Featuring Alcatrazz’s three studio albums with bonus tracks. Plus a CD of rare and unreleased material and mixes.
Singer Graham Bonnet had already enjoyed a long career that included The Marbles, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, the Michael Schenker Group plus a number of solo albums, when Alcatrazz came together in 1983. Formed by Bonnet, former New England and Warrior members Jimmy Waldo on keyboards, and Gary Shea on bass, and with a line-up completed by Jan Uvena on drums, ‘No Parole From Rock ‘N’ Roll’ (CD1) is notable for the first mainstream success of Swedish lead guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen, having previously appeared on the eponymous LP by LA rockers Steeler. Then only 20 years old, Malmsteen and Bonnet created a strong musical partnership and writing team, particularly on the singles ‘Island In The Sun’ and ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’, both of which received heavy rotation on MTV in the States and gaining them huge acclaim as far afield as Japan.
When Yngwie left in 1984 to pursue a successful career fronting Yngwie J Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Alcatrazz had not only lost a key songwriter, but also a musician who would turn out to be one of the most influential guitarists of the decade. Although relatively unknown at the time, it was a stroke of genius when Yngwie was replaced by former Frank Zappa guitarist Steve Vai for ‘Disturbing The Peace’ (CD2). Released in 1985, it was led by the single and MTV favourite ‘God Blessed Video’.
Vai left to join David Lee Roth for 1986’s ‘Eat ’Em And Smile’, to be replaced by guitarist Danny Johnson for 1986’s ‘Dangerous Games’ (CD4). Among the originals included on the album was a cover of The Animals’ ‘It’s My Life’, as well as a re-working of ‘Only One Woman’, a song written by The Bee Gees that had been a hit for Graham’s pop duo The Marbles way back in 1968.
This comprehensive collection is completed with ‘Capitol Crimes – The Unreleased Sessions (1985-1986)’ (CD4), a new collection of rare and unreleased tracks recently unearthed from the vaults. New Jimmy Waldo Mixes of ‘A Love Like Yours’, ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’, ‘Set Me Free’, ‘Rider’, are included alongside demo versions of ‘Emotion’, Losing You Is Winning’, ‘Please Call Me’, ‘Blue Boar’, ‘Ohayo Tokyo’ and ‘No Imagination’.
