anyway. Contact: www.craig-erickson.com.

---Rage
Rock Reunion - Germany - 2001