Project: Driver is a studio album by the heavy metal supergroup M.A.R.S., released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records (United States)[1] and Roadrunner Records (Europe).[2] The band's name is made up of the initial of each musician's last name: guitarist Tony MacAlpine, drummer Tommy Aldridge, singer Rob Rock, and bassist Rudy Sarzo. Craig Goldy was their original guitarist, but he left after joining Dio.[3]
| Project: Driver | |
|---|---|
 Cover art by Guy Aitchison | |
| Studio album by M.A.R.S. | |
| Released | 1986 |
| Studio | Prairie Sun Recording Studios (Cotati, California) |
| Genre | Heavy metal |
| Length | 35:17 |
| Label | Shrapnel |
| Producer | Mike Varney |
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 4/10[5] |
| Rock Hard | 9.0/10[6] |
In a very positive contemporary review, Rock Hard called the album "exemplary" and associated the music to Yngwie Malmsteen's 1984 album Rising Force, "not only because of the breathtaking solos of Tony MacAlpine, but also because of some songwriting parallels", offering "a colorful bouquet of musical diversity" with "something for everyone."[6]
Modern reviews are less positive. Andy Hinds at AllMusic wrote that "while it masquerades as a Whitesnake-styled group effort, Project: Driver seems like another MacAlpine album with vocals added." Rob Rock was criticized as embodying "all the big-hair clichés of '80s heavy metal", while songs such as "Slave to My Touch", "Stand Up and Fight" and "Fantasy" were labeled "cheesy" and "cringe-inducing." Praise was given to MacAlpine's guitar playing, which Hinds described as "dizzying" and interesting.[4] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff defined the project as "one of those doomed and hasty assemblages of rock journeymen utterly without synergy" and called the music "unbranded ear-splitting speed metal".[5]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Tony MacAlpine, Tommy Aldridge, Rob Rock and Rudy Sarzo
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nations on Fire" | 2:52 |
| 2. | "Writings on the Wall" | 3:03 |
| 3. | "Stand Up and Fight" | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Nostradamus" | 6:14 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Unknown Survivor" | 3:41 |
| 6. | "Fantasy" | 3:30 |
| 7. | "Slave to My Touch" | 3:35 |
| 8. | "I Can See It in Your Eyes" | 4:34 |
| 9. | "You and I" | 3:56 |
| Total length: | 35:17 | |
Personnel
edit- M.A.R.S.
- Rob Rock – lead vocals, background vocals
- Tony MacAlpine – guitar, keyboards, background vocals
- Rudy Sarzo – bass, background vocals
- Tommy Aldridge – drums, background vocals
- Additional musicians
- Mike Mani – keyboard programming
- Bret Douglas, Tommy Cosgrove, Mark Tate, Dino Alden, Mike Varney – background vocals
- Production
- Mike Varney – producer
- Steve Fontano – engineer
- Dino Alden, Randy Vance – assistant engineers
- George Horn – mastering at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California
References
edit- ^ "Groups/Non-Solo Discography". Tony MacAlpine Official Website. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
- ^ "MacAlpine-Aldridge-Rock-Sarzo – Project: Driver". Discogs. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
- ^ MacAlpine, Tony. "Session Notes: M.A.R.S. - "Project: Driver". Tony MacAlpine Official Website. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
- ^ a b Hinds, Andy. "Session Notes: M.A.R.S. - Project: Driver review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2015-11-10. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
- ^ a b Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 205. ISBN 978-1894959315.
- ^ a b Trojan, Frank (1986). "Review Album: MARS - Driver-Project". Rock Hard (in German). No. 20. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
External links
edit- In Review: MacAlpine/Aldridge/Rock/Sarzo "Project: Driver" at Guitar Nine Records