7

Wow. It's no surprise why Journey picked this guy to take over the vocals on their 2006 tour. What a voice. I suppose Talisman could be considered the longest running side-project of gun-for-hire vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, but that wouldn't really be fair. I think this would be his full time gig if it were enough to pay the bills. But even though it's not, even though he plays with more famous musicians on other projects, he keeps going back to Talisman. And after listening to this cd, it's easy to hear why. Like it's stellar predecessor Cats and Dogs, this latest cd, Seven, is just the perfect showcase for Soto's vocals. The music covers a wide range of influences with a lot of depth. It's well played and well produced, but it's clearly tailored to highlight Jeff's vocals. Most people know by now that the guy is just a major talent, singing with soul, and power, and passion ... and with Talisman he gets to do all of that. And not many people do it as well as JSS. For fans of melodic rock, this is a must have cd.--Scott