JIM PETERIK & WORLD STAGE: Jim Roots & Shoots Vol.2 (A.O.R.): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

We loved it so much! That's how we feel after listening to the first volume of “Roots & Shoots”. The sadness of seeing such a monument unable to stop at the peak of his art had plunged us into abysses of melancholy. So much so that the discovery of the second volume was the source of real anguish. However, the presence of guests such as Cathy Richardson, Jason Scheff, Dave Mikulskis and above all Toby Hitchcock rekindled fragile hopes. With such companions, could Jim Peterik make up for his shipwreck and envisage a departure worthy of his work?

Indeed, how would it be possible to renew the road trip of early 2024 with the support of the Jefferson Starship singer, the ex-Chicago frontman, the Hi Infidelity vocalist (who had been one of the rare satisfactions of the first volume), and above all the faithful companion of Pride Of Lions? Quite simply, by relegating these big names to the rank of simple backing singers, instead of entrusting them with the keys to tracks that had the potential to delight the ears of melodic rock fans. Whether it's on 'Stronger Than You Know', 'Forever Endeavour' or 'Love Lives', the astonishment is obvious. While he can no longer push his voice or even hold certain notes without crooning, Jim Peterik monopolizes the vast majority of the vocals, with results that border on the pathetic. And the bottom is reached on 'The Road To Forever', which he sings solo to close the album on a stupefying note.

Admittedly, there was nothing here to get excited about, but some of the tracks nevertheless had enough elements to prove catchy. Some of them did, in fact, as long as the host agreed to take a back seat in their interpretation. The energetic 'American Dreamer', the classic but enchanting ballad 'All That's Mine To Give', the positive 'Rise Again' and the refreshingly surprising 'Hit Of Freedom' are all buoys to cling to with hope. Most of the choruses are ultra-catchy, and Peterik's trademark style should have allowed this opus to quietly maintain its place among the genre's average releases. Unfortunately, the Survivor founder's stubbornness in clinging to the microphone is the final downfall of an album already handicapped by its classicism and a few lapses of taste - the hyper-kitsch keyboards on 'Forever Endeavour' being the most dramatic example.

It's hard to imagine the Chicago legend's project surviving three albums in a row, ranging from disappointing to deeply distressing. How could such a monument fail to recognize the limits imposed by age? Why tarnish such a career at the risk of taking his fellow musicians down with him? It's hard to find the answers to these questions, so sad is it to witness such a decline, and all we can hope for now is a Pride Of Lions opus on a par with its predecessor, so that we can once again see the blazon of an artist we admired so much.
- Official website

JIM PETERIK & WORLD STAGE

JIM ROOTS & SHOOTS VOL.2

FRONTIERS RECORDS

A.O.R.