Gamma 4

Synopsis

Sometimes reunions aren't a good thing, and this release from 2000 (reissued in 2005 on the Wounded Bird imprint) is proof of this notion. Ronnie Montrose obviously had the best of intentions in reuniting Gamma, complete with Paul Rodgers sound-alike Davey Pattison on vocals, but it falls woefully short of the marker set by the group's first three creatively titled endeavors. The production sounds painfully out of sync, with Pattison's vocals floating above everything else way too high in the mix, and Montrose only showing off his already acknowledged brilliant guitar skills rather than accentuating the songs. The painful "Resurrection Shuffle" and "Oh No You Don't!" feature a horn section that's overly polished, overly chorused, and sorely out of place, making the songs rock much less harder than it originally could have. Not an impressive return by any means. Sometimes it's just better to let sleeping bands lie. ~ Rob Theakston