Year : 1985 (Japan Wasabi Records Remastered Edition 2023)
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , AOR
Country : United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 134 mb
Bio:
Alaska was a British hard rock band founded in 1983 and led by former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden.To support their first album Heart of the Storm, they toured Europe as the opening act for Manowar. Alaska broke up by the end of 1986.The band did their only session for the Friday Rock Show in 1984 and also their set at Knebworth a year later was broadcast on Knebworth Through The Night, presented by Tommy Vance on BBC Radio One.Recorded: 1984-01-13. First Broadcast: 27 January 1984. Repeated: 16 March 1984.
Bernard John Marsden (7 May 1951 – 24 August 2023) - was an English rock and blues guitarist.He is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group's hit songs, such as "Fool for Your Loving", "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues", "Ready an' Willing", "Lovehunter", "Trouble", and "Here I Go Again".Following his departure from Whitesnake, Marsden formed a short-lived band called Bernie Marsden's SOS.Not long after, Bernie Marsden formed the band Alaska with Robert Hawthorne on vocals and Richard Bailey on keyboards. Alaska released two melodic rock albums in two years, Heart of the Storm (1984) and The Pack (1985), before splitting.In 1986, he put together MGM with former Whitesnake members Neil Murray and his replacement guitarist in Whitesnake Mel Galley. The band, briefly, also included former Toto vocalist, Bobby Kimball. Recordings were made but remain unreleased.
Album:
“The Pack“ is the second and final album by cult British Melodic Hard Rock band ALASKA in its remastered version including bonus tracks.Alaska was founded and led by former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden, and after the first album release, the band toured Europe as the opening act for Manowar. A quite rare pairing, as Alaska had a very commercial, radio-friendly sound heavy on synthesizers.For 1985’s ”The Pack” Marsden pushed a bit more his bluesy rocking roots, and overall the LP sounds like ’80s Whitesnake. Still with a very polished production the LP rocks more than its predecessor, although radio-friendly. The over-polished, smooth cover of Kim Carnes’ ballad ‘Miss You Tonight’ is the most obvious hit-hunt for the band.There’s very cool rockers on here, all of which you feel could have been candidates for inclusion on a Whitesnake album if Coverdale had decided to stick with the classic British bluesy flavoured sound.‘The Thing’ has the nice soft acoustic start before building into a Zeppelin tinged rocker and ‘Help Yourself’ could also, with a bit of work on the chorus perhaps, have graced any early ‘Snake album. Bass player Brian Badhams solo composition ‘Woman Like You’ offers a couple of solo spots reminding of why Marsden is a respected if un-celebrated guitarist, whilst the punchy ‘School Girl’ and the excellent ‘S.O.S.’ both improve on that.A different direction similar to Alaska’s first LP is taken with the other tracks. ‘Where Did They Go’ has a more American flavoured AOR feel due in a large way to guest saxophonist Billy Paul taking the lead solo. More surprisingly, although perhaps not given the mid-Eighties release, a couple of tracks have more in common with the pomp rockers Magnum.‘Run With The Pack’ is a catchy melodic rocker, whilst the synthesiser and big chorus ‘I Really Want To Know’ is pure radio friendly.Fans of mid-80s melodic rock / AOR sound mixed with bluesy rockers will find a very enjoyable album in “The Pack”. It’s all very polished, melodic, rocking at places, a really well balanced and underrated album.
Line-Up:
Robert Hawthorn – Vocals
Bernie Marsden – Guitars (R.I.P. 2023) - See also: ex-Company Of Snakes, Alaska, ex-Whitesnake and many more..
Don Airey – Keyboards
Brian Badhams – Bass
John Marter – Drums
+ guest:
Billy Paul – Saxophone
Tracklist:
01. Run With The Pack
02. Woman Like You
03. Where Did They Go (Bonneville Blues)
04. Schoolgirl
05. S.O.S.
06. Help Yourself
07. Miss You Tonight
08. The Thing
09. I Really Want To Know
10. Coupe De Ville (Bonus Track)
11. Show Some Emotion (Bonus Track)
12. Baby Be Good To Me (Bonus Track)
13..You Don´t Have To Worry (Bonus Track)
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