Do you remember Valentine? I am pretty sure that every self-respected hard rock fan out there thinks highly of the band’s debut record that was released back in 1990 under the guidance of producer Neil Kernon. In my book, Valentine is an exemplar case of an outfit that should have, could have achieved far greater things but lady luck simply had other plans for them. They had the songs, the right attitude, a stellar stage presence and a singer that worshipped Steve Perry…in other words, they had the whole package!
Now, almost 30 years later, 20th Century Music provides us with a…rough diamond! “Demos From The Attic” is essentially an album with previously unreleased stuff that was written mainly in 1991 after the completion of the tour for the promotion of the first album. Truth be told here; those songs were not written specifically for a follow-up record but Valentine were simply writing all the time. But upon listening to these 14 songs, one thing is crystal clear: most of the songs could have easily fit on the debut album or a natural sophomore effort. Yes, the overall quality of the sound could have been better –don’t forget that we are talking about demos here- but the compositions themselves are enough to send every fan of the genre to seventh heaven! Hugo Valenti absolutely shines behind the mic and the guys deliver a brilliant performance throughout the duration of the CD.
The icing on the cake is the accompanying DVD that includes excerpts from 3 shows from the first tour (where Valentine opened for Extreme and Danger Danger among others) but also behind the scene footage of the band’s video-shooting for the song “No Way”. Again, this is a true collector’s item…don’t miss it!
Highlight: During the making of the aforementioned “No Way” video, we can see the late and great Gerri Miller from the legendary Metal Edge magazine.
