ROCK BOTTOM

Obviously confident of having re-claimed the public's interest, and with the help of the CBC's big budget (the English Canadian national radio), Offenbach returns to the English rock realm with hopes of making it nation-wide. Unfortunately the album will not only miss the outside-of- Quebec target, but the album will again get ignored in Quebec, as the Sovereignty and referendum issues are very close, and the time is not for English-sung rock.

Actually this project started when Offenbach befriended Vic Vogel and his Big Band; and soon the two fused to produce a few shows and a disc. But once that over, the project left a strong imprint on this album, since the least we can say is that it is reedy or brassy affair. While the songs are good and professional, the whole thing lacks the urgency of some of their earlier albums. While the songs are properly sung in English, they never really have a sharp edge and fail to drive hooks into your attention. Even the best tracks like the title track or Ride Ride Ride are just average would-be radio-friendly tracks, if they had received any airplay. The album longest track (just over 4 mins) Georgia On My Mind (yes the Ray Charles classic) is nothing worth writing home about.

Again Offenbach, while credible in singing in English, faced the public's indifference when singing in Shakespeare's idiom and the album would be a commercial failure in both parts of the country, despite the band's drive outside the province. Personally I find this album quite expandable, despite its professional sound and fantastic production, the problem being the average songwriting and maybe (just maybe) a tad of prejudice that Offenbach showed its best side when singing French. For fans only.