Blog Post
Michael Thompson Band - 'The Love Goes On'
Iain McArthur • Jun 04, 2023
Album Review
Michael Thompson is probably the finest soft-rock guitarist you’ve never heard of. He is an absolute master at delivering a perfect melodic guitar solo which seamlessly enhances a song and that has earned him a Lukather-esque session-work resume that includes Michael Jackson, Michael Buble, Cher, Shania Twain and Barbra Streisand among many others. He’s also the guy who supplied the guitar parts for ‘Fame’ on TV and he’s worked extensively with film composer, Hans Zimmer, including the magnificent ‘Cool Runnings’.
The 1989 album ‘How Long’ by The Michael Thompson Band (MTB) is one of the unicorns of west-coast AOR and singer, Moon Calhoun, is back in the band for this latest collection on Frontiers Music srl. As you would expect, it is a masterpiece of technical AOR and features some memorable 5-minute songs from the pen of Thompson, Calhoun and bassist, Tom Croucier.
The title track is a beautifully-crafted song full of melody and harmony that Toto would have been proud of. Michael’s guitar solo kicks in about half-way through and I swear for the first few bars it actually sounds a bit like Page’s famous ‘Stairway’ solo but, of course, he makes it his own. There’s a lovely bass line and subtle wisps of Hammond organ on the gorgeous ‘Whispers and Dreams’ which meanders exquisitely through a few keys before an exotic guitar burst from Mr T. There are a couple of mournful ballads including ‘My Forever June’ which invokes the vibe of ‘Parisienne Walkways’ with a suitably maudlin’ guitar solo but joyful tracks like ‘Just What it Takes’ quickly pick you back up again.
Overall, this is a wee gem of an album. Slightly under-stated but with a ton of class and highly recommended for those that like laid-back, technically proficient rock with a touch of class.