Tony Harnell
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Bio
Tony Harnell
“Cinematic”
“Nobody sings like Tony Harnell” commented a famous DJ one night after one of his typical jaw dropping performances in New York City, “This was the best show I have ever seen”. Statements like that have followed this California bred, Big Apple resident his entire career.
An unlikely beginning for a rock singer, Tony was ripping it up as a pro skateboarder and avid surfer in San Diego during his early teens. In a city more known for it’s beautiful beaches and laid back lifestyle than for it’s rock scene, one of the worlds most under rated and influential vocalists would emerge.
Most of the hard rock community knows of the impressive work Harnell delivered with famed Norwegian band TNT, but what most people don’t know is how diversely talented he truly is. With a youthful voice that has matured like a fine wine; still stunningly powerful, yet uniquely beautiful and lyrics that can effect change in people, carried by melodies that lodge themselves deep under the skin, this guy gets to people.
With that said, we are now proud to present Tony Harnell the solo artist. His latest work being described by some as futuristic yet retro, melodic, and most of all, fresh and unique. He has found a way to blend all his musical influences into one delicious sound. Perhaps the best description of Tony’s new solo material would be “Cinematic”, which also happens to be the title of one of his most interesting new songs. And even as these new songs show an incredible diversity, his vision for the full CD will take his eclecticism to the limit without losing focus and continuity.
Tony’s strong worldwide fan base combined with his powerful new sound makes for one hell of rocket ride. Commencing countdown….
About
Tony Harnell, “Cinematic” (www.tonyharnell.com EP)
There’s a contract out on Tony Harnell. When the former singer of TNT and Westworld (currently of Starbreaker) self-issued these six “demo” tunes he made in Sweden, he kind of embarrassed a lot of musicians, and now they want to kill him.
Other vocalists have long lived with the jealousy thing -- wishing they could rival Harnell’s shaded expression, tensile strength and soaring range. His gift is God-given, though; nothing they could do about that.
The larger insult now derives from Harnell compiling heavy pop songs with this level of songwriting, arrangement, musicianship and even production, and calling them demos. I mean, Queen + Paul Rodgers spent a year and probably a jillion dollars making “The Cosmos Rocks” (which comes out Oct. 28; more on that next week), and its best isn’t half as good as any random two minutes of the “Cinematic” EP.
No connection, of course, but Harnell obviously admires Queen -- most specifically, the vocal virtuosity, complex structure and boxtone guitar solo of “The Show” recall “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Led Zeppelin, too, scores a couple of “Kashmir” tributes in the crushing “Out From Under the Black Cloud” (broken up by a sparkling na-na-na-na-na bridge) and the hugely gloomy houses of “Unholy.” Pop mournfulness never leaps more buoyantly than “I Don’t Want Anything.” “One Way Ride” churns with massive determination. And the ironic falsetto of “Cinematic” gives way to a despair so grand and gorgeous that you’ll want to bring popcorn to the human race’s funeral. Beauty is Harnell’s way of transcending the deception, zombification and frigid dominion his lyrics so poetically describe.
Harnell is acting like a man in control of his life and bursting with the energy to cultivate his enormous talent. Take a gander at “Cinematic”; you’ll probably play it every day.
Meanwhile, the bidding on Harnell’s head proceeds apace, as indicated by this e-mail I just received from “lootman@axcastle.com”: “Will you whack Tony Harnell in exchange for 10,000 shares of AT&T stock and a pair of Britney Spears’ soiled undies?” No, Lootman, I will not -- not in the current market, at least, and not even if the garment belonged to Condoleezza Rice. No earthly prize could compensate for the prospect of losing Mr. Harnell’s continued productivity.
Available for $10 from www.tonyharnell.com.
(Review by Greg Burk of L.A. Weekly and the L.A. Times.) Check his website www.metaljazz.com.
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