By: Rick Landers
A barrage of punchy rock awaits listeners on All of the Above, a recent release by the multi-talented Tom Guerra; guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer and veteran writer for some of the world’s leading music magazines.
Tom leads off his CD with Get Offa My Groove, a snap happy track with a lead saturated in classic rock that’s got a saunter and groove to help open up this solo CD – a very catch icebreaker. With Tom on guitar and vocals you get his raspy guitar pushing the tune along and a spot on vocal with playfully sassy lyrics. Obviously, the title of the song is a play on the Stone’s “Get Off of My Cloud”, but that’s only a wisp of what’s to come.
Next up is “Simple Song” that’s got a straight up Steve Miller vibe running through it, with a hint of early ‘70s rock. But, before the tune ends, he raises the bar, unleashing a fiery articulate lead that’ll grab your attention. Guerra’s rock chops are perfect, as they hit the mark. “Simple Song”plays out with a simple beat, but with Tom’s axe work, it’s supercharged.
“Dirty Son” rolls out as it rolls along, like any good road song. Put your top down and hit the nearest wide-open highway and let this track make you smile every mile.
Guerra’s ’70s and ‘80s guitar influences add weight to his songs and “Here’s Tomorrow” jangles a bit in Roger McGuinn’s “Back from Rio” style, but Tom stays true to his own melodic sense with his own lush appealing vocals.
Tom sticks it with “Queen of the Autumn Moon” that chugs and vamps along in a style that must have Marc Bolan smiling from rock heaven. The track’s got Mott the Hoople hipness, the Bolan growl locked in, yet allows Guerra to show off his talent to mold a style into his own. His talented depth and inspirational breadth unfold on “Queen of the Autumn Moon”, as on the rest of the album.
“Cup of Tea” skips along in true British beat style, roaming around the style of The Beatles where light touches of “Hey Bulldog” make us smile, as well as the lyric, “I want to tell you like yesterday,” and “Don’t you ever say you have to hide your love away”, and more pointers to the Fab Four.
Okay, by now it’s all too obvious that Tom’s tossing out a wink and a nod on this tribute to rock heroes past.
The fun continues on, “Indian”, “Refrigerator Blues” and “Frankenstein Boots” with all handing out a mix through the past darkly. As much as they haunt, they all rock with a fresh ferocity that make us want to get up and move.
“Down on the Turnpike” is a slick walk through talk through groove that could as easily be a slow burning “Life in the Fast Lane”, as it could be a playful nod to some of the more funk fashionable works of Zappa.
All of the Above, closes with the quietly romantic, “Love Comes to Us All”. The layered vocals add a sweet flourish to the lyrics, and as much as I’d guess that Tom’s paying homage to “Dust in the Wind”, he’s moved far enough off that center to call this one a style of his own making. [Guerra tells us that “Love Comes to Us All” was written in response to the Sandy Hook tragedy.]
Guerra’s done a yeoman’s job with his first solo album, that not only breathes new life into some well-worn classic rock styles, but wraps it all up as a showcase for his own high-end guitar talent and captivating vocals. Let’s hope this is the first of many more solo ventures from Mr. Guerra.
ALL OF THE ABOVE
Track List
1. Get Offa My Groove
2. Simple Song
3. Dirty Son
4. Here’s Tomorrow
5. Queen of the Autumn Moon
6. Cup of Tea
7. Indian
8. Refrigerator Blues
9. Frankenstein Boots
10. Down on the Turnpike
11. Love Comes to Us All
