Artist: Vaughn, Danny
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2007
Danny Vaughn is a man with serious mileage in rock music. He lost his innocence as a vocalist on one of the better albums by Waysted, “Save Your Prayers” (1986). Incidentally, Waysted was founded by Pete Way, bassist of the legendary UFO after they lost their (commercially successful) sparkle following Michael Schenker’s departure. Danny later tried his luck with the American melodic hard rockers Tyketto, with whom he recorded one of the most respected albums of the genre, Tyketto’s debut “Don’t Come Easy” (1991). And now here comes his third band, Vaughn. Unlike the pomp, glam and bizarrely oversized glitter of the turn of the decade from the eighties into the nineties, it’s more down-to-earth, with a more direct and raw sound.
“Traveller” is a rebirth for Danny. It’s a solo album, with the man backed by a crew of seasoned British rockers. Even though the years have come and gone, the flavor of both Tyketto and Vaughn is more than obviously present on “Traveller” too.
The difference in the new production is obvious! Danny has cranked up the guitar riffing a notch in the overall sonic picture, adding a pinch of the modern to the album. In short, what we’ve got is an extremely melodic, flowing album that in the hands of some slickster would surely sound downright arena-pompous, but what keeps it away from that is the live, natural sound of the production, the somewhat lower guitar tuning, their slightly smudged, groovy tone, all of it delivered in a classic hard rock style that chases big melodies. So: the eighties with a pinch of the modern. “Traveller” thus still sits closest to Vaughn and to Tyketto. Simply because of the compositions themselves, which aren’t so stylistically far apart that you couldn’t pair them up or fail to recognize their common creator.
On top of all that, “Traveller” is also an extremely mature album. A compact album. The songs don’t fluctuate in quality; they stand equal side by side. Once you listen to the album a few times, it’s not hard to figure out that a special bond ties the songs together, and the most sensible way to listen to it is always from start to finish. In fact, that way you really do get a feeling of being on a journey, and the listener actually becomes a traveler (“Traveller”).
Whether it’s the calmer Touch Of Your Hand or Measure Of A Man, or the sensual, mellow ballad Think Of Me In The Fall, where the warm, emotive touch of Danny’s vocals stands out, all the way to the opening Miracle Days, a song of celebration, Vaughn sounds completely convincing everywhere, with a great feel for a solid, confessional structure, as a singer – performer and songwriter at once. Throughout, he cultivates a genuine, sparkling melodic component, without any “sugar” that would undermine the seriousness of this release. But there are also songs whose structure pulls directly toward either Tyketto or Vaughn (Lifted). In Lifted, with its soulfully seasoned chorus, another quality comes to the fore. The chorus is lifted up by its atmosphere, masterfully supporting Danny’s lead vocal with layered background vocal harmonies. The atmosphere shifts dynamically across the record, too. After Lifted comes a much more aggressive sort of riff in Warrior’s Way, which jolts the listener out of a dream and lifts the adrenaline in the blood just a little, peaking again in a perfectly polished, melody-packed chorus. With Death Of The Tiger the album reaches one of its peaks, both compositionally and in terms of what it has to say. –The phrase Death Of A Tiger actually means that a personal realization outgrows your ego so that you cast it off, or, in plain and better words, that you put it on a leash instead of letting it keep you on one. With this song Danny Vaughn proves his spiritual maturity most directly on “Traveller”. The album is closed by the (surprisingly) calm, acoustic Better By Far, which fits the ending of this richly condensed release incredibly well.
As I said, this is an album you need to listen to from the first second to the last in one go, no breaks, no “skipping” between tracks: you just pop the disc into the CD player and you’re already off on your journey. “Traveller” is an album that all Tyketto and Vaughn fans will be happy about. It’s also recommended for every curious soul, since this is an accomplished melodic hard rock album that is by no means money thrown away, ruled as it is by the maturity of its compositions, which are steeped in an exceptional feel for melody, making for an extremely listenable album that has something extra. That “certain something” that experience brings. It’s a personal, confessional album led by an optimistic spirit. As mentioned, an album of thanks to creation, an album celebrating life. An album that proves extraordinary maturity and offers an encounter with a freshness that Danny Vaughn is still more than convincingly able to pour out into the realm of rock music.
Lineup
Danny Vaughn – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, keyboards
Tony Marshall (Contagious) – guitar, backing vocals on #4
Par Heath (Brave New World) – guitar
Steve McKenna (Ten) – bass guitar
Lee Morris (Paradise Lost) – drums
Production
Danny Vaughn
Tracklist
1. Miracle Days
2. Badlands Rain
3. Traveller
4. Restless Blood
5. That’s What She Says
6. Touch Of Your Hand
7. Lifted
8. Warrior’s Way
9. Measure Of A Man
10. Think Of Me In The Fall
11. Death Of The Tiger
12. Better By Far
Album length: 55.01
