Mike Tramp – Songs Of White Lion Vol.II
(Frontiers Music Srl – 2025)
(Genre: Hair Metal / 80's Glam Rock)
White Lion passed me by, so it is nice to revisit this music and re-evaluate it in modern times. I am guessing part of the reason for this is for Mike Tramp to reclaim the rights to his music from the record Atlantic the label of the time.
For a while in the mid 80’s and early 90’s White Lion roared and had success with their brand of hair metal. They exuded ‘Pride’ could they become the ‘Mane Attraction’ could they play the ‘Big Game’? The answer was no as they were eaten alive by grunge.
‘Lights And Thunder’ gets us going with thunderous drums and some nice keys, boom! boom! boom! it’s a mid -tempo powerful track with Tramp on fine form. There are some good moments on this collection of songs but an over reliance on ballads breaks any flow, especially with the syrupy sweet ‘Till Death Us Do Part’.
A real high point has to be the very Thin Lizzy like ‘El Salvador’, however as each track passes by you come to the realisation that White Lion struggle to forge an identity of their own.
Sorry I keep saying White Lion when this is Mike Tramp the former Danish front man of the group reinterpreting the songs of the band. ‘Road To Valhalla’ sees Tramp pour his heart into another ballad but it lacks sincerity. What it does have is a nice keyboard outro, which is played by Claudio Pesavento. ‘Don’t Give Up’ sees the pace quicken but our vocalist doesn’t raise his delivery with the needed power, I am not ready to give up yet but the ending is clumsy and messy.
‘You’re All I Need’ is another attempt at a heart wrenching ballad, the keys add a bit of depth and texture, as a whole it is just too sentimental. ‘Out With The Boys’ is a goodtime party anthem as Tramp reminisces about his younger days. I really like this; it features a nice rhythm and pattern. It offers a Glam Rock feel which is simple and effective. The spoken work section works very well.
‘All You Need Is Rock N Roll’, it is another dose of Glam Rock with a pulsating beat. I feel this could have been so much better if Tramp had injected a bit more pace and urgency to his vocal. The closing track ‘Farewell To You’ begins acoustically and features the lyric, “Rock Will Come & Rock Will Go” it is another attempt at a lighter waving moment but by now you have probably run out of gas.
Mike Tramp has a distinctive voice, maybe it is his Danish accent that gives it a good timbre and inflection. At times he sounds like REM vocalist Michael Stipe. The guitars like so much of the music do the job without ever making you go Wow! It has the feel of painting by numbers, there is little originality in the style. Keyboards are sprinkled over 8 of the 10 songs on offer, but they rarely get the space to shine, the production often reducing them to something of an afterthought.
In closing I appreciate this is a re-imagining of the music of White Lion, as I am unfamiliar with the originals it is hard for me to judge or put them into context. Mikkel Trempenau (Mike Tramp) is thrilled with these versions, my guess is if you were a fan of the band in the 80’s you will be to.
By Paul Mace