Rock Me

by Ed RivadaviaWhat exactly makes a rock legend? Chances are you'll never get two identical answers to such a question, but one surefire quality is the ability to excel in virtually any recording or performing situation -- no matter how short a notice. And let's not fool ourselves, as long as it was rumored to be in the cards, the pairing of classic rock icons Pat Travers and Carmine Appice via 2004's It Takes a Lot of Balls was probably whipped together on a mutually convenient free weekend or two -- all 13 songs of it! Of course, seasoned pros (legends even, remember?) that they are, Travers and Appice treat every one of these songs as if it was their last, resulting in a sense of enthusiasm that ends up carrying the day as much as their unquestionable musical chops. Faithful listeners will find instant recognition of Travers' stinging leads and enviable control of tonal textures in the excellent "I Don't Care," and fans of Appice's patented, thunderously echoed kit-sound (always showing a perfect balance between simple beats and explosively improvised syncopations) also form the backbone of a solo-friendly "Keep on Rockin'." Speaking of -- hard rock is not surprisingly the main fare on order here (best exemplified by standouts "Remind Me" and "Never Saw It Comin'"), but there's also room for a little balladry ("Hey You"), funkiness ("Stand Up"), Police-styled white-boy reggae ("I Can't Let You Go"), and even world music ("Can't Stand the Fire") to go with the hard stuff that's always been both men's specialty. Well-dosed portions of humor also pepper in the more unusual offerings such as the bluesy "Taken (The Iguana Song)," the rap-driven "Gotta Have You" (which has them sounding like metallic funk avatars Mother's Finest!), and, believe me, it's a cold but welcome day in Hell when acknowledged rock royalty manages to take themselves so lightly. And in the event anyone should pick up this album who isn't actually a card-carrying fan club member of either musician, well, chances are they won't really get the gist of all this hero and legend talk. But listen closely and you may just get it eventually.