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NEAL SCHON
So U
Frontiers (2014)
Rating: 8.5/10

For a guy who learnt to play guitar from the age of five, it’s no wonder that Oklahoma-born Neal Schon is such a respected musician. And when one considers that he’s been a constant member of rock legends Journey as well as working with giants such as Sammy Hagar, Michael Bolton, Bad English, Santana, Hardline, Jimmy Barnes and Joe Cocker, to name just a few, it’s also no wonder that this new studio release – Schon’s eighth – has caused such excitement.

Late Nite was Schon’s debut opus, issued way back in 1989, but he’s come a long way since then, having been inducted in 2013 to the Oklahoma Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame.

So U comes just two years after The Calling, and as one would expect from a musician who has been influenced by such a variety of artists (Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix etc.), this is a rather magical experience from beginning to end.

Fueled by soul, it’s an opus that warms the soul too, boosted by those rich vocals and sweltering chords which evoke the best of Santana at his most sizzling, and with renowned musicians Deen Castronovo (Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Vai, Journey, Bad English among others) and Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) by his side… well, this was always going to be a funk-ridden, groove-laden slab of ultra-cool rock ’n’ roll.

Opener ‘Take A Ride’ struts into the room dripping funk, sex and soul – linking the swaggering nuances of Santana with a more laid-back Buckcherry. Of course, the guitar is key as the solos literally burn through the walls, leaving a smouldering trail of electricity as a jerking organ plays backbeat to the orgy of guitar, drum and bass.

Schon has also enlisted the help of Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees) in co-writing a majority of the tracks and with Mendoza and Castronovo also sharing vocal duties, So U becomes such a refreshing and varied record of an elusive nature.

The title track begins as a reflective simmer, but vocally it radiates so much soul that it initially reminds one of a late 80s / early 90s Motown track, such is its cool harmony, which eventually builds to an almost trippy, Enuff Z’Nuff-styled sugary jerk of tumbling drums.

So U has more in common with The Beatles structurally, but such is the varied influence that it skips delightfully with a psychedelic edge. This is contrasted by the progressive strains of ‘Exotica’ where the solo worms its way between a contorted bass jolt and spasmodic drum. It’s an effortless instrumental which makes way for the sassy swagger of ‘What You Want’, the sort of funk-drenched episode one would expect from Living Colour, but it’s one that also brims with that Hendrix and, dare I say it, Prince type of edginess.

To say these tracks are instantly accessible is an understatement and they literally flow from the speakers. ‘Love Finds A Way’ has the air of a classic semi-ballad harbouring powerful vocals and a knotted bass, while ‘On My Way’ is another shot of beefy metallic funk. And the class just keeps coming; from the hard rockin’ ‘Serenity’, with its summery bop, the juggernaut rattle of ‘Shelter’ and the climax of ‘Big Ocean’ with its bluesy mastery.

As a unit, the trio of Schon, Mendoza and Castronovo are formidable, and yet they’ve carved out a record that refuses to get up in your face, but one that simply invites you to play along. Always masterful, So U is energetic, breezy and above all instant.

Neil Arnold

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