Year : 2022
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , AOR
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 379 mb
Bio:
Project Voyager was born in January of 1999. This was the demo project of Chicago-based singer/songwriter Joe Vana. Joe was a member of Jim Peterik and World Stage at the time and was toying with the idea of getting out the songs he had co-written with Jim. Joe informed his friend and melodicrock.com webmaster Andrew McNeice, and since then Andrew's followed the project all the way through. In 1999 Joe knew he was ready to take the first step.Joe enlisted the help of Mike Aquino. Mike is Vana's guitar teacher and was playing on Joe's demos in addition to writing a lot of material with Joe. Joe then approached Jim Peterik with his idea of doing an album. Peterik agreed to produce, at minimum, the tracks he co-wrote with Vana. Project Voyager was moving forward.Joe contacted friend Fergie Frederiksen to join the mix. "I've always seen myself as a ballad and finesse type of singer," says Vana. "I wanted Fergie to sing the harder-edged numbers I had earmarked for the album." After meeting with Fergie and the investment group, they informed the project's co-producer Jim Peterik that Fergie was in. Project Voyager was moving even faster.Vana met with Jim and they discussed the game plan of who else and where? Where to record the album and who to bring into the band. Joe wanted David Hungate, the legendary bass player of Toto and about every other hit song in the '80s. Jim previously worked with Hungate in Nashville on a song written with producer Joe Thomas and Ides bandmate Larry Millas. The song "That's Why God Made Radio" was coincidentally the first song Joe ever sang with Jim Peterik. Joe contacted David by email (what a wonderful thing) and asked his availability. David agreed. Next JP placed a call to Hungate. David Hungate informed JP that Shannon Forrest had to be the drummer. Shannon was an unknown musician to Vana and Peterik. But if Hungate recommends him, who are we to question? Boy, were they glad they didn't! Jimmy Nichols was next to join Mecca's line-up. Nichols played on JP's debut World Stage album and has been a longtime friend of JP's. The studio? The Sound Kitchen in Nashville based on its remarkable capabilities and drum rooms.During this time Joe was finishing up vocals for an album on the Long Hill Entertainment label. Soon afterwards Peterik and Vana started writing more intently and Jim laid out the beginnings of a song called "Mecca." Joe loved it and they worked together to finish the song within a two-hour timeframe. Songs entitled "Silence of the Heart" and "Without You" soon followed. Vana adds, "Songwriting with Jim Peterik is so easy. He is open to ideas and different arrangements. I thought it would be hard to get the arrangements on certain songs the way I envisioned them. But Jim was real open to change. I am a sucker for breakdowns and wanted a lot of them. We got 'em." Vana further explains, "Jim also helped on songs I wrote with Jason Deroche about a year prior. I wrote those during a trying period. But Jim helped me lyrically pull the emotion through these songs. And his musical ideas and arrangements were breathtaking." Peterik and Vana discussed calling the band Mecca instead of Project Voyager. It was done. With Jim now producing the whole album and the band's team mates established, the recording process was right around the corner.Look out Nashville, here comes Mecca…
Album:
Frontiers Records is proud to present “20 Years”, a best of collection assembling the works of Mecca, the classic AOR band started by vocalist Joe Vana.When he was only 13 years old, Joe Vana’s life was forever changed through a chance meeting with Survivor’s Jim Peterik. Jim taught him everything he knew about music and the music business. But, it wasn’t until he was 28 years old that he discovered his voice, which is when he became Peterik’s in-house demo singer for many years. Joe and Jim eventually created a band called Project Voyager, which ultimately morphed into Mecca. In 2002, Mecca released their debut self-titled album, which featured David Hungate (ex-Toto) on bass, Shannon Forrest on drums, Fergie Frederiksen (ex-Toto) and Joe on vocals, Mike Aquino on guitars and Jimmy Nichols on keyboards. “Mecca” created a sonic treasure that was more than well-received by the Melodic Rock/AOR community.Fans had a nine year wait for the follow-up album, but it was worth it. Titled “Undeniable” (2011), it saw Vana working with Swedish guitarist Christian Wolff and producer/songwriter/guitarist Tommy Denander. The results were again breathtaking, an album which perfectly melded the outstanding high-tech AOR approach of Mr. Mister’s “Welcome to the Real World” to the sheer commercial brilliance of Toto’s “The Seventh One”.In 2016, the “III” album finally saw the light of day, a record that would have topped AOR charts back in the glory days of the genre. The list of players involved is impressive: Shannon Forrest (Toto), Pat Mastelotto (Mr Mister, King Crimson), David Hungate (ex-Toto), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Mike Aquino (Pride of Lions), Christian Wolff and Joe's son Joey on guitar. In Toto's Steve Lukather words: "Killer new music! Great songs! Great playing from everyone ... and Joe's vocals are better than ever! Smooth, real and soulful. I love the 'surprise modulations' that are now his style which make this a great listen for fans of his and the entire genre of melodic rock music. Creative arrangements throughout and I love the synth/keyboard work. David Hungate is amazing as is Shannon Forrest on drums and production. Great sounds and killer guitars all over it! Can't say which track is my fave yet, cause I love all of them. Summing it up in 3 words: Well f***ing done!”
Whether for the uninitiated or for those who are due to revisit Mecca, “20 Years” is for you!
Line Up:
Joe Vana : Lead vocals
Fergie Frederiksen : Lead vocals
Mike Aquino : Guitars
David Hungate : Bass Guitar
Shannon Forest : Drums & Percussion
Jimmy Nichols : Keyboards
Tracklist:
CD1: Mecca
01. Velocitized
02. Without You
03. Can't Stop Love
04. Silence Of The Heart
05. You Still Shock Me
06. Mecca
07. Wishing Well
08. Close That Gap
09. Blinded By Emotion
10. Falling Down
11. Miss-chevious (Bonus Track)
CD2: Undeniable
01. Perfect World
02. Closing Time
03. Ten Lifetimes
04. Life's Too Short
05. I Know
06. Did It For Love
07. From The Start
08. Deceptive Cadence
09. W2w
10. Undeniable
11. A s I Walk Alone
12. How Many Times (Bonus Track)
CD3: III
01. Take My Hand
02. Unknown
03. Alone
04. Gone
05. Cry
06. A Kiss On The Wind
07. Let It Go
08. Believe
09. Alone (Re-imagined Version) (Bonus Track)
10. Unknown (Re-imagined Version) (Bonus Track)
11. Know (Demo) (Bonus Track)
12. Ten Lifetimes (Demo) (Bonus Track)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
