Sometimes, even the biggest, wildest rocker needs to wind down for a few hours. The amps are turned down, the bright lights are dimmed and Jack Daniels is replaced with a nice cup of tea! Ok… maybe not the last one but at some point in their careers, the biggest rock bands on the planet have toned things down with an acoustic album. Nirvana famously did it with ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’ (although they did cheat a bit!), Whitesnake had success with ‘Starkers in Tokyo’ and ‘Unzipped’ whilst Scorpions released ‘Acoustica’ in the early 2000s. Even at rock gigs, it’s not uncommon for the leather bar stool to be wheeled out by a road-worn roadie, signalling a mid-set acoustic interlude. So, it’s not a new phenomenon for rock acts to perform acoustic versions of their tracks.

Taking cognisance of the above, it shouldn’t really be a surprise that Australian musician Darren Phillips (East Temple Avenue) decided to copy the format with his Darren Phillips Project by recording a 5-track covers acoustic EP of some brilliant tracks from the 1980s called ‘Acoustic Heart’, due for release on 23rd November 2022.

Covering tracks by White Lion, Warrant, Poison, Bon Jovi and KISS, Phillips recruited a stellar cast of musicians to the project, with Rob Wylde (Midnite City) on vocals/acoustic guitar, Dennis Butabi Borg (Cruzh, East Temple Avenue) on bass and long-time collaborator and guitarist/synth-master Dan Skeed completing the line-up. With Phillips and Skeed in Australia, Butabi Borg in Sweden and Wylde in the UK, the EP was recorded separately; something that has become more common following the pandemic issues of the last few years. So… can this EP stand up to the classic acoustic rock music tried with various levels of success by many of their contemporaries?

White Lion were always an underrated and underappreciated band… but not by Darren Phillips et al, who kick off the EP with ‘Tell Me’, from the band’s brilliant ‘Pride’ album from 1987. The song was the second single from the album and although it didn’t exactly top the charts, it became a fan favourite. The acoustic version stays true to the feel of the original, maintaining the harmonic vocals of the opening and the irresistible sing-along melody of the chorus. Rob Wylde’s vocals are as crisp and clear as Mike Tramp’s and at no time does he sound as if he’s overstretching. The absence of a Vito Bratta-style guitar solo doesn’t take anything away from this superb cover and gives you even more opportunity to sing along with the chorus! Mike Tramp once said that songs from ‘Pride’ were “timeless” and would “live on forever”. The Darren Phillips project more than proved his point!

Next up is one of the best power ballads of the era. A song so good that it had a central role in the ‘Rock of Ages’ musical and appears in almost every ‘Rock Power Ballads’ compilation you’ll ever find! Yup, you’ve guessed it… it’s Warrant’s 1989 classic ‘Heaven’ from their debut album ‘Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich’. They’re another band that arguably didn’t get the opportunity to reach their full potential but we are reminded of their legacy and quality in this faithful and beautifully arranged acoustic cover. Once again, Wylde’s vocals are faultless and there’s some subtle synth-strings in the background that add to the emotion of the song. A well worked acoustic guitar solo and the late key-change of the original bring the song to a close and you’re left wondering just why Warrant were looked down on by the more snobbish music critics back in the day. Wonderful stuff!

Poison is another band from the 1980s that didn’t always get the respect they deserved in the music press. But this year, they’ve had the last laugh, with many reviews suggesting that they outplayed and outshone both Motley Crue and Def Leppard on their recent US Tour. The Darren Phillips Project provide another much-needed reminder of their quality with a cover of ‘Fallen Angel’ from their sophomore album, 1988’s ‘Open Up and Say… Ahh!’. The unmistakeable opening rift remains intact with Butabi Borg’s bass providing the drive and urgency. It’s a fun sounding song that defies the sad story of the lyrics and associated music video, with the dancing bassline helping to provide the feelgood factor. There’s a slight cheat moment with a searing electric guitar solo but in all honesty, an acoustic guitar couldn’t have done the much-maligned C.C. DeVille’s guitar solo justice. Rob Wylde sounds as if he is having so much fun with this track that I imagine he was pouting and preening his way through the song just like Bret Michaels! This truly is pure pop-rock heaven!

Poor Jon Bon Jovi is getting a hard time for his live performances at the moment but at the end of the day, there’s no denying that at the peak of Bon Jovi’s powers, they were producing some of the best hard rock music ever heard. Their 4th album ‘New Jersey’ from 1988 featured some classic songs, including the next track, ‘Born to Be My Baby’. The opening of this acoustic offering is maybe slightly less frantic than the original, but the darker feel of the verse remains with Rob Wylde’s vocals somewhat throatier than before, complementing the music. The anthemic, feel-good chorus bursts to life and once again, Butabi Borg’s basslines dance in the background, driving the song along to the vocal harmonies. The guitar solo is again played on electric guitar but as well as paying homage to Richie Sambora, it also provides a great contrast to the acoustic guitars and works remarkably well. There’s a cohesive feel to the music and band dynamic and it’s hard to believe that this was recorded with band members in opposite hemispheres!

Final track ‘Tomorrow’ by the legendary KISS really isn’t an obvious choice. It’s the oldest song on ‘Acoustic Heart’, having been released in 1980 as the third single from the ‘Unmasked’ album. I’m willing to be corrected on this but I don’t believe that KISS have ever performed this track live and it has disappeared off the radar over the years for all but the most ardent KISS fans. So perhaps it was time for someone to remind us of its melodic brilliance! The vocal harmonies throughout the cover are excellent with the acoustic guitars matching the intensity of the rhythm guitars in the original and a bluesy electric guitar solo that would make you think The Starchild himself was involved in this EP! It may arguably be a lesser known and long forgotten KISS song but the Darren Phillips Project gives it new life and by stripping it back to basics, reveal some great melodies and hooks within the song. If you weren’t aware of the original version of this song, I’ll bet that this acoustic version will have you Googling the video and lyrics in no time!

‘Acoustic Heart’ is, quite frankly, an acoustic EP with all the fun and energy of loud, fully plugged-in rock music! It’s 4 talented musicians sitting around a (virtual) campfire, having a beer and strumming their guitars to their favourite rock songs from the golden age of hair and glam metal. It’s a kind of tribute to a long gone but fondly remembered era. For me, the real magic lies in the choice of songs. It would have been easy to pick the well-known big hits from the era and whilst it’s true that the chosen tracks aren’t exactly obscure, they’re not the easy, obvious picks. The arrangements and musicianship on offer are outstanding and I’d recommend giving this EP a listen with the lights dimmed and a drink in hand. No matter how relaxed you are, I guarantee that you’ll still smile and tap your feet whilst remembering the good times… whether with a cup of tea or a Jack Daniels!

‘Acoustic Heart’ is available for purchase from various outlets worldwide. Check out the Darren Phillips or Rob Wylde Facebook pages for more details or if you’re in the UK and want to purchase it in an ‘old school’ manner, get down to Replay Records in Grimsby! I