BILLY SHEEHAN - Cosmic Troubadour

Posted: 4/18/06

Reviewed by: Dirt

Category: Rock / Progressive / Instrumental

Released: 2005

Label URL: www.favorednations.com

Artist URL: www.billysheehan.com

Bassist Billy Sheehan hit the commercial big time as a member of David Lee Roth's Eat 'Em And Smile lineup.  He went on to have even greater success with the radio friendly Mr. Big.  Since the collapse of Mr. Big, Billy has recorded two solo cd's, Compression and Cosmic Troubadour for the Favored Nations label.

Cosmic Troubadour is a mix of instrumental recordings and songs with Sheehan handling lead vocals.  Sheehan handles all bass, as well as baritone 12-string and baritone 6-string electric guitars.  As is expected, Sheehan's bass is at the forefront of the music, which gives it an interesting edge, since the bass guitar isn't often given the spotlight.  With that said, Sheehan doesn't get carried away and he never loses sight of his songwriting, especially on the vocalized tracks.  Overall, there's an eerie, spacey vibe on quite a few of the tracks ("A Tower In The Sky"), and in some cases it comes across as despondent, or at the very least sullen. 

The Bloody Truth:  Billy Sheehan is regarded as one of the greatest bass players in modern music.  While Mr. Big probably provided him with solid paycheck, I imagine that it wasn't always a test of his instrumental virtuosity.  Cosmic Troubadour allows Sheehan to show more of what he is capable of (listen to him tear up the fretboard on "Indisputable Truth").  His vocals, while rather straightforward and mid-range, are well-placed to add some variety to this fifteen song disc.  While I marvel at Sheehan's chops, Cosmic Troubadour doesn't blow me out of my seat.  It is certainly an easy and enjoyable listening experience, but the lack of standout tracks forces a middle of the road score.