David Pack first was lodged in the public consciousness when he was part of the trio Ambrosia in the mid '70s and early '80s. With them he had a string of hits like "How Does It Feel", "Biggest Part of Me", "You're the Only Woman" and "Holdin' On To Yesterday". He went to contribute a truck load of music to various soundtracks and for other artists. Along the way he picked up some production skills and now is in demand for duties on the other side of the board.Poor David. He couldn't find any help for his new record. All he could dig up was Ann Wilson (Heart), Dewey Bunnell (America), Timothy B. Schmidt (Eagles), Steve Perry (ex-Journey) and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. He got Bernie Taupin to do cover art. Wow. Must be nice to have friends. It's not one of those affairs where the star hides behind the glossy trimmings, however. Pack plays guitar and keyboard on almost all cuts as well as producing all but one cut (which was co-produced).
The title track is up first and features the awesome vocals of Ann Wilson. It is a modest entrance to the record and Pack and Wilson sound great together. The next cut "Vertical Disbelief" sounds like Steely Dan with brassier vocals. Strangely, he covers the Ambrosia song here, "Biggest Part of Me". He wrote it so obviously he has the right to do it but it sounds close to the original to me (maybe crossed with a bit of Hall and Oates) so why bother? Odder still, is another Ambrosia cut, "You're the Only Woman". It's funkier (just slightly) than the original, though and it sounds great.
"Tell Her Goodbye" featuring Dewey Bunnell is an excellent cut. "A Brand New Start" is exceptional. Steve Perry guests on backing vocals and this is where Pack sounds the best. Perhaps Mr. Perry brought out the competitive spirit in him. Another winner is "When Your Love Was Almost Mine" where Pack's vocals are just great. "Where We Started From" with Timothy B. Schmidt continues the streak of good material.
"Everlasting" with vocal help from Stacey Hymes is a strong cut that approaches CSNY territory. The last two cuts are songs dedicated to his daughters. "Think of U (Song for Kaitlyn)" is pleasant as is "Elizabeth".
This is a great record with the exception of the last two cuts which was just OK. Pack has never sounded better and the songs are all high quality. In terms of Adult Contemporary, this should put him at the….I'm sorry, I just have to say it….head of the Pack.
