A good insight into what might have been.

Canadian rockers Gypsy Rose released their debut album 'Prey' on Gene Simmons' label back in 1990, and like many bands from that era, failed to hit the big time despite major label backing. The album was a good enough collection of songs in the Skid Row, Baton Rouge and Surgin' wheelhouse, but despite its appeal to some Melodic Rock fans, it wasn't enough to make them stand out from the crowd and thus progress to the big league.

Fast forward to 2018 and front-man Michael Ross has been busy preparing two albums of previously unreleased work that has been touched up for public consumption. The first, 'Shattered Affair: 1986-1989 Roots And Early Days', consists of tracks from two early Ross-fronted AOR bands, namely Shattered Heart and Secret Affair. The songs are typical of what you would expect from that period and the sound quality varies from track to track; however, it's a good representation of everything popular among fans of the genre

'Rosary Of Tears: 1988-1991 Outtakes & Unreleased Recordings' is the second of these two offerings and it's compiled from demos that would have been on the follow-up Gypsy Rose record, but a lack of support from the label and the changing musical climate put an end to that idea. This is a better selection of songs than the "early days" release and overall it has a better sonic quality, although there are still a few tracks where the sound is below par.

These two albums will certainly have an appeal, and they offer a good insight into what might have been; however, I would say they are probably for diehards only.

Carl Noonan