Track Listing

1. This Is
2. Turn It Up
3. Runnin' Me Up
4. Every Second of Every Day
5. Spinning Out
6. Can't Find My Own Way
7. Skin Crawl
8. Low
9. Connected to You
10. Halo
11. It's Entertainment
12. Shadow Man

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86385 in Music
• Released on: 2008-06-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Album Description
2008 debut album from this Rock trio featuring Phil Collen (Def Leppard), Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) and Simon Laffey (Girl). It all started some time in 2004 when Phil Collen, after 20+ years as lead guitarist for DEF LEPPARD, decided he needed an avenue for his material that did not fit into the classic Def Leppard mold. He hooked up with his former bandmate Simon Laffey, now a studio musician, and the nucleus of Man Raze was born. Having demoed the songs with programmed drums, they both decided that a live drummer was needed. Enter Paul Cook, drummer for the Sex Pistols! 12 tracks including 'This Is It', 'Turn It Up', 'Skin Crawl' and more.

Customer Reviews

A surprising side-project
The Good
If you are not familiar with just who Man Raze is, it's Phil Collen of Def Leppard (guitar/vox), Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols (drums), and Simon Laffy of Girl (bass). "This Is" comes at you at break-neck speed. The rhythm is oh so Sex Pistol-like and the melodic vocals are definitely Def Leppard-ish in delivery. Driving guitar riffage and pounding drums lead the change on the commanding track "Turn It Up." The band takes an interesting turn on the reggae-style track "Runnin' Me Up." Even though the song sounds a little out of place with the ones before it, it it done quite well. The band takes a dark turn on "Spinning Out." The harmonies remain strong and the vocals inflect a hint of ZZ Top. "Skin Crawl" delivers a hook laden chorus with its 70s British rock sound. "Halo" could easily been on the latest Def Leppard release, as it mixes a little bit of rock with a bit of power pop.

The Bad
Nothing

The Verdict
Side-projects are always a bit of a gamble. People really expect another version of the band you're normally in. However, the point of a side-project is to do your own thing. That's exactly what Phil Collen manages to do with Man Raze. However, despite branching out into the punk, reggae, and the classic rock field on Surreal, Collen manages to capture some of the magic from his tenure with Def Leppard. The same goes for Cook and his drum work. I honestly thought Laffy was singing until I read the liner notes. I must say Collen's vocals are quite impressive and no doubt (with his guitar playing) played a part in Def Leppard success. If things don't work out with his day job (as if), Collen and his Man Raze cohorts have enough talent and inspiration to make it just as big.

Great, diverse sounding album
"Surreal" is a great debut album for Manraze. It has everything from power chords to reggae grooves with hooks everywhere. What's best is they don't sound like The Sex Pistols, they don't sound like Def Leppard; they sound like themselves. This is one of those albums where each song is your favorite until the next one comes on. Fans of these guys' previous bands will enjoy it but even if you have no idea who Phil Collen, Paul Cook and Simon Laffey are you'll find yourself instantly hooked.

Better than Sparkle Lounge
This is the record Def Leppard should have put out instead of their newest. Phil sounds just like Joe Elliott - far out.