Can You (re)imagine?
Rock Sugar - Reimaginator

Rock Sugar's album Reimaginator actually does a bit more than it says on the cover.
Not not only do they re-imagine classic 80's rock and pop, they merge (or mashup, as the term goes) them in the same song and produce something that is clever, fun, and eminently listenable.

Rock Sugar are, in effect, three quarters of Loud & Clear, the American rock/ power-pop band and Chuck Duran (all guitars, vocals), Alex Track (drums, keyboards, vocals) and vocalist Jess Harnell all play their reimaginated parts well (the band have since been joined by Johnny Five on bass guitar & vocals).
 
Special mention has to go to Jess Harnell.
The singer has the wonderful ability to be able to vocally mimic the husky tenors and purer high tenor notes required to make these musical mash-ups work so well, but then Harnell isn't just a very good vocalist, he is also a renowned voice actor and has contributed to many a project, particularly animated series and films. 

'Don't Stop The Sandman' sums it all up nicely (video at end of this article) and the more bizarre the re-imagined mix the better the song. Rick Springfield's 'Jessies Girl' and Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train' anybody? Or how about 'You Shook Me All Night Long' by AC/DC sharing musical space with Madonna's 'Say a Prayer.'

I find it highly ironic and not a little amusing that in this re-imagined retro rock day and age of ours, where most bands are producing the same or similar product for a market that both accepts and supports such, Rock Sugar are reinventing the reinvention.
They are performing versions of songs that are primarily twenty years old or more (some go back to the mid and late 70's) and yet have produced something new, fresh and musically captivating.

Even Rock Sugar's background story and biographies (featured on their website) are re-imagined tongue in cheek pieces and for those still not convinced, you could do worse than check out the audio clips from the album and hear what you think for yourselves.

In fact, just go buy the album.
But from their own site, thanks very much, not the alternative non-sanctioned or illegal download sites that shaft the band.

So thanks, Rock Sugar, because you may have cost me 20 bucks to have a copy of the album sent over but as it was released in January 2010 it's early leader for Muirsical Album of the Year. And I honestly think it will be hard to beat.
 
And thanks, Rock Sugar, for providing a version of 'Don't Stop Believing'  (complete with Metallic(a) sheen) that I can both appreciate and enjoy as much as the original. 

Ross Muir
February 2010