TED POLEY is perhaps most famous for being the drummer and singer for Glam Rock sensation DANGER DANGER during their most successful years. But, he has now three full-length albums under him as a solo artist, with "Beyond the Fade" as his newest, containing eleven tracks. Nostalgia for 80's Hard Rock and AOR music has certainly peaked again in recent years. I think it connects older fans such as myself with the memories we had in the past listening to this kind of music. I have heard good attempts and bad attempts at this however. So, let's see how Ted Poley does here. "Let's Start Something" is an immediate affirmation of the aforementioned statement. First of all, he has a wonderous sense of how to connect melody and harmonies and push your emotional sense of fulfillment, along with a touch of longing. This track would have easily been on Billboard's "Top Ten" during the previous era of this style.

"Everything We Are" keeps the good times coming. One thing I thought DANGER DANGER did perhaps better than some of their Glam peers was compose a punchy, memorable chorus. It seems evident that Ted still has the passion in his heart to do this. "Hands of Love" is a little more tender but they deliver yet another great chorus. It reminds me of the song "Bang Bang" from DANGER DANGER's debut album, at least in the way the chords progress in the first part of the chorus. The addition of the female vocalist in "The Perfect Crime" was a "perfect" call. Though I am not sure who it is, she has a familiar sound. The song is like a love duet of sorts and the keyboards provide the stability behind the scenes, rather than guitar gunking it up too much. The hits keep coming with "Stars." I first have to say I find his song to be very aptly titled. The keyboard notes sound exactly like what I would imagine, looking up into a clear fall sky on a high lookout, with your mate, and seeing the same image reflected in their eyes as well. The closing guitar solo adds some additional emotion.

"Where I Lost You" has a supple sensibility, and a tender tale of loss. The chorus resonates but is not overbearing or purposefully too dominant when it comes to the rest of the song. I caught myself singing along a few times. "We Are Young" reminds me of WHITESNAKE when they brought on Campbell and Vanderburg on the album that Sikes wrote most of the great songs. It's stong and sensitive at the same time, an anthem of sorts, but keeping beauty at the forefront. "Sirens" is another bounteous song that has a superb blend of guitar and voice where neither one takes away from the other, but rather support each other in creating a meaningful track that hangs with you like the familiair perfumed scent of a lost love. "Beneath the Stars" closes the album. The opening hulky riff sets the stage for what is perhaps the deepest and most complete listen on the album. Delicate piano passages carry the desolation to the chorus, where you are overwhelemed with the power of significance.

Keeping strong and unique melodies going in this style on an album with eleven tracks is in my experience a daunting task indeed. In fact I cringed at first, fully expecting at least some re-hashing of sounds and/or some total filler tracks. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case here. Whatever magic he had at the start of his career is still with him, and that is very rare these days. Did he sell his soul to the devil for this? I laugh at myself for asking. But seriously, no, he didn't. He is just that good of a songwriter, and this is the best album in this style that I have heard in a while. For me it's a throw back to care free days gone by and the fun filled days of youth. But in an of itself, it is also a wonderful modern album for a generation of younger listeners who were not privy to the Glam years, and who just enjoy great melodies not being pushed by the mass market of radio. This is the very core of good Rock music.