Talisman - Talisman (1990) {2003 2CD European Remaster}

Genre: Hard Rock
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 1995
Label: Rock Treasures

DISC 1:

1. Break your chains

2. Standin' on fire

3. I'll be waiting

4. Dangerous

5. Just between us

6. Queen

7. Lightning strikes

8. Day by Day

9. Women, whiskey & songs

10. Great Sandwich

DISC 2:

1. Break Your Chains (Demo)

2. Under Fire (Demo)

3. If You Need Somebody (Demo)

4. Dangerous (Demo)

5. Oceans (Demo)

6. Lightning Strikes (Demo)

7. Day By Day (Demo)

8. NJBBWD (Demo)

9. Just Between Us (Live)

10. Eternal Flame (Live)

11. Scream Of Anger (Live)

12. NJBBWD (Live)

13. Let Me Love You (Live)

Jeff Scott Soto

-- lead vocals

Marcel Jacob

-- bass

Christopher Stehl

-- guitar

Mats Lindfors

-- guitar

Mats Olausson

-- keyboards

Peter Hermansson

-- drums

Yeah here is the first Talisman album in the orginal Airplay/Vinyl Mania edition, and this group have a fantastic heavy and melodic sound, and Jeff Scott Soto is a fantastic frontman indeed, and the songwriting of Marcel Jacob is really over the top, yeah you probely know everything about this group already, but here is a short story of the group.

Talisman was formed by bass player Marcel Jacob, who had previously played with among others Rising Force, John Norum Group and Power. While Jacob was playing with John Norum, he started working on tracks which he thought would end up on Norum's second solo album. The singer on those demos was Göran Edman, also in John Norum Group at that time. But Norum rejected the songs and, in the meantime, Göran was offered the opportunity to join Yngwie Malmsteen's band.

Jacob found himself with record label interest but no band when he was later contacted by the label which had originally showed some interest in the demos.

Auditions among Swedish vocalist were unsuccessful but Cary Sharaf ex Wasa Express guitar player suggested Jeff Scott Soto: he was called, he got the material and agreed to join the band. Both Soto and Jacob had played on Yngwie Malmsteen's Marching Out in 1985, touring in support of the album to some acclaim, particularly in Japan.

In February 1989 recordings for the first album took place in Stockholm with Christopher Ståhl (Power) and Mats Lindfors (Norum, Grand Slam) on guitars, Peter Hermansson (220 Volt, Norum) playing drums on some tracks and Mats Olausson (Yngwie Malmsteen, Glory) on keyboards. Jacob programmed the rest of drums and played all rhythm guitars with the help of the producer Mats Lindfors on Women, Whiskey and Songs

Unfortunately, Electra, the label Jacob was signed to, went bankrupt just when the mixing was finished and the album'release was delayed. Meanwhile, Soto's US-based project Eyes got signed. Jacob left for Los Angeles to help Eyes demo and record what would be their first release. During this time an employee of the label that had originally signed Talisman moved to a new label and the masters of the first album were bought from the bankrupt label. So Talisman was eventually released in February 1990 on the Airplay/Vinyl Mania label. The first single I'll Be Waiting reached number 2 in Sweden's singles chart and 33,000 copies of the album were sold in two months in Sweden.