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Andy Timmons - That Was Then This Is Now

Artist:	Andy Timmons
Title:	That Was Then This Is Now
Label:	Favored Nations FN2200
Length(s):	68 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2002
Month of review:	[05/2002]

Line up

Andy Timmons - guitars, vocals on 16
Mike Daane - bass
Mitch Marine - drums

Tracks

1)	Super '70s	4.21
2)	Pink Champagne Sparkle	3.42
3)	Falling Down	4.22
4)	Beautiful, Strange	3.52
5)	Turn Away	4.14
6)	I Remember Stevie	5.18
7)	Cry For You	6.56
8)	Farmer Sez	1.47
9)	Electric Gypsy	4.34
10)	It's Getting Better	4.44
11)	That Was Then, This Is Now	3.43
12)	Groove Or Die	2.26
13)	A Night To Remember	5.32
14)	Carpe Diem	4.00
15)	Donna Lee (live)	3.05
16)	Slips Away	4.48

Summary

Andy Timmons was, before I heard the album here reviewed, a complete unknown. It is apparent that he released a few albums before this one, specifically ear X-tacu and ear X-tacy 2 from 1994 and 1997 respectively. It also happens to contain four new studio tracks and a live one, a Charlie Parker cover.

The music

Andy Timmons is foremost it seems a guitarist, also shown in the photo's in the booklet. This is also apparent from the song material, although he tends to avoid experimenting too much and has a good ear for melody. Good examples especially are the first four tracks, which are maybe surprisingly also the new tracks on the albums. A good example of this is Super '70s with a quiet opening, but turning into energetic guitar rock later on with a strong melody. Easy on the ear, and satisfying as well. Pink Champagne Sparkle evolves from a blues idiom with plodding drums and strangely, quite catchy even. Plenty fo variation to keep me interested. Falling Down is slower with a low grumbling bass and a whining guitar. Beautiful, Strange is a bit more distinctive with good melodies and a somewhat Arabic feel.

The next few tracks are usually not as likable, coming from his 1994 release. Turn Away is quite faceless, while I Remember Stevie is a bit monotone in its drumming. The blues underground and the reference to Stevie Ray Vaughn. Cry For You is the best among the tracks from the 1994 release. The opening is slow, but carries a strong emotion with lots of high long chords. After a while the rock becomes more apparent and the ending is quite full of sound with lots of things happening.

After the forgettable country tune Farmer Sex, Electric Gypsy is a bluesy tune with rock injections. Sometimes quite hefty, melodically okay. It's Getting Better is not making it better though: ratehr boring this one, although we finally get a bit of keyboards appearing.

The title track is the first one from the 1997 album. Very pacey and energetic with a big number of notes played in a small space of time. Played with precision. Groove Or Die is even pacier and gets to be positively Malmsteenian with its baroque feel. A Night To Remember opens with atmospherics (hey?) followed by a long solo, one of the better ones on the whole album. Carpe Diem is back to the first album and reeks too much of Bryan Adams.

Swing we find on Donna Lee, a live track written by Charlie Parker. The live feel is strongly apparent. Slips Away is a tribute to George Harrison. Strangely enough the song comes from the 1997 album. This is the only vocal track on the album and a strong song to begin with. It is only one of the rare acoustic moments on the album and has some Beatles influences as well, without being too apparent. Very nice.

Conclusion

Certainly not a bad album this, but especially the songs taken from the 1994 album are a bit too uneventful (Cry For You excepted). Timmons shows himself a guitarist with the capability of conveying emotion and having a good ear for melody. Nothing much proggy happening there, though.