ASAP (Adrian Smith And Project) - "Silver And Gold" album

[Number Of The Priest]

Video for the single "Silver And Gold": http://youtube.com/watch?v=-a_ton6RJbc

Wikipedia entry for the band: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASAP_%28band%29

Okay, I finally acquired Adrian Smith's solo project album and I probably haven't listened to one album so many times in a 48 hour period as this album.

I always thought Adrian had a decent voice; he sings lead vocal on Iron Maiden's b-side "Reach Out" from the "Somewhere In Time" era. This solo project gave me the dose of Adrian lead vocal I wanted to hear.

Adrian's guitar chops are also pure Adrian style at its best. Every song except 'You Could Be A King" has his distinctive bluesy, wide-vibrato, vocal-like soloing. Whoever's playing the occasional neck pickup solo really has a Dave Murray legato style; whether or not this is intentional, I have no idea. See the Youtube video link I posted above.

As for the album itself, it kind of has a lite-rock/adult-rock feel but with a tiny bit of the heavier edge we expect from a metal guitarist. I think there's not one song on the album that doesn't have a really memorable catchy hook in it. It just has this "listenable" quality to it. Adrian is a solid song/hook/melody writer. I honestly don't have a favorite song from this album... and I also don't dislike any of them.

I think it's good Adrian got all his light radio-friendly rock n' roll stuff out of the way all onto one dedicated album (good for me) because his Psycho Motel stuff that I'm listening to so far is a LOT darker, and neither ASAP nor Psycho Motel is stuff that really fits with Maiden. I haven't listened to enough of his Bruce Dickinson contributions yet so I can't comment on those, but I guess I'll track down those albums next.

[skorb]

I got that album right when it came out back in like 1992 or whenever. I liked it, didn't love it, but some of the songs are very good.

what I love about Adrian is his very distinctive soloing style, that you mentioned. you can always tell it's him, no one else sounds like that or has that kind of singing tone.

I always wondered why did didn't continue with that, it was one album and done for ASAP.

I actually don't like his playing in the Dickinson solo stuff or the new Maiden as much as the old Maiden, it just seems his killer soloing has been put in the back seat more lately.

[neilli]

I think Silver and Gold is a great album, if a little AoR. I guess it didn't continue because it didn't sell many copies!

It seems that Adrian has moved on from that style of soloing recently, which I think is a great shame - the melodies he used to come up with were just awesome. My favourite composer of solos...

[sevser]

I remember when that came out...For the time I thought it was okay...Still, I was pissed that he quit Maiden.

He does have a decent voice...He kinda reminds me of Aldo Nova in that vid... Or a Joe Elliot and Phil Collin love child...

[toejam]

I got the Silver and Gold CD when it came out, pretty good. I actually listened to it a few months back. Gotta dig it out again and give it another spin.

[Sjusovaren]

I actually love the album. Adrian is my favourite guitarist and he has a great voice too. My favouritesongs are probably.. The Lion and Wishing Your Life Away.

[JRE]

I have it too....haven't listened to it for YEARS!

Thanks for the review, and i too will dig it out of the cabinet.

[Vass]

Maiden suffered greatly in the years that Adrian was gone. Post "Seventh Son" the feel of the band changed dramatically. I was a huge Maiden fan at the time (still am) and had worn out my copy of 7th Son. For the most part No Prayer left me cold.

Go back and look at 7th Son's songwriting. Moonchild, Can I Play With Madness, & The Evil that Men Do all have Smith as the primary song credit. Go back to Somewhere in Time- Wasted Years was Smith only, as was Stranger in a Strange Land and Sea of Madness. These are some of the most melodic, maybe even "radio friendly" songs on these albums. The hooks in all the songs mentioned are some of Maiden's best.

Anyway, yeah that is the cool thing with the Murray/Smith dynamic- You never have to ask yourself, "Which one of em was that"? Totally different styles, like 2 primary colors working together. As well thought of as they are together, I have no problem at all calling them "terribly underrated".

Vass

[Davey]

great album for easy listening. not a huge fan though

[skorb]

Maiden suffered greatly in the years that Adrian was gone. Post "Seventh Son" the feel of the band changed dramatically. I was a huge Maiden fan at the time (still am) and had worn out my copy of 7th Son. For the most part No Prayer left me cold.

Go back and look at 7th Son's songwriting. Moonchild, Can I Play With Madness, & The Evil that Men Do all have Smith as the primary song credit. Go back to Somewhere in Time- Wasted Years was Smith only, as was Stranger in a Strange Land and Sea of Madness. These are some of the most melodic, maybe even "radio friendly" songs on these albums. The hooks in all the songs mentioned are some of Maiden's best.

Anyway, yeah that is the cool thing with the Murray/Smith dynamic- You never have to ask yourself, "Which one of em was that"? Totally different styles, like 2 primary colors working together. As well thought of as they are together, I have no problem at all calling them "terribly underrated".

+100

most of the best and most singable/memorable IM songs were written or cowritten by Adrian Smith. not all, but most.

once he left, the heart went out of that band. he and Davey were a pair of the kind that rarely comes along, they just had magic together.

I was glad to see him back, with Bruce, but it's too bad that he's kinda moved on in playing style, as his 80's singing lead tone and pronounced soloing attack was something very special. the newest IM cd is just OK.

[necrotechno]

What happened to their artist, Derek Riggs? One of their live videos featured him heavily, saying he was pretty much a member of the band. But his last cover was No Prayer For The Dying. Bruce got him back for Accident of Birth, which was also the reunion with Adrian Smith, of course. But Derek never came back to IM like Adrian did.

[tmmsjm]

What happened to their artist, Derek Riggs? One of their live videos featured him heavily, saying he was pretty much a member of the band. But his last cover was No Prayer For The Dying. Bruce got him back for Accident of Birth, which was also the reunion with Adrian Smith, of course. But Derek never came back to IM like Adrian did.

http://www.derekriggs.com/

[necrotechno]

Well isn't that convenient.