Welcome to Heavy Pettin's Official Myspace. The New Album 'Prodigal Songs' is released..
Heavy Pettin - Prodigal Sons
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--------------------The legendary Scottish melodic hard rock band, Heavy Pettin laid down a veritable plethora of tracks throughout their career that, for one reason or another (none good), got left on the cutting room floor.
The 13 tracks here are the result of a well judged (and exacting) sift through that material. There are some absolutely killer tracks here. Why they never got released before is a question only severely misguided and/or incompetent label executives can answer.
Thankfully, the enlightened team at Majestic Rock Records have now exposed these recordings to us all.Okay, on occasion, there's a clear demo quality aura. But unless you're an obsessive, your own aural equaliser will make the necessary adjustments.
Interestingly, the band produced all of these tracks themselves. No coincidence then that it's much harder to hear any Def Leppard comparatives.
Opener 'Break It Down' sounds raw, powerful and utterly magnificent. One of those songs that has both immediacy and stamina, standing up to repeated plays with a combination of grace and conviction.'I Don't Care What You Say' mixes pop and rock in equal measure.
The anthemic 'Merry Go Round' is perfectly pitched radio rock. With polish and marketing push, this track could have been a monster.
The hard driving 'Don't Walk Away' takes a more dramatic turn, an energetic road song with a grown up resonance.
'Hot Woman' is the album standout by a considerable margin. A thrusting riff, matched to a loud percussive thump and a hooky chorus is topped off by a backing vocal chant, very much expressed in the local vernacular.
The lean, Americanised hard rock of 'Knock Em Dead' and the lush, Foreigner-esque 'My Love For You' lift the back end of the album, both displaying a growing confidence and skill in the song writing process.Taken as a whole, 'Prodigal Songs' prove what most of us already knew. Heavy Pettin could've and should've. The fact that they didn't is one of rock music's sad but unavoidable truths.
Still, listen to this and enjoy the visceral thrill.Rating: 7/10Written by Brian
Tuesday, June 05, 2007Revelationz Magazine
http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=2241Throw a party and throw it my way. "Prodigal Songs" is the retrospective return of the prodigal sons of Glasgow. Yes sir indeed, prepare yourself for a party and get your throwing arms together, the Heavy Pettin lads are ready to embarke on yet another homerun for Scotland. Well, to be honest, there hasn't been too many homeruns for the highlanders lately.This is however an entire album of previously unreleased material (13 tracks) and the quality of the songs does surprise. That's an understatement really, I can't recall the last time a band released such a impressive bunch of left-over. It's material recorded between the years of 1982 and 1987 and it's songs created without the interferance from any three-piece suits aka tossers. For example, you have from the first HP recording session in 82, "Speed Kills", which remained a solid live favourite but was never officially released up until now."Break It Down", recorded in 1987, opens up the CD and sets the standard of the entire album. I'm not sure about that horrible sounding keyboard on "I Don't Care What You Say Anymore". Straight out of the 70's Pop, boogie-woogie culture, I believe? It's otherwise an ok toon though. "Keep On Believing" is a great semi-ballad that was recorded in preperation of what would become the "Rock Ain't Dead" album. I simply can't get, "Hot Women", out of my mind (heh!), the song has been blessed with one of those killer beats in the vein of "The Stroke". Recorded in late 1987 and in anger of the ill-fated "Big Bang" album, this has clearly become one of my all-time favourite songs by the band. Marvelous beat, catchy refrain, and a fun party sound, makes this a great feel-good moment.Yep, this is sure something worth getting excited about. It's very much the classic sound of Heavy Pettin and a must have for the fan of mid-80's hardrock. Can't find the CD in your local stores? try getting it direct from the majesticrock.com site. Recommended.
www.heavy-pettin.comReview by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
20 May 2007 Rockunited.comhttp://www.nehrecords.com/SHOP/HeavyProdigal.h
tm'Prodigal Songs' is that rarest of beasts, an album of previously unreleased material that genuinely does raise the bar…
Containing both the very first and very last things the band ever recorded during their time together in the 80's, the album documents an alternative history of the band through tracks you've never heard but will wish you had. The story it tells is one of persistence in the face of adversity, of not giving up when the going got tough and of the glory days of US tours and hundreds of thousands of album sales. Few bands hit the highs and ploughed the lows the way Heavy Pettin' did. And this is that story, told in their words and with their previously unreleased songs. This is the album that could have - should have? - been. With extensive sleeve notes through out from the band and respected journalists, 'Prodigal Songs' is a must have. Simple as that
