Dave Stewart and Kara DioGuardi "Make Believe" with this "lost" album
Written: Oct 11 '06 (Updated Oct 11 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: DioGuardi is a revelation as a vocalist. Dave Stewart's is great as always.
Cons: The damn story that was created.
The Bottom Line: Get past the silly story and just listen to the msuic. It's pretty good. DioGuardi and Stewart make for a good team.
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| MattBjorke's Full Review: Make Believe by Platinum Weird |
"Make Believe" is an appropriate title for this "lost" 1974 recording from guitarist Dave Stewart, a Rock N Roll Hall of Fame member for his days in the Eurythmics. This past summer (2006) stories started to surface that Stewart had remembered a period in the early 1970s where he met and fell in love with, a woman named Erin Grace. They collaborated on a few songs and created the band Platinum Weird. They supposedly were the darlings of fellow rock stars like Mick Jagger and Stevie Nicks with nicks saying that Grace is the woman who gave her "styling" suggestions. They were supposedly signed to Elton John's Rocket Records and then to top it off Ringo Starr played drums on a few tracks.
Umm….kay….
In reality Platinum Weird was conceived by Stewart and super pop songwriter Kara DioGuardi in 2004 after the two were paired to write for The Pussycat Dolls album by Interscope President Jimmy Iovine. In fact, it was Iovine who created this back story. Stewart says that the story does have some true elements and that he did indeed write some songs with a woman in the early 1970s before she disappeared from his view and that DioGuardi started singing "Will You Be Around" with Stewart. She said that she was taught music by a 'hippie woman' while growing up near New York City and they both figured it was the same woman. So, coming up with a fake story that sounds like it should be a movie (Garth Brooks and his crazy Chris Gaines story anyone?), Iovine, Stewart and DioGuardi created some heat for their band. Originally intending to release a self-titled album voiced by Kara, Interscope and the duo instead chose to release those 'lost recordings' from 1974 and call it "Make Believe."
To be honest if it weren’t for the fact that Best Buy had this CD at $7.99 along with a few other CDs I picked up (country group Heartland being one), I wouldn't have gotten the disc. One other reason I picked up the disc is that Best Buy was exclusively offering the originally scheduled Platinum Weird album as a bonus disc. So I will review the two discs and compare the few tracks that overlap (on a side note it appears that the collective press as a whole never did receive "Make Believe" for review only the eponymous album).
First up is the 'lost record' and first single "Will You Be Around." Early reports of the song sounding like a lost rumours-era track were dead on as the song has a haunting and hypnotic vibe to it and it truly is amazing to hear the two versions of it. One sounds like it mimics the 1970s style while the "PW" bonus disc version has the unmistakable sound of a modern pop rock song that wouldn't be outta place on Kelly Clarkson's record. What's immediately evident from this track alone is that Stewart has found himself a powerhouse of a singer in Kara DioGuardi. Her talent as a songwriter hasn't been questioned for years and I guess Iovine felt it was best to create a fake back story that would compel people to buy their record when the combination of two talented platinum-plus artists should've been enough. Word has gotten out that both records were produced not by Dave Stewart and Dennis Douglas but by super producer John Shanks.
"Lonely Eyes" opens up with a tasty piano/drum backbeat and instantly showcases Kara (as "Erin Grace") singing with a husky vocal that's not unlike Annie Lennox. "Happiness" is a hypnotic bass and jangly guitar filled ballad on "Make Believe" and is given a distinctly modern pop sound in terms of production and vocals that again finds Kara not far from her pop songstresses who she writes for. She sounds like a cross between Pink and Lindsay Lohan if that seems at all possible. After alternating between these two tracks its amazing that DioGuardi is able to make her voice chameleon-like, something many vocalists are afraid to do but something that she should be commended for.
The appropriately titled "Make Believe" finds Kara singing over strong instrumentation that the liner notes say that Ringo Starr had a hand in. Kara's vocal is again the main treat of the song with lyrics that. "Picture Perfect" is a hypnotic piece of work, 'lost track' or not. It's simply a good pop song that is professionally played and produced. Right from the intro of to the forefront drums (again supposedly played by Ringo), "If You Believe In Love" doesn't have the sound of a song that was produced in 1974. It sounds like it was recorded in the here and now and it really sounds like it's Bon Jovi fronted by a chick (with Shanks producing the song that shouldn't be a big surprise).
