Ned Doheny: Separate Oceans Vinyl 2LP

Revenge of the quiet storm. Maybe there's something in air recently, but the resurgence of AOR and soft rock cannot be denied. Step into the Lab office on any given afternoon these days and the chances of hearing a sax solo is high (there is one going on as I write this, no joke). That said, this Ned Doheny could not have come at a better time. Ned is basically the unsung hero of breezy West Coast rock & roll. Born under a lucky star (a mansion, a state beach, and a three-mile stretch of Los Angeles road bearing his surname), Doheny was able to glide into the 70's music scene with ease. His smooth guitar skills and genius song-writing ability landed his songs in the laps of some of the biggest name's of the era - from Average White Band, Chaka Khan, George Benson and many others. Separate Oceans digs into Doheny's first 10 years of recorded material, pulling the best tracks from several out of print albums, plus 11 previously unreleased demos. Here's some sounds to get you started - "Get It Up For Love," "What Cha Gonna Do For Me," "I Can Dream," and "Standfest." This is the sonic equivalent of driving down Highway 1 with the cool ocean breeze on your skin. Double vinyl pressing with deluxe gatefold sleeve, and illustrated 8000 word essay with images from the archives of noted rock photographers Henry Diltz, Moshe Brahka, Clive Arrowsmith, and Gary Heery. Recommended.

• music label: Numero Group 2014

reviewed by TKB 05/2014