Before singer Steve Augeri turned up in Journey to take over from the mighty Steve Perry (and believe me, those shoes are hard to fill, but he did it!), he delivered this album to the world. And if you like him in Journey, this is definitely an album to pick up. His vocal qualities already shined in 1991.
Also the musical style of Tall Stories is akin to that of the successful Journey of the eighties. Some songs groove like opener Wild On The Run or Somewhere She Waits. Some rock, like Chains Of Love or Sister Of Mercy. And some just convey emotion, like Crawling Back or Stay With Me. It is somewhat eerie to discover the similarities in style between Perry and Augeri, without suggesting the second is a mere copycat.
So it is highly melodic rock with addictive melodies, big hooks and enough staying power to impress in the long run. Actually this is a no brainer, all melodic rock fans ought to own this album!
After his mysterious departure from the Journey ranks, Steve Augeri and Tall Stories have been reunited and released a second album in 2009 called Skyscraper. Still waiting to pick that up, but I will!
