Released by: Frontiers Records
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: AOR/Melodic Rock
Links: https://www.facebook.com/fortunerockers/
Line Up:
Mick Fortune – Drums
Richard Fortune – Guitar
Larry Greene – Vocals
Ricky Rat – Bass
Mark Nilan – Keyboards
Tracklist:
Don’t Say You Love Me
Shelter Of The Night
Freedom Road
A Little Drop Of Poison (For Amy W.)
What A Fool I’ve Been
Overload
Heart Of Stone
The Night
New Orleans
All The Right Moves
The music business can be a thankless bitch. For every success story, there is an untold number of sad tales of woe from bands both big and small, famous and obscure. From tales of debauchery cutting the life of a musician/band short to something as simple as a change in perspective has brought many a band to their knees. One story that seems to occur for a number of acts is having the brass ring within their grasp only to have it dashed by a label either mishandling the band or merely falling to pieces altogether (the label, not the band in this instance.) This happened to the band Fortune back in the mid to late ’80s. 1985 saw the debut of their s/t release on the same label that brought Night Ranger and Giuffria to prominence (Camel/MCA Records) and has become one of the most sought after and beloved gems of the AOR world. In some circles, it is considered the best AOR release ever. That’s a pretty lofty claim, and though I’m not ready to commit to that personally I will say it is a brilliant album. As Camel went bankrupt Fortune was lost in more ways than one. Sadly, along with the loss of their label, they also lost the rights to the masters of their album. Forming the band Harlan Cage during the ’90s, the Fortune brothers (Richard and Mick) eked out a different existence though still managed to release some excellent material. As luck would have it, Fortune found itself back again with a festival appearance back in 2016 (and again in 2017) and Frontiers Records wooed the band to the label for their sophomore release some 35 years later.
Simply entitled II, the band seems to have lost nothing in the time apart. Still firmly planted in the AOR sound, Fortune proves that time is merely a number and that when you have the talent and skills reclaiming what was once lost is as easy as it seems. While the songs are very reminiscent of the debut, they don’t come off as dated. In a lot of respects, the songs on II feel like they very much could be a reissue of a lost gem, however, played back to back with the debut you hear similarities, but they’ve managed to create riffs and melodies that transcend what the did all those years ago. Richard Fortune’s slick guitar work is a highlight for me. I love his smooth style. The voice of Larry Greene is as strong as ever… perhaps even stronger. The band sounds in top form and the songs are stunning. Tracks like “New Orleans,” “Shelter of the Night,” “Heart of Stone,” and “Freedom Road” show a seasoned band that has an undeniable chemistry that even time itself can’t infringe upon.
Bless you, Frontiers for bringing this band back to the forefront. Fortune II is such an excellent album and the perfect accompaniment to their debut, despite such a time span between them. Now that Fortune is back hopefully they will take their rightful place as one of the top bands of the genre. This is such an amazing album all fans of this style should own this one.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 9/10
About Author
