Here’s in exclusive the just released Music On CD reissue of 1992’s GIANT second album “Time To Burn“.
Vocalist / guitarist Dann Huff had proven his guitar playing chops as a studio musician on hit albums and singles across the 1980s before starting the band with brother David Huff on drums, Mike Brignardello on bass and Alan Pasqua on keyboards.
For “Time To Burn” the group was joined in the writing process on two songs by Jim Vallance and on four by no-other than Van Stephenson, the latter of whom also guested on background vocals in the studio. Huff had previously done guitar work on Stephenson’s solo albums, and they wrote the songs featured on this record.
With a huge melodic hard rock production handled by Terry Thomas, who had previously produced albums for such rock notables as Bad Company and Foreigner, “Time To Burn” is a killer record, among the best from the era.
Indeed, this is a monster album, almost as brilliant as their debut. In fact, for many fans, “Time To Burn” is a better, more complete record.
And that’s because on “Time To Burn” Dan Huff’s guitar playing is augmented delivering incredible chops and blinding technique (especially on the title track). The rest of the band provides equally impressive musicianship throughout, and one is left with the feeling that this record would have been a smash had it been released around 1987.
Though devout Christians, the members of Giant don’t let their beliefs interfere with the music, and songs like “Chained,” “Stay,” “Without You,” and the Jim Vallance co-written “I’ll Be There (When It’s Over)” possess fantastic melodies, hooks, and singalong choruses.
The band also achieves near-perfection on heart-rending ballads such as “Now Until Forever” and the stunning “Lost in Paradise.”
With no signs of slump in quality, the CD starts off with formidable rocker ‘Thunder and Lightning’ (a Van Stephenson co-write), then soulful and sensitive midtempo ‘Chained’ (which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart) and so on to finish without any weak track.
This is purely the top-notch level of songwriting, it is hard to beat them… ‘Time To Burn’, or in other words burning you alive melodic hard rock release. Don’t believe? Look at that already flaming dude on the cover.
Awesome album
01 – Thunder And Lightning
02 – Chained
03 – Lay It On The Line
04 – Stay
05 – Lost In Paradise
06 – Smoulder
07 – Time To Burn
08 – I’ll Be There (When It’s Over)
09 – Save Me Tonight
10 – Without You
11 – Now Until Forever
12 – Get Used To It
Dann Huff – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Alan Pasqua – keyboards, backing vocals
Mike Brignardello – bass, backing vocals
David Huff – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Van Stephenson, Terry Thomas, Anthony Zecco – backing vocals