Shy - Excess All Areas (Special Deluxe Collector's Edition) (CD) - CD

Details: Digitally remastered and expanded edition including five bonus tracks. During the mid-eighties Shy were perceived as one of the best hopes to ignite the British homegrown hard rock scene. They were tipped to follow in the footsteps of similar leaning melodic rock bands such as Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, who were enjoying huge success appealing to both pop/rock and traditional hard rock fans. With this, their third album, the band refined their sound and made a concerted attempt to square up to the challenge before them. Evidence of their new-found focus was the selection of a world-renowned and highly respected producer; Neil Kernon, a man who had overseen many successful records, including Autograph, Dokken, Kansas and Queensrÿche. The band also seriously immersed themselves into writing and refining their material, often co-writing with the likes of Michael Bolton, Don Dokken and Bob Kulick. The result was a masterful album that certainly caused heads to turn and platitudes to spill forth. Originally issued in January 1987, the album boasts several important tracks, and is blessed with superb production touches that made the record, at the time, extremely competitive with songs such as 'Emergency', 'Young Heart', 'Break Down The Walls' and the plaintive ballad 'When The Love Is Over'. Although it's infused with massive harmonies, precision musicianship and superb arrangements, the record is most noticeably propelled and driven by Tony Mill's extraordinary lead vocals. It's fair to say that this album is a perfect slice of eighties melodic hard rock, one that remains a benchmark for a style that actually still sounds fresh and relevant.