Review: SHINE featuring Terry Reid


So what do you get when you cross a legendary classic rock voice with a bunch of talented musicians from France? Answer is the ‘ Shine feat. Terry Reid’ EP. A small collection of songs from an interesting collaboration of artists. Terry Reid sounds like he has taught these promising upstarts a thing or two about good old fashioned ‘Rock N Roll’.

Shine feat TerryReid EP




It has all the elements of a good classic rock record. Its riff-tastic but in a very understated and subtle way. Progressive sounds with almost a Dave Gilmour sensibility. Question is does it have the tunes to really stand up to today’s standards?

We open with ‘Mind Dance’, the song that really has that Pink Floyd feel to it. Smooth and well composed guitar parts that weave in and out of Terry’s old school husky vocals. Some very good slide guitar work too that lends itself well to such a track. Lyrically touching on a psychedelic age, which I really enjoyed. It does however have the danger of being quite pastiche, which is what you unfortunately get from the rest of the EP. A good solid tune as an opener but was hoping for more punch.

‘I’m Here’ is a touching soft rock ballad that seems to stretch Terrys vocal talents. Deep smoky tones that range right through to a tingling falsetto that really just grabs you. Musically its a standard big chorus, big guitar sound and a string section that are found in all the right places. For me its Terry’s vocal performance on ‘I’m Here’ that makes a great song. He has this way of making it sound like he is singing from the depths of hell but does it via a church choir. Through this entire EP your mesmerised by him, and to still be able to do that after all these years is a triumph in my book.

shineWe close with ‘Feel Right’ which chugs along gently in a build up of falsettos and crunch! The drumming is the strongest part of this track. Gently pounding away but it’s a controlled tribal/hard rock element to it that drives this song along. Its a deep and thought provoking song that does not shy away from its hard edge. I was hoping for more out of ‘Feel Right’, it was lacking something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I genuinely really liked this EP, it did not shy away from what it is. It has the feel of a good 60s/70s rock record highlighting the Shine’s solid musicianship under the guidance of Terry Reid’s legendary music know how. Result is a solid , and at times quite dark, sounding 3 pack of classic rock. As able and well established these musicians are, it is a joy to take a musical trip down memory lane. I think as an EP it may not fit into the current musical climate, but why should that be an issue. It has good songs and a lot of singers could learn quite a bit from Reid’s fearless approach. Hopefully a long format project by the band will deliver that additional kick I’m now left longing for….

Peter Cornish-Barlow

Here’s a peek behind the scenes of the Shine and Terry in the studio:




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