"Love Can Kill The Blues" has the sound of a lovely 80s pop song, not a 1974 Beatles-influenced track. Still, it's a very good ballad with a striking vocal from Kara that has me wondering why she's not been given a chance to record her own stuff before now. On the self-titled disc this one sounds like it is a song that wouldn't be out of place on a pop or even a country disc. "I Pray" is the fourth track that crosses both discs and it's the 7th track on the "Make Believe" record. To be honest, I am starting to think that the "Make Believe" disc actually showcases Kara as a distinctive singer in this day and age while she sounds slightly like the women she's written for on the "Platinum Weird" disc that was shelved (to record more material I guess) until early 2007.
If there were any track on "Make Believe" that could perpetuate the story and maybe even legitimize it, the song is "Piccadilly Lane." It's a melancholic track that Stewart is singing the leads for. It's the one song where the two can showcase their strong partnership and harmonic abilities. "Goodbye My Love" ends the "Make Believe" Record and it's an atmospheric ballad that sounds pretty good with its piano fills and steady trippy guitar from Stewart.
"Taking Chances" is an acoustic pop gem that is the 2nd track on the self-titled bonus disc that was sent out for review to many people. Sounding like it could be a Faith Hill outtake, Kara really gets to showcase her good vocals and I have a feeling that this one'll be released as a single when it undoubtedly is released on the proper 'modern' release in early 2007. "Nobody Sees" is another solid pop song that shows a distinct similarity to the voice featured on the "Make Believe" record (thus helping prove that the whole back story of a lost record is nothing but an elaborate hoax). Still, it's a nice little pop song. "Crying At The Disco" is a definite highlight that again finds a similarity to other pop singers yet Kara's own vocal really does stand out. She's a gifted singer and the strong guitars that Stewart shows off here gives the song a slight alternative rocker-chick vibe to the whole ordeal. I can see this one getting some airplay if it's indeed on the official release of the record in 2007. "Avalanche" too has a strong pop-rock vibe not unlike Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" as does "Somebody To Love" though it's more 80s-like.
"All My Sorrows" is a sad mid-tempo ballad that has Kara singing a little 'breathy' while "Mississippi Valentine" is a nice string-laden ballad that showcases some fine guitar solos from Stewart (it has an 80's feel as well). "When We Met" ends the record with a nice lyrical song that has me feeling pretty good about Dave Stewart and Kara DioGuardi's upcoming proper release.
While the back story was enough to intrigue me, the music made by Stewart and DioGuardi is enough to keep me interested. This is good pop/rock music from two very talented artists who were, ironically, paired by a record label executive so that they could write songs for, at the time, a vegas cabaret act. While the duo weren't writing songs for the urban pop that the group was going for, Iovine loved what he heard and concocted the story. I would implore fans of female pop rock vocalists to give DioGuardi a shot by picking up this record. I would also think that fans of Dave Stewart would go ahead and pick up the record as well. If you wanna hear the album as I've reviewed it here you'll probably need to head over to Best Buy to get their version of the limited edition record. It's gonna only be out for a little while and if Platinum Weird becomes popular on the basis of their upcoming record (which may very well be the 12 tracks featured as this 'bonus disc'), then it will become a 'collecter's item,' 1974 release or not.
Disc Info:
"Make Believe: Previously Unreleased Recordings 1974"
1. Will You Be Around
2. Lonely Eyes
3. Happiness
4. Make Believe
5. Picture Perfect
6. If You Believe In Love
7. Love Can Kill The Blues
8. I Pray
9. Piccadilly Lane
10. Goodbye My Love
"Platinum Weird: Best Buy Bonus Disc"
1. Happiness
2. Taking Chances
3. Will You Be Around
4. Nobody Sees
5. Crying At The Disco
6. Avalanche
7. Somebody To Love
8. All My Sorrow
9. Love Can Kill The Blues
10. Mississippi Valentine
11. I Pray
12. When We Met
Produced by John Shanks.
All songs written by Kara DioGuardi/Dave Stewart with help from John Shanks on a few of the tracks.
Recommended:
Yes
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MattBjorke
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Location: Music City, TN, USA
Reviews written: 485
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