Lana Lane - Curious Goods

Collaboration and Vision Mark New Symphonic Rock CD

(Los Angeles, CA, 12 April 1996) Following her acclaimed 1995 debut, LOVE IS AN ILLUSION, Los Angeles symphonic rock vocalist Lana Lane returns with a powerful artistic vision in her new album entitled CURIOUS GOODS.

Like its predecessor, CURIOUS GOODS features Lane's trademark soaring vocals which have been described as "clear, sweet and expressive", "sorrowful", "dramatic" and "angelic". Lane's influences combine 70's rock greats with Jazz and Big Band singers, resulting in a unique style rich from decades of musical adventure.

CURIOUS GOODS has a strong focus on melody and harmony without being blatantly commercial. Memorable choruses from tracks such as "Emerald City" and "Voices" are juxtaposed with aggressively symphonic passages such as the angular string fugue in "Symphony of Angels" or the vibrant guitar and keyboard interplay in "Escher's Staircase".

Lana Lane is a principal writer on many of the tracks that appear on CURIOUS GOODS. The album started from a series of successful collaborations between Lane and guitarist Neil Citron where the two would pass tapes back and forth, each time adding to the other's ideas. Citron, an accomplished musician and producer himself, was drawn to Lane's music after participating as a session player on Lane's debut, LOVE IS AN ILLUSION. Influenced by guitar greats such as Steve Vai and Jeff Beck, Citron is a master of both technique and timbre. Citron provided the strong musical foundation Lane was seeking for her follow up.

Citron brought friend and famed bassist Tony Franklin to the project, who had heard LOVE IS AN ILLUSION and was impressed by the depth and versatility of the music. Franklin hails from Darby, England and got his big break in music playing for folk / blues legend Roy Harper. It was with Roy Harper that Franklin began working with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and ultimately started the band The Firm with Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers. After The Firm, Franklin joined former Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes in Blue Murder, which enjoyed huge international success. Franklin brings an undulating groove to the project with masterful prowess on both fretted and fretless basses.

Producer Erik Norlander had originally intended to be involved in only an advisory capacity, but after hearing the work that Citron and Lane had produced, he ultimately signed on as producer and keyboardist for the record, writing additional tracks with Lane and Citron to expand the scope of the record. Norlander had recently brought Lane in to sing on the bonus track "Stardust" for his band, Rocket Scientists, on their album, BRUTAL ARCHITECTURE. Norlander was enchanted with the warmth and presence of Lane's vocal on this track, and worked to expand this sound on the closing track of CURIOUS GOODS called "Clouds", which was written by David Gates from the band Bread. Lane had chosen this track for her record, which ironically (and unbeknownst to Norlander) had a very similar chord progression to "Stardust".

Norlander brought virtuoso drummer Tommy Amato to the project to complete the lineup for CURIOUS GOODS. Amato, also a member of Rocket Scientists, played on half of LOVE IS AN ILLUSION and became a fan of Lane's as a result. Amato has played for such artists as Warrant, Savoy Brown and Doro Pesch among others, and is a highly sought - after session commodity in Los Angeles. Like Rocket Scientists, Amato cleared his schedule for Lane Lane and joined the project as a full band member.

CURIOUS GOODS contains 13 dramatic tracks which Lane selected to define her sophomore entry into the rock n' roll foray. Of special note is the track "Take a Breath" written by longtime friend Tully Winfield and Rocket Scientists bassist Don Schiff. Winfield and Schiff wrote the track "Cold Outside" on LOVE IS AN ILLUSION and wanted to contribute to the follow album as well. The album is framed by the conceptual pieces "Curious Goods Part One" and "Curious Goods Part Two" which combine orchestral timbres and dynamics with Lane's rich vocals -- all without words. Cover art is again provided by Polish artists Jacek Yerka, who painted the incredible cover for LOVE IS AN ILLUSION.