With its rasterized, gamma-soaked tranquil beach picture cover and clumsy graphics, complete with a picture Mr Kimmy, smiling through his neatly trimmed goatee on the back, this has all the hallmarks of an extremely cheesy self help / motivational / relaxation CD espousing Christian values. The song titles speak volumes: 'Beyond the Impossible'; 'Infinite Love'; 'Water to Wine'; 'Old into New', 'Higher Self' and... 'Prime Mover'? Wait, surely not a cover of the Zodiac Mindwarp song, the epitome of dirty, gritty, sleazy cock-rock? No, definitely not. Not with a list of influences which include Toto, Steely Dan, Genesis, Todd Rundgren, & Al Stewart. Not in his 'Lyrically meaningful expressions of truth, love, joy, sorrow, & spiritual awakening.' Oh no.
Rod's kindly enclosed a business card with the CD. On the back, it reads 'music with a deeper meaning.' You get the picture, and Rod sings his songs about 'the magic within' in a rather uncomfortable tenor voice reminiscent of later Bee Gees recordings. Musically, I suppose it's 'rock' - but it's clean, smooth, muso rock, slick and insipid. And, to be blunt, it's ghastly.
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It's not that I have issues with music that tackles issues of morality, but it doesn't have to be so nicey nicey, squeaky clean...does it? So while Rod doesn't explicitly state 'this is Christian Rock,' and instead prefers to define what he does as a 'West coast style of adult rock containing dashes of jazz & soul' that's exactly what he's giving us on 'Higher Self.' Ok, so he's pitching his music at the grown ups - 'adult contemporary rock' isn't for the kids - but he's specifically going for the conservative crowd.
In short, it's not for me, and I really wouldn't recommend it to any of you, either.
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